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15 days

The Road to Zanzibar

The Road to Zanzibar

The black-maned tree-climbing lions and flamingos of Lake Manyara National Park

Game drives in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Serengeti

The 'Garden of Eden' of UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ngorongoro Crater

The beaches, cultural diversity and slave history of the 'spice islands' of Zanzibar

The flamingos of Lake Nakuru

The children of East Africa Mission Orphanage

Game drives in the Masai Mara

Lake Naivasha's hippos

Masai Mara's mammal migrations

Tented camp stays

Trip rating

  • Overview

    The road from Nairobi to Zanzibar takes us through some of the most magnificent nature reserves in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as the great geographical icons of Lake Victoria and Mount Kilimanjaro. The Masai Mara, Serengeti Plains and Ngorongoro Crater are renowned as veritable Gardens of Eden, where multitudes of wildlife exist, often side by side. Beyond the wildlife, we spend time on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro and in the Usambara Mountains before the journey to our final destination: the famed Spice Island of Zanzibar.

    Itinerary

    Day 1 - Nairobi

    • On arrival in Nairobi, you are met and transferred to your hotel. Upon arrival in our Nairobi hotel our local representative will meet you to ensure that all is well. This representative will also provide details of a trip briefing to be held in the evening at the hotel, as well as any additional tours or activities that you may wish to enjoy whilst in Nairobi. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Please note this is an arrival day, so you may arrive at any time. Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, was established at the turn of the century by the Europeans as a stores depot during the building of the East African Railway. Without plan or design it established itself as the capital of the British protectorate, and today has a population of around three million comprising a mixture of African, Asian and European. While the predominant tribe is the Kikuyu, the city does not have one single dominating ethnic group. Its accidental choice as capital, virtually located on the meeting territories of three important tribes, has been diplomatically fortunate for the economic growth of the country. If you have spare time before the tour there are many places to visit in and around Nairobi. Options include Daphne Sheldrick's Elephant Orphanage, the Karen Blixen Museum, Langata Giraffe Centre and a meal at the famous Carnivore Restaurant, where meat lovers can taste a variety of barbecued game meat.
    Panafric Hotel or similar

    Day 2 - Lake Nakuru

    • We depart Nairobi after breakfast and head north, driving along the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley.
    • AM visit to Elsamere lunch and boat activity - freshwater Lake Naivasha – the second largest lake in Kenya and the highest of the lakes (1884m) in the Great Rift Valley. We visit a house that contains much history. 'Elsamere' is the former home of the writer, Joy Adamson. 'Born Free' was written in 1960 and did much to bring the issue of African wildlife conservation into the mainstream. The house is a veritable museum that dedicated to the works of Joy and George Adamson, and of course there are many photos of Elsa – the lioness that started it all! It's also a great place to enjoy a sumptuous morning tea, with the lake as a serene backdrop. We get to enjoy a boat trip on the lake, where we look out for some of the many resident hippos that live on the waters.
    • After lunch heading to the East Africa Mission Orphanage, just outside Nakuru. Here we meet the children who call this orphanage home. They love to practice their English skills and also are excited to know more about the world - be warned they will have lots of questions for you! The East Africa Mission Orphanage looks after more than 100 children ranging in age from just a few days old to 15 years years of age. The complete needs of the children, including full school education, are provided for by the orphanage. This orphanage is actually the result of the dream of one family, who arrived in Kenya in 1997 with nothing more than two suitcases each. It is a charitable institution, registered with the Kenyan Government for the purposes of caring for the thousands of homeless orphans that would end up either dying a premature death through malnutrition, walking the streets in search of food or turning to prostitution as a means of survival. The orphanage is taking up the challenge to reach out to these children before they have to fend for themselves out in the streets. We are proud to help support the efforts of this family and their incredible orphanage, and is excited to be able to take clients right into the orphanage itself! on completion we return to our lodge for the night.
    Sleeping Warrior Camp or similar
    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 3 - Lake Nakuru

