ENCOUNTERSAFRICA
9-Day Great Migration Safari

Kenya - Tanzania - Fly-in safari

9-Day Great Migration Safari

Duration
9 days
Countries
Kenya, Tanzania
Suited to
2-10 guests
Pricing
From USD 15,880

The journey

Updated on 23 August 2026

The Serengeti and the Masai Mara are one ecosystem divided by a line on a map. This safari puts you on both sides of it. Four nights at Kichwa Tembo below the Oloololo Escarpment in the Mara Triangle, the reserve's quieter western third. Then the cross-border leg into Tanzania and four nights under canvas in the northern Serengeti, where a mobile camp moves with the herds. Between July and October the Mara River is the drama - crossings that build for hours and are over in minutes. Outside that window the same country holds resident lion, cheetah on the open ground and plains game in numbers that stop making sense.

Your camps, day by day

Stay 1

Nairobi to the Mara Triangle

Land at Jomo Kenyatta in the early morning, transfer across the city to Wilson Airport and fly on. An hour later you are on a grass strip with a vehicle waiting. Kichwa Tembo sits at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment looking over open plain. The afternoon drive is a gentle introduction - elephant on the treeline, giraffe against the escarpment, and a sense of how much space this is.

Stay 2

The Mara Triangle

The Triangle is the western third of the reserve, managed separately and noticeably less crowded. A full day out with a picnic breakfast in the vehicle. Lion are the headline - several well-known prides work this ground and ignore vehicles entirely. Cheetah favour the open country toward the river. The density of plains game is what most guests remember.

Stay 3

The Mara River

Between July and October this is the day the itinerary is built around. The herds cross the Mara River unpredictably - sometimes after hours of massing on the bank, sometimes not at all. Your guide positions you and waits, and the waiting is part of it. When a crossing goes it is chaotic and over in minutes. Outside crossing season the river holds enormous crocodile and resident hippo.

Stay 4

Balloon and escarpment

An optional dawn balloon flight, quoted separately and worth it - lifting off before sunrise and drifting over the plains with the herds beneath you, then a champagne breakfast in the bush. The rest of the day is unhurried: a drive up onto the Oloololo Escarpment for the long view, or a visit to a Maasai community near the reserve boundary.

Stay 5

Across the border into Tanzania

The crossing is the logistical heart of this trip and worth understanding. You drive to the Isebania border post, complete immigration on the ground, then fly to Kogatende in the northern Serengeti. It takes most of the day and it is not glamorous, but it puts you on the other side of the same ecosystem. Serengeti Under Canvas moves with the migration, so wherever the herds are, it is close.

Stay 6

The Lamai Wedge

North of the Mara River, this is the Serengeti at its emptiest - rolling grassland broken by granite kopjes and very few vehicles. The herds are here roughly July to October, and the river you watched from Kenya is now to your south. Because the camp is small and mobile, with no permanent structures, the experience is closer to the old safari idea: canvas, lanterns, and nothing between you and the night.

Stay 7

Kopjes and plains

The granite outcrops that punctuate the northern Serengeti are lion territory - they hold heat, give a vantage point, and the prides use them constantly. A morning working the kopjes, then a long slow afternoon covering ground. Cheetah hunt the open country here and the flatness makes for exceptional viewing when they run.

Stay 8

A last full day

No transfers. A dawn start with coffee in the vehicle, out for the cool hours, back for a late breakfast. In the afternoon the camp can arrange a guided walk with a Serengeti-licensed walking guide - the only way to read this landscape at ground level. Sundowners on a kopje with the plains going gold, and a final dinner under canvas.

Stay 9

Out via Kilimanjaro

A morning flight from Kogatende to Kilimanjaro International, roughly two and a half hours with a stop or two, arriving early afternoon for onward international connections. Because you fly into Nairobi and out of Kilimanjaro, book an open-jaw international ticket rather than a return - we will confirm timings before you book.

Safari highlights

  • Four nights each side of the Mara River, Kenya and Tanzania
  • Mara Triangle - the reserve's least crowded sector
  • Serengeti Under Canvas moves with the migration, so the herds stay close
  • Cross-border transfer and all park fees included
  • Optional dawn balloon flight over the Mara

What is included

Included

  • Eight nights accommodation, per person sharing
  • All meals and drinks as included by each camp
  • Two guided game drives daily
  • Masai Mara Reserve fees and Serengeti park and concession fees
  • Flight Nairobi Wilson to the Mara Triangle
  • Cross-border transfer and flight Masai Mara to Kogatende, including border formalities
  • Flight Kogatende to Kilimanjaro International
  • Nairobi airport transfers
  • Kenya eTA and Tanzania visa costs
  • Emergency medical evacuation cover

Not included

  • International flights to and from Africa - book open-jaw, into Nairobi and out of Kilimanjaro
  • Hot-air balloon safari over the Masai Mara, approx USD 550 per person
  • Travel insurance (mandatory)
  • Premium drinks and champagne
  • Gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Great Migration safari cost?

This 9-day Kenya and Tanzania migration safari starts at USD 15,880 per person sharing, rising to USD 18,580 for peak river-crossing season between July and October. That includes eight nights in camp, all meals, all game drives, park fees for both countries, the cross-border transfer and all regional and bush flights. International flights to Africa are not included.

When is the best time to see the Great Migration?

July to October is river-crossing season in the northern Serengeti and the Masai Mara - the dramatic, most-photographed phase, and what this itinerary targets. January to March is calving season in the southern Serengeti, when around 8,000 wildebeest are born daily and predator activity is intense. The herds move continuously; there is no month with no migration, only different chapters of it.

Can you guarantee seeing a river crossing?

No, and any operator who guarantees it is not being straight with you. Crossings are unpredictable - herds can mass on a bank for hours and turn back. What we do is put you in the right place at the right time of year, with four nights on each side of the river and guides who read the signs. Most guests travelling in the crossing window see at least one.

Do I need a visa for both Kenya and Tanzania?

Yes. Kenya requires an eTA and Tanzania requires a visa; both are included in this itinerary's price. The border crossing at Isebania is done on the ground with your guide present and takes about an hour. Bring a passport with at least six months validity and two blank pages.

Is it better to see the migration in Kenya or Tanzania?

Both, which is why this itinerary does both. The herds spend most of the year in Tanzania and roughly July to October in and around the Mara. Seeing only one side means seeing half the story, and the cross-border flight makes doing both straightforward.

How much flying is involved?

Three sectors: Nairobi to the Mara, the cross-border leg to Kogatende, and Kogatende to Kilimanjaro. Bush flights are small aircraft with a 15kg soft-bag limit including hand luggage and camera gear. The cross-border day is the longest, involving a road leg to the border and a flight beyond - budget most of the day for it.