9-Day Big 5 Safari Vacation Including Zanzibar Island Tour

Arrive at Nairobi’s international airport and transfer to the city hotel after completing entry procedures. This evening gives you time to rest before a programme with several road journeys and an international land border. Confirm the planned pickup time and check that your travel documents will cover Kenya and Tanzania. An optional Nairobi activity is possible only if time and arrangements permit. Where wildlife is present around Nairobi, stay within the areas your guide identifies as safe and avoid feeding or approaching animals.

Leave Nairobi after breakfast for the Rift Valley road and continue towards the Masai Mara. The landscape changes from built-up areas to farms, hills and wide grasslands. On arrival, settle into the camp and take an introductory drive when the road conditions allow. Your guide will explain where the next day’s game-viewing areas are likely to be. Where wildlife is present around Masai Mara National Reserve, stay within the areas your guide identifies as safe and avoid feeding or approaching animals.

Plan a full day among the open plains and river habitats of the Masai Mara. Your guide searches for big cats and a range of herbivores while adjusting the route to recent conditions. Elephant, giraffe and several antelope species may be present. Respect other vehicles’ viewing space and keep a safe distance from the animals. A packed lunch is useful on this longer field day. Where wildlife is present around Masai Mara National Reserve, stay within the areas your guide identifies as safe and avoid feeding or approaching animals.

Depart the Mara for the Kenya–Tanzania border at Isebania. Complete border checks and meet the Tanzania-based guide where the itinerary requires a vehicle change. Continue towards central Serengeti and reach camp as daylight and road conditions allow. This is primarily a transfer day, so treat any wildlife sightings along the permitted route as an added benefit. Where wildlife is present around Serengeti National Park, stay within the areas your guide identifies as safe and avoid feeding or approaching animals.

Use the day to explore Serengeti’s central area, where woodland, grassland and watercourses create different places to look for wildlife. Large predators and grazing animals are possible sightings, but neither the number of animals nor their movements can be predicted. Your guide can choose between a continuous drive with a picnic lunch and shorter outings if the programme permits.

Travel into the Ngorongoro highlands and descend into the crater under the conservation area’s rules. You may see grazing herds, waterbirds and occasionally rhinos on the crater floor. Stay within permitted viewing routes and give the guide time to manage the ascent before closing hours. Continue to Karatu for dinner and an overnight stay before the final mainland excursion.

After leaving Karatu, visit Lake Manyara for its birdlife, wooded slopes and lake-edge scenery. Continue to Kilimanjaro International Airport for the separately arranged flight to Zanzibar. On the island, collect your luggage and meet the transfer driver for your hotel. This combination works only when the flight departure is late enough to allow the park visit and road transfer.

Spend part of the day exploring Stone Town’s historic lanes, markets and old buildings with a local guide. The tour adds a cultural dimension after the mainland wildlife programme. Your remaining hours can be used independently for shopping, relaxing or a short walk near the seafront. Check the pickup location and activity timing in advance because parts of Stone Town are best explored on foot.

Enjoy your final breakfast before transferring to Zanzibar’s airport for your outbound flight. If your flight departs late, you may need to check out of the room and store luggage, as additional day-use arrangements are not assumed. Allow time for the drive, airline check-in and airport checks. This final day has no overnight accommodation included.