East Africa Highlights

Intrepid Travel Premier
Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
4.6 . Excellent
94%
Travel Style: Array Mixed
Physical Level: Walking or physical activity half to most of day - no carrying equipment. Easy
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
10 days
From: $ 3,694 $ 369 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Meet Kenyan Maasai warriors and visit a Maasai village that champions women’s health, and spend time with a Hadzabe community in Tanzania to see how their ancient culture exists today.
  • Venture into the incredible Masai Mara National Reserve for a full-day game drive in 4WDs.
  • Explore the Serengeti National Park in depth, with two early morning and two late afternoon game drives through this spectacular wildlife arena.
  • Take a mind-blowing safari across the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater in an open-roof 4WD for a chance to see the endangered black rhinoceros.
  • Accompanied by a local crew — a leader, driver and cook – you'll be in excellent hands for the duration of your adventure.
  • By travelling on this trip, you’ll directly support our Intrepid Foundation partner, the East African Wildlife Society. Donations help them protect endangered wildlife, support conservation and promote sustainable management of natural resources in East Africa.

Short Description

Discover the best of East Africa on this 10-day journey beginning in Nairobi, Kenya. Travel to some of Africa's most famous areas including the Masai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, where you'll take multiple game drives in search of the Big Five animals and more. Take in the enormity of Africa's largest lake and switch Africa's animals for people as you spend time with the Maasai and Hadzabe people and learn about both their ancient traditions and more modern way of life from an elder.

Style Small group tour
Spend most of the time outdoors. Common trip themes and activities include cycling, hiking, kayaking, whitewater rafting.
Itinerary Focus Active
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Nairobi
End City Arusha

Destinations

Kenya Tanzania

Attractions & Cities Visited

Nairobi Ngorongoro Crater

Activities & Interests

Land expedition Wildlife viewing

Age Requirement

15-99

N/A
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Itinerary

Day 1 Nairobi

Welcome to Nairobi, Kenya’s buzzing capital city. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm where you’ll meet your local leader and the other travellers joining you on your journey. If you arrive early, perhaps head out and explore the National Museum of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum or the highly recommended Bomas of Kenya, where traditional homesteads of several Kenyan tribes are displayed in an outdoor village. Once you've met your new travel buds, join them for an optional group dinner or alternatively strike out on your own.

Day 2 Masai Mara National Reserve

Transfer from Nairobi to the famous Masai Mara, one of the best game reserves in all of Africa. On the way you'll stop in Loita Hills, a remote region that's home to the traditional Maasai people. This is one of the key places where the Maasai people still practice their traditional way of life, with little influence from the western world. Make a stop at Tepesua Village, which is known for championing Maasai women’s health and education. You’ll be welcomed by Maasai Warriors by way of traditional song and dance. Meet your Maasai hosts and enjoy a fascinating talk, full of insights into this remarkable and ancient culture. Take a walk to the community village which was founded for widows who had lost their cows due to drought, and can never remarry. The village offers support, safety and economic growth through the ‘Tepesua Widows Income Project’. Here the women are engaged in making handicrafts and sewing eco-friendly handbags, washable sanitary pads, and backpacks to sell to visiting travellers and locals. Learn about village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home, and their cattle enclosures. Continue to the outskirts of the Masai Mara, where your permanent tented camp can be found.

Day 3 Masai Mara National Reserve

Explore the Masai Mara in 4WD safari vehicles with game drives in both the morning and the afternoon. This is the quintessential African experience and with sparse open plains, dramatic skies and some of the world's most impressive animals, one you won't soon forget. Keep your eyes peeled for wildebeest, lions, leopards, antelope and giraffes, to name but a few.

Day 4 Lake Victoria

Prepare for a long travel day as you head towards the border separating Kenya and Tanzania, then on to the small town of Musoma on the shores of Lake Victoria. Not only is this the largest lake in Africa, it's also the largest tropical lake in the entire world and shares its shores with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The next three days will be spent in the wilderness, so make the most of your afternoon and evening by stocking up at the local market, grabbing cash from the town's ATM and kicking back with a beach side cold drink as the sun goes down.

Day 5 Serengeti National Park

Travel on from Lake Victoria to Serengeti National Park and enjoy a picnic lunch at the entrance to the famous expanse. Continue to your campsite on your first Serengeti game drive, keeping an eye out for the hoofed animals and predators that call this place home. Tonight you'll have a true African safari experience, camping in an unfenced site within the national park, right in the heart of the animal action. Your leader will give you a full safety briefing once you arrive.   

