Destinations

East Africa safari destinations each offer something different: the Great Migration and big cats in Kenya’s Masai Mara, elephants beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda, and white-sand beaches on Zanzibar. Sense of Adventure is a licensed Nairobi safari company, and we plan trips in all five places. This page helps you compare them, with a paragraph on each of the six Kenyan parks we know best and a guide to which destination suits you.

East Africa Safari Destinations at a Glance

Choosing between East Africa safari destinations is easier when you start with what you most want to see. The table below summarises the five countries and the starting price of one representative trip in each. Prices are per adult sharing, taken from the trip pages, and they vary with season and group size.

Kenya: Six East Africa Safari Destinations Compared

Kenya is where most first safaris begin, and it holds six of the East Africa safari destinations we sell most, because its parks are close to Nairobi and very different from one another. Our Kenya destination page covers the whole country, and each park below has its own landing page. Our Kenya safari packages page compares trips by length.

Masai Mara: Big Cats and the Great Migration

The Masai Mara is Kenya’s best-known park and the best of the East Africa safari destinations for big cats, with lions, leopards and cheetahs all regularly seen on open grassland. From July to October the Great Migration brings more than a million wildebeest across the Mara River, though crossings are never guaranteed. The Mara is five to six hours from Nairobi by road, or about an hour by light aircraft. Our 4-day camping safari starts from USD 590. See also Masai Mara safari packages.

Amboseli: Elephants Beneath Kilimanjaro

Amboseli is small, flat and easy, with large elephant family herds, swamps that hold water all year and Mount Kilimanjaro across the border in Tanzania. The mountain is usually clear at dawn and often hidden by cloud later, so stay at least two nights. Amboseli is four to five hours from Nairobi, and the best months are June to October and January to February. A full-day Amboseli day safari starts from USD 250, and the 2-day Amboseli safari from USD 520. There are no rhinos and few leopards, so many guests add the Mara.

Lake Nakuru: Rhinos and Rothschild’s Giraffes

Lake Nakuru is a compact rhino sanctuary around a shallow soda lake in the Rift Valley, about 160 kilometres and three to four hours from Nairobi. It is the place for black and white rhinos, Rothschild’s giraffes and birdlife. Flamingo numbers change with the water level, so they are never guaranteed. It is best from June to October and January to February, and it fits neatly between Nairobi and the Mara. A Lake Nakuru day safari starts from USD 180, though one night is far more relaxed.

Samburu: The Special Five and Northern Culture

Samburu lies north of Mount Kenya on the Ewaso Ng’iro river and feels very different from the Mara and from other East Africa safari destinations. It is hot and dry, with fewer vehicles, riverside elephants and the Samburu Special Five: reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and gerenuk. It is about 350 kilometres and five to six hours from Nairobi, so it is usually part of a longer trip. The best months are June to October and January to February. The 3-day Samburu Cultural and Wildlife Experience starts from USD 850, and the 9-day Kenya Highlights Safari, which includes Samburu, from USD 2,350.

Tsavo: Red Elephants and Wide Landscapes

Tsavo East and Tsavo West form one of the largest protected areas in the world, which makes it one of the largest East Africa safari destinations. Elephants dust-bathe in the iron-rich soil and turn red, Tsavo West has Mzima Springs and lava flows, and the bush is thicker than in the Mara, so animals take more finding. Tsavo is the easiest safari from the coast: the Tsavo East gates are two to three hours from Mombasa. The best months are June to October and January to February. A Tsavo East day safari from Mombasa and Diani starts from USD 230, and the 3-day Tsavo East and West safari from USD 600.

Nairobi National Park: A Safari Beside the City

Nairobi National Park is the only national park in the world on the edge of a capital city, which sets it apart from other East Africa safari destinations. Black rhinos, lions, giraffes and buffalo graze with the skyline behind them. It has no resident elephants, but the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphans make a good add-on. The park is about 20 to 40 minutes from the airport, and a half-day drive is easy to fit into a layover. Our Nairobi layover tour starts from USD 190, and our wider Nairobi day tours from USD 65.

Tanzania: Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire

Tanzania is big-sky country: the endless Serengeti plains, the wildlife-packed Ngorongoro Crater and the baobab-studded elephant country of Tarangire. It is the stage for the southern leg of the Great Migration, and one of the East Africa safari destinations that works best when combined with Kenya. See our Tanzania destination page for the full list of trips. Two-country routes include the 10-day Kenya and Tanzania Classic Safari, from USD 3,500, and the 12-day Great Migration Safari, from USD 4,600. Not sure which side of the border suits you? Read Masai Mara or Serengeti by month and Kenya vs Tanzania safari cost.

Uganda and Rwanda: East Africa Safari Destinations for Gorillas

Uganda and Rwanda are among the very few East Africa safari destinations where you can trek mountain gorillas in the wild. Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, adds chimpanzees, the Nile and tree-climbing lions, with trips such as the 3-day Bwindi gorilla trek, from USD 1,900. Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills, has the most accessible gorilla trekking in Africa in Volcanoes National Park, a couple of hours from the capital, Kigali, with the 3-day gorilla trek express from USD 2,400. Both pair well with a Kenyan safari: the 8-day Kenya and Rwanda Safari starts from USD 4,900, and the 11-day Gorillas and Savannah trip from USD 5,500.

