13-Day Kenya & Tanzania Photography Safari
Thirteen days through Kenya and northern Tanzania with a pop-up-roof 4x4 for shooting, a sunrise balloon flight over the Mara, and two full days each in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Amboseli.
13 days · 12 nights · Year-round · best Jul – Oct (migration)
About this experience
Built for people who want to come home with pictures: the route takes in lake birdlife at Nakuru, the Mara and Serengeti plains, the Ngorongoro Crater floor, Tarangire's baobabs and Kilimanjaro behind Amboseli's elephants. The Mara stay includes a sunrise hot-air balloon flight, and your guide works to put you in good positions for photography on every drive. You travel privately in a 4x4 with a pop-up roof, so you have room to move and shoot. Most parks get two nights, which gives you both morning and evening light.
Best for
- Wildlife photographers
- Two countries in one trip
- Migration (Jul–Oct)
Trip features
- Private vehicleYour own 4x4 and driver-guide
- Starts any dayPick your own date, 7+ days ahead
- Can be tailoredChange lodges, add days or parks
- Children welcomeAges 3–12 at half price
- Pickup in NairobiAirport or your hotel
- EnglishGuide language
Signature experiences
Optional extras we can add to this trip. Prices are per person and confirmed when you book.
Chilled drinks on a ridge as the sun drops and the sky turns — a quiet, golden end to a day of game drives.
A lantern-lit table set out under the stars, your own chef and a crackling fire — the safari dinner people remember for years.
Spend an hour in a working manyatta — the jumping dance, fire-making, and a look at daily Maasai life, hosted by the community itself.
On foot with an armed ranger — tracks, plants, birds and the small details a vehicle drives straight past.
Day by day
What each day looks like, from pickup in Nairobi to drop-off.
We meet you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and drive you to your hotel. A quiet first night on bed and breakfast before the safari starts.
After breakfast you head for Lake Nakuru National Park, known for flamingos, birdlife and rhino. The afternoon game drive looks for rhino, buffalo and giraffe.
Lake Nakuru Lodge · Full-board
A final drive around Nakuru, then west to the Maasai Mara. You arrive for an afternoon game drive over the open savannah before settling in for two nights.
Mara Amani Luxury Camp (or similar) · Full-board
An early start for a sunrise hot-air balloon flight of up to an hour over the Mara, followed by a champagne breakfast where you land. In the afternoon you go out on a game drive, then visit a Maasai village before getting back to camp at sunset.
Mara Amani Luxury Camp (or similar) · Full-board
You leave the Mara by the Oloololo Escarpment and cross into Tanzania at Isebania, with a lunch stop on the way. The drive continues through the Lake Victoria highlands near Musoma, and animals often start to show up before you reach the Serengeti.
Serengeti Tortilis Luxury Camp · Full-board
Morning and afternoon game drives across the Serengeti plains, with your guide looking for the best angles on lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra.
Serengeti Tortilis Luxury Camp · Full-board
A game drive on your way out of the Serengeti, with a picnic lunch, then on to the Ngorongoro Crater. You stay two nights at a lodge on the crater rim.
Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge (or similar) · Full-board
You descend the crater walls in the morning for a full day on the floor, with a picnic lunch among the animals. In the afternoon you return to the rim for the wide views over the crater.
Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge (or similar) · Full-board
Down the escarpment to Lake Manyara National Park in time for lunch. The afternoon drive looks for tree-climbing lions, elephants, hippos and flamingos.
Lake Manyara Wildlife Lodge (or similar) · Full-board
A last morning drive in Manyara, then on to Tarangire National Park for lunch at your lodge. The afternoon is spent among the park's baobabs and large elephant herds.
Tarangire Safari Lodge (or similar) · Full-board
An early breakfast, lunch in Arusha, then immigration at Namanga and back into Kenya. You reach Amboseli National Park, below Kilimanjaro, by late afternoon for two nights.
Amboseli Sopa Lodge · Full-board
Morning and afternoon game drives for elephants against the Kilimanjaro skyline, plus the chance of lion, cheetah, giraffe and gazelle. The swamps are good for birds.
Amboseli Sopa Lodge · Full-board
After breakfast you drive back to Nairobi. We drop you at the airport for your flight home, or at your hotel if you are staying on.
Where you'll stay
Lodges we book on this trip. If one is full on your dates, we'll offer a comparable property before you pay anything.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation in lodges and camps as listed (bed & breakfast in Nairobi, full board on safari)
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof and driver-guide
- Experienced guides for wildlife viewing and photography
- Sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Maasai Mara with champagne breakfast
- All national park, reserve and Ngorongoro Crater entry fees
- All game drives as per itinerary
- Airport arrival and departure transfers in Nairobi
- 24/7 WhatsApp support from the Bookara team
Not included
- International flights
- Kenya eTA (government fee — we help you apply)
- Tanzania visa (government fee — we help you apply)
- Travel and medical insurance
- Tips for guides, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional excursions and extra activities
- Drinks and personal expenses
Route & pickup
Where the trip goes, and where we meet you.
- 01 NairobiDay 1 · City
- 02 Lake NakuruDay 2 · Lake
- 03 Maasai MaraDay 3 · National park & reserve
- 04 SerengetiDay 5 · National park & reserve
- 05 Ngorongoro CraterDay 7 · National park & reserve
- 06 Lake ManyaraDay 9 · Lake
- 07 TarangireDay 10 · National park & reserve
- 08 ArushaDay 11 · City
- 09 AmboseliDay 11 · National park & reserve
- 10 NairobiDay 13 · City
Good to know
A 30% deposit holds your dates, and the balance is due 45 days before you travel (book closer than that and you pay in full). Cancel 90+ days before departure for a full refund, 60–89 days before for 50% back. Full terms.
Common questions
What makes this a photography safari?+
Your guide is experienced with photographers and works to get you good vantage points on each drive, and the 4x4 has a pop-up roof so you can stand and shoot. Because it's a private trip — your own vehicle and guide, nobody else joins — you can wait at a sighting for as long as you like. The Mara balloon flight adds an aerial view at sunrise.
How do we get between Kenya and Tanzania?+
By road. You cross at Isebania on day 5 and return at Namanga on day 11, and both crossings are part of the drive. You need a Tanzania visa as well as the Kenya eTA, and we help you apply.
Can we change the route or the lodges?+
Yes. If you'd like an extra night in a park or a different camp, message us and we'll quote it.
Book on WhatsApp
Your chat opens with the trip pre-filled — no payment needed now. Our team replies between 7am–10pm EAT.
Request saved
WhatsApp is opening with your details pre-filled — just hit send.
- 1 Send the pre-filled messageYour trip details are already written for you.
- 2 Confirm in chat — or pay the deposit onlineSame reference either way. Our team replies 7am–10pm EAT.
- 3 Instant confirmationWhatsApp message + email receipt the moment your deposit lands.
Your request ref becomes your booking reference once the deposit is paid.
Book direct with the operator
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Licensed & certified
Kenya-registered operator in Nairobi with experienced driver-guides.
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Run from Nairobi
We plan and run your trip ourselves, with driver-guides we know, and stay reachable on WhatsApp throughout.
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Secure payment
Card or Apple Pay through Paystack (USD). Taxes and park fees are in the price you see.
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Flexible cancellation
Full refund up to 90 days before departure; a 30% deposit holds your dates.
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