13 Day Big Cat Safari in Kenya and Tanzania
Safari in Kenya and Tanzania
This Big Cat Safari in Kenya and Tanzania is a thrilling adventure that will take you on a journey through some of the most iconic and diverse wildlife habitats in East Africa. This 12 nights / 13 days safari is designed to provide you with exceptional opportunities to witness and photograph Africa’s “big cats,” including lions, leopards, and cheetahs in their natural habitats.
Key information
- Group safari
- Maximum of 60 participants
- Children from the age of one year old can join under the supervision of a parent or guardian
- Service of an English-speaking driver guide
- Starts and ends in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- Park entrance fee, government taxes, and park fees for the vehicle included where applicable
Highlights
- Morning and afternoon game drives in the Maasai Mara
- Viewing flamingoes at Lake Nakuru
- See Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa
- Visit Lake Manyara National Park, the home of tree-climbing lions
- Transport based on a safari minibus and a 4WD safari vehicle
- 12 nights accommodation
- Meals and airport transfers included
- Fees and government taxes included where applicable
Skill level
- Beginner
Styles
Accommodation
Hilton Garden Inn Hotel (1 night)
The property is on Mombassa Road, seven kilometers from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, with access to the Nairobi Expressway at JKIA or SGR. The Nairobi National Park East Gate is nine kilometers away. The city center is only 10 minutes and Westlands is 14 minutes away. Enjoy a meal in their Great American Grill® restaurant, or a snack from their shop.
Facilities
- Free parking
- Free WiFi
- Non-smoking rooms
- Airport shuttle
- Onsite restaurant
- Outdoor pool
- Fitness center
- Room service
- Business center
- Meeting rooms
- Pets not allowed
Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba Lodge (2 night)
Located high on the slopes of the Oloolaimutia Hills, the Maasai Mara Sopa Lodge was one of the first safari lodges to be built in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, a reason why its gardens and trees are so lush and mature.
The lodge has 50 guest cottages divided into two wings on either side of the main public areas. Each of these houses has two spacious guest rooms with queen and king-size beds, mosquito nets, electronic safes, dressing tables, ensuite bathrooms, and sheltered verandas that all have views over the gardens and the game reserve beyond.
Nestled in the scenic hills on the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Mara Sopa Lodge offers a tranquil retreat with a perfect blend of comfort and African charm. This mid-range lodge is renowned for its warm hospitality, stunning views, and proximity to wildlife-rich areas.
Guests will stay in spacious, ensuite rooms designed with traditional African décor and modern amenities, including cozy beds, private verandas, and large windows offering panoramic views of the surrounding wilderness.
The lodge features a swimming pool, a well-stocked bar, and a dining area serving delicious meals prepared with fresh, local ingredients. In the evenings, enjoy the lodge's cozy ambiance, complete with a fireplace and cultural performances, making it the perfect place to unwind after an adventurous day in the Mara.
Situated near the main gates of the reserve, the lodge offers easy access to game drive routes while providing a serene base to relax and recharge. At Mara Sopa Lodge, you will enjoy a memorable stay that combines adventure, comfort, and the beauty of the African savannah.
- Accommodation level: Mid-range
Facilities
- Bar
- Gift shop
- Lounge
- Outdoor boma dining area
- Restaurant
- Swimming pool
- Television in the bar
- Wi-Fi in public areas
Whether you want a boost of rejuvenation or simply an escape for the weekend to unwind, check into Mara Simba Lodge to achieve your wellness goals. Indulge in exceptional culinary experiences and entertain yourself at the bar and revive yourself as you surrender to the pleasures of life at this truly alluring destination.
The luxurious accommodation affords supreme privacy and luxury with three types of accommodations to choose from, that make the most of the bush environs. Incredible and personalized game drives will also bring you extremely close to the fascinating Big Five. Enjoy watching the Great Migration across the Mara River between July and September every year.
- Accommodation level: Luxury
Lake Naivasha Sopa (1 night)
Set on 120 acres of Lake Naivasha’s southern shoreline in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, with acacia bushes and trees, the resort is not only home to the resident giraffe, waterbuck, and both Vervet and Colobus monkeys, but it is also a night stop for the hippos.
The guest cottages, with their ingeniously designed roofs, gently sweep away from one side of the main building to form a crescent that leads towards the lake shore.
