Best of East Africa

20 days21 reviews
Overland
Wildlife
From
CHF  3,100

Discover the charming communities and innate beauty of these wide-open lands

Take 20 days to uncover the best of eastern Africa as you travel across Kenya and Tanzania. Turn your attention to the wild as you search for flamingos in Lake Nakuru, the black rhino in the Ngorongoro Crater and the Big Five in the Serengeti. Swap the savanna for a higher elevation when you visit the Usambara Mountains, and then leave all your cares behind as you relax on the endless white sands of Zanzibar’s Northern Beaches. Give East Africa an in-depth viewing as you travel from Nairobi to Zanzibar with a local crew and a small group of avid travellers.

Map of Best Of East Africa including Kenya and Tanzania, United Republic Of
Trip code: YXOHC
Start
Nairobi, Kenya
End
Zanzibar, Africa
Destinations
Tanzania, Kenya
Meals
19 breakfasts, 14 lunches, 13 dinners
Transport
Overland vehicle, 4x4 Safari Vehicle, Ferry, Minibus
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (10 nights), Hotel (3 night), Camping (with basic facilities) (3 night), Bunglow (2 nights)
Days
20
Group size
Min 1 - Max 22
Ages
Min 15
Theme
Every trip caters to specific interests and activities, such as wildlife or family.
Overland, Wildlife
Style
Basix: Simple accommodation, local transport and lots of free time

Original: Tourist-class hotels, some meals included and a great mix of included activities and free time

Comfort: Comfortable accommodation, with a relaxed pace of travel and many included meals and activities

Premium: 4+ star accommodation, exclusive premium inclusions, our most experienced leaders
Basix
Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
This trip generates 19 kg of CO2-e per person per day.
We offset these emissions on your behalf. But we know that is not enough, so we also have a carbon reduction target.

Why you'll love this trip

Venture into the incredible Masai Mara National Reserve for a full-day game drive in an open-top 4WD, looking for lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes and more.

An early morning game drive through Lake Nakuru National Park might be your best chance of seeing black and white rhinoceroses in the flesh.

Take a cooking class in a small village and learn some Kenyan recipes, then share your creations at a camp dinner under the stars.

Explore the Serengeti, a wildlife arena like no other. You're bound to spot most of Africa's iconic Big Five game on your adventures at sunrise and sunset – when the animals are most active.

Meet with local community members and join in on village activities in Mto wa Mbu with a guided stroll around the farming areas.

This itinerary is valid for departures from 01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025.

View the itinerary for departures between 01 January 2024 - 31 December 2024

Itinerary

Map of Best Of East Africa including Kenya and Tanzania, United Republic Of

Inclusions and activities

Meals

19 breakfasts, 14 lunches, 13 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle, 4x4 Safari Vehicle, Ferry, Minibus

Accommodation

Camping (with facilities) (10 nights), Hotel (3 night), Camping (with basic facilities) (3 night), Bunglow (2 nights)

Included activities
  • Lake Nakuru - Village Walk & Cooking Class
  • Lake Nakuru - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
  • Lake Naivasha - Boat trip
  • Loita Hills - Cultural talk and village visit
  • Masai Mara - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Ngorongoro Crater - 4x4 Game Drive
  • Serengeti National Park - Morning 4WD Safari
  • Mto Wa Mbu - Village walk & local dinner
  • Irente - Lushoto hike
  • Irente - Local lunch

Optional activities
  • Nairobi - City Experience Urban Adventure - USD55
  • Lake Naivasha - Bike hire - USD12
  • Lake Naivasha - Game Walk in Crater Lake Game Sanctuary (entrance fee) - USD50
  • Lake Naivasha - Hell's Gate NP (Game Drive) - USD65
  • Masai Mara National Reserve - Balloon ride (from price) - USD470
  • Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) - USD800
  • Stone Town Tour - Dharajani Market, Joseph's Cathederal, Palace Museum, Forodhani Food Market - USD20
  • Zanzibar - Prison Island Tour - USD25
  • Stone Town - Handicraft & Music Urban Adventure - USD50
  • Zanzibar - Spice tour - USD25
  • Zanzibar - Snorkelling - USD50
  • Zanzibar - Dhow Trip - USD35

Is this trip right for you?

  • This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities, setting up your own tent, occasionally roughing it in the bush with no facilities, and getting the best possible views of the Big Five. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie. For more info on this style of travel, see our Africa overland page: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/africa/overland
  • In Loita Hills you will stay in a secure bush camp with basic facilities and cold showers. There is no Wi-Fi or upgrades available but the rewards of experiencing Maasai culture should more than make up for the lack of creature comforts.
  • Camp in the Serengeti National Park itself without fences between you and the animals. Your leader will brief you on the safety measures the group will need to take for the 2 nights spent in the park.
  • There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.

Dates and availability

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Important notes

1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. Optional sunrise balloon rides in the Masai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park are possible on this itinerary. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and we recommend you book in advance. Please inquire when booking your trip to book this optional activity.
3. This trip is a combination of YGOK YNAI YXOP and YXON our most popular itineraries. As such the make up of your group and your leader may change on days 8 and 17.
4. The Zanzibar portion of your itinerary may have a few more passengers than the maximum group size of 22 as we have a crossover of trips starting and finishing in Zanzibar.

Essential Trip Information

Want an in-depth insight into this trip? Essential Trip Information provides a detailed itinerary, visa info, how to get to your hotel, what's included - pretty much everything you need to know about this adventure and more.

Read Essential Trip Information

Reviews

2 out of 5 based on 1 reviews submitted.
Reviews are from travellers who have completed their trip and want to share their experience. We show all reviews, but may remove any that include profanity or inappropriate content, are unrelated to the trip or reveal personal details.

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Melanie · Traveled September 2023
Review submitted 16 Oct 2023
Best of East Africa
From
CHF  3,100