Day 1
Road transfer
NBO (Nairobi, Kenya) to Hemingways Eden Residence, Nairobi, Kenya
i
Photo: Saruni Basecamp · Source ↗
An Explore Africa journey
Highlights of East Africa: Kenya & Tanzania
Ref EA2026008·Indicative from A$11,500 per person·12 nights
When to go
June to October is the classic dry season across both countries, with the migration usually in the Mara from about July. January and February are also very good.
Country information
Kenya is the birthplace of the safari: the Masai Mara's big cats and migration, elephants beneath Kilimanjaro at Amboseli and the private conservancies of Laikipia. What to know from the start: • Entry requirements: confirm passports, visas, digital entry forms and transit rules at smartraveller.gov.au and each destination's official immigration website before travel. • Health: seek route-specific advice from a travel-health professional and smartraveller.gov.au; vaccination and malaria guidance varies by itinerary. • Currency: Kenyan Shilling (KES). • Getting around: light aircraft from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to the camps; soft bags of about 15kg. Tanzania is home to the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Crater and Tarangire's elephant country, with the white sand of Zanzibar a short flight away. What to know from the start: • Entry requirements: confirm passports, visas, digital entry forms and transit rules at smartraveller.gov.au and each destination's official immigration website before travel. • Health: seek route-specific advice from a travel-health professional and smartraveller.gov.au; vaccination and malaria guidance varies by itinerary. • Currency: Tanzanian Shilling (TZS); US dollars are widely used on safari. • Getting around: road safaris on the northern circuit and light-aircraft hops, which usually cap soft luggage at about 15 to 20kg.
The journey
Day by day
Highlights of East Africa
Day 1
Hemingways Eden Residence
Nairobi · Kenya · 1 nights
Booking guidance
Book rooms online on a bed and breakfast basis. The Main House and full estate are also available for exclusive use.
Day 2
Light aircraft transfer
WIL, Wilson Airport, Nairobi to Amboseli airstrip, Kenya
Days 2–3
Porini Amboseli Camp
Amboseli · Kenya · 2 nights
Booking guidance
Book online by selecting your dates, tent and guest numbers. The standard plan is All inclusive. Children aged eight and over are welcome.
Day 4
Light aircraft transfer
Amboseli airstrip, Kenya to Maasai Mara, Kenya
Days 4–6
Saruni Mara
Maasai Mara · Kenya · 3 nights
Booking guidance
Book through the official website or online booking engine. The online All Inclusive plan requires two nights; the standard rack tariff requires two nights in high season. The November rack rate has no single supplement, while mid and high tariff periods add 30%.
Selected experiences
- Game drivesBook with the official operator or ask Explore Africa to include this in a tailored itinerary.
Selected experiences
- Maasai Mara dawn balloon safariBook with the official operator or ask Explore Africa to include this in a tailored itinerary.Public booking link ↗
Day 7
Scheduled flight
WIL, Wilson Airport, Nairobi to JRO (Kilimanjaro, Tanzania)
Arrival timing cannot yet be checked against the property. Please confirm the flight, transfer time and check-in arrangements.
Connects via Nairobi
Day 7
Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge
Arusha · Tanzania · 1 nights
Booking guidance
Book Plantation Rooms and Plantation Suites online on a bed-and-breakfast basis. The tariff waives the supplement for the first single room in each booking; different charges apply to additional single rooms.
Day 8
Road transfer
Arusha, Tanzania to Ngorongoro Lion's Paw, Ngorongoro, Tanzania
Days 8–9
Ngorongoro Lion's Paw
Ngorongoro · Tanzania · 2 nights
Includes a day in the Ngorongoro Crater
Booking guidance
Enquire through the lodge website. A 25% deposit secures a booking, with the balance due 45 days before arrival. Children under 15 share with an adult. Under-fives stay free when sharing with a parent or guardian; ages 5 to 14 sharing with adults pay half the adult rate.
Selected experiences
- Ngorongoro Crater game driveBook with the official operator or ask Explore Africa to include this in a tailored itinerary.Public booking link ↗
Day 10
Light aircraft transfer
Ngorongoro (Manyara airstrip), Tanzania to Kogatende airstrip, Serengeti, Tanzania
Days 10–12
Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
Serengeti · Tanzania · 3 nights
Booking guidance
Book through the camp reservations office using the official website. Reservations are made in writing. The full-board rate includes selected drinks; game-drive packages are booked separately.
Day 13
Light aircraft transfer
Serengeti, Tanzania to JRO (Kilimanjaro, Tanzania)
The route
How to book this trip
This is a plan you can book yourself. We’re a planning service, not a booking platform. Here’s the order of play:
- 1Camps first. Enquire with each camp below to confirm availability and rates, and book direct.
- 2Then transfers & regional flights. Arrange these once your camp dates are locked.
- 3International flights last. Booked separately from Australia, once the ground trip is confirmed.
Hemingways Eden Residence
Enquire ↗Kenya · 1 night
Porini Amboseli Camp
Enquire ↗Kenya · 2 nights
Saruni Mara
Enquire ↗Kenya · 3 nights
Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge
Enquire ↗Tanzania · 1 night
Ngorongoro Lion's Paw
Enquire ↗Tanzania · 2 nights
Serengeti North Wilderness Camp
Enquire ↗Tanzania · 3 nights
Safari packing checklist
Pack a soft duffel, not a hard case, as light aircraft cap luggage at ~15–20 kg including hand luggage. Neutral colours, and layers for cold mornings.
Documents & money
- Passport (6+ months validity)
- Visas / e-visas as required
- Travel insurance details
- Vaccination certificates
- Cards + some USD cash
- Copies of key documents
Clothing: neutral tones
- Lightweight long sleeves & trousers
- Warm fleece / layer (cold dawns)
- T-shirts
- Swimwear
- Sleepwear
- Smart-casual for dinners
Footwear
- Closed walking shoes
- Sandals / camp shoes
Gear
- Binoculars
- Camera + spare batteries & cards
- Sunglasses & wide-brim hat
- Headtorch
- Small daypack
- Reusable water bottle
Health & toiletries
- Antimalarials (if advised)
- Insect repellent (DEET)
- High-SPF sunscreen & lip balm
- Personal medication
- Hand sanitiser
- Basic first-aid kit
Want this route tailored to you?
Love this route, but travelling with children, need malaria-free options, or want to fit in Victoria Falls? Generate your tailored blueprint or request a one-to-one itinerary review with Explore Africa.
This itinerary is a planning tool: indicative, not a quote or a booking. Price lines include only the items they explicitly identify. Transfers, activities, meals and flights are excluded unless stated. Availability, rates and flight times change, so please confirm them directly. Submitting a trip sends an enquiry to our team; it does not create a reservation.
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