Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Name: Kenya & Tanzania Adventure
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4.6 (63 reviews)

63 reviews

Activity

Wildlife

Overview

Enjoy excellent game viewing, scenery and exotic Zanzibar

Kenya and Tanzania are home to some of the most prolific game-viewing locations, not just in Africa, but the world. This itinerary takes in several national parks in and around the Great Rift Valley, giving us the opportunity to observe some of the best wildlife and scenery in Africa . It finishes in style on the spice island of Zanzibar, a tropical paradise with white-sand beaches and fascinating Stone Town.

Key Information

Trip Code: WYK
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Kenya, Tanzania
Carbon Footprint: 22kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All breakfasts, nine lunches and 10 dinners
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Arrival transfer for any flight, group departure transfer available

Highlights

Experience some of the best wildlife-watching opportunities in Kenya and Tanzania
Search for endangered rhinos on game drives in Lake Nakuru National Park
Explore the grasslands of the Masai Mara and the Serengeti for iconic safari animals
Marvel at the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken caldera in the world
Visit the exotic spice island of Zanzibar and relax on the coast

Itinerary

First Destination: Nairobi
Next Destination: Zanzibar

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Nairobi
Next Destination: Zanzibar

Begin your adventure in Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. There are no activities planned, so relax and settle into Nairobi life.

Around 6pm say jambo to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader then ensures a big Kenyan welcome by arranging a group dinner.

Want to explore further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation: Heron Portico Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Dinner

We travel west into the Great Rift Valley to the lakeside town of Naivasha. This is a lovely scenic route that takes us to Naivasha, which is where we stay for the night. While the crew set up the camp, you can enjoy a boat ride, where you have the chance to spot some of beautiful birdlife and elusive hippos.

Accommodation: Crescent Campsite, Oloiden Camp (or similar) – full-service camping

Meals included:Lunch, Dinner

This morning, we drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, where we enjoy a superb game drive. Although small, the park is home to an amazing variety of animals and birdlife. It also has a soda lake, which is sometimes home to thousands of flamingos. We hope to see endangered white and black rhinos, lions and, if we are very lucky, the elusive leopard. There is a stunning view above the lake from Baboon Cliffs and here we may see a rock hyrax, a small, furry relative of the elephant. Tonight, we stay just outside the park in a campsite with good showers and flush toilets.

Accommodation: Nderit Campsite or similar (full-service camping)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we travel into the Masai Mara, one of the most famous ecosystems in the world. This vast grassland is teeming with life; plains game including wildebeest, gazelle, topis, zebras and buffalos, and never far away are the predators: cheetahs, lions and hyenas. Between mid-August and late October, one of the greatest spectacles on Earth takes place in the Mara – the annual migration of thousands of wildebeest, gazelles and zebras. Nothing is guaranteed on safari but, with the help of our brilliant guides, you should see and learn a huge amount about the resident wildlife as we game drive through the park this afternoon. We stay in a campsite just outside the reserve for the next two nights.

Accommodation: Mara Springs Camp or similar (full-service camping)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We have a full-day game drive in the Masai Mara to increase our chances of encountering many of the wildlife species in the reserve. We find a quiet spot inside the park to enjoy lunch by our vehicle, looking across the plains. There are also several optional excursions you can enjoy today in addition to the game drive, including visiting a traditional Maasai village to meet the residents.

Accommodation: Mara Springs Camp or similar (full-service camping)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our long drive today is up through the Western Highlands and allows plenty of time to appreciate the superb scenery. The road begins to descend and we leave the neatly ordered rows of tea bushes as we cross into Tanzania at the Sirari/Isebania Border. We camp in a pleasant spot at Musoma on the shore of Lake Victoria.

Accommodation: Matvilla Beach Lodge & Campsite or similar (full-service camping)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, we turn east and enter the vast Serengeti Plain, one of the largest parks in Africa. There is a choice of routes into the Serengeti, depending on the weather: if it is dry, the 80mi (130km) Western Corridor is open and usually full of plains game. If it is wet, however, this road, which is built on black cotton soil, is impassible and we must enter the park from the north at Ndabaka gate. We spend two nights in the park so we have plenty of time to enjoy the vast open spaces and the variety of game. We camp at Seronera, where there are various camping areas, all in open bush with no fences to prevent the animals from visiting during the night. A real taste of wild Africa!

