-Day Kenya & Tanzania Combined Mid-range Budget Safari: Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater

Experience the ultimate cross-border East African wildlife adventure on this Kenya Tanzania 7-day safari. Starting in Nairobi and concluding in Arusha, this high-yield, affordable safari links four of the continent’s most iconic wildlife ecosystems: Lake Nakuru, the world-famous Masai Mara, the boundless savannas of the Serengeti National Park, and the volcanic basin of the Ngorongoro Crater.

Designed for solo travelers, backpackers, couples, small groups and family. This cross border midrange budget tour features daily Big Five game tracking from custom 4×4 Safari Land Cruisers.

7 Day Lake Nakuru Masai Mara Serengeti Ngorongoro tour Day-by-Day Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi to Lake Nakuru National Park – The Great Rift Valley Rhino Sanctuary

Drive Distance: ~160 km (100 miles) | Drive Time: ~3.5 hours on smooth tarmac
Safari Focus: Great Rift Valley viewpoint, black and white rhinos, Rothschild giraffes, and waterbirds
Habitat: Acacia woodlands, euphorbia forest, and an alkaline soda lake

Your safari starts at 07:00 AM as your professional driver-guide from Bushtroop Tours & Safaris picks you up from your Nairobi hotel or airport. Following a comprehensive safari briefing, depart Nairobi and descend the western wall of the Great Rift Valley, pausing at the scenic escarpment viewpoint for photos.

Arrive at Lake Nakuru National Park in the late morning, elevate your pop-up roof, and begin an extensive game drive with packed picnic lunch boxes.

Spend the afternoon tracking both southern white rhinos and critically endangered black rhinos that graze in open lakeside pastures. Scan yellow fever tree forests for endangered Rothschild giraffes, Cape buffaloes, baboons, waterbucks, and elusive leopards resting in acacia limbs. Drive along the soda lake shoreline to photograph thousands of pink flamingos, pelicans, and cormorants. In the late afternoon, exit the park and transfer to your hotel in Nakuru town for a hot dinner and overnight rest.

Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge
Meal Plan: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara National Reserve – Golden-Hour Predator Drive

Drive Distance: ~230 km (143 miles) | Drive Time: ~5.5 hours scenic transit
Safari Focus: Narok Maasai heartland, open rolling savannas, and introductory big cat tracking
Habitat: Acacia bushland transitioning into boundless open grasslands

After an early breakfast, depart Nakuru and head southwest along the floor of the Great Rift Valley, passing through the busy agricultural town of Narok toward the world-renowned Masai Mara National Reserve.

Arrive at your tented campsite in time for lunch. Settle into your canvas accommodations and take a short rest before heading out on a late-afternoon game drive.

Elevate the pop-up roof of your Land Cruiser to survey the rolling green grasslands dotted with iconic flat-topped acacias. Track resident prides of lions, spotted hyenas, topis, and herds of elephants as the equatorial sun dips below the horizon. Return to camp for a warm three-course dinner cooked by your safari chef and an evening around the campfire.

Accommodation: Zebra Plains Camp/ Pride Inn Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Full-Day Masai Mara Safari – In Search of the Big Five

Safari Focus: Apex predators, high animal density, and Mara River crossings
Optional Excursion: Dawn Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Safari ($470 per person)
Activity: Unlimited game drives with a packed bush picnic lunch

Dedicate an entire day to exploring the Masai Mara, world-famous for holding the highest concentration of wild animals per square kilometer in the region:

3 days masai mara-bushtroop safaris

Optional Balloon Safari: Rise before dawn to float silently above the Mara savanna as wildlife herds begin their day, touching down for a champagne bush breakfast.
Big Five Tracking: Follow the Mara and Talek river networks to track leopards lounging in riverine trees, cheetahs scanning open plains from termite mounds, and lion coalitions guarding recent kills.
Seasonal Great Migration (July–October): Witness massive columns of wildebeests and zebras massing along the riverbanks before braving giant Nile crocodiles at famous crossing points.
Bush Picnic: Enjoy a packed lunch under the shade of an umbrella acacia tree in the heart of the reserve.

Return to camp before dusk for a hot shower, a freshly cooked dinner, and stories under the African night sky.

