Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya’s vibrant capital and the gateway to East Africa’s great safari landscapes. This evening, meet your Driver Guide and fellow Small Group travelers over dinner, a relaxed introduction to the journey ahead.
Today, Nairobi reveals its different sides, from wildlife and literary history to the landmarks at the center of the capital. Start with a game drive in Nairobi National Park, where grassland and acacia bush unfold just beyond the city skyline. Continue to the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage to see the orphaned elephants at their midday mud bath and milk feed. You’ll enjoy lunch in the gardens of Karen Blixen Cottages & Restaurant before visiting the Karen Blixen Museum, set in the former home of the author of Out of Africa. Later, take in Parliament Buildings, Kenyatta Avenue, Government Square, the Kenya International Convention Center, City Market and University Way. This evening, head to Shamba Cafe for a three-course Farm-to-Table dinner, where produce from the surrounding gardens shapes the menu.
Travel to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County, where open plains, acacia woodland and views towards Mount Kenya define one of Kenya’s leading conservation areas. Home to the Big Five, East Africa’s largest black rhino sanctuary and the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Ol Pejeta brings wildlife and conservation together in one remarkable landscape. On arrival, head to Maisha Sweetwaters Serena Camp and settle into your waterhole-view tent. You’ll set out on an afternoon game drive in search of plains game, birdlife and some of the conservancy’s rarer species, stopping for a sundowner in the bush before returning to camp for dinner.
Enjoy a Relaxed Start before your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where you’ll visit Fatu and Najin, the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, and hear from a ranger about the protection and scientific work surrounding their future. Continue to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, opened in 1993 and still the only place in Kenya where rescued chimpanzees can be seen. Later, return to camp for an afternoon at leisure. This evening, relax at Maisha Sweetwaters Serena Camp or choose an Optional Experience and head back into the conservancy on a night game drive.
Start the day with an early morning game drive in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, when first light reaches across the plains and wildlife is often active in the cooler hours. Continue south to Lake Oloidien for a farm-to-table lunch at Ranch House Bistro, set on the shore of this smaller Rift Valley lake, where papyrus-fringed edges and rich birdlife create a quieter change of scene. Arrive at Naivasha Sopa Lodge, set in spacious grounds where giraffe, waterbuck and monkeys are often seen. The rest of your day is at leisure to settle in, sit by the pool and enjoy the lodge’s wildlife-rich setting before dinner.
Ease into the day on Lake Naivasha, a shallow freshwater lake in the Great Rift Valley, ringed by acacia woodland and known for its rich birdlife and resident hippos. A boat safari brings you close to this lakeside world, with the chance to spot hippos in the water and fish eagles overhead. Back on land, explore further with Insight Choice. Join a guided walk on Crescent Island, where zebra, giraffe and antelope roam freely across the open grassland, or stay at the lodge for a birdwatching walk through its acacia-dotted grounds. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the setting, or choose an Optional Experience to Hell’s Gate National Park, known for its dramatic cliffs, volcanic formations and walking and cycling trails.
Set out for the Maasai Mara National Reserve, where wide grasslands and riverine forest mark one of Kenya’s most celebrated wildlife landscapes, home to the Big Five and shaped by the Mara River. After lunch, visit a Maasai village to learn more about community life and traditions. UNESCO recognises Maasai male rites of passage as Intangible Cultural Heritage, and you’ll also see the jumping dance associated with Maasai ceremonial culture. Later, head into the reserve for an afternoon game drive as the light begins to soften across the plains. This evening, settle in at Mara Maisha Camp and dine on the open terrace, with the sounds of the Mara carrying through camp after dark.
Spend the day in the Maasai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives through one of Africa’s most iconic safari landscapes, where wide grasslands, riverine forest and the Mara River support an exceptional concentration of wildlife, including the Big Five. Between drives, return to camp and take in the setting. This evening, a Small Group Exclusive experience brings you out into the reserve for a private bush barbecue dinner, served in the open air on your last evening in Kenya.
Depart the Maasai Mara and return to Nairobi for your flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport where you’ll bid farewell to your Driver Guide. On arrival in Tanzania, you’ll meet your Tanzania Driver Guide who will transfer to your hotel in Arusha, where coffee has long been part of life on the fertile slopes below Mount Meru. Later, explore the coffee plantation and learn more about the crop that helped shape this part of northern Tanzania, from planting and growing conditions to the role of coffee in the region’s agricultural story. This evening, join your Driver Guide and your group for dinner at the hotel.
