Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. When you arrive at the airport today, you’ll be met by a representative and taken to your hotel. Your adventure then begins in Nairobi with a welcome meeting at 6 pm. If you arrive early, maybe head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or join a local guide on an Tuuur day tour who'll not only show you the sights but also lead you to the perfect lunch spot to try some local cuisine. It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. The arrival transfer is only valid if arriving on Day 1 or if you have booked pre-trip accommodation through Intrepid. Please provide your flight details at the time of booking, or at a minimum 14 days prior to travel, as we may not be able to confirm a request made within 14 days of travel.

This morning, drive to the famous Maasai Mara National Park – with sparse open plains, dramatic skies and the world's most iconic animals living within its boundaries, this is the quintessential African experience. When you arrive, you can choose to explore this diverse environment on an optional afternoon 4WD safari with expert local guides, looking out for the abundance of wildlife that call this park home. Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours. The optional safari requires a park entry fee, which varies by season. From 1st January to 30th June, the fee is USD 100 per person, and from 1st July to 31st December, it’s USD 200 per person. The fee covers both the park entry and the safari experience.

This morning, you have the option to take part in a hot air balloon ride and bush breakfast, giving you a rare chance to see the Maasai Mara from a different perspective, above the open plains at sunrise. Today, you’ll venture into the Maasai Mara National Reserve with expert local driver guides for a day-long 4WD safari. You'll explore this diverse environment and most likely see a multitude of wildlife – look out for lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs and hippos. An optional balloon ride over the Mara can be pre-booked to secure a place at the same cost as booking locally. You’re welcome to decide once on the ground, but keep in mind that this is a popular activity, and places are limited. You'll be picked up before dawn and taken to the launch site for a safety briefing with your pilot. As the sun rises, you'll drift through the sky, sometimes floating at tree level, offering incredible photo opportunities. At other times, you'll soar higher, taking in sweeping views of the vast plains and the early morning movements of the wildlife below. After landing, enjoy a bush breakfast before heading back to camp to rejoin your group.

Today, you’ll drive to your lodge on Lake Elementaita, which sits between Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley. This afternoon, you’ll head to Lake Naivasha – one of the few freshwater lakes in the valley, Naivasha has floating islands of papyrus reeds and a border of flat-topped acacias. It's also home to a healthy population of hippos, giraffes, zebras, and buffalos, which graze along the shores, and a huge variety of birds. Here, you’ll go on a boat safari – see how many kinds of birds you can spot while floating along the still waters! Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

Board your private vehicle bound for Amboseli National Park. On the way, visit the Patinaai Osim project – supported by The Tuuur Foundation, this project supports Indigenous Maasai women in creating sustainable livelihoods and rising above poverty and inequality. Learn how this Community Care Organisation is committed to changing the narrative of girls and women in Indigenous communities and how they work to protect their fundamental human rights. The project also provides access to information and safe spaces for young girls. Your travel time today will be approximately 6.5 hours.

Enjoy a free day to relax and take in the beauty of your safari lodge and make use of the facilities. You may want to treat yourself to a leisurely morning sleep-in and spend the day unwinding by the outdoor pool. If relaxing isn't your style, maybe rise extra early this morning for a special optional activity – a safari in a hot air balloon! If you're lucky to visit on a clear day, you'll be treated to amazing views of Mount Kilimanjaro as the sun rises over the park. You could also take an optional guided nature walk or join a range of optional 4WD safaris available throughout the day. Amboseli National Park is home to the largest population of African elephants in Kenya, many of which have impressively long tusks, known as ‘big tuskers’. Tusker elephants are increasingly rare in Africa due to poaching, but Amboseli is one of the few places where they can still be seen. You may even spot a ‘super tusker’ - a male bull elephant with tusks weighing over 45 kg (100 lbs) each, usually so long they scrape the ground! The optional 4WD safaris require a park entry fee, which varies by season. From 1st April to 30th June, the fee is USD 50 per person, and from 1st July to 31st March, it’s USD 100 per person. The fee covers both the park entry and the safari experience. The optional balloon safari over Amboseli can be pre-booked at the same price as booking locally. You're welcome to decide once you're on the ground, but please note that places are limited.

‘Home of the African Elephant’ and crowned by Mount Kilimanjaro, Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya's most picturesque parks, and today you will spend the morning and afternoon on safari exploring, with a break in between to enjoy lunch. With your expert guides, you’ll get a deep dive into the wildlife of Kenya's thriving natural world. Spot herds of elephants as you look out for the other wildlife that call this park home, including lions, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeest and leopards. Don’t forget your camera, if you're lucky enough to visit on a clear day, the views of wildlife backdropped by Kili are nothing short of epic! An optional balloon ride over Amboseli can be pre-booked to secure a place at the same cost as booking locally. You’re welcome to decide once on the ground, but keep in mind that this is a popular activity, and places are limited. You'll be picked up before dawn and taken to the launch site for a safety briefing with your pilot. As the sun rises, you'll drift through the sky, sometimes floating at tree level, offering incredible photo opportunities of the wildlife below. At other times, you'll soar higher, taking in sweeping views of the park and Mt Kilimanjaro on clear days. After landing, you'll be returned to your accommodation to rejoin your group.

