tuuur.com - Worldwide Trips

Basix

18 to 35s

Overland

Wildlife

Essential East Africa

4.9

Excellent

91 reviews

10 days

Start

Nairobi, Kenya

Finish

Arusha, Tanzania

Trip Code

YGYE

Min Age

Trip Size

1 - 22

Physical Rating

Meals

9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 8 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night), Camping (with facilities) (6 nights), Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights)

From £1,692(10 days)

Trip Informations

Why you’ll love this trip

Safari, safari, safari – what East African adventure would be complete without one? On this trip, you’ll embark on multiple safaris within three different areas.

Go in search of hippos, lions, leopards, zebras and more during game drives in the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and the Masai Mara National Park with your experienced local leader.

Spend the night in a Maasai village to learn about life from community elders, visit a widows’ community and maybe even learn to throw a spear.

Cross the Serengeti in a purpose-built truck for one of those classic East African experiences – think vast plains spotted with thorn trees and herds of animals.

Stop in places like Mto wa Mbu and Musoma for the best opportunities to chat with locals, swap stories and get to know their culture.

Is this trip right for you?

In Loita Hills, you'll be staying in a secure bush camp with basic facilities, hot bucket showers are available in the morning. Wi-fi is not available and only minimal upgrades are on offer at tonight’s bush camp.

Camping in the Serengeti means, well, camping in the Serengeti. No barriers between you and mother nature means there's no fence between you and the animals. We take safety seriously and your leader will brief you in detail on how to set up camp so as to deter animals from entering the camp.

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, waking up before sunrise 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 at https://www.tuuur.com/au/africa/overland . https://www.tuuur.com/au/africa/overland (https://www.tuuur.com/au/africa/overland)

This trip is a great way to see a lot in a short period of time and it can be part of a longer itinerary if you have more time to explore. You might like to check out Real East Africa & Zanzibar.

Itinerary

Game drives by day, star gazing by night

Got 10 days, an adventurous spirit and a desire to see as much of East Africa as you can? Whether you're a solo traveller looking for new friends or some new friends looking for a solo to join the pack, this is for you! Head out on multiple 4WD safaris in the Masai Mara National Park, the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park for the best opportunities to spot the Big Five and all your bucket list wildlife! Stop at remote market towns, spend a night in a Maasai village and another night by the largest tropical lake in the world and soak up all the chances to chat with the locals and learn about their culture. This trip is like a crash course in what East Africa is all about.

