Best of East Africa — Self-Launched: Nairobi to Zanzibar on a Backpacker Budget

Land at JKIA (or the city bus/train terminus) and head to a hostel around Kilimani, Westlands or the city centre — e.g. a dorm bed at a well-reviewed backpackers' hostel (approx. £12–18/night). Use the afternoon to sort practicalities: a Safaricom SIM with data, M-Pesa (Kenya's mobile money — you'll need it for matatus), and confirming your Mara/Nakuru bookings at the local safari offices that cluster along Kimathi Street. If you want a city orientation, the Nairobi Experience walking tour runs about 4 hours with lunch. Optional group-style dinner: grab nyama choma and a cold Tusker with hostel-mates. Skip overpriced airport taxis — a Bolt/Xi to the city is around £8–12.

🚌Bolt/Xi from JKIA to city (~£8–12)

🛏Backpackers' hostel dorm, Nairobi (~£12–18)

• →Airport transfer by Bolt/Xi (~£8–12)
• →SIM & M-Pesa setup
• →Optional Nairobi city walking tour (GetYourGuide, ~£20–30)

Take a morning matatu or shuttle from Nairobi's River Road/Ronald Ngala area toward Nakuru (approx. 3–3.5 hrs, £5–7). Base yourself in Nakuru town or a guesthouse just outside the park gate, then do what Intrepid's group does: a guided walk through a nearby village that ends with a hands-on Kenyan cooking class — bookable through GetYourGuide or arranged direct with the community tourism office in Nakuru (roughly £15–20 including dinner). You'll pass the Great Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint en route, with roadside stops at Lake Naivasha and Lake Elementaita — a private matatu seat for the day gives you flexibility at ~£15–20 for the vehicle.

🚌Matatu/shuttle + local mini-bus (~£10)

🛏Nakuru guesthouse or campsite banda, twin shared (~£15)

• →Matatu/shuttle Nairobi–Nakuru (~£6)
• →Great Rift Valley viewpoint stop
• →Village walk & cooking class with dinner (~£15–20)

Join a shared 4WD or safari van game drive into Lake Nakuru National Park at dawn — this is where the flamingo-lined lake, white rhino and Rothschild's giraffe live up. Shared van safaris can be booked at the park gate or via any Nakuru guesthouse from around £25–35 per person for a half-day including park entry (non-resident entry is roughly £45, often bundled into the operator's rate — ask before paying). Breakfast at a roadside café, lunch in town, then a mid-afternoon matatu on to Naivasha (about 1.5 hours, £3–4).

🚌Matatu Nakuru–Naivasha (~£3–4)

🛏Naivasha guesthouse or lakeside campsite (~£12–18)

• →Half-day shared game drive, Lake Nakuru (~£30 incl. entry)
• →Lunch in Nakuru town
• →Matatu to Naivasha

Morning boat trip among the hippos and fish eagles — negotiate directly at the lakeshore jetty (per boat rather than per person, roughly £12–18 total, share it with hostel-mates). Hire a bike (approx. £4/day) and ride into Hell's Gate National Park in the afternoon, where you can cycle among zebra and giraffe, walk the Ol Njorowa gorge with a guide and try the Fischer's Tower climb. Park entry for non-residents is roughly £20. Dinner at a local diner by the lake (fish and chips or tilapia, ~£5).

🚌Boda-boda / bike locally (~£5)

🛏Naivasha guesthouse or campsite (~£15)

• →Lake Naivasha boat trip (~£8 shared)
• →Bike rental + Hell's Gate entry (~£24)
• →Gorge walk with local guide (~£8)

A long but beautiful matatu/shuttle day heading southwest toward Narok and onward to the Loita Hills (allow 5–6 hours, ~£10–15 with a private driver for the last leg). Stay in a community eco-camp or Maasai-run guesthouse — this is the evening Intrepid gives you as a village visit, and you can recreate it by booking direct with a Loita community tourism project or through the camp. Expect lunch and dinner cooked over charcoal; a cultural talk with elders about land rights, beadwork and pastoral life is typically ~£15–25 per person.

🚌Matatu/shuttle Naivasha–Narok–Loita (~£15)

🛏Maasai-run community camp/homestay, shared (~£15–20)

• →Scenic road transfer via Narok
• →Maasai village visit & cultural talk (~£20)
• →Homestay dinner

Transfer up to the reserve gates on the Sekenani side (3–4 hours in a 4WD, ~£15–20 shared) and check into a budget tented camp or campsite outside the gate — these run £12–20 per person per night for a ready-pitched tent. Non-resident park entry for the Mara is roughly £80 per day, so confirm whether your safari operator bundles it. Afternoon drive with a shared safari van booked in Narok or through your camp (~£35–50/person/day shared, plus entry), looking for lion, leopard and elephant in the golden-hour light.

