Kenya & Tanzania Self-Launched Overland Safari: Nairobi to Zanzibar

Land at JKIA, grab a SIM from Safaricom or Airtel in arrivals, and take an Uber or bolt into the city (~£8-12). Check into a hostel in Kilimani or Westlands. Spend the afternoon at the Nairobi National Museum or just recover from the flight. Sort cash in the evening — M-Pesa and USD are king, and you'll want a stash of small dollar notes for park fees.

🚌Airport taxi/ride-hail from JKIA (~£8-12)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Kilimani/Westlands (~£10-15)

• →Buy local SIM and set up M-Pesa
• →Nairobi National Museum (optional, ~£10)

Take a matatu or Easy Coach/Guardian bus from Nairobi to Nakuru town (~£5-7, 2.5-3.5 hrs), then a boda-boda or shared taxi to the park gate area. Book a shared afternoon game drive through your guesthouse or a Nakuru-based operator. Nakuru is famous for white rhino, Rothschild's giraffe and flamingos along the soda lake shore. A shared game drive is usually ~£25-40 per person if you're flexible about joining a group.

🚌Nairobi-Nakuru bus (~£6) + local boda to park

🛏Budget guesthouse or camp near Nakuru town/park gate (~£12-18)

• →Shared game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park (~£30)
• →Optional visit to a local children's home/orphanage (donation)

Continue south by matatu or shared shuttle to Naivasha (~£4-6, 2 hrs). Base yourself at a lakeside campsite or hostel — there are several backpacker-friendly options right on the shore. In the afternoon take a shared boat trip out to see hippos and the fish eagles, and walk among the zebra and giraffe at Crescent Island. Boat trips are arranged locally at the jetty for a fraction of organised tour prices.

🚌Matatu/shared shuttle Nakuru-Naivasha (~£5)

🛏Lakeside hostel/campsite, Naivasha (~£10-16)

• →Hippo and bird boat cruise on Lake Naivasha (~£15)
• →Crescent Island walking safari (~£12)

Cycle or hire a boda out to Hell's Gate National Park, one of the few Kenyan parks you can explore on foot or by bike — think dramatic gorges, Fischer's Tower and geothermal steam vents. Rent a bike at the gate (~£6) and pay the park entry on arrival. In the afternoon, join a guided walk at Crater Lake Sanctuary (~£20-25), a private sanctuary with giraffe, eland and excellent birdlife. Both can be booked the day before through your hostel.

🚌Bike/boda to Hell's Gate gate (~£3-6)

🛏Lakeside hostel/campsite, Naivasha (~£10-16)

• →Hell's Gate cycling day (~£6 bike + ~£20 entry)
• →Crater Lake Sanctuary guided walk (~£22)

Head toward the Loita Hills area for a genuine Maasai cultural experience. Many community-run camps and Maasai-owned guesthouses near Loita or Maji Moto offer overnight stays with a bushwalk and village visit — arrange directly by phone or email a week ahead. Expect storytelling, a guided walk through the forest and a look at traditional homestead life. This is the kind of interaction the group-truck route often skips.

🚌Shared shuttle or matatu from Naivasha toward Narok/Loita (~£8-12)

🛏Community-run Maasai camp or basic guesthouse, Loita/Maji Moto (~£15-25 full board)

• →Maasai village visit with bushwalk (~£15-25, arranged directly)
• →Cultural evening and traditional meal

Travel on to the Masai Mara, basing yourself near Sekenani Gate where there are budget camps and hostels. The journey from Loita/Narok involves matatus and a shared taxi. Once settled, take a late-afternoon game drive if time allows, or use the evening to sort a two-day shared safari with your camp. Shared game drives into the reserve typically run £50-70 per person per day including park fees if you join a vehicle group.

🚌Matatu/shared taxi to Sekenani (~£8-12)

🛏Budget tented camp near Sekenani Gate (~£15-25)

• →Optional late-afternoon game drive (~£30 if shared)
• →Arrange 2-day shared safari with camp

Full day inside the Masai Mara National Reserve — this is the big one. Lions, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, and if you're in season (roughly July-Oct) the wildebeest migration river crossings. Eat breakfast at camp, take a packed lunch, and don't forget your park entry (US$80 / ~£65 per day, payable by card at the gate) on top of the vehicle share.