DAY 1
Day 1 • Nairobi
Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight in Nairobi. If you arrive early, why not check out the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya where traditional homesteads of some Kenyan tribes are displayed at an outdoor village. After your meeting tonight, maybe head out for an optional welcome dinner with your new fellow travellers.
Accommodation
Hotel (1 night)
Meals
There are no meals included on this day.
Special information
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
Petty theft is common in Nairobi. As a general rule, the safest place for your valuables is on your person in a neck wallet or money belt. There may be a safe in your hotel room or located at reception, though there is no guarantee. If you do decide to go exploring before the tour officially gets started, make sure you get local advice on where it is and isn't safe to walk – particularly at night. Be careful not to leave bags unattended on chairs or the floor when you're in a bar or restaurant. Appearing confident and vigilant is often the best deterrence to would-be thieves. Remember to make scans of important travel documents and email them to yourself.
DAY 2
Day 2 • Loita Hills Maasai Experience
Depart Nairobi this morning, stopping in Narok along the way for some food shopping. Today's drive crosses the Great Rift Valley – Africa's huge divide – to the remote region of Loita Hills. This is the home of the Maasai people and when you arrive, you’ll grab some lunch then visit the Maasai, known for their dazzling red dress and elaborate jewellery. Gain an insight into the culture and ancient ways of this proud East African community. A local elder will deliver a fascinating talk about the Maasai and what they're about. You'll also be shown around a traditional Maasai home and see where the resident cattle are kept.
Accommodation
Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Loita Hills - Maasai Village Visit
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 4.5 hours.
Wi-fi is not available and only minimal upgrades are on offer at tonight’s bush camp.
DAY 3
Day 3 • Masai Mara National Reserve
Travel from Loita Hilla to Masai Mara today. The Masai Mara is one of those classic African experiences – wide open plains, perfect blue skies and some of the world's great wild animals. After setting up camp, sit down to some lunch. Then, it's time to jump aboard your 4WD and go for a game drive through the wilderness of the Mara.
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Masai Mara National Reserve - Full Day 4WD Safari
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.
Your campground tonight is located outside of the national reserve and has flush toilets and showers. There is an option to upgrade, depending on availability. Wi-fi is not available.
DAY 4
Day 4 • Masai Mara National Reserve
Adventure into the reserve for a full day's 4WD game drive. You'll explore this diverse environment and most likely see a lots of different wildlife. An optional balloon ride over the Mara at sunrise is well worth considering. If you have pre-booked this activity, you’ll be picked up before sunrise and driven to the launch site for a safety briefing from your pilot. Then, glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, which provides amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you’ll ascend, getting an overview of the enormity of the plains and the early morning movements of the teeming herds. After landing, you'll be treated to a bush breakfast, then return to your campsite to meet up with your group.
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Masai Mara National Reserve - Full Day 4WD Safari
Optional activities
Masai Mara National Reserve - Balloon ride (from price) - USD470
Special information
An optional balloon ride over the Mara at sunrise is offered as a pre-booked service, which guarantees you a place. If you would rather wait and try to get a better price by booking this locally on the ground, you are welcome to—but keep in mind that this is a popular activity, and places are limited.
DAY 5
Day 5 • Lake Victoria
Travel towards the Kenya-Tanzania border and to the shores of Lake Victoria. This is not only Africa's biggest lake – it's the largest tropical lake in the world. It shares its shores with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. You'll arrive in the late afternoon, with time to chill out lakeside with a cold drink at sunset. Make the most of the ATM and local market to stock up for your next three days of wilderness adventures. You’ll be camping on the shores of the lake tonight, at one of its least visited campgrounds on the outskirts of a small town called Musoma, far from the tourist track.
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 10-11 hours including border crossing.
Your campsite tonight has wi-fi, and depending on availability, you might be able to upgrade to a room.
DAY 6
Day 6 • Serengeti National Park
Today, you’ll travel from Lake Victoria to the gate of Serengeti National Park on a smooth road. Stop for a picnic lunch at the entrance to the park, then enter the Serengeti and start your overland vehicle game drive on the way to your campsite. These plains – green after rain and brown and burnt in the dry season – are home to thousands of hoofed animals and fierce predators, so see how many you can spot! Your campsite is right in the action, within the park itself, so listen out for the sounds of nocturnal animals as you drift off to sleep tonight.
Accommodation
Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Serengeti National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
Special information
Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours.
Your camp within the Serengeti National Park does not have a fence to separate the camp from the animals. This is quite the experience as animals such as buffalo and hyenas often come close to camp after sundown. Your leader will give a detailed safety briefing on what is required to ensure the safety of the group. There is no wi-fi or upgrades available.
DAY 7
Day 7 • Serengeti National Park
Start the day with a game drive in your overland truck at dawn. You’ll head out while the animals are at their most active, then head back to camp for brunch. After spending the warmer part of the day relaxing as the animals do, depart again in the afternoon for another adventure through the wild. You'll return in time for dinner. There's the option of an early-morning balloon ride here too, so if you didn't take one in the Mara, today's your chance!
Accommodation
Camping (with basic facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Serengeti National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
Optional activities
Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) - USD800
Special information
The balloon ride is offered as a pre-booked service which will guarantee you a place. If you would rather wait and try to get a better price by booking this locally on the ground, you are welcome to, but keep in mind that this is a popular activity and places are limited.
DAY 8
Day 8 • Karatu
Rise and shine for a final chance to spot Serengeti wildlife as you make your way out of the park this morning. At Nabi gate, hop aboard a jeep and descend into Ngorongoro Crater. This gigantic, perfectly intact volcanic crater is home to some 30,000 animals. Among these are endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants, impalas, zebras and hippos. The crater floor is great for game viewing all year round and the photo-opportunities here are next level. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the crater before heading back out on safari all afternoon. After, travel on to Karatu town and arrive at camp for a freshly prepared dinner with your group.
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Included activities
Ngorongoro Crater - 4WD Safari
Serengeti National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive
DAY 9
Day 9 • Mto Wa Mbu
Take it easy this morning with a relaxed breakfast at camp before setting off for Mto Wa Mbu with your group. You’ll have the rest of the day free to explore. Mto wa Mbu offers a snapshot of small-town East African life. You might consider joining a guided village walk or maybe take a bike ride around the farming areas, spotting milling machines, local homes and farmlands. Or, round up your fellow travellers to check out the craft market.
Accommodation
Camping (with facilities) (1 night)
Meals
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Optional activities
Mto wa Mbu - Village bike ride and lunch - USD30
Mto wa Mbu - Village walk and lunch - USD20
Manyara - Forest Hike and National Park Fee (excl. transport) - USD79
Special information
Transport costs to Manyara National Park vary depending on number of participants. This is approximately USD250 per vehicle, per day (max. 7 passengers per vehicle).
DAY 10
Day 10 • Arusha / Nairobi
Pack up camp for the final leg of your journey to Arusha, where your adventure comes to an end when you arrive at approximately 10am. A departure transfer can be booked at an additional expense, to either Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). Alternatively, you can continue to finish in Nairobi around 5pm. If you need to organise additional accommodation, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
Meals
Breakfast
Special information
Any flights out of Nairobi should not be booked to depart prior to 9 pm. We highly recommend you book accommodation for tonight and depart tomorrow. Extra accommodation can be booked through your sales agent.
The drop-off point in Nairobi is Hillpark Hotel.
If you want to spend some time exploring Stone Town and swimming in the crystal clear waters of Zanzibar, we recommend checking out our Real East Africa & Zanzibar (YGYZC) trip!

