Serengeti
Fly in, fly out, and every day in between is time in the bush.
- Length
- 4 nights · 5 days, or 5 nights · 6 days
- Where
- The Serengeti, Tanzania
- Format
- Guided self-drive, in two radio-linked Land Cruisers
- Guiding
- A team of two or more
The Serengeti rewards time, and it rewards being in the right place. We fly you in to the airstrip nearest the herds, meet you with our two vehicles, and spend every day after that in the field. With this much country to cover, we highly recommend five nights for an unhurried safari: four full days in the field rather than three.
Guided self-drive: take the wheel, or don’t.
You travel in two of our own Land Cruisers, linked by radio, each with a pop-up roof for standing, watching and photographing. You can drive one of them with a guide alongside, and a guide takes over whenever you’d rather sit back and watch. You are never out there on your own, and no driving experience is needed. Driving is entirely your choice; the guiding is the same either way.
Where you stay
The Serengeti is vast, and the herds move with the rains. So we don’t lock a camp in advance: we place you where the animals are that month, in camps chosen on one thing only, whether their position makes for a good game drive. They are intimate, unfenced camps with en-suite tents, and a welcoming place to come back to, with good food and a hot shower.
- December to MarchThe calving plains around Ndutu, then the central Serengeti
- April to June, and NovemberThe central and south-eastern Serengeti
- July to OctoberThe central Serengeti for the big cats, and the north for the herds
Day by day: 4 nights, 5 days
- Day01
A bush flight, and onto the plains
We receive you at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Arusha and take you to the bush-flight airport outside Arusha. Your flight lands at the airstrip nearest the herds, where we meet you with our two vehicles. A first game drive on the way to camp, then settle in and meet your guides.
Overnight Serengeti
- Days02–04
Three full days in the field
There is no fixed schedule: each day follows where the herds and the big cats are, the weather and the stories unfolding. We leave camp at first light, have breakfast out on the plains, stay with sightings as they develop, have lunch under a tree, then go further afield, and come back to camp in the evening for dinner and stories.
Overnight Serengeti
- Day05
Bush flight back to Arusha
The flight usually lands in Arusha between noon and 2 pm. We drop you at Arusha airport for your onward flight, or take you back to Kilimanjaro International Airport.
On five nights, you have a fourth full day in the field and fly back on Day 6.
Where you’ll stay
The camps on this safari: your tent, the deck and the shared spaces.
All-inclusive, end to end
From the moment we receive you until we drop you back:
- Reception at the airport, and every transfer on the itinerary
- All nights in camp, with all meals
- Bush breakfast and lunch on full days in the field
- Your private vehicle and guiding team throughout
- Park and conservation fees
- Cultural visits on the itinerary
- Binoculars in each vehicle, and first aid on hand
On this safari it also includes both bush flights, Arusha to the Serengeti and back.
You won’t spend a penny unless you choose to: drinks at camp, laundry or shopping.
Not included
- Your international flights
- Visas and the Kenya eTA. You can apply yourself, or we can process them for you.
- Travel insurance, now mandatory for Kenya and for Tanzania
- A hotel night in Nairobi or Arusha, if your flight home is the next day
You’ll also need a yellow fever vaccination.
What it costs
Per person, in US dollars, sharing a tent. Both bush flights are included. Three travellers pay the two-person rate.
4 nights · 5 days
| Trips starting | 2 travellers | 4 or more |
|---|---|---|
| December – March | USD 5,200per person | USD 4,000per person |
| April – June and November | USD 5,000per person | USD 4,200per person |
| July – October | USD 5,800per person | USD 4,600per person |
5 nights · 6 days
Costed on request.
Rates follow the camps’ and the park authority’s own calendars. The wildlife is there every month.
Questions people ask first.
What does all-inclusive mean?
Everything from the moment we receive you until we drop you back: transfers, camps, all meals, park fees, your private vehicle and guiding team. You won’t spend a penny unless you choose to, on drinks at camp or shopping. The only things outside the price are your flights, visas (including the Kenya eTA) and travel insurance, which is now mandatory for Kenya. We can process visas for you if you’d like.
Is the safari private?
Always. The vehicle and the guiding team are yours alone, and we never put separate parties together. That is what lets us stay with a sighting for as long as it takes.
Who are the guides?
Every safari has a guiding team of at least two: a senior guide and one or two guides working alongside. Our guides know the resident prides individually, and they read the land as well as the animals: the soil, the grass, the water, and why the animals are where they are.
Kenya, Tanzania, or both?
Kenya is the concentrated safari for fewer days: the Mara is compact, rich in resident cats, and easy to reach from Nairobi. Tanzania is the bigger, wilder one, where the guiding matters most and the ecological story is fuller. Together they make one ecosystem, and our Kenya & Tanzania journey covers the whole of it.
When is the best time to come?
Every month has something happening. The lion prides, cheetah, leopard and elephant of the Mara live there all year. The herds are always somewhere on their long loop through the Serengeti and the Mara, so we plan around where they will be. See When to come for the year, month by month.
Can I drive?
In the Serengeti, yes. We run two of our own Land Cruisers there, linked by radio, and you’re welcome to drive one with a guide beside you. Hand it back whenever you’d rather sit back and watch. In the Maasai Mara our guides drive the open game viewer, so everyone’s eyes are free for the bush.
Can we bring children?
Yes, children of every age come on safari with us, and it is a lovely time to introduce them to animals and their worlds. Children under 5 travel free, 5 to 11 are charged at half, and from 12 it’s the adult rate. That isn’t our choice: the camps charge by bed and the park authorities charge entry by age on the passport, so we pass those on as they are.
What about food?
Vegetarian and Jain meals are catered for regularly, and our camp in the Mara uses only halal meat. Our camps are chosen for where the animals are, not for their kitchens: they’ll happily attempt Indian dishes, but the flavours may not taste quite the way they do at home.
How do I book?
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We check the camp and the guiding roster, then send you the itinerary and exact costing. To confirm, we need the names as they appear on your passports and an address for the invoice. A 25% advance holds your dates and the balance is due 30 days before you travel; within 30 days, full payment confirms. We invoice in US dollars. Bank transfer is preferred, and a card payment link is available with a 3.5% card fee.