Kenya & Tanzania Safari

Destination 01

Nairobi

9 places

Kenya's capital and the hub for safari flights, with wildlife sights on the city edge. Stay 1 to 2 days.

• Photo: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery · Google

  David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

  Orphaned elephant nursery inside Nairobi National Park, open to visitors for a daily one-hour viewing.

  Tip Book online; the public slot is 11am to noon and sells out.

  SeeLangata$$60 min11am
• Photo: Samwalton9 · CC BY 4.0

  Giraffe Centre

  Raised platform for feeding endangered Rothschild giraffes, run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.

  Tip Go early before school groups arrive.

  SeeLangata$60 minMorning
• Photo: flightlog · CC BY 2.0

  Nairobi National Park

  Savanna park with lions, rhinos and giraffes grazing against the city skyline.

  Tip Take an early game drive; animals are most active at dawn.

  OutdoorsLangata$$$4 hrDawn
• Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Karen Blixen Museum

  Farmhouse of the Out of Africa author at the foot of the Ngong Hills, with guided tours.

  SeeKaren$60 minMorning
• Photo: Joe Macharia · Google

  Nairobi National Museum

  Kenya's main museum covering human origins, wildlife and culture, with a snake park next door.

  SeeMuseum Hill$2 hrAfternoon
• Photo: Kazuri Beads · Google

  Kazuri Beads

  Workshop in Karen employing local women to hand-make ceramic beads and pottery; tours are free.

  ShopKaren$$60 minMorning
• Photo: The Carnivore Restaurant · Google

  Carnivore Restaurant

  Long-running open-fire grill where waiters carve skewered meats at the table until you lower your flag.

  Tip Vegetarian options exist but the draw is the grill.

  EatLangata$$$2 hrDinner
• Photo: Nauphrage Compilers · Google

  The Talisman

  Garden restaurant in a Karen villa mixing Asian, Middle Eastern and European plates.

  Tip Order the feta and coriander samosas; book for dinner.

  EatKaren$$$2 hrDinner
• Photo: Babu Samuel · Google

  Java House

  Kenya's homegrown coffee chain, a reliable stop for local AA coffee and breakfast.

  Drink$45 minMorning

Destination 02

Maasai Mara

9 places

Kenya's top reserve, famous for big cats and the Great Migration's river crossings. Stay 3 to 4 nights.

• Photo: Arr Qarpeng · Google

  Maasai Mara National Reserve

  Rolling grassland with lions, cheetahs, elephants and, from July to October, the wildebeest migration.

  Tip Full-day drives with a packed lunch reach the river and the far plains.

  Outdoors$$$$8 hrJul – Oct
• Photo: Arr Qarpeng · Google

  Mara River

  Crocodile-lined river where migrating herds cross between Kenya and Tanzania.

  Tip Crossings are unpredictable; be ready to wait for hours with a patient guide.

  OutdoorsMara Triangle4 hrAug – Sep
• Photo: Fay kuto · Google

  Musiara Marsh

  Northern marshland known for resident lion prides and big herds of buffalo and elephant.

  OutdoorsMusiara3 hrEarly morning
• Photo: Günther Hofmann · Google

  Oloololo Escarpment

  Steep western rim of the Mara Triangle with sweeping views over the plains below.

  OutdoorsMara Triangle60 minSunset
• Photo: Governors' Balloon Safaris · Google

  Governors' Balloon Safaris

  Dawn hot-air balloon flight over the reserve, finished with a champagne bush breakfast.

  Tip Book well ahead in migration season; flights are weather-dependent.

  DoMusiara$$$$4 hrDawn
• Photo: Benson Ndunyu · Google

  Mara Naboisho Conservancy

  Community-owned conservancy bordering the reserve, allowing walks and night drives with fewer vehicles.

  Tip Only guests of conservancy camps can drive here.

  OutdoorsNaboisho$$$$4 hrNight drive
• Photo: Governor's Camp · Google

  Governors' Camp

  Classic tented camp on the Mara River in Musiara, serving meals with hippos below the bank.

  EatMusiara$$$$1.5 hrLunch
• Photo: Angama Mara · Google

  Angama Mara

  Lodge on the Oloololo escarpment 300 m above the Mara Triangle, with farm-grown food.

  Tip Ask about lunch at the guest area if staying elsewhere in the Triangle.

