Great Migration Safari to

Kenya & Tanzania

Experience the world's longest running show! The annual drama of the great migration on one of the planet's most beautiful stages, the Serengeti! Morning and matinee performances available and the show will go on without electricity. Cats play an integral part, but the stars of the show are the wildebeest and zebra. Watch as a cast of hundreds of thousands cross the Serengeti in search of fertile grasslands attempting to avoid their arch-enemy the predator. There may be "no remorse on the Serengeti," but there is an encore every year of the great migration, "now and forever." Be a part of it.

Days 1/2 - New York /Europe/Nairobi

Depart New York aboard your overnight flight to Europe. The next morning, connect with your flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival, you are met by your Classic Escapes expert naturalist and escorted to your luxurious hotel. NAIROBI SERENA HOTEL. (Meals Aloft)

Days 3/4/5 - Maasai Mara Game Reserve

Fly to the Maasai Mara. Encompassing the northern part of the Serengeti, it is the setting for the world-famous spectacle of the annual migration when up to two million wildebeest, thousands of zebra and an escort of carnivores follow the rains and succulent new grass. This epic drama is a true test of the survival of the fittest, as many will fall prey to predators such as lion, cheetah and leopard while attempting to cross the swirling waters of the Mara River. During three days of wildlife viewing you may also see many of the park’s other inhabitants including elephant, rhino, hippo and over 500 resident species of birds. Exciting optional activities (at additional cost) are available such as a hot air balloon ride, excursion to Lake Victoria, or visiting a Maasai homestead. Your lodge is an imaginative interpretation of a traditional Maasai Manyatta with stunning views of the annual migration in the plains below. MARA SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 6/7 - Nairobi/Amboseli National Park /Mount Kilimanjaro

Return to Nairobi by air and connect with your flight by chartered aircraft to Amboseli National Park, located at the foot of Africa's highest mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro. The park is home to over 1,000 elephants, herds of wildebeest, lion and over 300 species of birds. Part of Maasailand, it's not unusual to see the proud Maasai warrior or small children tending their cattle. This is also the park where Cynthia Moss, the noted American naturalist and author, has conducted the longest-running study on elephants. Visit the Amboseli Elephant Research Project where Cynthia, or a member of her professional staff, will discuss their work. Each room of your stunning lodge enjoys a view of either majestic Mt. Kilimanjaro or the Amboseli plains with its herds of elephant feeding on acacia trees. AMBOSELI SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 8/9 - Namanga/Lake Manyara

Drive through red-robed Maasailand to the town of Namanga. Cross the border into Tanzania and continue to Arusha for lunch. Fly to Lake Manyara National Park, an ornithological paradise with over 350 species of birds. The lake often has a shimmering pinkish hue due to its high population of flamingos, pelicans and storks. The park's giant fig and mahogany trees shelter blue vervet monkeys and an abundance of baboons. On game drives you may also see bushbuck, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, impala, giraffe, zebra, and the elusive tree-climbing lions. Visit nearby Mto Wa Mbu village for a tour by the local villagers and lunch on traditional Tanzanian dishes served under banana trees. A true ecotourism project, the community derives a direct benefit by you visit. Your lodge is located on the edge of the Mto Wa Mbu escarpment, overlooking the Great Rift Valley. Additional activities here include treks along the escarpment, rappelling, mountain biking or canoeing on Lake Manyara (all at additional cost.) LAKE MANYARA SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 10/11 - Gibb's Farm/Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Continue to Gibb's Farm for lunch. Then, walk to the top of a nearby waterfall to see breathtaking vistas and caves made by elephants. Resume driving to the Ngorongoro Crater and descend 2,000 feet into seemingly the land that time forgot. The mist which often obscures the crater floor of this extinct volcano only adds to the sense of wonder when the floor reveals elephant lumbering through the primeval forest, lion resting in the tall grass, black rhino grazing, and you hear the distinctive grunt of the hippo as you lunch close to their pool. Your environmentally-friendly lodge is built into the rim of the crater. Each room has private terraces so your first and last glimpse of the day will be the crater below. NGORONGORO SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 12/13 - Olduvai Gorge/Serengeti National Park

Drive to Olduvai Gorge where in 1959, Mary and Louis Leakey found 1.7-million-year-old Zinjanthropus and later, in 1961, Homo Habilis (Handyman.) In the adjacent museum, see many of the stone tools and other fossils found at Olduvai. Continue to Serengeti National Park, home to a seemingly infinite variety of wildlife. The kopjes (prehistoric rock outcroppings) host hyraxes, dwarf mongooses, and often a sleepy black-maned lion or leopard. Each year, more than two million wildebeest, accompanied by thousands of zebras and other herbivores, cross the Serengeti in search of fertile grasslands and depending on the time of the year, you might encounter the herds here. The architecture of your stunning lodge is inspired by a traditional African village. SERENGETI SERENA SAFARI LODGE. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 14/15 - Serengeti National Park

Continue your exploration of the Serengeti in the Grumeti River area of the Western Corridor, famous for the huge crocodiles and hippo pools. Enjoy the Victorian elegance and romance of "camping" the way it was meant to be: 4-poster beds, private bathrooms, hand-carved wooden furniture, and tea or coffee brought to the porch of your tent each morning. Enjoy delicious cuisine in the dining tent served on fine china and silver and an after dinner drink before retiring to your tent. KIRAWIRA CAMP. (B,L,D Daily)

Days 16/17 - Arusha/Europe/New York

Transfer to the airstrip for your flight back to Arusha. Shop or relax in your dayroom at SERENA MOUNTAIN VILLAGE. After a farewell dinner, transfer to the airport for your flights home. (B,L,D;Meals Aloft)

Your Safari Includes:

Round trip air transportation between New York and East Africa – arriving in Nairobi, returning from Arusha.
Domestic flights within Kenya and Tanzania as specified.
Superior accommodations as specified.
All meals as specified.
All wildlife viewing by either safari minibus with pop-up roof hatch or private landcruiser, driven by a naturalist guide.
A maximum of 6 passengers per vehicle. A window seat is guaranteed.
Lecture by Cynthia Moss or a member of her professional staff while in Amboseli (with a minimum of 10 travelers.)
Lecture by Maasai ranger while in the Mara (duties permitting.)
Professional naturalist with minimum 10 tour members.
Complimentary bottled water in vehicles. Complimentary set of field glasses in vehicles.
All applicable hotel, lodge taxes, gratuities for included services and game park entry fees.
Complimentary backpack, baggage tags and passport wallet.