Accommodation: Serengeti Public Campsite or similar (full-service camping)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We leave early and it is often possible to watch elephants and other animals browsing close to the campsite. The morning is spent game driving in the eastern part of the park, where it is unusual not to spot a pride of lions in their favourite place: under a big, shady tree. After crossing the vast grasslands, we come to the Ngorongoro entry gate at Naabi Hill. We travel up towards the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, the wide-open plains below stretching as far as the eye can see. Finally reaching the top, the crater opens in front of us: a huge, natural caldera, one of the great sights of Africa.

The Ngorongoro Crater is the largest unbroken caldera in the world, formed when a volcano top erupts, leaving fertile plains in its place. Before this happened, it was the highest mountain in Africa, towering over nearby Kilimanjaro. The crater is essentially made of grassy plains, lush forest and a soda lake, which houses flamingos and an array of birdlife. From the rim, at an altitude of 7,875ft (2,400m), the cliff plunges down some 1,970ft (600m) to the crater floor with a whole host of extinct volcanoes ringing the valley. Our campsite here is very basic and can be very cold at night, so please come prepared.

Accommodation: Simba Campsite or similar (full-service camping)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We descend to the crater floor in 4×4 vehicles and spend the morning watching large numbers of plains game, and the ever-present predators around them. We search for hippos in the murky pools and try to protect our food at lunchtime from the fearless brown kites, as they swoop and snatch anything that appears to be edible.

After a fantastic morning, we continue our journey to the edge of the Rift Valley, where there is a great view over Lake Manyara (often tinted pink around the edges from large numbers of flamingos) and to Arusha.

Accommodation: Njiro Legacy or similar (full-service camping)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We take a morning flight to Zanzibar, an island 22mi (35km) from the mainland. First visited by Arab traders in the eighth century, and countless travellers in the following centuries, it is most famous for its spices and was once the centre of the East African slave trade. We spend our first night in Stone Town and then two nights by the beach. Stone Town is a myriad of small alleys and markets. We recommend a spice tour around the island plantations with chances to taste and buy.

Accommodation: Tembo Hotel/Mizingani Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast

After a free morning in Stone Town, we transfer to our hotel by the beach. There is plenty to occupy your days here. You can relax on the eastern and northern beaches, with excellent snorkelling, sailing in a dhow and plenty of fresh seafood. The local buses are efficient and enable you to travel all over the island, although hiring a 4×4 for a day or two is a more exciting way of getting about and not expensive. It’s a fascinating mixture of culture, history and wonderful beaches.

Accommodation: Mnarani Beach Cottages / Sunset bungalows (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast

Our adventure ends after breakfast and we begin our return journeys home. If you’d like more time to explore, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Call us on 0203 733 5948

Your Group, Your Adventure

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Accommodation

Hotels and camping

We begin and end this East African adventure in hotels, spending one night in the centre of Nairobi and three nights relaxing in Zanzibar. We also spend nine nights camping, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the wild.

Hotels

Nairobi: Heron Hotel (night 1)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

We ease into the adventure with a stay at the Heron Hotel in the centre of Nairobi. If you’re itching to explore, tourist attractions such as Uhuru Park, Central Park and the Kenyatta Mausoleum are a short taxi-ride away. If not, the hotel has a heated pool, sauna and gym. What’s more, the Bashasha restaurant offers all-day dining with light meals and snacks, while the Mdalasini restaurant features a sunny patio and balcony and serves international dishes.

Stone Town, Zanzibar: Tembo Hotel/Mizingani Hotel (night 11)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

In Stone Town, we spend the night at either the Tembo(above), the first beachfront hotel in Stone Town, or Mizingani. The former has a courtyard pool, plus a restaurant where you can sit on the verandah sipping freshly pressed juices with views over the Indian Ocean. The latter, which sits in a building constructed for royal honeymooners in 1865, is also on the seafront and has a courtyard pool and restaurant.

Nungwi, Zanzibar: Crystal Beach Resort (nights 12-13)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Just a few sandy-footed steps from Nungwi Beach, the Crystal Beach Resort is our spot to flop at the end of our adventure. The location is an obvious plus, but the property also has a garden, restaurant and bar, where you can relax and gather with the group and reminisce about the trip.