- Accommodation level: Mid-range
Facilities
- Bars
- Lounge
- Restaurant
- Outdoor boma dining area
- Swimming pool
- Gym
- Sauna
- Gift shop
- Television in-room
- Expansive grounds to host weddings or other events
- Wi-Fi in public areas
Treetops Lodge (1 night)
Located in the Aberdare National Park, the Treetops Lodge Nyeri tree-house lodge on stilts is famous as the place where Queen Elizabeth II visited as a princess and left as queen. It is one of the four Kenyan Tree Hotels.
Originally built in 1932, it lies in the path of an ancient elephant migratory route between the Aberdare Ranges and Mt. Kenya National Park, and is strategically sited right in front of a natural watering hole and salt lick, making it the perfect place to view the game.
Treetops is as much a part of nature as it has an ancient tree growing right through the hotel, with the lodge being built around it. It is the perfect fusion of nature and comfort, sporting a rustic look that fits right into the Aberdares.
The lodge has 32 standard rooms and three suites, which make it one of the best accommodation lodges that Nyeri has to offer. It also has a family room for guests who would like to spend some time watching television.
- Accommodation level: Mid-range
Facilities
- Outdoor jungle bar
- Shower
- Baggage rack
- Disabled-friendly
- Restaurant
- Bar and lounge
- Meeting room
Amboseli Sopa Lodge (2 nights)
Set on 200 acres of private land and with a rustic charm all of its own, the lodge nestles in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, which, at almost six thousand meters, is Africa’s highest and most famous snowcapped mountain.
Amboseli Sopa Lodge is set within mature wooded gardens with a wide variety of trees and plants that include thorn trees, acacias, fragrant frangipanis, colorful bougainvillea, and giant cacti, which all thrive in these surroundings.
The gardens are also home to numerous species of birds, as well as monkeys, mongooses, squirrels, duikers, the occasional gazelle, and, once in a while, even an ever-inquisitive leopard.
Rustic, well-spaced cottages meander through the vast expanse of the mature gardens and house the 83 guest rooms. These are all brightly decorated with Maasai-themed murals, and each room has been purposely built to contain either one or two queen-sized beds, as well as a veranda.
- Accommodation level: Mid-range
Facilities
- Adjoining rooms
- Babysitting
- Board games
- Children’s menu
- Children’s pool
- Executive suite
- Gift shop
- Hairdryers
- Handicraft market
- Honeymoon suite
- Laundry
- Mosquito nets
- Outdoor dining
- Sauna
- Special diets
- Sundowners
- Swimming pool
- Telephone at reception
- Traditional dances
- Turndown service
- Wheelchair-accessible rooms
Kirurumu Tented Lodge (1 night)
Kirurumu Manyara Lodge is set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, enjoying a marvelous, uplifting, and panoramic view eastward over Lake Manyara, the Rift floor, and Mt. Losimingori. Behind it, the Ngorongoro Highlands rise in green and fertile splendor and form the gateway to Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge, and, finally, Serengeti.
Facilities
- Breakfast - Full breakfast made on-site with Kirurumu's renowned chefs, serving hot delicious meals cooked to order, with hot freshly baked bread
- Free Wi-Fi - Wi-Fi designated area; Kirurumu encourages posting after your safari to ensure the protection of wildlife from poachers
- View - Set high on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, marvelous, uplifting, and panoramic views over Lake Manyara, the Rift floor, and Mt. Losimingori
- Daily housekeeping - Housekeeping services provided in all Kirurumu Under Canvas accommodations
- Showers - Pressure boosters and hot rain showers for the perfect rinse after a long day on safari; fully ensuite bathrooms; hot and cold running water
- Coffee and tea in-room service - Request a hot cup of tea of freshly ground and brewed local coffee at your doorstep with a gentle wakeup call
Serengeti Sopa Lodge (2 nights)
Located on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the plains of southwestern Serengeti National Park, home to many thousands of wild and rare animals, Serengeti Sopa Lodge lies within an area of outstanding natural beauty. It is an oasis of cool relaxation from the equatorial sun.
The lodge allows its guests to experience magnificent sights and enjoy interaction with the land and animals difficult to find elsewhere, whilst at the same time enjoying the highest level of cuisine and hospitality.
