The world is within reach with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes expert Tour Directors and Driver/Guides, hand-selected accommodations, and seamless transportation between destinations including intra-vacation flights—with value-minded travelers in mind. 4-wheel-drive safari vehicles are equipped with a pop-up roof for unfettered game viewing and photography. Plus, each vehicle is limited to just six guests, so you’ll always have a window seat! This tour offers a great opportunity to witness the Great Migration of wildebeest, zebra, and antelope—the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!Big experiences come in small packages, so each Cosmos Africa safari tour is limited to a maximum of just 24 guests per departure.
Notes:
The Great Migration is a natural event with herds typically in the Maasai Mara from August to early November. Movements and river crossings of migrating herds can be challenging to predict year to year. When possible, we’ll modify game viewing when advised of reported sightings. Since this safari includes Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, you’re guaranteed to see the herds no matter when you visit. All game viewing is done at your own risk and requires a signed liability waiver prior to travel. Due to rough driving on/off road and in/between game parks, this vacation is not recommended for guests with serious back problems or mobility issues.
Day 1
Welcome to Africa! Check in to your hotel and prepare for your safari adventure!
Day 2
Start your private sightseeing with a morning game drive in Nairobi National Park. Later, visit the elephant orphanage at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, founded by Dame Daphne Sheldrick. Here, you will learn about elephant conservation and meet elephant calves, orphaned by poachers, before they are re-introduced to the wild. Next, visit the Karen Blixen Museum, dedicated to the author of Out of Africa. Lastly, stop at the Giraffe Center, a nonprofit organization focused on saving the Rothschild’s giraffe. Take the opportunity to feed these amazing animals with an up-close interaction with the world’s tallest land mammal
Day 3
This morning, depart for Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most famous game area. After lunch at your lodge, set out on your first game drive in search of the “Big 5”—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and Cape buffalo
Day 4
Today, enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in the “Mara,” as it is called by locals. Part of the Serengeti ecosystem, the reserve boasts a strong permanent population of game. When the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebra arrives, the population enlarges by almost 2 million. This provides a significant food source for resident predators including lions, cheetah, leopard, and hyena
Day 5
Today, board a plane for the quick flight to Nairobi. Drive to Amboseli National Park, best known for spectacular views of 19,341-foot Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Embark on an afternoon game drive before settling in at your lodge
Day 6
Morning and afternoon game drives offer you a terrific opportunity to get close to the mighty elephant. You might also spot Cape buffalo, zebra, wild dog, and more. During the heat of the day, relax and enjoy the amenities at your lodge
Day 7
This morning, enter Tanzania at the Namanga border. After lunch in Arusha, proceed to your camp overlooking Lake Manyara. Get lost in the woods on an optional guided hike through the magical forest in the Great Rift Valley. Did we mention the monkeys? Or... go bananas for beer made from the fruit, along with other farm specialties on an optional guided visit to Mto Wa Mbu village
Day 8
Lake Manyara National Park is a small, ecologically diverse park with groundwater forests, grassy plains, and the alkaline namesake Lake Manyara. The park is also home to the world’s largest concentration of baboon. Watch for these mischievous primates, giraffe, hippo, and more on your morning game drive. Then, journey to your lodge and enjoy time at leisure this afternoon
Day 9
Descend into the crater for a full-day game drive. Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest unflooded caldera, more than 2,000 feet deep with a floor covering over 102 square miles. Game viewing here is fantastic, as most of the animals stay in this area year-round. Witness lion, Cape buffalo, hippo, elephant, and flamingo in a unique habitat. This is also your best chance to see the rare black rhinoceros! A picnic lunch will be served in the crater
Day 10
Today, drive to Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s largest and most famous park. Home to the seasonal Great Migration of vast numbers of the Serengeti's wildebeest, accompanied by zebra, Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, eland, and impala. The Serengeti remains an extraordinary ecosystem for game viewing year round. Enjoy lunch at your lodge before an afternoon game drive
Day 11
The biologically diverse Serengeti covers an area of roughly 5,700 square miles and is home to a variety of animals. The name comes from the Maasai word siringit, meaning “endless plains,” and Maasai tribes co-exist with wildlife living in the Serengeti. Continue your exploration during morning and afternoon game drives. You have the chance to see the big cats—lion, leopard, and cheetah—as well as an abundance of other animals, including the Nile crocodile, giraffe, gazelle, and eland
Day 12
Fly back to Arusha, where a day room is reserved for your convenience. Schedule departing flights after 5 pm.