On Safari in Kenya & Tanzania with Nairobi (3553)

12 Day Tour from Nairobi to Arusha

2026 Tour Details View 2025 Tour Details »

Explore magnificent national parks and reserves on this exciting Kenya and Tanzania safari. Your expedition begins in Nairobi where you’ll enjoy a morning game drive in Nairobi National Park followed by a visit to the Giraffe Center and meet elephant calves orphaned by poachers at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphanage.

Travel from Nairobi to Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most famous game area. Here embark on morning and afternoon game drives in the “Mara”—home to lion, cheetah, leopard, hyena, wildebeest, and zebra. Next, explore Amboseli National Park—known for its spectacular views of 19,341-ft Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in search of elephants, Cape buffalo, and more.

Cross the border into Tanzania and journey to Lake Manyara National Park. Explore this ecologically diverse park on a morning game drive. Your escorted African safari continues to the amazing Ngorongoro area—the astonishing crater measures 2,000 feet deep and spans 102 square miles. Revel in the fantastic game-viewing vantage point to spot lion, hippo, elephant, and flamingo. Next, you’ll enter Serengeti National Park—site of the seasonal great migration of wildebeest, and a great game-viewing area year-round. Covering 5,700 square miles, the Serengeti will thrill you with both morning and afternoon game drives with the chance to see Nile crocodiles, big cats, giraffes, and gazelles. This escorted Africa safari through Kenya and Tanzania is a dream-come-true for the adventurous of spirit.

Small-Group Discovery Dates Available

Cosmos offers Small-Group Discoveries on all Africa safari tours. A Small-Group Discovery is limited to an average of just 20 guests per departure. There’s always room to roam with extra space between you and other travelers—while still getting up close and personal to the experiences you’ve been dreaming of. Small-Group Discoveries include all the features of a traditional Cosmos escorted tour, complete with expert Tour Director, Driver, and Local Guides who ensure that your health and safety is our top priority. A Small-Group Discovery trip is the perfectly sized tour—without the crowds.

The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes expert Tour Directors and Driver/Guides, hand-selected accommodations, and seamless transportation between destinations including intra-vacation flights—with value-minded travelers in mind. 4-wheel-drive safari vehicles are equipped with a pop-up roof for unfettered game viewing and photography. Plus, each vehicle is limited to just six guests, so you’ll always have a window seat! This tour offers a great opportunity to witness the Great Migration of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope—the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!

Big experiences come in small packages, so each Cosmos Africa safari tour is limited to a maximum of just 24 guests per departure.

Dates & Prices Book Online
800.646.5374
On Safari in Kenya & Tanzania with Nairobi map

 Photo Highlights

 Meals

 Meals & Itinerary

11 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 9 dinners


Notes:

The Great Migration is a natural event with herds typically in the Maasai Mara from August to early November. Movements and river crossings of migrating herds can be challenging to predict year to year. When possible, we’ll modify game viewing when advised of reported sightings. Since this safari includes Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, you’re guaranteed to see the herds no matter when you visit. All game viewing is done at your own risk and requires a signed liability waiver prior to travel. Due to rough driving on/off road and in/between game parks, this vacation is not recommended for guests with serious back problems or mobility issues.

 Itinerary

Day 1 ARRIVE IN NAIROBI, KENYA

Welcome to Africa! Check in to your hotel and prepare for your safari adventure!

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Day 2 NAIROBI

Start your private sightseeing with a morning game drive in Nairobi National Park. Later, visit the elephant orphanage at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, founded by Dame Daphne Sheldrick. Here, you will learn about elephant conservation and meet elephant calves, orphaned by poachers, before they are re-introduced to the wild. Next, visit the Karen Blixen Museum, dedicated to the author of Out of Africa. Lastly, stop at the Giraffe Center, a nonprofit organization focused on saving the Rothschild’s giraffe. Take the opportunity to feed these amazing animals with an up-close interaction with the world’s tallest land mammal.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch

Day 3 NAIROBI–MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

This morning, depart for Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most famous game area. After lunch at your lodge, set out on your first game drive in search of the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape buffalo.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 4 MAASAI MARA

Today, enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the “Mara,” as it is called by locals. Part of the Serengeti ecosystem, the reserve boasts a strong permanent population of game. When the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra arrives, the population enlarges by almost 2 million. This provides a significant food source for resident predators including lions, cheetah, leopard, and hyena.

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Breakfast Breakfast
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Day 5 MAASAI MARA–NAIROBI–AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK AREA

Today, board a plane for the quick flight to Nairobi. Drive to Amboseli National Park, best known for spectacular views of 19,341-foot Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Embark on an afternoon game drive before settling in at your lodge.

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Breakfast Breakfast
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Day 6 AMBOSELI

Morning and afternoon game drives offer you a terrific opportunity to get close to the mighty elephant. You might also spot Cape buffalo, zebra, wild dog, and more. During the heat of the day, relax and enjoy the amenities at your lodge.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 7 AMBOSELI–ARUSHA–LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK AREA

This morning, enter Tanzania at the Namanga border. After lunch in Arusha, proceed to your camp overlooking Lake Manyara. Get lost in the woods on an optional guided hike through the magical forest in the Great Rift Valley. Did we mention the monkeys? Or... go bananas for beer made from the fruit, along with other farm specialties on an optional guided visit to Mto Wa Mbu village.

