Signature Great Migration Safari

Arrive in Nairobi, where you are met and transferred to your luxurious accommodations, located just 10 miles from the bustling city and overlooking the tranquil Ngong Hills.

Today, fly to Amboseli National Park at the base of soaring, snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, which, at 19,341 feet, is the highest freestanding mountain in the world. Set out in search of the region’s spectacular wildlife. Amboseli's huge draw is elephants. Watch as big herds roam the dusty plains, including “tuskers,” large, older bulls who have grown impressive tusks. Also view other game such as giraffes, Cape buffalo, zebras, wildebeests, hippos, hyenas and, occasionally, lions — all roaming freely amid swamps, springs and a shimmering, dried lake bed.

Set out on a full day exploring wildlife-rich Amboseli National Park, renowned for the large herds of elephants that roam its sun-drenched grasslands. View elephants up close, and watch for lions and buffalo as well, from a safari vehicle that seats just six, so that every guest enjoys a window seat. Enjoy a morning on safari before breaking for lunch. This afternoon, take another game drive.

Depart Amboseli this morning, and after crossing the border into Tanzania, stop for lunch in Arusha. Fly from Arusha to Tarangire National Park and settle into your luxurious accommodations. Set in a secluded area of the park for a more exclusive safari experience, Sanctuary Swala’s large tents are built on raised decks under umbrella acacia trees overlooking a popular watering hole. The layout of this eco-friendly abode is very open, with resident herds of impalas often grazing in camp. Wide panoramas of wooded savanna stretch in every direction in the park, which is nurtured by the permanent Tarangire River and populated by abundant big game, such as lions, elephants and buffalo. Its dusty red landscape also hosts a large bird population.

Today, embark on morning and afternoon game drives to explore Tarangire National Park. At Tarangire, find a stunning concentration of animals — herds of elephants, impalas and zebras. Look, too, for pythons and the twitching tails of leopards, who hide high above in sausage trees. Optional activities available at an additional cost include a walking safari and exploring Lake Gursi by canoe during the day or, as dusk falls, a night safari, to search for nocturnal animals rarely seen by visitors. With specialized lighting, look for lions and hyenas and smaller creatures — spotted genets, servals, bat-eared foxes and nightjars.

Learn how Africans live today, exploring in and around the village of Mto wa Mbu, as you ride by tuk-tuk, a major form of transport here. See rice fields and a banana plantation. In the village, enjoy a walk through the local market to see the colorful produce on display. Afterward, head to your restful luxury lodge for lunch. Arrive at Gibb’s Farm, on the forested slopes of Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Established as a coffee farm in the 1920s and refurbished as a luxurious boutique inn, Gibb’s Farm offers you the charm of another era. This afternoon, enjoy one of the following Design Your Day activities: Walk with a Maasai Healer, discovering the uses of over 20 different indigenous plants in the Ngorongoro forest. Bicycle Village Streets and Back Roads, getting a feel for life as locals live it. Enjoy a Traditional High Tea on the veranda overlooking the gardens and meet the artist-in-residence. Return to your lodge for dinner.

Set out on a full-day game drive in Ngorongoro Crater to explore the panoramic, short-grass prairies along the crater floor — home to rare black rhinos as well as lions, hyenas and gazelles. Backdropped by crater walls nearly 2,000 feet high, Ngorongoro Crater offers the safari experience of a lifetime in a setting unmatched the world over. Observe profuse and diverse wildlife roaming freely in an authentic “Lost World” where it’s possible to encounter every member of the Big Five in a single day. Enjoy lunch al fresco in this UNESCO World Heritage Site before returning to your lodge.

Fly to Serengeti National Park, the vast Tanzanian landscape that plays host to the Great Migration for a portion of each year, when a staggering number of herbivores trek across the Serengeti plains in search of water and fresh grass — hungry predators awaiting them or following in their wake. Over the next two days, your adventure may reveal giraffes, wildebeests, elephants and much more on morning and afternoon game drives through the boundless Serengeti, home of one of the largest wildlife populations in the world.

Fly to the Masai Mara, the northern extension of the Serengeti. After settling into your accommodation on a private stretch of the Mara River, immerse yourself in the wild during an afternoon game drive. Follow the Mara River to see crocodiles basking in the sun; hippos as they wallow in muddy water; and monkeys, busy sparking mischief overhead. Here, too, you may sight any of more than 400 species of birds, among them eagles who glide effortlessly above the sun-soaked landscape. During your time in the Mara, enjoy the peace of mind that comes with staying at Sanctuary Olonana, recognized as one of the finest safari lodges in all of Africa.

Venture forth for two full days of exploring the open savanna, woodlands and tree-fringed rivers of the Masai Mara, where patience is rewarded with unique sightings such as a leopard retrieving a kill from the upper branches of an acacia or elephants protecting their young from opportunistic lions. Game viewing is never dull in the Mara, especially when the dramatic annual Great Migration unfolds. Amid the stunning scenery, watch as Maasai tribesmen traverse the plains or herd goats and cattle. On one day here, visit a Maasai village and meet with an elder to learn about local culture and traditions.

Fly back to Nairobi and enjoy the afternoon at leisure in a comfortable dayroom. In the evening, transfer to the airport for your departing flight.