The Complete East Africa Experience (13 days)

Nairobi, your arrival

You'll be met when you arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International in Nairobi, Kenya, and transferred to Ngong House in the suburb of Karen, where you'll spend the night. It's just 20 minutes from Wilson airport for your early morning flight to Amboseli in the morning.

Early flight into Amboseli

After an early breakfast, you'll be driven to Nairobi’s Wilson airport for your flight to Amboseli, where you'll explore the plains and enjoy views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Enjoy a morning walk or drive, followed by lunch at the lodge. Spend the afternoon searching for plains game and cats, or choose to walk or go on a night drive. Overnight at  Tortilis Camp, with meals, drinks and activities included.

Amboseli elephant and views of Kilimanjaro

Your first full day on safari starts with breakfast at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. Enjoy the elephant at the Amboseli swamps especially during dry season. At Tortilis Camp, walks, day and night drive always end around the campfire with views over the plains below. Overnight at Tortilis Camp, with meals, drinks and activities included.

Into the Masai Mara

After breakfast you'll be driven to the airstrip for your flight to the Masai Mara. You'll arrive at camp in time for lunch, then your game drive in the Masai Mara will explore the Mara confluence, famous for its big cats and incredible interaction. Overnight at Rekero Camp, with meals and drinks included.

The Mara confluence and paradise plains

Your first full day in the Mara will get you out of camp early and let you stay out late for your best chances of watching the big cats. Overnight again at Rekero Camp, with meals and drinks included.

Find the migration

From the Masai Mara, you'll go to find the annual wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, either stay in the north or moving south or west – depending on where the annual wildebeest migration is at the time of your safari. You'll spend your first afternoon finding the migration then overnight at the camps as set out below (depending on the time of year), with meals and drinks included. 

recommended accommodation

and stay with them

You'll spend a full day with the migration, looking for potential interaction. At Ndutu there would be many newborn calves and foals, which are easily targeted by predators. The long rains is a spectacular time to view the migration and the camp at Moru allows you to see the herds during the rainy season as they start to move north. In the western corridor the herds have to cross the Grumeti River and if the water level is high enough this makes for lots of action on the river banks. The Mara River is where the much-photographed river crossings take place from mid-July to the end of October – a great time to be on the Mara River. In November and December, you can combine the most scenic part of the Serengeti, Lobo, with the migration moving through the area on its way south. A huge lion population at Lobo makes for very good interactions during these months. Overnight at your migration accommodation as set out below, with meals and drinks included.

recommended accommodation

Dunia's big cats

Today you'll drive to the central Serengeti to experience the biggest cat concentration in East Africa. Enjoy a full day’s game drive on your way to Asilia's Dunia  Camp at Moru hills, with a picnic lunch along the way. Look for leopard in the late afternoon before overnighting at Dunia, with meals and drinks included.

Make sure you find leopard

You'll make an early start on another full day in the central Serengeti to concentrate on the big cats, before going back to camp for lunch and a siesta. Then it's back to the plains to find cheetah and perhaps more leopard in the late afternoon. Overnight at Dunia, with your meals and drinks included.

Hot air ballooning and your flight to Rwanda

Start your day with a hot-air balloon ride over the central Serengeti plains. Enjoy a champagne breakfast after your one-hour flight before going to Seronera airstrip for your flight to Kigali in Rwanda. Arrive at Rwanda’s Kigali International airport at 6:30pm, from where you'll be transferred to Kigali Serena Hotel for the night, with dinner and breakfast included. 

Genocide memorial and onwards to Volcanoes

Start your Rwanda journey with a visit to the Genocide Memorial, which pays tribute to those who died during Rwanda's 1994 genocide and also other crimes against humanity throughout the world. It's an emotional experience and can be depressing, but it's an important grounding at the start of your Rwanda experience. You'll drive to Volcanoes National Park in the afternoon and overnight at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, with your meals and drinks included.

Your time with the Gorillas

The last highlight of your East African safari is gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park. Your trek to the gorilla family may vary in distance, depending on where the particular gorilla family was left the day before, but you generally won't get back later than early afternoon for a late lunch. Enjoy your hour with these amazing primates and remember to prepare your camera equipment for low light shooting. Overnight at Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge for your last night on safari.

Fly home

You'll be driven back to Kigali International to catch your connecting flight.