Kenya Classic: Lake Nakuru and Maasai Mara in 7 Days
A seven-day Kenya safari from Nairobi: rhinos and flamingos at Lake Nakuru, then three nights in the Maasai Mara, with a flight back and honest notes on cost.
Uganda · Rwanda · Tanzania · Kenya
From the Rift Valley to the Reef
Honest guides and bookable trips for gorilla treks, big-game safaris and the beaches you'll want at the end of them.
4countries
27parks and reserves covered
6city guides
8ready-to-quote itineraries
Where do you want to go?
Four countries, four very different trips. Start with the one that matches what you most want to see.
Kenya
Maasai Mara, Amboseli and the classic savanna safari, with Indian Ocean beaches a short flight away.
Tanzania
The Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar in one country.
Uganda
Mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, tree-climbing lions and the source of the Nile.
Rwanda
Compact, tidy and built around gorilla trekking, with rainforest and savanna within a day.
Trips people ask us about most
Every itinerary can be priced for your dates and adjusted to your budget.
Amboseli and Tsavo Safari: 6 Days Under Kilimanjaro
A six-day Kenya safari through Amboseli's elephants and Tsavo's red-dust wilderness, with the option to finish on the coast by train. Good value, fewer crowds.
Kenya Safari and Diani Beach: 9 Days
Three nights in the Maasai Mara, then four on Diani Beach: a nine-day Kenya trip that mixes big game with white sand, with flights linking each stop.
Rwanda Gorilla Trek and Kigali: 4 Days
The shortest way to see mountain gorillas: four days in Rwanda with a Kigali city visit, a night near Volcanoes National Park and a full-day trek.
Uganda and Rwanda Gorilla Circuit: 10 Days
Ten days linking Uganda's chimps and big game with two gorilla treks, one in Bwindi and one in Rwanda's Volcanoes, and a border crossing at Cyanika.
Uganda Gorillas, Chimps and Big Game: 7 Days
A seven-day Uganda trip covering chimpanzees at Kibale, boats and lions at Queen Elizabeth and a gorilla trek in Bwindi, with a flight back to Entebbe.
When to go
East Africa has two rainy seasons and one very long dry one, and the best month depends on what you are chasing. This is the short version.
| Where | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maasai Mara | Good | Good | Wet | Wet | Good | Best | Best | Best | Best | Good | ||
| Amboseli | Good | Good | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Good | ||
| Serengeti south and Ndutu | Best | Best | Best | Wet | Wet | Good | ||||||
| Serengeti north (river crossings) | Good | Best | Best | Best | Best | |||||||
| Ngorongoro Crater | Good | Good | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Good | ||
| Tarangire | Good | Good | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Good | ||
| Gorillas and chimps (Uganda, Rwanda) | Best | Best | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Best | Best | Wet | Best | ||
| Kilimanjaro climbs | Best | Best | Good | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Best | Best | Good | Good | |
| Zanzibar and the Kenya coast | Best | Best | Wet | Wet | Wet | Best | Best | Best | Best | Wet | Good |
Best window Good Main rains Fine, not a highlight
Parks worth building a trip around
27 parks and reserves are covered in detail, with fees, seasons and wildlife notes.
Serengeti National Park
Tanzania's flagship park and the heart of the Great Migration, with big cats and open plains as far as you can see.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Kenya's best-known reserve: big cats all year and the Mara River crossings from July to October.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Home to nearly half the world's mountain gorillas, in ancient forest on steep green hills.
Volcanoes National Park
Rwanda's gorilla park, just two hours from Kigali, with twelve habituated families and five volcanoes.
Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area
The world's largest intact volcanic caldera, with a resident wildlife population and a very good chance of seeing a rhino.
Amboseli National Park
Big-tusked elephants walking toward Kilimanjaro. Come for the picture, stay for the herds.
Murchison Falls National Park
The Nile squeezes through a 7-metre gap and drops 43 m, in Uganda's biggest park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda's most varied park: a boat trip among hippos, tree-climbing lions in Ishasha and chimps in a gorge.
Start with the planning basics
Costs, visas, health, tipping and what to pack. Written to answer the questions you'd otherwise dig through forums for.
Best Time to Visit East Africa: Month by Month for Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda
When to go to East Africa for safari, gorillas and beaches: month-by-month weather, the migration, rainy seasons, crowds and prices across four countries.
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda and Rwanda: Permits, Costs and What to Expect
How gorilla trekking works in Uganda and Rwanda: permit prices, how to book, how hard the hike is, what to pack, the rules and how to choose between countries.
The Great Wildebeest Migration: Month-by-Month Calendar
Where the wildebeest migration is each month across the Serengeti and Maasai Mara, when river crossings happen, when calves are born and how to plan your dates.
How Much Does an East Africa Safari Cost?
A realistic look at East Africa safari prices: per-night ranges for budget, mid-range and luxury, park fees, gorilla permits and what drives the cost up.
City guides for the gateways
Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar: where to stay, how to move around, what is worth your time.
Nairobi
East Africa's biggest hub: a city with a national park at its edge and enough to fill a spare day or two.
Kampala
A loud, hilly, friendly capital that most people pass through. A day here pays back.
Kigali
Clean, calm and hilly, and the easiest capital in East Africa to explore on foot and by moto.
Dar es Salaam
Tanzania's hot, hectic commercial capital, useful as a gateway to Zanzibar and the southern parks and better than its reputation.
Arusha
The starting point for northern circuit safaris and Kilimanjaro climbs, at the foot of Mount Meru.
Zanzibar
Swahili history in Stone Town and white beaches on the coast, an easy finish after a safari.
How we work
Most of this site is straightforward information, and you can use it to book everything yourself. Where it helps, we link to tour and hotel platforms we'd use ourselves. If you'd rather hand the logistics over, send an enquiry and we'll build the trip, price it in dollars, and stay reachable while you travel.
Either way, we'd rather you picked the right trip than the expensive one. If a park is a poor fit for your dates, we say so on its page.
Not sure where to start?
Send us your dates and interests. We will come back with a routed itinerary and a price, and there is no charge for the quote.