Inclusions

Meals

9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, 8 dinners

Transport

Overland vehicle

Accommodation

Hotel (1 night), Camping (with facilities) (6 nights), Camping (with basic facilities) (2 nights)

Included activities

Loita Hills - Maasai Village Visit

Masai Mara National Reserve - Full Day 4WD Safari

Serengeti National Park - Overland Vehicle Game Drive

Ngorongoro Crater - 4WD Safari

Optional activities

Masai Mara National Reserve - Balloon ride (from price) - USD470

Serengeti National Park - Balloon Ride (from price) - USD800

Mto wa Mbu - Village bike ride and lunch - USD30

Mto wa Mbu - Village walk and lunch - USD20

Manyara - Forest Hike and National Park Fee (excl. transport) - USD79

Dates and availability

Starting

Ending

Remaining

Prices From

Saturday Sep 20, 2025

Monday Sep 29, 2025

Trip size max: 22 - 9 spaces left

£2,035£1,730

Saturday Oct 18, 2025

Monday Oct 27, 2025

Trip size max: 22 - 9 spaces left

£1,991£1,692

Saturday Nov 15, 2025

Monday Nov 24, 2025

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£1,925

Saturday Dec 13, 2025

Monday Dec 22, 2025

Trip size max: 22 - 15 spaces left

£1,964

Saturday Feb 14, 2026

Monday Feb 23, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 19 spaces left

£1,782

Saturday May 16, 2026

Monday May 25, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£1,777

Saturday Jun 13, 2026

Monday Jun 22, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 19 spaces left

£1,777

Saturday Jun 27, 2026

Monday Jul 06, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£1,881

Saturday Jul 11, 2026

Monday Jul 20, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£2,101

Saturday Aug 01, 2026

Monday Aug 10, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 20 spaces left

£2,101

Saturday Aug 22, 2026

Monday Aug 31, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£2,101

Saturday Sep 05, 2026

Monday Sep 14, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£2,019

Saturday Sep 19, 2026

Monday Sep 28, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£2,063

Saturday Oct 17, 2026

Monday Oct 26, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 21 spaces left

£2,019

Saturday Nov 14, 2026

Monday Nov 23, 2026

Trip size max: 22 - 22 spaces left

£2,019

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. This trip starts in Nairobi on Day 1 at 6pm. This allows time after the welcome meeting to explore. You have the choice on Day 10 of finishing your trip in Arusha or Nairobi. If you are continuing on to Nairobi, please do not book any flights until after 9pm this evening.

