8 Days Kenya and Tanzania Safari | Visit Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara & Serengeti
Experience the best East African trip through this 8-day safari in Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, and the Serengeti National Park. 8 days! What an opportunity to unveil what of each of these gems hides within its ecosystem. This 8 days Kenya and Tanzania safari offers complexity, drama, and lifelong experiences. So, enjoy concentrated game watching and flamingos of Lake Nakuru to the predator-rich plains of Masai Mara National Reserve and the immense solitude of the Serengeti. Serengeti Masai Mara Experts Company offers this trip for budget and luxury travelers and combines three famous parks in Kenya and Tanzania with beautiful views of the Great Wildebeest Migration in Serengeti and Masai Mara, and other wildlife.
Serengeti National Park is where this event begins, with the Ndutu calving season of wildebeests in its southern region. However, witnessing the Mara River crossings is actually best in the Masai Mara National Reserve because of the intense drama that happens here due to the high concentration of predators in the crossing area of these massive herds. The addition of the Lake Nakuru National Park to this 8-day Tanzania and Kenya safari guarantees one successful game spotting, as this park is fenced. Hence, all the wild animals are congregated in one area, and this is why it is the most popular park in Kenya for observing the black and white rhinos, since they are usually congregated in one area.
Lastly, this is unlike in Masai Mara and Serengeti since they have expansive lands, hence animals scatter around to avoid competition for resources of food and water. In this 8 day Serengeti, Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru safari package, we are just seeing the reasons why one should choose this trip in these Kenyan and Tanzania National Parks.
Ready for your 8 day Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara & Serengeti Safari? Contact Serengeti Masai Mara Experts Tour Company today for personalized quotes, availability, and expert planning. Book early for peak seasons!
Why should you consider an 8-day Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, and Serengeti safari?
- The transitioning through these different ecological systems, including Serengeti, Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru in the 8 days makes this safari interesting. So, you not only observe from the sidelines but rather have a deeper connection and understanding of wildlife and its habitat. For example, in the Masai Mara, follow up more of the wildlife patterns since it has a dense concentration of the big cats. Hence, observe a cheetah stalk and devour its prey while in the Serengeti; since the plains are boundless, track down the animals during the game drives, awakening one’s senses.
- This trip is cost-effective, as one also gets to have scenic adventures on the road. For example, when going towards Masai Mara, stop over at the Great Rift Valley view, unlike in a Masai Mara fly-in safari. Secondly, this expedition is more budget-friendly, especially for people coming in groups.
- Next, the opportunity to experience the great migration in both Kenya and Tanzania in a single safari is a once-in-a-lifetime expedition rather than spending all 8 days in either the Serengeti or Masai Mara to witness this animal migration.
- Lastly, 8 days is enough time to cover all three national parks in Africa, since Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara are along the same circuit, while the Serengeti and the Masai Mara share the Serengeti Mara region.
8 day Tanzania and Kenya Wildlife Itinerary Summary
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Route: Nairobi → Lake Nakuru → Masai Mara → Serengeti (Tanzania) → Nairobi
Travel Style: East Africa Cross-Border by road from Kenya to Tanzania
- Day 1: Travel from Nairobi to Lake Nakuru – Arrival & Lodge Welcome
- Day 2: Full Day Lake Nakuru – Observe Rhinos, Flamingos & Birdwatching
- Day 3: Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara – Evening Game Drive in the reserve
- Day 4: Full Day Big Five Exploration in the Masai Mara National Reserve
- Day 5: Dramatic Wildebeest Migration Mara River Crossing Experiences
- Day 6: Trip to Serengeti National Park from Masai Mara via Isebania Border
- Day 7: Full Day Serengeti NP Exploration
- Day 8: Morning Game Drive in Serengeti & Return to Nairobi
This 8 days Serengeti, Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru itinerary gives you the best of both sides of the wildebeest migration in Kenya and Tanzania, plus excellent rhino and birdwatching at Lake Nakuru.
Inclusions
- Transportation: Private 4×4 safari vehicle with experienced English-speaking driver-guide in Kenya and vehicle switch in Tanzania
- Accommodation: 7 nights in premium properties (Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge – Lake Nakuru, Mara Serena Lodge – Masai Mara, Neptune Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp)
- Meals: Full board – Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (including bush meals and packed lunches)
- Activities: All game drives, sundowners, cultural performances, and border crossing assistance
- National Park & Conservation Fees: Full entrance fees for Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, and Serengeti National Park
- Transfers: Kenya Airport transfers in Nairobi (Wilson International Airport)
- Drinks: Mineral water during game drives in Lake Nakuru, Serengeti or Masai Mara, and welcome drinks at lodges
- Border Support: Assistance with Isebania border formalities
- Services: 24/7 support from the Serengeti Masai Mara Experts Tour Company team
Exclusions
- International and domestic flights in Kenya or Tanzania
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
- Tips and gratuities for the Serengeti Masai Mara Experts driver-guide, lodge staff, and camp crew
- Alcoholic beverages and premium drinks (except those included in special dinners/sundowners)
- Personal expenses (souvenirs, laundry, visa fees, etc.)