Begin the day in Arusha with a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Shanga, a social enterprise that trains and employs Tanzanians with disabilities through craft. As you walk through the workshop, you’ll watch weaving, glassblowing, beading, paper making and metalwork, with many pieces made using recycled materials. Continue to Tarangire National Park for lunch before heading out on an afternoon game drive. Named for the river that draws wildlife across its dry-season landscape, Tarangire is known for its elephant herds, baobab trees and strong game viewing. Later, continue to your camp for dinner and the evening in the park.
Head into Tarangire in the cooler morning hours, when the bush is beginning to stir and the first light reaches across the park’s open savannah and riverine woodland. Stop for breakfast in the bush, a memorable way to begin the day surrounded by the sounds and scale of Tarangire. Return to camp for lunch and time at leisure before heading out again later in the day. As the light softens towards sunset, continue your exploration of the park and pause for a sundowner in the bush. There is also the opportunity to visit a Maasai village and gain insight into local traditions and community life.
Set out before sunrise for a final game drive in Tarangire, when the early light and cooler hours bring a different feel to the park before you continue towards the Ngorongoro Highlands. Stop at Gibb’s Farm for a Farm-to-Table lunch and a tour of the estate, where coffee, fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown on the fertile slopes outside Karatu. Later, settle into your hotel and explore more with Insight Choice. You may join a Swahili lesson with a Local Expert, or walk with your Driver Guide through Mto wa Mbu, a village known for its markets, farming and mix of communities. This evening, you may wish to relax at the lodge, take in the highland setting or enjoy the views across the coffee country around Oldeani.
Travel to Lake Eyasi, a seasonal soda lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, where today’s visits focus on two of northern Tanzania’s communities. Spend time with the Hadzabe, whose way of life remains closely tied to hunting, gathering and detailed knowledge of the surrounding bush. You’ll learn more about food preparation, daily skills and their distinctive click language, and may also try archery. After lunch, continue to the Datoga, a pastoral people known for cattle keeping and long-established blacksmithing traditions. Later, return to your lodge for dinner and the evening.
Descend into Ngorongoro Crater for a morning game drive across the floor of the world’s largest intact and unfilled volcanic caldera, where year-round water and grazing support a high concentration of wildlife. Pause for a picnic lunch on the crater floor before continuing west towards Serengeti National Park. From the Maasai word Siringet, meaning “wide endless plains”, Serengeti is Tanzania’s first national park and one of Africa’s most recognized safari landscapes. Arrive at camp in time for dinner and a free evening. You may wish to settle in by the firepit, listen to the sounds of the bush after dark or simply take in your first night in the Serengeti.
Spend the day on game drive in Serengeti National Park, continuing your exploration of one of Africa’s most important wildlife areas. Look out for lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra and antelope as you move through the park, with each part of the day bringing different wildlife activity across the plains and around the kopjes. This evening, return to camp for dinner in a traditional boma setting, where the circular layout and fireside atmosphere draw on a style of enclosure long used across East Africa.
Transfer to the Serengeti airstrip for your flight to Arusha, with the chance to spot wildlife on the way as you make your final journey across the park. From here, you’ll continue to Zanzibar, the Indian Ocean archipelago long shaped by Swahili culture, Omani rule and centuries of trade across East Africa, Arabia and the wider Indian Ocean. Meet your Local Host and transfer to your Zanzibar hotel. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. You may wish to settle in, enjoy the hotel’s setting or begin taking in the island’s slower pace before dinner together this evening.
Discover Stone Town with your Local Expert on a morning city tour through the UNESCO-listed heart of Zanzibar, where market streets, seafront landmarks and centuries of Swahili, Arab, Indian and European influence sit side by side. Visit the local market, the House of Wonders, the Sultan’s Palace Museum and the Old Arab Fort, then head to a herb and spice farm for a closer look at the island’s long trade in cloves, cardamom and other spices. At Mama’s of Zanzibar, join local women for a hands-on cooking lesson centered on Swahili flavors and traditional cuisine before sitting down together to share the dishes you have prepared. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax at the hotel, return to Stone Town for more time in its winding lanes and carved doorways, or head out on a sunset show cruise.
Enjoy a full day at leisure in Zanzibar to settle into the island’s coastal rhythm. Swim in the Indian Ocean, stretch out by the pool, wander the beach or simply pause and take in the setting, with clear warm waters and coral reefs just offshore. If you prefer to be out on the water, there is an Optional Experience to sail by traditional dhow and snorkel along the coast, where Zanzibar’s marine life and reef-fringed shoreline reveal a different side of the island. This evening, come together for a final dinner at the hotel as your time in Zanzibar draws to a close.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your onward flight. As your journey comes to a close, say goodbye to your Driver Guide and fellow travelers, taking with you the memories, wildlife encounters and landscapes that have shaped your time in Zanzibar.
