Masai & Tanzania Camping Safari — Self-Launched

Land at Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO) and take an Uber or Bolt into Westlands (roughly £10–14, 45 min) rather than booking a hotel transfer. Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel dorm in Westlands or Kilimani — Westlands is where most safari depots sit, so it makes early starts easy. Spend the afternoon on orientation: buy a Kenyan SIM/eSIM at the airport (Safaricom, ~£3 for data), withdraw Kenyan shillings at an ATM, and walk to the Sarit Centre or Westgate for supplies. In the evening, meet the outfitter you've booked your Masai Mara camping safari with (book direct with a Nairobi operator or a shared-safari listing on GetYourGuide) to confirm the 6am pickup and pay the balance in cash if requested.

🚌Uber/Bolt airport transfer ~£12; walking and matatus locally

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel dorm, Westlands (~£18/night)

• →Airport transfer and SIM/ATM admin
• →Westlands orientation walk
• →Safari briefing with local outfitter

Join a 3-day shared camping safari departing Nairobi around 6–7am. The drive descends the Great Rift Valley escarpment (a viewpoint stop near Narok is standard) and reaches the Mara in about 5–6 hours, with a picnic lunch en route. Afternoon game drive into the reserve in a 4x4 safari van — expect lions, elephants, giraffe and plains game in the golden hour. Overnight in a permanent canvas tent at a budget camp just outside the reserve gate, with dinner cooked by the camp. Book this leg as a package through a Nairobi-based outfitter (~£330–380pp for transport, park fees, tent, meals and game drives) or as a small-group tour via GetYourGuide.

🚌Shared 4x4 safari van from Nairobi, ~5–6 hours including Rift Valley stop

🛏Permanent canvas tent, budget safari camp outside the reserve (~£30/night equivalent, included in safari package)

• →Great Rift Valley viewpoint
• →Afternoon game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve

Full-day game drive with a packed lunch, tracking the big cats and — if you're travelling July–October — heading toward the Mara River for the wildebeest crossings. In the late afternoon, add a Maasai village visit arranged by your camp or guide (~£20–25pp, paid locally); the G Adventures version costs far more as an add-on. A hot-air balloon safari is available at around US$450–500pp booked directly with the balloon operators (Governors' Balloon Safaris) — skip it if you're on a budget, it's roughly a third of the entire trip cost.

🚌Shared 4x4 safari van with driver-guide

🛏Permanent canvas tent, budget safari camp outside the reserve

• →Full-day Masai Mara game drive
• →Optional Maasai village cultural visit ~£22
• →Optional hot-air balloon safari ~£380 (book direct)

Morning drive back to Nairobi, arriving early afternoon. Instead of the tour's included lunch stop, use the time for independent Nairobi sights: the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage (open 11am–12pm for public visits, ~£6 entry, book online in advance), the Karen Blixen Museum (~£8), and the Nairobi National Museum (~£8). If timing is tight, prioritise the elephant orphanage. Dinner at a local spot in Kilimani or Westlands for £5–8 rather than the Carnivore Restaurant, or splash out there (~£30) if you want the meat-feast experience.

🚌Shared safari van back to Nairobi (included); Uber/Bolt around the city ~£8

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel dorm, Westlands (~£18/night)

• →David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage ~£6
• →Karen Blixen Museum ~£8
• →Nairobi National Museum ~£8 (optional)

Take the daily Nairobi–Arusha shuttle (Riverside Shuttle or Impala Shuttle, ~£25–30pp, departing around 7:30–8am, 6–8 hours including the Namanga border crossing). Handle the Kenyan exit and Tanzanian entry formalities yourself at Namanga — bring your passport, a printed e-visa or the ability to pay the US$50/£40 visa on arrival (double-check current rules for your nationality), and yellow fever certificate if required. Arrive Arusha late afternoon and check into a guesthouse or hostel in the town centre. Evening: sort out a Tanzanian SIM/eSIM and cash (Tanzanian shillings) and confirm your Serengeti/Ngorongoro camping safari pickup with your Arusha operator.

🚌Nairobi–Arusha shuttle ~£27; Namanga border crossing on foot

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, Arusha town (~£20/night)

• →Namanga border crossing
• →Arusha town orientation
• →Safari briefing with Arusha outfitter

Join a 4-day shared camping safari from Arusha (~£480–560pp for transport, park fees, camps, cook and game drives — book direct with an Arusha outfitter or a GetYourGuide small-group option). Drive to Mto wa Mbu village at the foot of the Rift Valley escarpment and do a community walk and home-cooked lunch with a local family (~£12–15pp, often bundled into the safari). Afternoon game drive in Lake Manyara National Park — famous for tree-climbing lions, flamingos on the lake shore and elephants in the groundwater forest. Overnight at a campsite near Mto wa Mbu or Karatu.

🚌Shared 4x4 Land Cruiser from Arusha, ~2.5 hours

🛏Budget campsite with permanent tents, Mto wa Mbu area (included in safari package)

• →Mto wa Mbu village walk and local family lunch
• →Lake Manyara National Park afternoon game drive

Early start, driving up through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and past the crater rim viewpoint, then down onto the Serengeti plains. Do a game drive en route to Seronera, where the resident leopards in the riverine trees and big prides of lion are the draw. Reach Seronera public campsite by late afternoon — the campsite has basic ablutions and a communal cooking area, with wildlife sometimes wandering through, so keep tents zipped. Your safari cook handles dinner.

🚌Shared 4x4 Land Cruiser, ~6–7 hours with game drive en route

🛏Public campsite, Seronera (included in safari package)

• →Ngorongoro Conservation Area rim viewpoint
• →Serengeti game drive en route to Seronera

Full-day game drive with a picnic lunch in the bush, covering the Seronera valley and, in season, tracking wildebeest and zebra herds across the plains. Optional Serengeti balloon safari at sunrise (~US$550–600pp booked direct with Miracle Experience or Serengeti Balloon Safaris) — a genuine bucket-list splurge but by far the most expensive single item on this itinerary. Second night at Seronera campsite.

🚌Shared 4x4 Land Cruiser

🛏Public campsite, Seronera

• →Full-day Serengeti game drive
• →Picnic bush lunch
• →Optional Serengeti balloon safari ~£430 (book direct)

Morning game drive out of the Serengeti, then drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Drop into the crater in the afternoon via the descent road — the crater floor is one of the best places in Africa for black rhino, plus lion, elephant, hippo and flamingo on Lake Magadi. Note that crater entry permits are time-limited, so your driver-guide will plan the descent accordingly. Overnight at Simba campsite on the crater rim (cold at altitude — bring a fleece).

🚌Shared 4x4 Land Cruiser with crater descent

🛏Simba campsite, Ngorongoro rim (included in safari package)

• →Serengeti morning game drive
• →Ngorongoro Crater afternoon game drive

Early morning drive out of the crater area, with a stop at a clean cookstove project near Karatu or Mto wa Mbu (~£5–10 donation, often arranged by your guide) and an optional Maasai village visit. Return to Arusha by early afternoon, where the safari ends. If you're flying out, Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is about 50 minutes from Arusha — a shared shuttle or Uber costs roughly £15–20, or take a night bus to Dar es Salaam (~£20) if continuing onward. Budget a night in Arusha if your flight is the following morning.

🚌Shared 4x4 back to Arusha (included); Arusha–JRO transfer ~£17

🛏Budget guesthouse, Arusha (~£20/night, optional)

• →Clean cookstove project visit
• →Optional Maasai village visit ~£8
• →Arusha town farewell