10-Day Kenya and Tanzania Safari: Amboseli, Mara, Serengeti

Entice Africa October 9, 2026Safari Packages | Booking | Entice Business Insights

A 10-day Kenya and Tanzania safari works as a highlights trip: two nights in Amboseli, one at Lake Nakuru, three in the Masai Mara, two in the Serengeti and one at Ngorongoro Crater, then a flight home from Kilimanjaro. It covers a lot of ground for ten days, and the cost of that is time in the vehicle, so the route below shows every drive.

We build this route from our 11-day Kenya and Tanzania itinerary by leaving out Lake Manyara. It is a sample that we reshape to your dates, not a fixed package. Below are the day-by-day plan, three ways to adjust it, the best months, what shapes the cost and the entry papers for both countries. Masai Mara is also spelled Maasai Mara; it is the same reserve.

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At a glance

Is 10 days enough for two countries?

It is enough to see the headline parks of both countries and not enough to see them slowly. On the sample route, at least five of the ten days include four hours or more on the road. Adding the leg times from our 11-day itinerary, those five legs alone come to roughly 27 to 31 hours. The Serengeti-to-Ngorongoro drive on day 9 has no timing on that itinerary, so we confirm it in your quote. Four days are full game-drive days: day 2 in Amboseli, days 5 and 6 in the Mara and day 8 in the Serengeti.

That suits travelers who want variety: elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, rhinos at Lake Nakuru, which Kenya Wildlife Service describes as a flagship sanctuary for black and white rhino, big cats in the Mara, the open Serengeti plains and the crater. It suits you less if you want unhurried mornings at one camp. Tell us, and we will drop a park rather than squeeze in all five.

A sample 10-day route

The trip is private throughout: your own 4×4 and guide in each country. Drive times are the leg times on our 11-day itinerary, and day 10 adds two of its legs together.

Crossing the border on day 7

The road crossing is at Isebania-Sirari, outside the parks. Tourism Update reported in 2025 that most Kenyan-registered vehicles cannot operate inside the Serengeti, so the vehicle is swapped at the border, and later that year that guides are typically changed there too. Our guides handle the border formalities, and, as on our 21-day trip, you move to a second private vehicle with a Tanzanian driver-guide. For the other ways across, read our Masai Mara and Serengeti safari guide.

Three ways to shape the 10 days

Flying means soft bags with a strict weight limit. Safarilink’s baggage page limits most routes to 15 kg per person including hand luggage, so pack light. Our 6-Day Fly-In Big Five Safari links Amboseli and the Mara by scheduled flights and starts from USD 4,043 per person, two sharing, on January to March 2027 rates. Prices depend on season, group size and lodge choice. It is a Kenya-only trip, but it shows what the flying leg looks like.

Best months for this route

Tanzania’s national parks authority gives June to October as the dry-season migration window in the Serengeti and January to February as calving season. Where the herds are inside those windows depends on the rains, so treat the table as a pattern, not a timetable.

Nobody can schedule a river crossing. Herds gather at the water, sometimes for hours, and may turn back, so three nights in the Mara give you more chances than one. For the month-by-month detail, see our Great Migration safari guide.

What it costs and what you need to enter both countries

What shapes the price

We quote the 10-day route to your dates. Three things set the figure: the season you travel in, the size of your group and the lodge level you choose. A two-country trip also carries park fees in two countries, a second vehicle and driver-guide for the Tanzania leg and any flights you add. The nearest price we publish is for our 21-day trip, and because that trip adds more parks and Zanzibar, it is not a guide to this one.

Our prices include park entrance fees, lodging, meals, bottled water, transfers and a 4×4 with a guide. International flights, visas, travel insurance, tips, alcoholic drinks and optional activities are not included.

Entry papers for both countries

• Kenya eTA: apply online before you fly. The official FAQ lists a fee from USD 30, usually processed within three business days, with expedited processing for an extra USD 100. UK government advice says to apply at least two weeks ahead and that, from 5 October 2026, eTA applicants must also buy travel health insurance. That rule is new, so check etakenya.go.ke before you apply.
• Tanzania visa: most visitors need one. The Tanzanian embassy in the US lists USD 100 for US citizens (multiple entry, valid 12 months) and USD 50 for most other nationalities (single entry). UK government advice says to apply for an e-visa before you travel.
• Tanzania insurance: from 1 October 2026, foreign visitors to mainland Tanzania who are not residents must buy compulsory inbound travel insurance. The embassy notice sets the premium at USD 44 per visitor, valid for up to 92 days. UK government advice says other travel insurance policies do not replace it and that you may be refused entry without it.
• Health: the CDC recommends yellow fever vaccination for most of Kenya, and its Tanzania page says proof is required from travelers arriving from countries with a risk of transmission. Because this route enters Tanzania from Kenya, ask a travel clinic about a certificate well before you fly; our own 21-day itinerary tells travelers to keep theirs to hand at the border. The CDC also recommends prescription malaria medicine for many areas of both countries, including Kenya’s game parks.
• Passport: UK government advice asks for at least six months of validity after you arrive in each country, with two blank pages for Kenya and one for Tanzania. Check your own government’s travel advice before you book.

Related safari guides

• Masai Mara and Serengeti Safari: Crossing, Flights and Cost
• Kenya or Tanzania for a First Safari? A Straight Comparison
• East Africa Safari: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in One Trip

Frequently asked questions

Is 10 days enough for a Kenya and Tanzania safari?

It is enough for the highlights and tight for anything more. You get four full game-drive days and at least five days with four hours or more of driving. If that is too much road, fly the Amboseli-to-Mara leg or drop a park. If you want a slower pace, ask us for a longer route.

How much does a 10-day Kenya and Tanzania safari cost?

We quote it to your dates, because the season, your group size and the lodge level all move the price. Send your dates and the number of travelers, and a planner replies within 6 hours with an itemized price. Park entrance fees are included. Flights, visas, insurance and tips are not.

Do I fly home from Nairobi or Kilimanjaro?

The sample route ends in Arusha, with a drop-off at Kilimanjaro Airport, so you can book flights into Nairobi and out of Kilimanjaro. Day 10 has a crater game drive and a drive of about 4 to 5 hours, so choose an evening flight or add a night in Arusha. If your flights suit it better, ask us to run the route in the other direction.

Will I see the Great Migration on this route?

It depends on the month. July to October puts the herds in the northern Serengeti and the Mara, where this route spends five of its nights. January to March puts them in the south, and we would move the Serengeti nights there. April to June is quieter and greener, with the herds on the move.

Is this route suitable for children or older relatives?

Often, with planning. The days with long drives are the hard part, so for young children or anyone with limited mobility we suggest flying the Amboseli-to-Mara leg or adding a night. Lodge and activity age policies vary, so tell us the ages when you ask for a quote.