- Yellow Fever vaccination certificate (if required)
- Any optional activities to do in Tanzania or Kenya, like Serengeti and Masai Mara balloon safaris
8-day Kenya and Tanzania Wildlife Safari Experiences to do
This 8-day trip to Serengeti, Masai Mara National Reserve and Lake Nakuru offers a wide variety of wildlife encounters and activities across three world-class destinations:
- Great Wildebeest Migration viewing from both Kenya (Masai Mara dramatic river crossings) and Tanzania (Serengeti)
- Big Five Game Drives with high predator density in Masai Mara
- Black & White Rhino Sightings at Lake Nakuru
- Flamingo Spectacles & World-Class Birdwatching at Lake Nakuru
- Intense Predator Action – Spot Lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas & wild dogs
- Scenic Great Rift Valley Drives with cultural stops in Narok
- Seamless Kenya-Tanzania Border Crossing with full support
- Masai Mara and Serengeti Luxury Lodges & Tented Camp Stays featuring bush breakfasts, sundowners, and fireside dinners
- Vast Plains Exploration in the endless Serengeti wilderness
8 Days Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara and Serengeti Safari from Nairobi - Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi and transfer to Lake Nakuru Nakuru National Park amd check in at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge in Kenya
You will be picked up from Wilson International Airport in Nairobi at around 8:00 AM by your safari guide. So, leave behind the thriving Nairobi city immediately and head along the A104 highway towards Lake Nakuru National Park. Stop at the rift valley view for a breath of fresh air, and take in the stunning views of the outlooks and see Mount Suswa at a distance. Along the way, have another stopover at a supermarket and get snacks and refreshments.
Then, continue your journey towards the Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge in Lake Nakuru National Park. Enjoy a warm welcome with a chilled towel and a cold refreshment alongside entertainment from traditional dancers. Later, check into your room, freshen up, and take a walk around the lodge, where you might see zebras roaming freely. In the evening, have a farm-to-table experience at the Flamingo restaurant and enjoy a nutrient-rich cuisine accompanied by wine before you head to bed.
Day 2: Full Day Lake Nakuru Safari Exploration and Game Drive Experiences
Wake up and dine at the Flamingo restaurant for a morning buffet; later, be briefed by the safari guide about the day’s ventures at Lake Nakuru. After, leave Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge through the gravel tracks of Lake Nakuru National Park and see warthogs moving through the plains. Also, observe hartebeests roaming freely, while the Rothschild’s giraffes are spotted browsing on the acacia trees. During the day, enjoy a packed lunch, and in the afternoon, be driven towards Lake Nakuru to see lesser flamingos feeding on the algae alongside the great white pelicans and Defassa waterbucks.
See the black and white rhinos in groups during your Lake Nakuru safari game drives in the thickets surrounding them. As you drive back to Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, see olive baboons socializing at the cliff edge, and in the evening, you dine at the Flamingos restaurant before you rest.
Day 3: Trip to Masai Mara National Reserve from Lake Nakuru and the Mara Serena Lodge check-in
After breakfast at around 8:45am, you will check out of your lodge and let your guide drive you towards the Masai Mara National Reserve on a 6 to 7-hour road trip. Stop over at the Georges restaurant in Narok town to enjoy a local Kenyan buffet and the traditional Kenyan “Dawa” drink. This bustling town brings both the modern environment and the traditional culture of the Maasai people altogether. So, see different art shops selling Maasai clothes, jewelry, and also paintings, and as you continue neutral towards the reserve, see different “manyattas,” the testament for the local community.
Reach the Oloololo gate of the Masai Mara National Park and after completion of the permit check and vehicle check-up, you drive towards the Mara Serena lodge. Usually the guests here are welcomed by a group of traditional Maasai dancing “Adumu,” exhibiting the coexistence of both culture and wildlife in this ecosystem. Check into your room and freshen up, and head for an evening game drive in the reserve.
Hence, see lion prides lying in the marshlands, and you might even see a leopard screening behind at a cliffside. Also, spot other animals, like zebras, giraffes, rhinos, and elephants roaming freely in the sun-kissed Masai Mara savannahs. Later, head back to the Mara Serena Lodge for an evening bush dinner and then go to your room and rest.
Day 4: Full Day Kenya Big Five Exploration in Masai Mara National Reserve
The fourth day of this Masai Mara, Serengeti and Lake Nakuru safari is for tracking down the big five animals in Kenya, i.e., lions, leopards, rhinos, buffaloes and elephants in the reserve. The day starts with a sunrise gamedrive at 5:00AM and see hippos leaving the grazing grounds towards the Talek River. Also, see elephants grazing in herds at the sides of the dirt tracks. As mid-afternoon comes, the heat increases, causing the buffaloes to wallow in the muddy areas along the Mara banks to cool off their temperatures.