    • This morning we visit Lake Nakuru National park the centrepiece of the park is the lake itself. Lake Nakuru is a soda lake which is home to massive numbers of flamingos - up to two million on occasion - and thousands of other birds. It has been described as the world's greatest ornithological spectacle and, at times, the lake is literally a sea of pink. In addition, the park itself also boasts substantial numbers of other species, including waterbuck, reedbuck, kudu and gazelle. Leopards are also to be found here, providing good chances for sightings (although there are no guarantees!). Perhaps we may also be fortunate enough to encounter one of Africa's most endangered animals - the rhinoceros. There is quite a good chance of seeing white rhinos, whilst black rhinos may prove to be more elusive.
    Sleeping Warrior Camp or similar
    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 4-5 - Masai Mara National Reserve

    • We head south-west to our next destination, the Masai Mara - arguably one of the finest game reserves in Africa. The area is known for its rolling green plains and riverine woodlands, and amongst the many species of game, we may be lucky to observe black-maned lion, leopard and cheetah. These predators find an abundant food supply in the massive herds of wildebeest, zebra, Thomson's and Grant's gazelle that roam the grasslands. We arrive at the park in time to enjoy lunch and settle in. In the afternoon we embark on a game drive, pausing to enjoy sundowners prior to heading back to camp in the early evening. As dusk falls we may see a variety of animals in the vicinity and listen to the sounds of the African night from our lodge. The next day we explore the park on morning and afternoon game drives and witness the wonderful procession of wildlife that inhabit this area. Wildebeest, zebra and gazelle are plentiful and, with luck, we may spot the predators keeping a casual eye on their movements. Elephant, giraffe and eland are also commonly sighted, along with plenty of bird life.
    JK Mara Camp or similar
    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 6 - Kisii

    • We leave the Masai Mara behind and head to meet the truck and make our onward journey to Kisii. On the way we will have a picnic lunch and visit the Soapstone factory.
    Ufanisi Resort or similar
    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 7-8 - Serengeti National Park

    • This morning at 7am cross into Tanzania before heading for the shores of Lake Victoria. This lake is immense; at around 70,000 square kilometres, it is Africa's largest lake and borders three countries - Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Scattered throughout the lake are more than 3000 islands, many of which are inhabited, some of which are now wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. The lake plays a pivotal role in supporting the millions of people who live around its shores in one of the most densely populated regions on earth, as the local economy is almost entirely on fishing and tourism. Lake Victoria is also widely thought to be the main source of the Nile with rivers from western Kenya, northern Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda all gathering here to begin the long journey through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt.
    • The Serengeti, which means 'endless plains' in Masai, is Tanzania's largest park, covering an area of 14,700 square kilometres. Its main claim to fame lies in the fact that it is home to over three million animals including a multitude of plains animals that provide for the greatest wildlife spectacle in the world. A unique phenomenon is the annual migration. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra trek the route annually, in some places simply grazing, in other places rushing madly across rivers and plains. The game most likely to be seen in the Serengeti in addition to the wildebeest and zebra are gazelle, lion, cheetah, warthog, hyena, hippo and ostrich. In all there are more than thirty-five species of plains animals, as well as a great profusion of bird life. The landscape changes within the park from the vast treeless central plains to thick scrub and forest in the north. Linking these areas is the savannah, dotted with acacia trees and magnificent rock outcrops.
    Kati Kati Tented Camp or similar
    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 9 - Ngorongoro Highlands

    • After an early morning game drive we depart for the Ngorongoro Crater. Upon arrival we check into our accommodation just outside on the other side of the crater.
    Ngorongoro Farmhouse or similar
    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 10 - Ngorongoro Highlands

