Plan your safari
A mountain gorilla in the rainforests of Uganda and Rwanda, Eastern Africa

East Africa Safaris

An East Africa safari spans the Great Migration, mountain gorillas and the spice islands of Zanzibar, across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda.

Plan your safari Where to go

Eastern Africa is where safari really comes alive. Above all, this is the land of the Great Migration across the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, the Big Five in the Ngorongoro Crater, and the misty forests where mountain gorillas live in Rwanda and Uganda.

In particular, a private luxury Eastern Africa safari combines world-class wildlife with the white-sand beaches of Zanzibar: the classic bush-and-beach trip, planned around you. If Tanzania is your focus, begin with the best time to visit Tanzania.

An East Africa safari is the classic first journey: light aircraft link the Serengeti, Maasai Mara, Ngorongoro and the gorilla forests in a single route, and every itinerary can finish on the Indian Ocean. It is where the safari was invented, and where its greatest spectacle, the wildebeest migration, still runs year-round.

Which country first? Kenya for the shortest, easiest first safari and the densest big-cat viewing; Tanzania for scale, the calving season and Zanzibar; Rwanda or Uganda for the gorillas. We set out the trade-offs in Kenya or Tanzania for a first safari, and if you are weighing this region against Botswana, in Botswana or East Africa.

Where to go in Eastern Africa

Signature experiences

The Great Migration

Two million wildebeest on the move between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara.

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Gorilla trekking

An hour with a mountain gorilla family in Rwanda or Uganda.

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The Big Five

Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino across the Mara and Ngorongoro.

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A beach finish

Zanzibar or the Seychelles, a short flight from the safari circuit.

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Best time to visit Eastern Africa

Jun–Oct

The dry season and the Great Migration, with Grumeti crossings from June and Mara River crossings from July. Peak season.

Jan–Feb

Calving in the southern Serengeti; dry, warm and uncrowded.

Jun–Sep

Driest months and best conditions for gorilla trekking.

Quieter seasons, considered

In the rainy months, however, many of these same camps drop their rates by 20–40%. Also, expect emerald landscapes, newborn wildlife, superb birding and far fewer vehicles. Peak season isn't the only great season, so tell us your budget and we'll show you what the green season buys.

Planning & cost for an East Africa safari

Safari cost

Priced to your budget, and built around your camps, the season and how you like to travel. There are no fixed packages.

How we travel

In short, we design every journey privately, with private guides and vehicles arranged where specified, the finest lodges, and a specialist on call throughout. At fly-in camps, game drives may be shared unless a private vehicle is reserved.

Everything else,
answered before you ask

The practical details that apply to every safari we plan, so this page is the only one you need.

Money & tipping

Safari camps widely accept US dollars for tips and extras, and cards work at most lodges and city hotels. Most costs are prepaid in your itinerary, so cash is mainly for tips: plan on roughly $20–25 per guest per day for your guide and $10–15 for camp staff, handed over at the end of each stay. In addition, we send exact guidance with your final documents.

Health & safety

See a travel clinic 6–8 weeks before departure for routine shots and malaria advice (most safari regions require prophylaxis; parts of South Africa are malaria-free). Camps are remote but professionally run, with radio contact and evacuation cover, and we require travel insurance that includes emergency medical evacuation.

Staying connected

Nearly all lodges have Wi-Fi in the main areas (often in-tent too), and an eSIM from your US carrier covers the cities. Even so, expect to be offline on game drives; most guests come to see that as the point. Still, family back home can always reach you through us, day or night.

What to pack

Soft duffel bags only (light aircraft cap luggage around 33 lb / 15 kg), neutral-colored layers for cold mornings and warm afternoons, and binoculars. Almost every camp includes laundry, so pack for 4–5 days no matter the trip length.

Full packing list →

Eastern Africa FAQs

Primarily Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, often combined with the islands of Zanzibar and the Seychelles for a bush-and-beach finish.

June to October, with the Mara River crossings usually from July; January to February for calving season; June to September for the driest gorilla-trekking conditions.

Yes. Flights link the Serengeti, the Maasai Mara and the coast, with the gorilla parks reached through Kigali or Entebbe, so multi-country journeys are straightforward and a NndeeAfrika specialty.

Plan your East Africa safari.

Indeed, an Eastern Africa safari can follow the herds, the crater rim or the coast, and often all three.

So tell us how you like to travel and start with a complimentary consultation.

Plan your safari

For official visitor information, see Magical Kenya, the Kenya Tourism Board.