East Africa & Zanzibar Overland Safari & Participation Camping

Arrive at any time. Tonight after a brief welcome meeting, choose to get to know your group members with an optional group dinner at the hotel restaurant.

Travel through the Great Rift Valley on the way to the Maasai Mara Reserve. Embark on a late afternoon wildlife safari drive in one of Kenya’s premier wildlife destinations.

Board the safari vehicle and travel into the Maasai Mara Reserve for some wildlife spotting. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure at the camp.

Depart the camp on your 4x4 safari vehicle and meet up with the Lando at G Adventures-supported Ubuntu Cafe for a delicious lunch. Later, enjoy an afternoon wildlife drive through the area.

See more wildlife life on a morning safari drive around Lake Nakuru. Then, continue onwards in the Lando to Eldoret.

Cross the border into Uganda and travel to Kampala, the country’s capital. The group will arrive there in the late afternoon.

Cross over the equator today in the Lando en route from Kampala to Lake Bunyonyi. The name Bunyonyi means ‘place of many little birds’ and the lake’s winding shores encircle 29 islands surrounded by steep terraced hillsides. Upon arrival enjoy free time to get to know your surroundings and opt to swim in the calm waters.

Spend the day on a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Hike deep into the jungle through volcano forests alongside a park ranger in search of these mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Please be ready for a challenge as the treks can vary in length and difficulty. Note: Ugandan authorities are fiercely protective of this natural treasure, and currently permit only a maximum of eight people, per day, to visit a given gorilla family. The group will be split into different sub-groups for the trek, and depending on the number of travellers, different sub-groups may do their trek on different days.

Explore Lake Bunyonyi with a full day of free time. There are many optional activities to choose from like, swimming, hiking, canoeing, bird watching, or taking a motorboat tour of the lake. In the evening, relax together with the whole group at the lodge. Please keep in mind that some members of the group will do the gorilla trek on this day and have the free day in Lake Bunyonyi the day before.

Drive through the Ugandan countryside on the journey to Kalinzu Forest Reserve, which is further north in the country. The reserve is adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park and offers a great variety of landscapes to view wildlife. Spend the afternoon at your leisure here.

Rise early this morning for an included chimpanzee tracking excursion within the lush Kalinzu Forest Reserve with a ranger. Later, the group will visit a tea plantation before arriving at Lake Mburo. Then, you can choose to book an afternoon boat cruise, or get to know the local area on foot.

Today the group will travel back across the equator to Uganda, which happens to be one of the few countries where it’s possible to cross over this boundary on land. Along the way, make a stop for lunch at the G Adventures-supported AidChild Equation Café & Gallery. Arrive to Jinja in the evening.

The entire day is free for you to explore Jinja on your own or with members of the group. There are plenty of outdoor and adventure activities to choose from like rafting and mountain biking. Pre-book your rafting adrenaline rush on the checkout page to include the Jinja River Rafting optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.

Catch up on some rest during this travel day between Uganda and Kenya. The group will arrive to the camp site near Eldoret in the evening and spend the night under the stars.

Transfer through the Kenyan countryside to Nairobi. Spend time scanning the scenery, listening to music, taking naps, and enjoying the company of your group. Stops will be made along the way for you to grab lunch and dinner on your own.

Travel by public shuttle through the semi-arid lands of the Maasai people and cross the border into Tanzania. Search the horizon for views of Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance and arrive to Arusha in the evening. Stops will be made along the way for you to have lunch and dinner on your own.

Prepare for a wildlife safari experience in one of the most famous national parks in Africa; the Serengeti. Travel from Arusha and begin a 3-day, 2-night excursion with a safari drive through the park.

Head out on a final morning safari in the Serengeti before continuing on to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, famous for its magnificent wildlife viewing opportunities. Set up camp in the late afternoon near the crater rim and simply soak in this beautiful setting.

Adventure down to the crater floor for a final safari experience in an area surrounded by the high walls. Exit the crater in the late morning and drive in the 4x4 safari vehicles back to Arusha. Stop along the way at Mto wa Mbu for a cultural walk and experience daily life in this rural town. Then, sit down for a traditional lunch with members from the local community.

Depart from Arusha early in your private vehicle towards Bagamoyo. Enjoy the Tanzanian countryside passing by and be on the lookout for the blue waters of the Indian Ocean in the distance. The group will spend the night in Bagamoyo before transferring to Dar es Salaam and the island beaches of Zanzibar. Want to cut travel time in half and spend more time in Stone Town? Pre-book the Zanzibar Express on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour.

Travel from Bagamoyo to Dar es Salaam and hop on the ferry in the morning to the picturesque island beaches of Zanzibar. Spend the remainder of the day enjoying the sandy shores of this archipelago paradise. Set off on an orientation walk with your CEO in Stone Town.

Explore the heart of Zanzibar on your own. Walk the winding streets, visit the various squares, and choose to try some tasty treats from pavement vendors. The group will travel to the tropical haven of Jambiani for the next few days.

Spend a free day in one of the world’s great cultural crossroads. Choose to partake in a diving experience, go snorkelling, hop aboard a sailing trip, or lounge on the beach listening to the nearby lapping waves in this East African paradise.

Travel back to Stone Town from the other side of the island. The tour ends in the late morning upon arrival.

Basic hotel (8 nts, single or twin-share), permanent tented camp (2 nts), participation camping (11 nts), full-service camping (2 nts).

7-seat 4x4 safari van, Lando (overland adventure vehicle), 4x4 safari vehicles, minibus, walking, shared shuttle, private shuttle, tuk-tuk, ferry.