3. An optional sunrise balloon ride in the Masai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park are possible on this itinerary. Please see Days 4 & 7 for full details of this activity. As the balloon only holds 16 people, places are limited and we recommend that you book in advance. Please inquire when booking your trip to book this optional activity.

Reviews (85)

5 stars

4 stars

2 stars

Daniella

Aug 11, 2025

Incredible trip. So informative and we saw so many amazing things including 4 rhinos! Alex was an amazing leader, so funny and knowledgable. Food was so good throughout. I do think the day traveling to Lake Victoria isn’t necessary as we didn’t do anything at the lake, would be better having an extra day in the Serengeti.

Sophie

Aug 11, 2025

Just finished up the best 11 days essentials east Africa safari tour! Alex is an amazing tour guide who succeeded in getting us to see ‘The Big 5’! He had amazing knowledge and passion for his role and the animals and this really made our trip what it was EXCEPTIONAL!!! This safari exceeded all my expectations and was everything I dreamt of! Thankyou Alex (the best tour guide ever), Purity (for the amazing food and convo) and Martin (for being a respectful and timely driver) you have made one of my dreams come true! Sophie

Madison

Aug 11, 2025

This trip was a lot of fun. Alex is the best leader and is so knowledgeable.

Alex

Aug 11, 2025

The team, led by Alex, was absolutely outstanding and turned the whole experience into something I’ll never forget. Alex’s passion and depth of knowledge were nothing short of mind-blowing. He taught us so much about the animals, the environment, and the local culture — all with a big smile on his face. His easygoing nature made everyone feel welcome, and we spent the entire journey laughing and learning together. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better leader. Purity’s cooking was nothing short of sensational — every meal was a highlight in its own right — and Martin’s driving was brilliant, making every trip smooth and comfortable. Everything ran perfectly from start to finish. I can’t fault a single thing and can honestly say I had the absolute time of my life.

Anne Sophie

Jul 21, 2025

The Essential East Africa trip was well organized, we saw lots of animals, and our crew was amazing. Would recommend others to travel with Intrepid!

Tia-Grace

Jul 21, 2025

I cannot recommend this trip highly enough -it exceeded my expectations! The itinerary was great and the crew was even better! Our team leader was amazing and his knowledge on the land, culture and animals was impressive - he always knew the answer to every question! The food was delicious and never disappointed - the website mentioned sandwiches for lunch but we only had that once; otherwise every day and every meal was a cooked one which exceeded expectations. It was an incredible and immersive experience and I would do it all over again!

Frederik

Jul 21, 2025

An amazing trip with an amazing crew. Long but nice days on the road - the vehicle is outstanding. Lots of animals spotted. Highly recommend!

Hayley

Jul 06, 2025

This trip was everything. I’ve always imagined what it would be like to explore Africa and this was more magical than I ever hoped. The people, the places, the stories… it was unreal. I felt so welcomed and accepted like I wasn’t just visiting, but genuinely part of the culture. I will never forget this trip

Brendan

Jul 06, 2025

Excellent trip, with loads packed in makes seeing east Africa far easier than trying to do alone. The truck is fantastic with electric sockets and lockers. Having everything planned and organised for you means you can focus on enjoying the adventure without the stress

Sarah

Jul 06, 2025

The essential East Africa trip was incredible. The crew including Elijah, Soloman, Joseph and Loyford were kind, genuine, and supportive. They had everything organised and planned at all times making it easy for our group to feel safe, relaxed and able to enjoy the itinerary. It was a wonderful and memorable trip.

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