🚌Shared 4WD (~£18)

🛏Budget tented camp outside Maasai Mara gate (~£15)

• →4WD transfer to Sekenani gate
• →Afternoon shared game drive (~£40)
• →Park entry (~£80)

Sunrise-to-sunset safari day: a packed breakfast in the bush and a full loop around the Mara Triangle and the Talek/Mara river area chasing the wildebeest herds if you're here between July and October. Shared full-day drives are ~£40–55 per person plus entry. Splurge option: a hot-air balloon flight at sunrise with bush breakfast — book ahead through GetYourGuide or a Narok operator, roughly £380–450 depending on season, and only worth it if the migration is running.

🚌Safari van (included in drive cost)

🛏Budget tented camp outside the gate (~£15)

• →Full-day shared game drive (~£50)
• →Park entry (~£80)
• →Optional hot-air balloon safari (~£400)

A morning game drive out of the reserve, then the shuttle back to Nairobi on the Sekenani–Narok tarmac (about 5–6 hours, £10–15). Check back into a Nairobi hostel, do laundry, and repack for the Tanzania leg. Evening: a rooftop meal in Westlands or cheap eats in Kilimani (~£6–10). Budget a moment on your own here: buses and shuttles Nairobi–Arusha run daily and it's worth checking schedules and seats the day before.

🚌Shuttle Mara–Nairobi (~£12)

🛏Nairobi hostel dorm (~£15)

• →Morning game drive out of the park
• →Shuttle back to Nairobi
• →Errand evening — laundry, SIM top-up

Your DIY day in Nairobi. Options: the National Museum of Kenya (entry ~£10), the Karen Blixen Museum in Karen (~£8, plus ~£5 entry to the Giraffe Centre nearby), and the Bomas of Kenya cultural dance show in the afternoon (~£12). Matatus and Bolt keep this cheap. This is also the day to get your Tanzania visa sorted online (evisa, ~£40–50 for most nationalities) if you haven't already, and to visit a travel clinic if you still need anything.

🚌Matatu/Bolt around Nairobi (~£8)

🛏Nairobi hostel dorm (~£15)

• →National Museum of Kenya (~£10)
• →Karen Blixen Museum + Giraffe Centre (~£13)
• →Bomas of Kenya show (~£12)

Cross the border from the Namanga crossing on a daily shuttle (Nairobi–Arusha, about 5–6 hours, £20–30 including border formalities) or on the slower Riverside/Kampala Coach bus for ~£10–15. From Arusha, take a dala-dala or shared minibus south to Mto wa Mbu (about 2 hours, £2–3). Mto wa Mbu sits at the foot of the Rift escarpment and is the right base for Ngorongoro and Lake Manyara — guesthouses and campsites run £10–18 per person.

🚌Shuttle + dala-dala (~£28)

🛏Mto wa Mbu guesthouse/campsite (~£14)

• →Border shuttle Nairobi–Arusha (~£25)
• →Dala-dala to Mto wa Mbu
• →Evening wander round the market

The big one: a shared 3–4 day camping safari booked direct in Arusha or Mto wa Mbu. Group camping safaris with a shared 4WD, cook, camping gear and park fees run roughly £380–520 per person for three days, depending on group size and whether crater fees are included — Ngorongoro entry plus vehicle fee per non-resident is a significant chunk. Descent to the crater floor at dawn for zebra, wildebeest, black rhino and elephant, then drive on through the Ngorongoro highlands into the Serengeti before the gates close.

🚌Shared 4WD safari vehicle (~£420 for the 3-day package incl. fees)

🛏Shared camping tent inside Serengeti (included in safari)

• →Descent & game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
• →Drive to Serengeti
• →Night in a shared safari tent

Morning and afternoon game drives from your camp — the Seronera valley area is famous for leopard and cheetah. Brunch back at camp, sunset drive to close the day. This is when the migration moves through heading north toward the Mara between roughly June and October. Optional upgrade: a sunrise balloon safari over the Serengeti with champagne bush breakfast (~£420–480 if booked well in advance — often the most expensive single add-on a backpacker can buy in Tanzania).

🚌Safari vehicle (included)

🛏Shared camping tent inside Serengeti (included)

• →Morning shared game drive
• →Afternoon shared game drive
• →Optional Serengeti balloon safari (~£450)

Morning drive out of the Serengeti and back via the Ngorongoro gates, ending with your safari drop-off in Mto wa Mbu. Head out on a late-afternoon village walk — Mto wa Mbu's community tourism office runs walks to a banana plantation, a rice field and a water project, about £10–15. Finish with a local dinner of Ugali, kachumbari and grilled tilapia in town (~£5). This is the point where independently booked travellers get flexibility a group tour doesn't: stay another night if you loved the area.