  EatMara Triangle$$$$2 hrLunch
• Photo: Mara Safari Lodge · Google

  Mara Serena Safari Lodge

  Hilltop lodge in the Mara Triangle whose terrace bar overlooks the Mara River plains.

  DrinkMara Triangle$$$60 minSunset

Destination 03

Serengeti

8 places

Tanzania's vast plains, with predators around Seronera and herds that move with the rains. Stay 3 to 4 nights.

• Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen · CC BY-SA 3.0

  Serengeti National Park

  Tanzania's flagship park, 14,750 sq km of plains and kopjes supporting huge herds and predators.

  Tip Park fees are charged per 24 hours; confirm they are in your safari price.

  Outdoors$$$$8 hrJun – Oct
• Photo: Alain Caillat · Google

  Seronera Valley

  River valley in the central Serengeti with year-round water and dense leopard, lion and cheetah sightings.

  Tip Scan the sausage trees along the river for leopards.

  OutdoorsCentral Serengeti4 hrEarly morning
• Photo: 松崎竜也 · Google

  Moru Kopjes

  Granite outcrops south of Seronera with rock paintings and the Maasai Gong Rock.

  OutdoorsCentral Serengeti3 hrMorning
• Photo: Giorgio Cavaggion · Google

  Retima Hippo Pool

  Pool at the junction of the Grumeti and Seronera rivers packed with hundreds of hippos.

  OutdoorsCentral Serengeti45 minMidday
• Photo: Sam D · Google

  Serengeti Visitor Centre

  Seronera information center with an elevated walkway and displays on the ecosystem and migration.

  SeeSeroneraFree45 minMidday
• Photo: Alain Caillat · Google

  Serengeti Balloon Safaris

  Sunrise balloon flights from Seronera and other bases, followed by a bush breakfast.

  DoSeronera$$$$4 hrDawn
• Photo: discover local experience Tour &safari Tanzania · Google

  Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

  Lodge in the central Serengeti with an infinity pool above an elephant waterhole and a Discovery Centre.

  EatCentral Serengeti$$$$2 hrDinner
• Photo: Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge · Google

  Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge

  Hilltop lodge styled like a Maasai village, with sundowners over the central plains.

  DrinkCentral Serengeti$$$60 minSunset

Destination 04

Ngorongoro

8 places

The world's largest intact volcanic caldera, with dense wildlife on its floor. Stay 2 nights.

• Photo: THOMASE MAHENGE · Google

  Ngorongoro Crater

  Caldera about 20 km across, home to lions, buffalo, flamingos and one of the best chances to see black rhino.

  Tip Descend at opening time (6am) to beat the vehicle crowds.

  OutdoorsCrater floor$$$$6 hrDawn
• Photo: Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project · CC BY 2.0

  Lake Magadi

  Shallow soda lake on the crater floor where flamingos feed and hippos wallow.

  OutdoorsCrater floor45 minMorning
• Photo: Banja-Frans Mulder · Google

  Lerai Forest

  Yellow-barked acacia forest on the crater floor, a good spot for elephants and bushbuck.

  OutdoorsCrater floor45 minMorning
• Photo: Cory W · Google

  Ngoitokitok Springs

  Spring-fed pool on the crater floor used as a picnic stop, with hippos nearby.

  Tip Keep food inside the vehicle; black kites swoop on picnics.

  OutdoorsCrater floor45 minLunch
• Photo: Kufundisha · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Olduvai Gorge Museum

  Museum at the gorge where the Leakeys found early human fossils, with a talk over the site.

  Tip Easy stop on the drive between the crater and the Serengeti.

  SeeOlduvai$75 minMidday
• Photo: Juliet Samaka · Google

  Entamanu Ngorongoro

  Small Nomad Tanzania camp on the crater's western rim, serving set meals with views across the crater floor.

  Tip Non-guests should arrange lunch in advance through a safari operator.

  EatCrater rim$$$$1.5 hrLunch
• Photo: Gibb's Farm · Google

  Gibb's Farm

  Coffee farm and lodge near Karatu serving lunches built on its own organic gardens.

  Tip Good lunch stop on the drive up from Arusha.

  EatKaratu$$$2 hrLunch
• Photo: Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge · Google

  Ngorongoro Serena Safari Lodge

  Stone lodge built into the crater rim, with a bar and terrace looking over the caldera.

  DrinkCrater rim$$$60 minSunset