🚌Shared 4x4 game-drive vehicle

🛏Budget tented camp near Sekenani Gate (~£15-25)

• →Full-day Masai Mara game drive (~£35 vehicle share + ~£65 park entry)

Second day of game drives, or splurge on a hot-air balloon safari at sunrise — spectacular but pricey at US$450-500 (~£360-400). Otherwise, spend the day tracking different areas of the reserve or visiting a Maasai community for an afternoon. Keep an eye out for the river crossing points if the migration is running.

🚌Shared 4x4 game-drive vehicle

🛏Budget tented camp near Sekenani Gate (~£15-25)

• →Second full-day game drive (~£35 vehicle share + ~£65 entry)
• →Optional Masai Mara balloon safari (~£380)

Drive/bus back to Nairobi via Narok (~5-6 hrs, £8-12). Check back into a Nairobi hostel. If you have the energy, visit the Giraffe Centre in Karen (~£12) and, the following morning, Sheldrick's Elephant Orphanage (open 11am-12pm, ~£15 booking required in advance). Grab dinner at a local nyama choma spot — grilled meat and ugali for a few pounds.

🚌Shared shuttle/bus Masai Mara (Narok) to Nairobi (~£10)

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Nairobi (~£10-15)

• →Giraffe Centre visit (~£12)
• →Dinner at a local nyama choma joint (~£5)

Morning at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's elephant orphanage (must book online in advance, ~£15). Then head for Tanzania: take an afternoon shuttle bus from Nairobi to Arusha (~£25-35, 6-7 hrs including the Namanga border). Have your Tanzanian e-visa ready — apply online well in advance. Arrive Arusha in the evening and check into a backpacker hostel.

🚌Nairobi-Arusha shuttle bus (~£30), border crossing at Namanga

🛏Backpacker hostel, Arusha (~£10-15)

• →Sheldrick's Elephant Orphanage visit (~£15, book online)
• →Border crossing into Tanzania

Arusha is the safari capital of Tanzania and where you'll book your Serengeti and Ngorongoro trip. Join a shared group departure to keep costs down — a 3-day/2-night camping safari to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro typically runs US$600-800 (~£480-640) per person including park fees, vehicle, guide, cook and camping. Shops along Sokoine Road will match quotes, so compare a couple. Spend the afternoon doing final supply shopping and laundry.

🚌Walking/local taxi around Arusha

🛏Backpacker hostel, Arusha (~£10-15)

• →Book shared 3-day Serengeti & Ngorongoro camping safari (~£480-640)
• →Market shopping and trip prep

Depart Arusha early with your shared safari group. Drive via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and up to the Serengeti plains, game-viewing en route. Afternoon game drive on the endless plains — the Serengeti is legendary for big cats, and your group's guide will track radio-collared predators and seasonal herds. Sunset back at camp, dinner cooked by the camp cook.

🚌Shared 4x4 safari vehicle (included)

🛏Public campsite in/near the Serengeti (included in safari price)

• →Afternoon game drive in Serengeti National Park
• →Camp dinner under the stars

Full morning game drive in the Serengeti while the light is best, then drive south toward Ngorongoro and camp on the crater rim. The rim camps are cold at night and busy in high season, but the view over the caldera at dawn is worth it. Keep an eye on your valuables around camp — this is standard advice for any public campsite.

🚌Shared 4x4 safari vehicle (included)

🛏Campsite on the Ngorongoro Crater rim (included in safari price)

• →Morning game drive in the Serengeti
• →Transfer and camp on the Ngorongoro Crater rim

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater at first light for the classic wildlife experience — black rhino, elephant, lion and huge flocks of flamingos on the crater floor. Lunch at the hippo pool, then climb out and drive back to Arusha, arriving evening. Your safari price covers this day; dinner is your own back at the hostel.

