Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park, Amboseli National Park & Maasai Mara
Oct. 8 – 20, 2025
Itinerary
Oct 8 & 9 | From home to Tanzania!
Today begin your trip of a lifetime as your board you overnight flight to Tanzania with a connection in Europe. Your African Adventure begins upon arrival at the Kilimanjaro International Airport where you will be met by your Universal Travel staff member and assisted with your transfer to your 5-star hotel in Arusha. Overnight: Gran Melia Hotel, Arusha
Oct 10 | Arusha & Ngorongoro
Good morning! After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll depart for a brief city tour of Arusha, which is well known as the safari capital of Tanzania’s Northern Safari Circuit. Arusha sits below the dormant volcano of Mount Meru (14967 feet high) and is on the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. It’s a vibrant city filled with an interesting mix of markets, chaotic traffic, and old colonial buildings. After an included lunch, leave all the hustle and bustle behind and travel through the countryside, passing by villages, banana plantations, and rice fields. Stop at the bustling farming community of Mto Wa Mbu, located between Manyara and Ngorongoro in the Great Rift Valley. A melting pot of cultures, Mto Wa Mbu is thought to be one of the only places in Tanzania where there are representatives from all 120 tribes living happily side by side. During your visit you’ll get a good feel for the social side of the village – the schools, food markets, art centers, workshops, and local eateries. Soon, you’ll find yourself surprisingly immersed with the people, learning about their lifestyles, history, and politics. Next, visit a local market before you arrive at the Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge for a two night stay.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 11 | Ngorongoro Crater
This morning you’ll descend down to the crater floor for a day of wildlife viewing in one of the most incredible places on earth – the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The jewel in Ngorongoro’s crown is a deep, volcanic crater, the largest unflooded and unbroken caldera in the world. With walls 2,000 ft high and a crater floor that spreads for 102 sq miles, the crater is a virtual Noah’s Ark, inhabited by almost every species of wildlife indigenous to East Africa, including the rare black rhino. In fact, the crater has the greatest concentration of wildlife on the planet. The large bull elephants that reside here have extremely large tusks due to the rich mineral content of the volcanic soil. After a picnic lunch near Hippo Lake and more wildlife viewing in the afternoon, drive up the steep road out of the crater and return to your lodge for overnight.
Overnight: Ngorongoro Coffee Lodge or similar (B,PICNIC L,D)
Oct 12 | Serengeti National Park
After breakfast your driver guide will take you to the Manyara airstrip and you’ll board your flight bound for the famous Serengeti! Upon arrival at the Seronera airstrip, you will be met by your driver guide and depart for a brief game drive, before checking into the Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge, located at the heart of the Serengeti National Park of northern Tanzania. The accommodations provide a seamless blend of contemporary luxury and authentic African charm. Each spacious tent is thoughtfully designed to offer a serene sanctuary amidst the untamed wilderness. The Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is a World Heritage Site and is one of the largest wildlife sanctuaries in the world. The origin of its name comes from the word “Siringet” in Maasai language, which means “never-ending plain,” and the area spans close to 5,800 square miles in size. The Serengeti is located in the highlands, which extend from the east to the west of the high plains of Ngorongoro, to Lake Victoria, and continue to the north with the Masai Mara in Kenya. Enjoy an afternoon game drive along the Seronera River, where lion sightings are common and the riverbank is home to one of the world’s densest populations of leopards. The Sausage Trees and Umbrella Thorns rank among the best places in Africa to search for leopards – there are too few tall trees for these elusive creatures to be well-hidden!
