Opt for a game drive through Nairobi National Park aboard an overland truck. Search the grassland and waterholes for wildlife while the Nairobi skyline rises beyond the reserve—a contrast between protected savannah and a modern capital.

The park is known for species such as giraffes, zebras, buffalo and rhinos, though sightings vary. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose a canoeing experience on Lake Manyara to see the landscape from the water rather than a safari vehicle. Paddle across the lake and take in views towards the Rift Valley escarpment, with opportunities to observe the lakeshore and its birdlife.

Manyara is a shallow lake whose water levels change with the seasons, so conditions shape the experience. Canoeing is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to water levels, local arrangements and availability.

Head out for an optional night game drive in the Lake Manyara area and experience the bush beyond daylight hours. Look and listen for signs of wildlife activity in the dark, when the atmosphere differs sharply from a daytime safari.

Night viewing offers a chance to learn about animals’ after-dark behaviour, although sightings can never be promised. The route and format follow local arrangements. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Opt for a game drive in Tarangire National Park, watching for elephants among its open woodland and distinctive baobab trees. Search for other wildlife as the vehicle moves through a landscape with a character all its own.

Tarangire is particularly associated with elephants, while its ancient-looking baobabs make the scenery as compelling as the animal sightings. Wildlife movements change with the seasons. This optional safari is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

• 7 Lunch (L)
• 8 Dinner (D)
• 10 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Picnic Lunch (PL)

• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Hot air balloon rides may be available in the Maasai Mara and Serengeti through independent local operators. While floating over the savannah sounds pretty iconic, this isn’t an activity Contiki promotes, sells or books, as local provider insurance does not meet our required standards. If you’d like to take a hot air balloon ride, you’re free to arrange and pay directly with a local operator while on tour. This is completely independent of Contiki and follows the operator’s own terms, safety standards and insurance cover.
• Amboseli: Premium camping is classic camping, levelled up. Our road crew will set up these tents for you – all with premium facilities like chill-out zones, communal bathrooms and all the creature comforts.
• Amboseli: Nope, you’re all good! All equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc) will be provided for you.
• Amboseli: You don’t have to. Your road crew will set up camp, cook meals, and clean up afterwards – but you’re always welcome to help!
• Amboseli: You’ll have access to proper bathrooms with real toilets, hot showers and everything you need – just shared with the crew.

• Nairobi: Meet the dedicated team and see for yourself the work being done to help the women and children who live here in the Kibera slum.
   
• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Known for its grassy plains and rolling hills, home to lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and hippos, the Maasai Mara is a jewel in Africa’s wildlife crown, so don’t miss your chance to explore it from sunrise to the afternoon, with a picnic lunch in the wild. 
• Amboseli: Get that iconic wildlife shot with the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. 
   
• Amboseli: Get up early in search of the famous elephants in this iconic Kenyan National Park. 
• Arusha: Support this social enterprise that employs local disabled people with artisanal skills. Watch weaving, glass blowing, beading, paper making and metal work. 
• Serengeti: Watch out for local wildlife as we head to our camp, which is bang in the middle of these endless plains. Could the location be any more epic? 
   
• Serengeti: Was that lion we heard last night? Let’s go find out. Take an incredible morning drive in search of the wildlife we heard throughout the night. 
• Serengeti: Cruise around the plains at sunset to explore new areas and spot a few more animals before they head off to bed. 
• Serengeti: Another day, another game drive, giving us the most amount of opportunities to see the wildlife that roams these plains.

Visit Mirror of Hope in Kibera and meet the people behind its work with local women and children. Hear directly from the team about the opportunities and support they help create within this Nairobi community.

This community-led encounter offers a perspective on the city beyond its safari gateway role. The focus is on the people and their work, rather than treating Kibera as a sightseeing attraction.

Explore the Maasai Mara on game drives across grassy plains and rolling hills, watching for lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and other wildlife. A picnic lunch in the reserve keeps you close to the landscape throughout the safari.

The Mara forms part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem, where wildlife movements shift with the seasons. If your visit coincides with the Great Migration, you may see wildebeest and zebra gathering in large numbers; sightings depend on nature, not a fixed timetable.

Search for Amboseli’s elephants on game drives through the park’s open plains and wetlands. Watch for other wildlife among the marshes, and keep your camera ready for a possible view of animals beneath Mount Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped summit.

Amboseli is especially known for its long-studied elephant populations, including some impressive older bulls. Kilimanjaro rises just across the border in Tanzania; cloud cover determines whether its peak appears above the Kenyan savannah.