    • In the morning we descend to the crater floor, where we hope to see some, if not all, of the 'Big Five'. Ngorongoro Crater is indisputably one of Africa's most beautiful nature reserves and is certainly one of the most spectacular settings found anywhere. It is the largest intact crater in the world and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1978. Geologically, Ngorongoro is the remnant of a volcano that blew apart, leaving a flat plain area ringed with steep walls. The Ngorongoro volcano, before it exploded and collapsed 2 million years ago, was one of the world's tallest mountains. Unlike the Serengeti and Masai Mara, the migration in the Ngorongoro Crater is scant, as it has an abundant year-round food and water supply, and the walls of the collapsed volcano discourage migration. Animals within the Ngorongoro Crater are less shy of people and safari vehicles, so it's easier to view the animals up close. Views from the rim of the crater are sensational. On the crater floor, grassland blends into swamps, lakes, rivers, woodland and hills. The Masai are permitted to water their cattle at the permanent lake and can be seen leading their animals in and out of the crater. The most commonly seen animals are lion, wildebeest, zebra, eland, bushbuck, cheetah, jackal, buffalo, Grant's gazelle, Thompson's gazelle and black rhinoceros.
    • Afternoon at leisure to do walking activities, coffee tour.
    Ngorongoro Farmhouse or similar
    Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

    Day 11- 12 - Lake Manyara National Park - Zanzibar

    • We enjoy an early morning game drive in Lake Manyara National Park with a picnic lunch. Arriving in Arusha it is then time for fond farewells, as some of us may be leaving the trip in Arusha, along with our tour leader from the East Africa sector. Those of us continuing to Zanzibar are transferred to Kilimanjaro Airport for our flight. You will be unescorted for the Zanzibar sector, but our local representatives will be on hand to look after you. On arrival you are transferred to the Stone Town. Our first two nights in Zanzibar is spent in evocative Stone Town.
    • The exotic island of Zanzibar, known for its trade in spices, and in bygone days, slaves. Our hotel is situated in the atmospheric and historic centre of Stone Town. Only 40 kilometres off the mainland coast of Tanzania lies this beautiful spice island, known to the locals as Ungudya. It has an area of 1400 square kilometres and a population of about 100,000, of whom more than half reside in the capital, Stone Town. Steeped in history, this old town is a maze of narrow streets with whitewashed houses and magnificently carved, brass studded teak doors, quaint shops and bazaars. The market and bazaars are fascinating and are ideal spots for topping up your spice collection at home or souvenir shopping. Zanzibar was also one of the headquarters for slave trading and the starting point for many of the famous explorers such as Speke, Livingstone, Burton and Grant. From here they ventured into the vast interior of east Africa. Reports from early European explorers and missionaries led to the Sultan Baighash of Zanzibar being forced to outlaw slavery in 1873. Along the coastal regions however, it continued illegally until well into colonial times.
    Tembo Hotel or similar
    Breakfast

    Day 13 -14 - East Coast Zanzibar

    • In the morning we transfer to our hotel on the east coast of Zanzibar. The interior of the island is covered with clove and spice plantations as well as groves of tropical fruit tree, and the coral reefs, sandy beaches, mangrove and coastal forests are home to rare and endangered species such as the red colobus monkey, the green sea turtle and the blue duiker. Heading to the coast we encounter pristine beaches and a wealth of marine life in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. During your time by the beach you can enjoy safe swimming, excellent snorkelling, diving and other water sports including wind surfing and water skiing. There is a fitness centre for those who want to do some exercise prior to the excellent meals served in the restaurant. Our wonderful resort is situated along a white sandy beach.
    • There is a swimming pool, water sports, restaurants, bars and shopping bazaar. It's a perfect place to unwind at the end of our busy safari.
    Breezes Beach Club or similar
    Breakfast | Dinner

    Day 15 - Zanzibar

    • After two nights on the coast, our tour ends (Sun) after breakfast in Zanzibar. If you would like to extend your stay in Zanzibar, additional accommodation and transfers can be pre-booked. Flights departing Zanzibar are not included.
    Breakfast
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  • Details

    What to Know

    What's Included

    • Peregrine tour leader, experienced driver, specialist local guides, arrival transfer, transport, game activities and entrance fees.

    Not Included

    • International flights, airport departure taxes, visas, meals unless specified in the itinerary, insurance, laundry, any optional tours or activities during free time, tips and items of a personal nature.

  • Map

    Map Itinerary

  • Reviews

    Past Travellers' Ratings & Comments

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Trip at a glance

Trip Code PFRN
Group size 6 - 10
Start City: Nairobi
End City: Stone Town, Zanzibar

What to know

Extra nights can be booked either on the east coast in Stone Town, Zanzibar.

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