Overnight: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 13 | Serengeti
Enjoy an early morning game drive, and a late afternoon game drive in the Park, when most of the animals are more lively. Especially during the dry season when the water is scarce and animals depend mostly on the early morning dews and small waterholes in the later afternoon. The most impressive attraction of this gigantic ecosystem is the large concentration of herbivores such as wildebeest, zebras, and antelope on the plains during their annual migration. The wildebeest dominate in Serengeti, and their herds are made up of hundreds, and at times thousands, of these majestic animals. The Masai Mara is an extension of the Serengeti National Park and they both serve the same ecosystems. The world-famous Great Migration can be viewed every year when the Masai Mara welcomes 1.5 million wildebeests onto its sprawling savannahs each June/July through September/October. The precise timing of the Serengeti wildebeest migration is entirely dependent upon the rainfall patterns. It can vary from year to year, in response mainly to the available grazing and available water on their migration path.
Overnight: Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 14 | Amboseli National Park
This morning, after a leisurely breakfast you’ll leave the tented Lodge and enjoy one last game drive in the Serengeti before you arrive at the Seronera airstrip. Here you’ll board your flight bound for Arusha. Upon arrival your driver guide will take you to a local restaurant for an included lunch before crossing the border into Kenya. Later this afternoon you arrive at Ol Tukai Lodge, located at the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro within Amboseli National Park. Writers have described Ol Tukai and surrounding Amboseli with its breathtaking scenery and unique wildlife as, “a home for the gods.” With spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the golden plains, Ol Tukai Lodge is a charming, contemporary retreat situated within the pristine Amboseli National Park. Imbued with a quintessential African atmosphere and set amidst beautifully manicured lawns, the lodge’s luxury chalets offer uninterrupted views of the tranquil wilderness of the park, or the snow-capped mountain in the distance. Tonight’s dinner is served in the Lodge dining room.
Overnight: Ol Tukai Lodge or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 15 | Amboseli National Park
Bright and early this morning depart for a game drive as the wildlife viewing will be at its prime. Upon your return to your camp breakfast will be served in the main lodge, and the remainder of the morning you’ll spend at your leisure. Beautifully appointed and inviting, the chalets boast private terraces where guests can make the most of their spectacular surroundings. Ol Tukai Lodge Amboseli is one of the best spots in the world to watch elephants with the backdrop of Africa’s highest mountain. This afternoon you’ll meet with a naturalist to learn about the elephants in the Park and their behavior and social organization, before you leave the Lodge for a late afternoon game drive. Elephants will be the easiest to spot at Ol Okenya Swamp, a favorite spot for the big-tuskers.
Overnight: Ol Tukai Lodge or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 16 | Maasai Mara
This morning after breakfast, transfer to the Amboseli airstrip with a short game drive en-route. You’ll fly the short distance to Nairobi, and connect to your onward flight to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Upon arrival you will be greeted by your driver/guide and transferred to the nearby famous Fairmont Mara Safari Club for a relaxing three night stay. With an attractive setting surrounded on three sides by the Mara River, and on the edge of one of the “New Wonders of the World,” the Maasai Mara is an Eden of stunning vistas and fruitful game viewing. Game drives set out in the cool of the mornings before the dew is dry on the grass, and again late in the afternoons when the sun drops low on the horizon. The plains seem to quiver with the expectation of exciting encounters. You might hunt alongside big cats on the prowl, admire a stately parade of magnificent elephant families led by old matriarchs with young calves trailing behind, or gaze upon ladylike giraffes, long-legged and long-lashed, as they nibble the crown of acacia trees. Grin as cheetah cubs frolic joyfully around your vehicle, and laugh aloud at lumbering hippos as they chortle and snort in the winding rivers. After you are settled into your deluxe river front tents, enjoy lunch and some free time before you are off to a late afternoon game drive. This evening you return to your luxury tented camp for dinner and overnight.