Visit the Shanga Community Project in Arusha, a social enterprise providing employment and artisanal skills to local people with disabilities. Observe craftspeople at work in weaving, glassblowing, beading, papermaking and metalwork.

The visit reveals the care behind handmade objects and the practical impact of inclusive employment. Rather than a conventional souvenir stop, it is an opportunity to learn how creativity, training and paid work come together within the community.

Descend into the Ngorongoro Crater for a game drive across its grasslands, woodland and wetlands. Look for lions, buffalo, elephants and other wildlife within the broad floor of this volcanic caldera; sightings of rarer species are never guaranteed.

Part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the crater is one of East Africa’s most distinctive safari settings. Its steep walls frame a varied habitat, creating a striking sense of scale as you travel between open plains and wildlife-rich water sources.

Explore the Serengeti on multiple game drives, with opportunities to observe the plains in morning light, through the day and towards sunset. Scan for big cats, elephants, giraffes and grazing herds as your safari vehicle travels through different parts of the park.

The Serengeti’s name is closely associated with its seemingly endless grasslands. Seasonal rains influence where animals gather, including the wildebeest and zebra of the Great Migration. Each drive offers a different view of the landscape and its changing wildlife activity.

Take a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park, where groundwater forest gives way to open ground beside the shallow lake. Watch for wildlife among the trees and along the lakeshore, including the lions for which the park’s tree-climbing behaviour is famous.

Set beneath the Great Rift Valley escarpment, Manyara feels markedly different from the Serengeti’s wide plains. Changing water levels and seasons shape both the scenery and the birdlife, making the park a varied stop for wildlife observation.

Visit the Sheldrick Elephant rehabilitation nursery in Nairobi to watch young elephants during their public viewing period. See them play and bathe, and hear about the care provided to orphaned elephants on their path towards life in the wild.

The nursery’s work offers insight into the challenges facing Kenya’s elephants and the long commitment involved in rehabilitation. This optional visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to opening arrangements and availability.

Choose another game drive in the Maasai Mara for extra time searching its plains and riverine areas for wildlife. An additional outing gives you a fresh chance to watch animal behaviour, whether predators are active or grazing herds are moving through the grass.

No two drives follow the same wildlife script, and sightings depend on the conditions. This optional safari is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Visit a Maasai village near the Maasai Mara and meet community members to learn about their traditions and daily life. The encounter offers a chance to ask questions and hear local perspectives in a setting distinct from the reserve’s wildlife drives.

Maasai culture has deep connections to this region, including its pastoral heritage. The character of the visit depends on your hosts and their community. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Take to the water for a white-water rafting experience in Sagana, navigating river currents with your rafting group. It is a hands-on change of pace from safari viewing, with teamwork and the sound of rushing water at the centre of the activity.

Sagana’s riverside setting makes it a hub for outdoor adventure in central Kenya. Conditions and the activity format may vary with water levels and local arrangements. Rafting is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Try rock climbing in Sagana for a physical challenge that calls for balance, focus and deliberate movement. Work your way up a climbing route and experience the satisfaction of finding your next handhold in this outdoor-adventure setting.

The activity offers a different way to engage with central Kenya’s landscape, away from the safari vehicle. Routes and arrangements depend on the local operator. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Test your aim with an archery session in Sagana. Take time to settle your stance, draw the bow and focus on the target—a quieter but absorbing choice among the area’s adventure activities.

Archery rewards concentration and small adjustments rather than speed, making it a distinct alternative to rafting or zip-lining. Session arrangements depend on the local operator. This optional activity is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Choose a zip-lining experience in Sagana and glide through the air in the area’s green riverside setting. The brief burst of speed offers a new vantage point and an adrenaline-focused alternative to exploring on foot.

Sagana is a centre for outdoor activities, with options suited to travellers who want an active break between wildlife destinations. The precise course depends on local arrangements. Zip-lining is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Join a Maasai village tour near Mto Wa Mbu to meet local hosts and learn about their community and traditions. This cultural option provides time for conversation beyond the wildlife-focused visits to northern Tanzania’s parks.

The area brings together communities with varied ways of life, and a hosted visit can offer a more personal understanding of the region. Activities depend on the village and local arrangements. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Explore the area around Mto Wa Mbu by mountain bike, experiencing its roads and tracks at a slower, more immediate pace than a safari drive. Pedalling through the landscape brings the sights and sounds of this northern Tanzanian town into closer focus.

Mto Wa Mbu sits near Lake Manyara and the Great Rift Valley escarpment, giving the ride a setting distinct from the open savannah. Routes depend on local arrangements. This optional activity is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.