Cross the border into Tanzania and make your way to Arusha. Here, join the Mamas (skilled local cooks) for a hands-on cooking experience. Learn to prepare a traditional Tanzanian meal, pick up a few simple Swahili phrases and hear about local life as you cook together. Then, sit down to enjoy the meal you've created before continuing to your lodge. Upon arrival, make good use of the swimming pool and relax. Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours, including the border crossing from Kenya into Tanzania. Be sure to have your passport & Yellow Fever vaccination certificate handy.

This morning, head to Arusha National Park to hike in the foothills of Mount Meru – Tanzania’s second highest peak and a colossal dormant volcano sitting at an altitude of 4566 m (15,000 ft). When you arrive, you’ll head to Kitoto viewpoint to start your day hike. A perfect spot for wildlife spotting and exploring the diverse landscape, this hike offers the chance to experience the lower slopes of Tanzania’s mountains. From your starting point, trek through the Afromontane Forest and into the crater, looking out for warthogs, giraffes and zebras along the way. As you gain altitude, you’ll be surrounded by dense forest – the prime habitat for Kilimanjaro colobus monkeys and forest duiker (a pint-sized antelope). Follow the trail up to Meru Falls, the ideal spot to enjoy a picnic lunch before you head back down the slopes. After finishing your hike, head to Rhotia and enjoy a free evening. Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours. Depending on the group, the trek will take approximately 4 hours. The hike is rated as moderate and features a gradual incline with some steeper sections. The trail includes dirt paths, rocky areas, and uneven terrain.

Depart for the wide-open plains of the Serengeti today. The never-ending land is home to thousands of Africa's most iconic animals. The Serengeti landscapes see a huge contrast of colours during the year – green after the rains, brown and burnt in the dry season. This region gets its name from the local Maasai word ‘siringet’, meaning the place where the land moves on forever. After entering the park gates, enjoy an en-route game drive to your accommodation for lunch. After lunch, you’ll head back out for an afternoon 4WD safari to spot the local wildlife. Tonight, listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift to sleep. Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours. Your camp within the Serengeti National Park does not have a fence to separate the camp from the animals. This is quite the experience as animals such as buffalo and hyenas often come close to camp after sundown. When you arrive at the camp, your leader will give a detailed safety briefing on what is required to ensure the safety of the group.

This morning, you’ll head out for a full-day 4WD safari through the wilds of the Serengeti. You might also opt to take a balloon safari over the park this morning. If you have booked this activity, you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site. After a safety briefing, take off and glide through the dawn sky, sometimes at tree height, getting some amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you'll ascend higher, giving you an overview of the vastness of the plains. After landing, celebrate with a glass of champagne before tucking into a special bush breakfast. An optional balloon ride over the Serengeti can be pre-booked to secure a place at the same cost as booking locally. You’re welcome to decide once on the ground, but keep in mind that this is a popular activity, and places are limited.

Say goodbye to Serengeti National Park today and soak up the final views of this incredible spot, before entering the Ngorongoro Conservation area. When you arrive at the crater, take in the spectacular views from the crater's rim as you make your way to the bottom, where animals roam the lakes, rivers, woodlands and hills. The animals here are less wary of humans and vehicles, and as a result, it's easier to watch them up close. Keep an eye out for wildebeest, lions, zebras, cheetahs, buffalo, gazelles and the endangered black rhino. Later, you have the option to head to the village of Mto wa Mbu for a guided tour and dinner. Here, you can acquaint yourself with the village and get a snapshot of small-town African life. Your travel time today will be approximately 4 hours.

Set off early this morning to begin your final journey of the trip. Your first stop will be in Arusha, where you will have the option to be dropped off at Kilimanjaro International Airport or Gold Crest Hotel. If it’s more convenient for you, there’s also the option to travel back to Nairobi, where you’ll be dropped at a centrally located hotel. No accommodation is provided for tonight. If you would like to extend your stay in Nairobi, just get in touch with your booking agent to organise additional accommodation. Your travel time today to Kilimanjaro International Airport will be approximately 3.5 hours. If you plan to book an onward flight, please ensure it departs after 2 pm. If you’re continuing to Nairobi, expect a travel time of approximately 7 to 8 hours, depending on traffic. Your leader will accompany you on the private transfer, with the vehicle type depending on the number of travellers making the journey. You’ll be dropped off at the Finishing Point Hotel listed in your Essential Trip Information. For onward flights, please ensure they are scheduled for after 10 pm.