Overnight: Mara Safari Club or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 17 | Maasai Mara (optional Balloon flight offered)
This morning you’ll wake up to a once in a lifetime sunrise game drive with a great chance of spotting predators on a hunt. The Maasai Mara has been called the Kingdom of Lions, and these magnificent, black-maned, powerful hunters dominate these grasslands. You’ll return back to your camp for a late breakfast. There is time to relax in your luxuriously furnished tent, featuring four-poster beds, en-suite facilities, and a private deck overlooking the hippo filled Mara River! These fascinating creatures chortle and splash in the water, interacting with each other while keeping a respectable distance between them and the families of crocodiles lining the banks. Later this morning you’ll visit a Maasai village. Arguably the most iconic tribal group in all of Africa, the Maasai, who populate vast areas of southern Kenya, are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Maasai Mara. This nomadic, warrior tribe, which once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya, still retain many of their traditions as they live largely untouched by modern day civilization in areas surrounding Maasai Mara. Here you have the chance to interact with the Maasai and get a glimpse into their culture and unique way of life, and see first hand some of their customs and practices. Return to the Fairmont Mara Safari club in time for lunch. Enjoy a free afternoon with time to relax at the pool or on your private front porch overlooking the Mara River before you depart for a late afternoon game drive.
Overnight: Mara Safari Club or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 18| Maasai Mara
This morning you are off for another game drive, this time in a different area within the Game Reserve. Later this morning, you will be part of a tree planting exercise. Yes, you are planting a tree in Africa! Elephants in their constant search for food knock down trees, it’s just something they do. Often, they will strip and eat a few branches of vegetation and then leave the rest of the tree to die. Over the years, the riverine forest has declined and shrunk drastically. Late this afternoon, your 4×4 vehicle awaits to take you out on safari one more time! Often called the Jewel of Africa, the Maasai Mara takes its name from the Maasai tribe who have inhabited these lands since the 17th century. Mara translates to spotted, referencing the scattered acacia trees that mark the landscapes, and have become the symbol of the Maasai Mara.
Overnight: Mara Safari Club or similar (B,L,D)
Oct 19/20 | Maasai Mara – Nairobi/ Dayrooms/ Europe & Home
After a leisurely breakfast you will be transferred to the Mara Safari Club airstrip. Take a last look at the Mara as you fly back to Nairobi and check into your day room. Here you have time to repack and freshen up before you are transferred to the airport for your overnight flight home. A late lunch is included prior to your airport transfer. Fly through the night to Europe and connect with your onward flights back home. The memories of your luxury tented camp safari will truly last a lifetime!
Overnight: Crowne Plaza or similar, Nairobi (B,L)
INCLUSIONS:
* Airfare to Kilimanjaro International Airport and from Nairobi back home
* 4 x 4 Landcruiser Safari Vehicles throughout the itinerary
* 10-nights in luxury Hotel/ Lodge & Tent accommodations: 1-night Arusha, 2-nights Ngorongoro Crater area, 2-nights Serengeti, 2-nights Amboseli, 3-nights Maasai Mara, plus one day room in Nairobi
* Daily breakfast & lunch, 9-dinners in Maasai Mara
* Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages, and one complimentary laundry service while at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club
* All resort, service, government fees
* Tree planting exercise (plant a tree in Africa)
* Admissions, Park Fees, Conservancy Fees and inclusions as per itinerary, incl. visits to Mto Wa Mbu village & Maasai village
* Airline tickets for five flight segments Manyara to Seronera (TZ), Seronera to Arusha (TZ), Amboseli to Wilson (KE), Wilson to Maasai Mara (KE), Maasai Mara to Wilson)
* Luggage handling for one bag per person
* Universal Travel duffel bag
* Air Ambulance Coverage within Tanzania & Kenya
* Kenya ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization)
* Tanzania Visa
* Daily complimentary water bottle in your room/ tent/ vehicle
* Universal Travel Safari Director
* All gratuities for Driver Guides, Step-on Guides & Safari Director
Payment
$1,000.00 deposit due at reservation
Final payment due Apr. 5, 2025 No penalties until Apr. 9, 2025
Cancellation
50% non-refundable Apr. 10, 2025
100% non-refundable May 31, 2025
An optional Travel Protection plan is available with coverage for trip cancellation/interruption, see enclosed product flyer for more information.
A valid passport is required on this itinerary and must be valid for at least 6 month after returning back to the USA.