🚌Shared 4x4 safari vehicle back to Arusha (included)

🛏Backpacker hostel, Arusha (~£10-15)

• →Ngorongoro Crater floor game drive
• →Optional evening celebratory barbecue in Arusha (~£10)

Take a bus from Arusha to Moshi (~£4-6, 1.5-2 hrs), the base town for Kilimanjaro. Check into a hostel with mountain views. Spend the afternoon booking a day hike for tomorrow — the Marangu Route day walk to Mandara Hut is the classic taste of Kilimanjaro without the summit. Note that day hikes technically require a licensed operator and guide (park rules), so book through a reputable Moshi company (~£100-130). Also consider a Marangu village and coffee tour (~£40-50).

🚌Bus Arusha-Moshi (~£5)

🛏Moshi hostel/guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Book Kilimanjaro day hike to Mandara Hut (~£110)
• →Optional Marangu village/coffee tour (~£45)

Early start for the Kilimanjaro Marangu day hike — through montane forest to Mandara Hut (~2,700m) and back, roughly 6-7 hours walking. Return to Moshi in the late afternoon. In the evening take an overnight or evening bus/coach toward Dar es Salaam or arrange a flight to Zanzibar. The overland route is long (2 days by bus via Dar), so many travellers fly Moshi/Dar to Zanzibar cheaply (~£40-70 with Precision Air or Coastal).

🚌Kilimanjaro day hike transport (included in tour) + Moshi-Moshi/Dar bus or flight to Zanzibar

🛏Night bus or budget hotel near Dar es Salaam / airport (~£10-15)

• →Kilimanjaro Marangu day hike to Mandara Hut (~£110)
• →Overnight transfer toward Dar/Zanzibar

Take the Azam ferry from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar's Stone Town (~£30-40, 2 hrs). Settle into a budget guesthouse in Stone Town. Spend the afternoon getting lost in the UNESCO-listed lanes — the old fort, the Anglican cathedral on the former slave market site, and the waterfront. In the evening eat at the Forodhani Gardens night food market — Zanzibar pizza, grilled seafood and sugarcane juice for a few pounds.

🚌Azam ferry Dar es Salaam-Stone Town (~£35)

🛏Budget guesthouse, Stone Town (~£15-25)

• →Stone Town walking exploration (self-guided, free)
• →Forodhani Gardens night food market (~£3-5)

Morning spice farm tour — Zanzibar's clove, cinnamon and vanilla heritage (~£15-20 arranged locally). Afternoon boat trip to Prison Island to see the giant Aldabra tortoises and snorkel the reef (~£30-35 including boat and entry). In the late afternoon, transfer north by dalla-dalla to Nungwi or Kendwa for the beach finish (~£3-5, 1.5 hrs).

🚌Local boat to Prison Island + dalla-dalla to Nungwi (~£5)

🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Nungwi or Kendwa (~£20-35)

• →Spice farm tour (~£18)
• →Prison Island giant tortoises and snorkelling (~£32)

Chill on Zanzibar's famous white sand beaches — swim, snorkel or dive off Nungwi (a two-tank dive runs ~£55-70, a PADI Open Water course ~£380-450). Alternatively head south to Jozani Forest to see the endemic red colobus monkeys (~£30 plus transport). Evenings in Nungwi are low-key, with beach bars and fresh-caught seafood dinners.

🚌Local taxi/dalla-dalla for Jozani if you go (~£10 return)

🛏Beach bungalow/guesthouse, Nungwi or Kendwa (~£20-35)

• →Beach and swimming day
• →Optional snorkelling (~£12) or scuba diving (~£60)
• →Optional Jozani Forest red colobus monkeys (~£30 + transport)

Final morning swim, then transfer back to Stone Town for the ferry to Dar es Salaam (~£35) or fly out directly from Zanzibar's Abeid Amani Karume International Airport — many travellers extend a few extra beach days here. If you've booked an onward flight, allow a couple of hours for the airport transfer. Total trip ends.

🚌Ferry to Dar es Salaam (~£35) or airport transfer (~£15)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Final beach morning
• →Ferry or flight departure