12-Nights Kenya & Tanzania: A Classic Safari - Land Journey from $17,490

Day 1 Arusha, Tanzania
Arrive in Arusha, Tanzania's safari gateway

Tour begins: Gran Meliá Arusha. A transfer from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Gran Meliá Arusha is included. Welcome to Tanzania and the start of your African safari; your hotel is set out on 18 acres of beautifully landscaped coffee and tea plantations; dine at the hotel this evening.

Set out for a five-night safari to Ngorongoro Crater and the vast Serengeti plains, traveling through Lake Manyara National Park, where diverse habitats support an extraordinary variety of wildlife. The park is especially renowned for its abundant birdlife, including flamingos, pelicans, storks, and impressive birds of prey, as well as elephants, giraffes, and other animals that inhabit its forests and grasslands. Continue through the scenic landscapes of northern Tanzania to Ngorongoro Lodge Meliá Collection, situated on the rim of Ngorongoro Crater in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This remarkable natural sanctuary is home to some 30,000 large mammals, including lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, and wildebeest, making it one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife destinations. From your lodge, take in the extraordinary panorama of the crater floor stretching far below, a landscape shaped by ancient volcanic forces and now teeming with wildlife. This evening, join us for a welcome reception and dinner at your lodge, surrounded by the spectacular scenery of Ngorongoro Crater.

Thought by some to be Africa's original "Garden of Eden," Ngorongoro Crater is one of the largest calderas in the world and contains a variety of ecosystems and an astounding concentration of birds and animals. Your four-wheel-drive vehicle, built exclusively for Tauck, provides an excellent mobile viewing platform when encountering massive herds of zebras, wildebeests, and gazelles. This area affords an opportunity to spot the Big Five - elephant, leopard, lion, buffalo, and rhinoceros. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater today.

Today, you'll hop a morning flight from Lake Manyara to the Seronera airstrip in the heart of Serengeti National Park. As you do, you'll fly over Oldupai Gorge, where, over 50 years ago, archaeologists Louis and Mary Leakey discovered the fossilized remains of some of the earliest known human species, an estimated 1.8 million years old. Arrive in time for lunch at your elegant safari lodge in the Serengeti, where you'll begin a three-night stay. Following an afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park, join us this evening for a Maasai traditional dance performance.

Look for wildlife in the heart of the vast savanna of the Serengeti today on both morning and afternoon game drives, when golden light sharpens every movement across the plains. Sightings might include lions, zebras, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, jackals, gazelles, and giraffes. As the sun sets and the horizon glows, return to the comfort of your lodge in Serengeti National Park to watch the sky fade from gold to violet.

Spend another glorious day exploring the vast and untamed Serengeti, where each hour brings a new rhythm of life across the plains. Set out in safari vehicles at first light, when the grasslands are washed in gold and the wildlife is most active - predators returning from the hunt, herds moving toward water, and the air alive with birdsong. Return to camp for a leisurely breakfast and time to unwind as the heat of the day settles in; perhaps take a swim, enjoy the views from your veranda, or simply watch the savanna stretch endlessly toward the horizon. In the late afternoon, venture out again as the light softens and the shadows lengthen, revealing another side of the Serengeti - elephants dusting themselves at sunset, lions stirring in the tall grass, and giraffes silhouetted against a sky of burnished color. This evening, enjoy dinner at your lodge, reflecting on the day's discoveries as night falls across the plains.

Leave the Serengeti behind as you fly to Arusha, Tanzania, en route to Kenya. After landing in Arusha, enjoy lunch at the Cultural Heritage Center before boarding a flight to Isiolo in northern Kenya. Continue by safari vehicle into Samburu National Reserve, where rugged hills, acacia-dotted plains, and the winding Ewaso Nyiro River create a strikingly different landscape from the Serengeti. A game drive en route to your lodge offers your first opportunity to spot the region's distinctive wildlife, including the Samburu Special Five. Settle in for a two-night stay at your lodge along the river, with time to relax before dinner at your leisure this evening.