Zanzibar: The Beach Finish

Zanzibar is the spice island off Tanzania and the beach choice among East Africa safari destinations, with Stone Town, white beaches and warm water, and it is the most popular beach finish to a safari. Our Zanzibar holiday packages page explains the beaches, the best months and how to combine the island with Kenya or Tanzania, and the 5-day Zanzibar Beach and Stone Town trip starts from USD 1,200. Kenya has its own coast too: see our beach experience page for Diani, Watamu and Lamu.

How Far Apart Are the East Africa Safari Destinations?

Travel time shapes a trip as much as wildlife does, so here are the journeys we quote most often. All times are approximate and depend on traffic and road conditions.

• Nairobi to the Masai Mara: five to six hours by road, or 45 to 60 minutes by light aircraft from Wilson Airport.
• Nairobi to Amboseli: four to five hours by road, or under an hour by air.
• Nairobi to Lake Nakuru: three to four hours by road, about 160 kilometres.
• Nairobi to Samburu: five to six hours by road, about 350 kilometres, or a little over an hour by air.
• Mombasa to Tsavo East: two to three hours by road. Nairobi to Tsavo West takes four to five hours.
• JKIA to Nairobi National Park: about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic.
• Nairobi to Zanzibar: a flight of about 1.5 hours.

As a rule, we suggest at least two nights in any park that is more than four hours from Nairobi, so that you spend more time watching wildlife than sitting in the vehicle. Flying cuts the journey but adds cost, so it makes most sense on short trips. Read Kenya safari from Nairobi for more on driving times.

Which East Africa Safari Destination Suits You?

Match your priorities to one of the East Africa safari destinations with this short guide.

• First safari, one week or less: Kenya. Pair the Masai Mara with Amboseli or Lake Nakuru, and add a beach if you want to rest.
• Great Migration river crossings: the Masai Mara and northern Serengeti, from July to October. Spend nights on both sides of the river if you can.
• Elephants and photography: Amboseli, with Kilimanjaro behind, or Tsavo for red elephants.
• Big cats: the Masai Mara.
• Rhinos: Lake Nakuru, or Nairobi National Park if you are short of time.
• Fewer vehicles and rare species: Samburu, a good choice for returning visitors.
• Mountain gorillas: Rwanda or Uganda. Choose Rwanda for the quickest, most accessible trek, and Uganda for a longer trip with chimpanzees and the Nile.
• Short on time in Nairobi: a half day in Nairobi National Park.
• Safari and beach in one trip: Kenya with Diani, or Kenya or Tanzania with Zanzibar.
• Family with young children: shorter Kenyan routes with short drives. Read our safari minimum age guide.
• Honeymoon: the Mara followed by Diani, Lamu or Zanzibar. See Kenya honeymoon safari.

Best Time for East Africa Safari Destinations

For most East Africa safari destinations, June to October is the main dry season, with the easiest wildlife viewing and the busiest camps. January and February are also dry and hot. The long rains from March to May mean green landscapes, fewer visitors and lower prices, but muddier roads, and April and May are usually the wettest months. November brings short rains, and the Christmas weeks are busy.

Gorilla trekking is possible all year but can be muddier in the rains, and Zanzibar is best from June to October and December to February. For a country-by-country calendar, read best time for safari in Africa.

Combining East Africa Safari Destinations in One Trip

You do not have to choose only one. Many of our trips link two or three East Africa safari destinations, because short flights and good roads make it practical.

• Kenya and Tanzania: the Mara and the Serengeti, with the Ngorongoro Crater.
• Kenya and a beach: the Kenya Bush and Beach Honeymoon, from USD 2,800, ends on Diani Beach.
• Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar: the 14-day family holiday, from USD 4,300.
• Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda: the Gorillas and Savannah trip above.

Browse every combination on our safari combinations page, or see all trips on our East Africa safari packages page. If you would rather begin with budget, read how much an African safari costs.

How to Plan Your East Africa Safari

• Step 1: send us your dates, group size, interests and budget by WhatsApp or email.
• Step 2: we suggest East Africa safari destinations and reply with a written, itemised quote.
• Step 3: a deposit secures camps, vehicle and flights.
• Step 4: we send final documents and packing advice, then meet you on arrival.

Book 6 to 9 months ahead for July to October. Every trip includes complimentary AMREF Flying Doctors evacuation cover, explained on our emergency evacuation cover page.

Travelling from overseas? See our Kenya safari packages for travellers from India, Malaysia, the USA, the UK and Australia. Travel agent? See our Kenya DMC for travel agents page for trade rates and how to request a quote.

Explore More Safari Destinations

• Masai Mara safari
• Amboseli safari
• Lake Nakuru safari
• Samburu safari
• Tsavo safari
• Nairobi National Park safari
• Great Migration safari

Official resources: Kenya Wildlife Service and Magical Kenya.