Accommodation: Zebra Plains Camp/ Pride Inn Hotel

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Bush Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Masai Mara to Serengeti National Park via Isebania Border & Western Corridor

Transit Logistics: Full-day cross-border expedition via Isebania/Sirari border
Safari Focus: Cross-border transition, Grumeti River plains, and transit game viewing
Habitat: Rolling hills transitioning into boundless short-grass savannas

Depart the Masai Mara early in the morning with packed breakfast and lunch boxes, driving southwest toward the Isebania/Sirari border crossing between Kenya and Tanzania. Clear customs and immigration with the assistance of your Bushtroop guide, then switch over to your Tanzanian 4×4 Safari Land Cruiser and professional driver-guide.

Enter Serengeti National Park via the Ndabaka Gate, venturing directly into the Western Corridor. The Serengeti shares the exact same ecosystem with the Masai Mara, but on a vastly grander scale—spanning nearly 15,000 square kilometers.

Enjoy a game drive through the Grumeti River plains, spotting topis, elands, resident wildebeests, and large breeding herds of elephants. Drive southeast toward the heart of the park, arriving at Angata Tented Camp in the late afternoon. Unwind as your camp chef prepares a hot dinner under the stars.

Accommodation: Angata Tented Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Full-Day Serengeti National Park Wildlife Safari – Endless Savanna Plains

Safari Focus: Great Migration columns, big cat density, and granite kopjes
Activity: Morning and afternoon game drives with a scenic bush picnic lunch

Wake at dawn to the calls of the African wilderness. Today is dedicated to exploring the Central Seronera Valley, the predator capital of East Africa:

Predator Tracking: Early mornings offer the best opportunity to spot apex predators—lions, leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas—on the prowl before the midday heat.

Granite Kopjes: Explore iconic rock formations like Simba and Moru Kopjes, favored vantage points for lions surveying the plains.
The Migration Rhythm: Follow seasonal movements of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles moving across the open grasslands.
Low-Season Advantage: Outside peak migration crossings, resident big cat densities remain among the highest on earth, offering intimate, uncrowded wildlife sightings.

Enjoy a picnic lunch under the shade of an umbrella acacia in the wild before an afternoon game drive. Return to camp at sunset for dinner and stargazing around the campfire.

Accommodation: Angata Tented Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Bush Picnic Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Serengeti to Ngorongoro Conservation Area via Olduvai Gorge

Drive Distance: ~140 km (87 miles) | Drive Time: 3 to 4 hours game-viewing transit
Safari Focus: Morning savanna wildlife, hominid archaeology, and crater rim panoramas
Habitat: Open savanna plains ascending to high montane crater rim forest (2,200m)

Set off on a final dawn game drive through the Seronera Valley to catch morning wildlife activity. Return to camp for a warm brunch, pack up and begin a slow game-viewing drive toward the southeastern park boundaries.

Exit into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, stopping at Olduvai Gorge, the famous paleoanthropological site known as the “Cradle of Humankind.” Tour the canyon museum where Dr. Louis and Mary Leakey unearthed hominid fossils including Australopithecus boisei and Homo habilis.

In the late afternoon, climb the steep, forested outer slopes of the ancient caldera to Tortilis Camp, situated directly on the crater rim. Savor a hot dinner prepared by a chef in the brisk mountain air while looking out over the misty expanse of the caldera below.

Accommodation: Tortilis Camp

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Ngorongoro Crater Floor Safari – Transfer to Arusha

Crater Tour Duration: 5 to 6 hours caldera game drive | Drive to Arusha: ~3 hours (~160 km)
Safari Focus: Critically endangered black rhinos, high-density lion prides, and hippo pools

Rise early and descend 600 meters (2,000 feet) down the steep, forested caldera walls onto the floor of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater—the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Spend the morning exploring this 260-square-kilometer natural wildlife amphitheater, home to over 25,000 large mammals:

The Big Five: High probabilities of spotting resident lion prides, Cape buffaloes, bull elephants carrying massive tusks, leopards, and northern Tanzania’s best sanctuary for the rare black rhino.
Lake Magadi & Ngoitoktok: Watch large flocks of flamingos wading in the alkaline lake and enjoy a picnic lunch beside the hippo pool at Ngoitoktok Springs.

By early afternoon, ascend the caldera walls and begin your scenic drive back to Arusha. Arrive in the late afternoon for drop-off at your hotel, or take a direct transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) / Arusha Airport (ARK)for your flight home or an onward beach extension to Zanzibar.