Begin your day with a visit to a local Samburu village, where you'll learn about the traditions and way of life of the Samburu people, whose pastoral heritage remains an important part of the region's cultural identity. Continue with a game drive through Samburu National Reserve, home to elephants, lions, leopards, and the Samburu Special Five - Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk, and Somali ostrich - species especially associated with northern Kenya's dry landscapes. Return to your lodge for lunch and some time to relax before heading out on another game drive in the late afternoon. As the day draws to a close, enjoy a sundowner overlooking the Ewaso Nyiro River and surrounding wilderness before returning to the lodge for dinner.

Depart Samburu National Reserve this morning for a scenic drive through the Kenyan countryside, passing farmlands and rural communities en route to the foothills of Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest peak. Your destination is the renowned Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, a landmark retreat set amid expansive gardens with the majestic mountain providing a dramatic backdrop. Founded in 1959 by Hollywood actor William Holden and his partners, the club became an exclusive retreat for royalty, dignitaries, and celebrities, including Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby. Today, it retains much of its original character and gracious hospitality. Enjoy lunch at the hotel before an afternoon of discoveries, beginning with a special equatorial ceremony marking your arrival at the imaginary line dividing the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Later, visit the Mount Kenya Wildlife Center, where you'll learn about efforts to protect and rehabilitate Kenya's native wildlife, including endangered species, and gain insight into the important conservation work taking place in this remarkable region. Return to the hotel with time to enjoy its beautiful surroundings before dinner this evening. Spend the next two nights at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club.

Your day begins with an early morning game drive through Ol Pejeta Conservancy, one of Kenya's most important wildlife sanctuaries and a stronghold for endangered rhinos. Home to East Africa's largest population of black rhinos, the conservancy also protects lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards, and an extraordinary diversity of other wildlife. Explore its open grasslands and wooded landscapes in search of these remarkable animals, gaining a closer appreciation for the conservation efforts helping to protect them for future generations. Return to Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club for lunch, followed by some free time to enjoy the hotel's beautiful grounds or take advantage of its recreational activities, which include horseback riding, golf, and guided walks. This afternoon, visit local spinners and weavers in Nanyuki for a firsthand look at traditional textile-making techniques. Watch as sheep's wool is sheared, cleaned, dyed, and woven by hand into colorful rugs, shawls, sweaters, and throws. Meet the artisans behind these creations and discover the skill, patience, and craftsmanship involved in transforming raw wool into finished textiles - traditions that continue to be practiced and passed along within the community. Return to the hotel this evening for a special barbecue dinner under the stars, surrounded by the natural beauty of Mount Kenya.

Pack your Tauck duffle bag and fly to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in southern Kenya, where you'll be welcomed by Maasai warriors. Have lunch upon arrival at your safari camp, and spend the afternoon at leisure - relaxing on your veranda or in the open lounge as wildlife drifts across the plains. Embark on a late afternoon game drive across the plains of "the Mara" in search of animals that make their homes here; perhaps you'll see lions, antelopes, elephants and zebras in their daily rituals. Return to your safari camp for a briefing on tomorrow's hot air balloon flight, followed by dinner.

Today - the last full day of your safari adventure - will be one that you'll always remember, as you arise before dawn to board a hot air balloon* and float over the Masai Mara's awakening plains below as the sun rises; when you land, a special champagne breakfast will be served in the bush. Back on the ground, look for lions, impalas, cheetahs, giraffes, and the other animals as you return overland to the camp for lunch and an afternoon at leisure - and later on an evening game drive in the bush. After returning to your safari camp, join us for a farewell reception and dinner.

Tour ends: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Fly from Maasai Mara National Reserve to Nairobi this morning for your journey home. We have reserved a day room for you at Sankara Nairobi, Autograph Collection; depart the hotel for the airport after dinner. Allow 3 hours for flight check-in.