Unlike most other safari lodges throughout East Africa, the main building does not have a traditionally African thatched roof. It has, instead, a flat roof that they often use for cocktails, sundowners, and private parties.
However, when you step down from these lofty heights into the sudden coolness of the reception lobby and move on, you will find stairs and ramps that will either take you down to the dining room, with its outdoor terrace and simply delicious and sumptuous meals that are to die for, or across to the conference room before descending further to the ground floor.
- Accommodation level: Mid-range
Facilities
- Adjoining rooms
- Babysitting
- Balloon safaris
- Bar
- Birdwatching
- Board games
- Children’s menu
- Conference room
- Gift shop
- Gymnasium
- Hairdryers
- Laundry
- Lounge
- Mosquito nets
- Outdoor dining
- Restaurant
- Special diets
- Sundowners
- Swimming pool
- Telephone at the reception
- Traditional dances
- Turn down service
- Television room
- Weddings
- Wheelchair-accessible rooms
- Wi-Fi in public areas
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge (2 nights)
Facing the always magnificent sunsets to the west, and located at the highest point on Ngorongoro Crater’s entire rim, Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge stands well over half a kilometer above the crater floor and offers unparalleled views across this enormous caldera.
Themed around traditionally circular African houses with conical roofs, and decorated with examples of Africa’s rich tapestry of artistic traditions by way of rich woodcarvings and sculptures, the lodge harmonizes perfectly with its dramatic surroundings.
But the drama does not just stop with the great outdoors: it also flows through the split-level interiors of the main building, which all offer an unsurpassed generosity of space while somehow managing to combine an almost magically welcoming ambiance of both warmth and coziness.
Facilities
- Bar
- Lounge
- Restaurant
- Television in the conference room
- Outdoor dining
- Swimming pool
- Gift shop
- Wi-Fi in public areas
Program
Here’s an overview of what you can expect on this exciting safari.
Day 1: Nairobi
On arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by Priority Wild Safaris staff and transferred to the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel. Overnight stay at this hotel will be on a bed and breakfast basis.
Day 2: Nairobi - Masai Mara
After breakfast at 07:30, drive through the floor of the Rift Valley via the Maasai town of Narok to arrive at Kenya’s most populous park, the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, in time for lunch at Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba Lodge.
Later, proceed with a game drive en route to Mara Serena Lodge. Masai Mara has migrants, and well over 450 species of animals have been recorded there. Although July, August, and September are the months when the Mara plains are filled with migrating wildebeest and zebra, there is also resident wildlife year-round.
The famous Maasai tribesmen live within the dispersal area of the game reserve. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba Lodge.
Day 3: Masai Mara
You'll go on morning and afternoon game drives in the Maasai Mara. Lunch, dinner, and overnight stay will be at Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba Lodge.
Day 4: Masai Mara-Lake Nakuru
At 08:30, after breakfast, leave for Nakuru with a game drive en route. Arrive in Lake Nakuru National Park in time for lunch and have lunch at Lion Hill Lodge.
At 15:00, you'll have an afternoon game drive. This will be a chance to visit a unique sanctuary catering to a sizeable number of the endangered rhinoceros and the Rothschild giraffe. Waterbucks as well as predators such as the lion and leopard are common at the park.
Also to be seen is a myriad of different varieties of birdlife in and around the lake. Flamingoes are also plenty at the lake. Later, drive to Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Lake Naivasha - Aberdares National Park
Have breakfast at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort then go on a walking safari to the Crescent Island. Depart later for Treetops Lodge in Aberdare’s, one of the four Kenyan Tree Hotels. Lunch will be at Outspan Hotel. Later, transfer to Treetops Lodge for game viewing. Then, spend an afternoon of game watching from the comfort of your room or at the bar or restaurant.
Before you reach the lodge, it is advisable to have a stop to admire the 73-meter plunge of the Thompson Falls named after the Scottish explorer who first saw it in the late 1800s. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Treetops Lodge.
Day 6: Aberdares - Nairobi - Amboseli
At 08:00, you will be picked up after breakfast, then drive to Nairobi for lunch at the Thorn Tree Restaurant. You will then proceed south to Amboseli National Park and check in at Amboseli Sopa Lodge at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Amboseli Serena Lodge.
Day 7: Amboseli National Park
At 06:30, you will go on an early morning game drive, then have breakfast at the lodge and the morning at leisure. Lunch will be at the lodge. At 15:00, you'll have an afternoon game drive.