In the evening, the lions and leopards are spotted hunting, stalking, and capturing their prey in the Masai Mara plains. The bush breakfast is served after the sunrise gamedrive; in the afternoon, have a packed lunch. At night, have a scrumptious cuisine at the restaurant at the Mara Serena Safari Lodge.
Day 5: Watch the Dramatic Wildebeest Migration Crossings in Masai Mara National Park
On the 5th day, experience the first perspective of the great migration in Masai Mara. In the morning, catch the cheetahs hunting a gazelle as the sun comes above the Oloolo escarpment and brings warmth to the Masai Mara. Other animals like hartebeests and bush bucks are also seen coming from the thickets. Then, return to the lodge for another pre-arranged bush breakfast. The highlight of the day in the afternoon is vast herds of wildebeests lining up chaotically to jump the cliffside. So, watch the leopard ambush a zebra that is part of the herd, and the Nile crocodiles in the passageway also wait on their turn.
Enjoy another warm packed meal and then continue with an evening game drive in Masai Mara. Spot the hyenas, wild dogs, and birds such as the village weavers returning to their nests. After the game drive, return to the Mara Serena Lodge for a bonfire meal experience and then head to rest.
Day 6: Trip to Serengeti National Park from Masai Mara and check-in at Neptune Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp
By 7:00 AM, you must have packed and prepared all the necessary essentials, not forgetting the important paperwork that is needed to cross through the border from Keynya to Tanzania. So, this includes essentials like the identity card, a passport, proof of the yellow fever vaccination, and all that is needed. So, enjoy a heavy breakfast, then meet up with your safari gate and start your journey towards Serengeti National Park in Tanzania from Masai Mara.
Additionally, this trip to Serengeti from Masai Mara National Reserve takes up to 10 hours, covering over 330 km. So, to keep time, have a stopover at a supermarket in Migori town and then reach the Isebania border. After a checkup, switch vehicles due to the laws in Tanzania and be driven towards the Ikoma Gate to the Neptune Serengeti Luxury Tented Camp that is in the Central Serengeti. So, see leopards and cheetahs on their evening hunt. Check into your en suite tent, freshen up, and be directed to the deck for your exquisite gourmet dinner under the starry sky.
Day 7: Masai Mara National Park trip to Amboseli (Ol Tukai Lodge check in)
Say farewell at a bush breakfast prepared by the expert chefs at Sand River Mara Lodge by Elewana. By 10:00 AM, the acacia woodlands of the Masai Mara National Park to Amboseli towards the Mombasa highway. Furthermore, have a stopover in Emali town for a meal, then continue towards Amboseli National Park in Kenya still. Your first sighting at the Amboseli gate when clearing that greets your eyes is a glimpse of the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.
After the clearance at the gate is done, be driven to the Ol Tukai Lodge, and you are likely to see elephants just crossing your vehicle’s pathway along the way. Cultural dancers are the ones that welcome you with traditional songs at Ol Tukai Lodge. Later, head to your room overlooking the captivating backdrops of Mountain Kilimanjaro. The journey from Masai Mara to Amboseli takes about 7-8 hours to reach the Oltukai Lodge. Hence, join the beef roast at the terrace as you reminisce about the past memories.
Day 8: Amboseli National Park Morning safari Game Drive & Departure
After breakfast at around 8:00, track down the migrating herds of the elephants in Amboseli. So, stop by the Observation Hill for an epic photographic capture of the elephants alongside the sun-kissed, enchanting Kilimanjaro backdrop. Then, continue with the game drive to see a squacco heron moving through the verdant grasslands, and on a lucky day, you might also see a yellow baboon.
Later, head back to the Ol Tukai Lodge in Amboseli National Park for lunch, check out, and then board your safari vehicle, this time to the Wilson International Airport in Nairobi. The trip from Amboseli National Park to Nairobi takes about 4-5 hours to reach in time for your flight back home. Hence, this completes your 8-day Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha Kenya safari.
Best Time for an 8 Days Safari in Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli
Wild viewing and game safaris during this 8- day Kenya safari are best done in the months from July to October. Here, the small temporary water sources in parks like Amboseli dry up, and animals including elephants and others gather around permanent waterholes for water. Hence, making game tracking easier than if it were the wet season months from March to May.
Nevertheless, when it comes to navigation, the black cotton soils in areas like the Masai Mara and the edges towards Lake Nakuru are drier and firmer during this dry season. Thus, easing movement while at the same time, these best months to visit Kenya for this 8 day tour are the peak of the great migration most especially in August. Hence, one can be able to witness the greatest man’s show during this 8- day Amboseli, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Naivasha tour.