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Breakfast Breakfast
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Day 8 LAKE MANYARA AREA–NGORONGORO CONSERVATION AREA

Lake Manyara National Park is a small, ecologically diverse park with groundwater forests, grassy plains, and the alkaline namesake Lake Manyara. The park is also home to the world’s largest concentration of baboon. Watch for these mischievous primates, giraffe, hippo, and more on your morning game drive. Then, journey to your lodge and enjoy time at leisure this afternoon.

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Breakfast Breakfast
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Day 9 NGORONGORO AREA

Descend into the crater for a full-day game drive. Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unflooded caldera, more than 2,000 feet deep with a floor covering over 102 square miles. Game viewing here is fantastic, as most of the animals stay in this area year-round. Witness lion, Cape buffalo, hippo, elephant, and flamingo in a unique habitat. This is also your best chance to see the rare black rhinoceros! A picnic lunch will be served in the crater.

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Breakfast Breakfast
LunchLunch
DinnerDinner

Day 10 NGORONGORO AREA–SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK

Today, drive to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s largest and most famous park. Home to the seasonal Great Migration of vast numbers of the Serengeti's wildebeest, accompanied by zebra, Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, eland, and impala. The Serengeti remains an extraordinary ecosystem for game viewing year round. Enjoy lunch at your lodge before an afternoon game drive.

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Breakfast Breakfast
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Day 11 SERENGETI

The biologically diverse Serengeti covers an area of roughly 5,700 square miles and is home to a variety of animals. The name comes from the Maasai word siringit, meaning “endless plains,” and Maasai tribes co-exist with wildlife living in the Serengeti. Continue your exploration during morning and afternoon game drives. You have the chance to see the big cats—lion, leopard, and cheetah—as well as an abundance of other animals, including the Nile crocodile, giraffe, gazelle, and eland.

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Breakfast Breakfast
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Day 12 SERENGETI–ARUSHA

Fly back to Arusha, where a day room is reserved for your convenience. Schedule departing flights after 5 pm.

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Breakfast Breakfast

 Tour Director

With COSMOS, there’s no better way to get to know your destination than through the eyes of a Tour Director. We’d like you to meet one of our Tour Directors, who average over a decade of experience and are representative of the type of expert that will be with you on your vacation.

BENJAMIN NZUVE

Escorting tours for more than 20 years

“As a child, I was fascinated by wildlife documentaries and dreamt of becoming a guide. Now, with more than two decades of experience, I love sharing my extensive knowledge of local wildlife and culture with guests!”

Tour Director - BENJAMIN NZUVE

 Accommodations

 Optional Excursions

No matter what you’re into: food, wine, history, art, music or anything else, we give you the freedom to personalize your vacation with optional excursions that speak to your interests.

When you book your excursions with us, you can be assured that every optional excursion that we offer coordinates with the free time that you'll have in your destination, so you'll never have conflicts between included and optional activities. Our team of travel experts carefully selects each optional excursion that we offer to ensure that you receive the highest quality at a great value. Our tried-and-true partners have a finger on the pulse of the city in which they operate so they deliver the very best experiences. We offer experiences you cannot create on your own and because you’re booking with us, we coordinate all your transportation and timing needs.

The following optional excursions are examples only for this vacation. These may or may not be offered, and availability is subject to days of operation and seasonality. Please select a departure date to view optional excursions and pricing for a specific date (due to currency fluctuation, pricing shown is subject to change until purchased). Optional excursions are available for purchase on our MyCosmos site 90 days prior to the tour start date.

Price Ranges

$ ($50 USD and under)
$$ ($51 - $100 USD)
$$$ ($101 - $150 USD)
$$$$ (Over $150)


Amboseli National Park Area
Lake Manyara National Park Area

Amboseli National Park Area

Maasai Village

Maasai Village

Learn more about this semi-nomadic tribe, famous for herding cattle and their distinctive red clothing.

Price Range: $

Lake Manyara National Park Area

Mto Wa Mbu Village

Mto Wa Mbu Village

Explore Mto Wa Mbu to learn about local village life.

Price Range: $

Lake Manyara Forest Walk

Lake Manyara Forest Walk

Guided forest walk through a dense groundwater forest to view a variety of wildlife.

Price Range: $

Lake Manyara by Night

Lake Manyara by Night

This night game drive provides a unique perspective on the wildlife of Lake Manyara National Park.

Price Range: $$$



The "Starting at" or listed price is based on the lowest price available to book. Price is per passenger based on double occupancy and does not include International airfare; additional fees/charges are not included. If a price is crossed out, the new price includes a limited time promotional offer(s) – please review current promotions or deals for additional information. Some tours require intra-vacation flights (and in some cases intra-vacation segments must be purchased from Cosmos).