The snow on the mountain forms a majestic backdrop to one of Kenya’s most popular spectacular displays of wildlife - lion, elephant, leopard, rhino, cheetah, and buffalo - and hosts plains game, creating Kenya’s most sought-after photographer’s paradise.
After lunch, proceed for an afternoon game drive in the park. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Amboseli Serena Lodge.
Day 8: Amboseli - Arusha - Lake Manyara
Breakfast will be served at Amboseli Serena Lodge. At 08:00, drive through the Namanga border into Tanzania and drive to Arusha town to arrive in time for lunch. At 14:00, after lunch, proceed to Lake Manyara National Park and check in at Kirurumu Tented Lodge.
Birdlife in the park is very broad. It is the home of the tree-climbing lion, as well as giraffes, hippo, zebra, and buffalo. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Kirurumu Tented Lodge.
Day 9: Lake Manyara - Serengeti
After breakfast, a game drive will be provided and then later, you will drive to Serengeti National Reserve. At 13:00, you'll have lunch at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge. At 15:00, depart for the afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Serengeti Sopa Lodge.
Day 10: Serengeti
At 06:30, you'll go on an early morning game drive. Then, have breakfast at the lodge with the morning at your leisure. At 14:30, you'll have lunch at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge. At 15:00, go on an afternoon game drive.
Serengeti is Africa’s largest national park and is also one of its most popular. The park has an incredible number of animals, wildebeest being the most populous followed by zebra. Elephants are notably scarce. Cheetahs and the rest of the big cats are regularly sighted in the plains. The few remaining endangered black rhino are restricted to the Moru Koppies area.
The park is also famous for the wildebeest migration, often described as one of the most impressive spectacles in the natural world.
Arrive in time for lunch, then in the afternoon, proceed for a game drive. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Serengeti Sopa Lodge.
Day 11: Serengeti - Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, drive with game viewing en route to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Lunch will be at the Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge then the afternoon will be at your leisure. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.
Day 12: Ngorongoro Crater
Have an early breakfast then descend into the crater, with picnic lunches for a day game drive. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest intact calderas in the world and is one of the most spectacular sights in the whole of Africa. The Olduvai Gorge in the neighborhood is the site where some of Africa’s oldest hominid fossils were found.
The Crater has one of the densest predator populations in Africa. Elephant, lion, zebra, wildebeest, and a host of other resident animals are to be found there. Dinner and overnight stay will be at Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge.
Day 13: Ngorongoro - Arusha
Have breakfast at your lodge, then at 08:30, you will drive back to arrive in Arusha in time for lunch. After the meal, continue to Nairobi on a regular shuttle bus and then you will be dropped off at Panafric Hotel.
Priority Wild Safaris will pick you up from Panafric Hotel then drive you to Carnivore Restaurant. It is famous for its succulent steaks as a welcome or farewell dinner. Later, you will be transferred to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home.
Location
This safari will take you to Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Amboseli National Park, Lake Manyara, Serengeti National Reserve, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Ngorongoro Crater.
Food
All meals while on safari are included.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten Free
- Organic
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Hallal
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
Optional activities in Nairobi
- Visit the David Sheldrick Elephant orphanage
- Visit the Giraffe Center
- Dinner or lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant for meat lovers
- Visit Maasai market
Spa treatments
Spa treatments are not included in the package. Majority of the hotels and lodges offer spa treatment services at a fee.
What's included
- Game drives as per the itinerary
- Service of an English-speaking driver guide
- Transport based on a 4WD safari vehicle with pop-up roof for game viewing in Tanzania
- Transport based on a safari minibus with pop-up roof for game viewing in Kenya
- One-way shuttle bus ticket from Arusha to Nairobi
- Complementary transfer to / from airport on arrival and departure dates
- Park entrance fee where applicable
- Driver allowances and park fees for vehicle and driver
- Government taxes
- Accommodation and all meals while on safari
- 1 night accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis
- 12 nights accommodation in total
- Dinner on the last day of the tour
What's not included
- Extras at the lodges, i.e., drinks, telephone, laundry, etc.
- International flight to East Africa
- Departure taxes - visa and any related fees
- Tips to porters and drivers
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
11 km
Transfer included
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 21 days before arrival.
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