Camping

Camping on this trip is full-service, which means the tents are put up for you. All camping equipment (including mattresses) is provided except sleeping bags. Campsites in East Africa usually only have basic facilities – bring your adventurous spirit! – and there are no swimming pools at the campsites we use.

Below are the campsites we typically use on this trip and a rundown of their facilities:

Naivasha: Crescent Campsite (night 2)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Fire pit
Neighbouring restaurant and cafe
Shared long-drop toilets
Hot showers

Lake Nakuru National Park: Nderit Campsite (night 3)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Kitchen facilities
Shared toilets
Hot showers

Masai Mara: Mara Springs Camp (nights 4-5)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Hot showers
Restaurant
Bar

Matvilla Beach Lodge & Campsite: Campsite (night 6)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Private beach
Restaurant

Serengeti: Public Campsite (nights 7-8)

Shared toilets and bathrooms
Cold showers

Ngorongoro: Simba Campsite (night 9)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Hot showers
Shared toilets

Arusha: Njiro Legacy (night 10)

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Extend Your Trip

Exclusive Add-ons

Zanzibar Hotels

With its white-sand beaches, warm turquoise waters and a rich blend of African, Arab and Indian influences, Zanzibar is a place where relaxation meets culture in the most magical way. Make your adventure feel even more extraordinary with additional time to discover Zanzibar. Here are a few of our favourite hotels to inspire your stay:

Hotel Riu Palace, Zanzibar: Located on the powder-soft sands of Nungwi Beach, this luxurious beachfront resort offers elegant suites, infinity pools and an excellent all-inclusive programme. With vibrant coral reefs just offshore and spectacular sunsets, it’s ideal for travellers seeking a refined yet relaxed beach escape.

Sea Cliff Resort and Spa, Zanzibar: Perched on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, this tranquil resort blends Swahili-inspired architecture with gardens and panoramic ocean views. Its spacious rooms, two infinity pools, and indulgent spa make it perfect for unwinding.

LUX* Marijani, Zanzibar: This elegant beachfront retreat blends contemporary design with that signature LUX* sense of barefoot luxury. With crystal-clear lagoon waters, exceptional dining and warm, personalised service, it offers a stylish ending to your adventure.

This is just a glimpse of what’s possible. Speak to your sales representative, who can guide you through the options and arrange everything for you.

Essential Information

This trip is graded Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate) and has a Wildlife Rating of Four. For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page or our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife Ratings. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Driving: To pack so much into a short time, there are some long drives; although the distances are not great, some of the roads are quite poor and bumpy especially after the rainy seasons. We include breaks for toilet facilities, shopping, photos and meals. The spectacular scenery and glimpses of village life make the journeys more enjoyable but come with an adventurous spirit for a trip of a lifetime.

Tanzania Flight Safety: The EU has recently introduced restrictions on all Tanzanian-registered flight operators. These restrictions are related to operational compliance by the Tanzanian Civil Aviation Authority, rather than to individual airlines themselves. On this itinerary, the only route affected is the internal flight between Arusha and Zanzibar. While domestic flying in Tanzania requires careful consideration, we want to reassure you that Exodus only works with Tanzanian carriers that are either accredited by internationally recognised safety auditing bodies (IOSA & ISSA) or have been approved by our independent aviation safety auditors. Independent audits include annual on-the-ground visits to carriers based in Tanzania. If any concerns arise about the safety of an airline on our approved list, we will immediately remove it from our operations and only reinstate it once our air-safety experts are satisfied that it meets the required standards.

Key information

Start hotel: Heron Portico Hotel, Jakaya Kikwete Road, opposite Provincial Police Headquarters Nairobi, Kenya
Phone number: +254 20 2720740/41; +254 731 888 100
Recommended arrival time: If you’re booking your own flights, you can arrive at any time on Day 1 – there is a welcome meeting around 6pm on the first evening.
Airport: Nairobi Airport (NBO)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately 30-45 minutes’ drive from the airport. We provide free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for everyone. If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfer to the start (or pre-tour) hotel will be on the date on which the tour starts; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.

Catching your return flight

Departure transfers to Zanzibar Airport (ZNZ) are provided for those travelling on a selected flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.