🚌Safari 4WD (included)

🛏Mto wa Mbu guesthouse/campsite (~£14)

• →Safari transfer back to Mto wa Mbu
• →Village walk (~£12)
• →Local dinner (~£5)

A travel day: dala-dala into Arusha (~£2), then a bus along the long but pretty route to Mombo (~6–7 hours, £10–14 — try the larger coach companies), then a local bus or shared taxi up the hairpins to Lushoto (~1 hour, £2). Lushoto is a cooler, greener mountain town with guesthouses at £10–15 per person. Book a guide for the Irente hike at the local cultural tourism office when you arrive — the walk, the cheese farm and the viewpoint can all be arranged for around £15–25 including lunch.

🚌Dala-dala + bus + shared taxi (~£18)

🛏Lushoto mountain guesthouse (~£13)

• →Bus Arusha–Mombo
• →Local transfer up the Usambara escarpment
• →Arrange Irente hike with local guide

The most rewarding walk of the trip: the Irente Hike takes you along the escarpment through villages and farms to the Irente viewpoint (if it's clear, you can see as far as the Maasai steppe) and the Irente Farm, which produces cheese and jam. A local guide from the Lushoto cultural tourism office costs ~£15–20; lunch at the farm project is £4–6. Afternoon back to town for a market wander and a plate of mountain-grown vegetables for dinner.

🚌Walking / boda-boda (~£4)

🛏Lushoto mountain guesthouse (~£13)

• →Irente viewpoint hike with local guide (~£18)
• →Irente Farm lunch (~£5)
• →Market wander

Long haul south: local bus down to Mombo or Muheza (~£2), then the coach to Dar es Salaam (~6–8 hours, £12–18). You'll arrive in the evening — take a Bolt to a hostel in the Kariakoo/Msasani area or out at Kipepeo Beach south of the city (£12–20/night). Kipepeo Beach Village is a nice budget option with a beach bar and is the same spot Intrepid uses as the Dar overnight. Sleep early — you're on a ferry in the morning.

🚌Local bus + coach + Bolt (~£20)

🛏Kipepeo Beach budget bungalow or Dar hostel (~£18)

• →Coach to Dar es Salaam
• →Bolt to accommodation
• →Beach sundowner at Kipepeo

Book the fast ferry from Dar's ferry terminal in advance (Azam Marine or Kilimanjaro — 2 hours, £28–38 one way; bring your passport for immigration). Arrive in Stone Town, drop your bags in a guesthouse in the old town (£15–25 a night for a simple twin), and wander the alleys: the Old Fort, the House of Wonders (exterior — under restoration), the Darajani Bazaar spice market, and the Freddie Mercury house. Sunset at Forodhani Gardens food stalls is a must — a plate of Zanzibar pizza and grilled octopus is £3–5. This is a great evening to join a free walking tour if you want company.

🚌Ferry (~£33)

🛏Stone Town guesthouse, twin shared (~£20)

• →Fast ferry Dar–Stone Town (~£33)
• →Old town wander & Darajani Bazaar
• →Forodhani Gardens street food dinner (~£5)

Morning dala-dala or shared shuttle from Stone Town up to Nungwi (~1.5 hours, £2–4) — or stop at a spice farm on the way for a tour: Kizimbani or a farm near Kidichi offers guided spice walks with tastings and tea for around £10–15 per person. Arrive in Nungwi, where budget guesthouses and beach bandas run £15–25 per person (it gets more expensive in high season, so book ahead in July–September). Afternoon swimming — the water at Nungwi and Kendwa doesn't have the big tidal swings found on the east coast, so it's swimmable all day.

🚌Dala-dala (~£4)

🛏Nungwi guesthouse or beach banda (~£20)

• →Dala-dala to Nungwi
• →Spice farm tour with tasting (~£12)
• →Afternoon swim

Choose your day: a dhow sunset cruise (~£15), a snorkelling or diving trip to Mnemba Atoll (~£35–50 with gear and lunch), or nothing but the beach. Lunch of grilled fish and chips at a beach shack is £5–7. Evening seafood dinner by the water with the catch of the day, £8–12. If you want a group-night out, many Nungwi hostels run beach bonfires on weekends.

🚌Walking / short taxi (~£4)

🛏Nungwi guesthouse or beach banda (~£20)

• →Optional Mnemba snorkel/dive trip (~£40)
• →Optional sunset dhow cruise (~£15)
• →Seafood dinner on the beach (~£10)

A lazy last morning on the beach, then dala-dala back to Stone Town (~£3). If you've got time before your flight, do a last loop of the old town for gifts — Zanzibar coffee, spices, kanga fabric — and eat a final lunch at Lukmaan or a local Swahili café (£4–6). Abeid Amani Karume International Airport is 15 minutes from town by taxi (~£6–8). All visa/park-fee estimates exclude international flights; add a buffer for extra nights if you fall in love with Zanzibar — most people do.

🚌Dala-dala + taxi (~£10)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Dala-dala to Stone Town
• →Last-minute shopping
• →Airport transfer (~£7)