There is a risk of yellow fever in certain parts of Kenya, which means you are required to show a yellow fever vaccination certificate (or an exemption certificate) when travelling from Kenya into mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, as you do on this trip. Additionally, if you are arriving into Kenya from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission, you need a yellow fever vaccination certificate.

Other recommended vaccinations for this trip include hepatitis A, polio, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, rabies and tuberculosis.

Malaria prophylaxis is essential and we suggest you seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic about which to take. Additionally, dengue fever, a tropical viral disease spread by mosquitoes, is a known risk in places visited. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, so take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic on the best course of action.

Methanol: The FCDO warns travellers to be cautious of methanol poisoning when travelling in destinations visited on the trip.

Visa

Kenya

Travellers from the UK, US and EU need an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) to enter Kenya. Please note, requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required eTAs/visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on entry requirements for their citizens. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/kenya
Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/kenya
United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/kenya/entry-requirements
USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Kenya.html

You can apply for your eTA, which costs US$30, on the official website for the Kenyan government. You will need the following before you make your application:

Valid passport
Recent passport picture OR a selfie picture taken during application process
Contact details (home address, telephone, email)
Travel information and flight itinerary (arrival flight number, date of departure of initial flight in case of connecting flights)
Proof of booking for the hotel you will be staying at (if staying with friends, a letter of invitation is accepted)
Yellow fever vaccination certificate if coming from endemic countries (please check the World Health Organization website for the updated list of countries)
Credit/debit card information for payment, if applicable

Tanzania

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Tanzania. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Please note, it is possible to get the visa online (from US$50), but this can take between 10 days and three weeks. For more information and to apply for the visa, please visit www.visa.immigration.go.tz. If you are flying into Kilimanjaro Airport, we recommend arranging the visa in advance as the visa-on-arrival process has become more complicated and can now take longer.

All visitors to Zanzibar (excluding residents) must have mandatory inbound travel insurance from the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC) for the duration of their stay. You can only buy this insurance from ZIC. Other international travel insurance policies will not be accepted. Policies will be available to buy from the Visit Zanzibar website. You may be refused entry if you do not have the correct insurance.

All meals are included except lunch and dinner on Zanzibar; you should allow a further US$200 for these.

All included meals are prepared for you by our chef and crew. They are adept at catering for large groups of hungry travellers! Breakfasts usually include cereal, toast and hot food, such as porridge or eggs. Lunches tend to feature a range of sandwich options plus a selection of fruit. Dinners usually feature soup, a main (a mix of local and international cuisine) and dessert. All cooking equipment is loaded onto the overland vehicle and so our crew are ready to prepare food wherever we stop – don’t worry about going hungry on this trip! You have time to stock up on snacks and drinks along the journey.

Although this part of East Africa lies in the tropics, the temperature depends more on altitude than on season. Kenya and northern Tanzania have temperatures around 20C (68F) in March and dropping to 15C (59F) in August, or perhaps a little lower, which can feel cold. The long rains, during which we do not operate these tours, occur in April and May, and there are intermittent ‘short rains’ between November and January, though these normally have no great effect on the safari. It is much warmer near the coast, usually around 31C (89F) and very humid but there is often a cooling breeze.

Ten out of 10. 11 out of 10. Caring enthusiastic professional knowledgable and more. Superb communicator thank you Jacob I you can lead our next trip

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take a warm hat and warm clothing as well as safari gear. Ngorongoro gets cold. Buy the longest and best zoom lens for your camera

Suggestions

The vehicle gets quite uncomfortable at times. Wear a seatbelt and being a cushion to sit on

Read all reviews

Kenya & Tanzania Adventure

Activity Level

Comfort Level

Activity

Overview

Enjoy excellent game viewing, scenery and exotic Zanzibar

Key Information

What's Included

Highlights

Itinerary

Dates & Prices

Skip the hassle: We’ll handle your trip from start to finish, with competitive flight prices, deposit-only payments, and full ATOL protection available.

Your Group, Your Adventure

Accommodation

Hotels and camping

Hotels

Camping

Extend Your Trip

Zanzibar Hotels

Essential Information

Key information

Getting to the start hotel

Catching your return flight

Visa

Kenya

Tanzania