Day 6 Serengeti National Park

Wake to another glorious day in the Serengeti. Start the day with an early morning game drive to search for animals when they're at their most active, then return to the campsite for a relaxed brunch. Spend the hottest part of the day relaxing in camp – don't stress, the animals will be doing the same – then head off again in the afternoon for another drive through the park. Return to the campsite for dinner and another night under the Serengeti's stars. Note: there's also an option of an early hot air balloon ride here. Please ask your leader at the start of your trip if you're interested.   

Day 7 Karatu

Enjoy a final game drive through the Serengeti as you exit the park this morning and cross over to the Ngorongoro Conservation area where you'll descend to the Ngorongoro's crater floor for a 4WD excursion. If all goes to plan, you'll see some or maybe even all of the Big Five animals that reside here and better yet, the vehicle has an open roof so you can really feel like a part of the action. The animals here are less wary of humans and vehicles and as a result it's easier to watch them from up close. Take in the spectacular views from the rim of the crater as you make your way to the bottom, where animals roam the lakes, rivers, woodlands and hills. Keep an eye out for wildebeest, lion, zebra, cheetah, buffalo, gazelle and the endangered black rhino, as well as the colorfully dressed Maasai people who often water their cattle at the lake here. In the afternoon, we leave the Ngorongoro Crater and drive to Karatu, a small town on its outskirts and your base for the next two nights.

Day 8 Karatu

After breakfast this morning, you’ll make your way to Lake Eyasi, a huge seasonal soda lake. Lake Eyasi has been home to the Hadzabe people for more than 10,000 years and is one of the few places in Africa where traditional tribal life continues without modern influence. Today’s visit to the Hadzabe lands offers incredible insight into this ancient culture and a chance to learn about their way of life today. You’ll have the opportunity to meet members of the community and join in on daily activities like hunting, gathering and traditional dance. You’ll also learn about their unique ‘click’ language, which is thought to be one of the oldest languages still in use today. Return to your lodge in Karatu later in the day for a chance to put your feet up and relax.

Day 9 Arusha

Today is a free day to relax or choose from the various optional activities available from your base in Karatu. You might like to head to a local coffee plantation or take a Game Drive in Lake Manyara National Park. Perhaps opt for a hike through the Ngorongoro Reserve Forest to Elephant Caves accompanied by an expert local guide and armed ranger. It's the perfect way to stretch your legs after a few days of overland travel. You'll hike through the Ngorongoro rainforest as your local guide explains the ins and outs of the area here and points out interesting animal tracks and footprints. Marvel at the wild landscape and spot beautiful birdlife as you walk. In the afternoon, we head to Arusha, where we will spend our last night.

Day 10 Arusha / Nairobi

Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast today. A departure transfer can be booked, at an additional expense, to either Kilimanjaro Airport (JRO) or Arusha Airport (ARK). Alternatively, you can continue on with our crew to finish in Nairobi. Please see 'Special Information' below for more details.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 3,694
Price Per Day: $ 369 per day
Checking price
Start DateFinish DateBase PriceAvailability 
Sep-22-2023Oct-01-2023$ 4,635Sold Out Reserve
Oct-06-2023Oct-15-2023$ 3,7306 spots left Reserve
Oct-13-2023Oct-22-2023$ 3,6945 spots left Reserve
Oct-20-2023Oct-29-2023$ 4,4601 spots left Reserve
Dec-29-2023Jan-07-2024$ 4,4602 spots left Reserve
Jan-12-2024Jan-21-2024$ 4,205Sold Out Reserve
Feb-02-2024Feb-11-2024$ 3,70016 spots left Reserve
Feb-16-2024Feb-25-2024$ 3,9359 spots left Reserve
May-17-2024May-26-2024$ 3,97010 spots left Reserve
Jun-07-2024Jun-16-2024$ 4,0908 spots left Reserve
Jun-14-2024Jun-23-2024$ 4,05010 spots left Reserve
Jun-28-2024Jul-07-2024$ 4,20511 spots left Reserve
Jul-05-2024Jul-14-2024$ 4,20514 spots left Reserve
Jul-12-2024Jul-21-2024$ 4,20514 spots left Reserve
Jul-19-2024Jul-28-2024$ 4,20516 spots left Reserve
Jul-26-2024Aug-04-2024$ 4,20515 spots left Reserve
Aug-02-2024Aug-11-2024$ 4,20512 spots left Reserve
Aug-16-2024Aug-25-2024$ 4,2059 spots left Reserve
Aug-23-2024Sep-01-2024$ 4,20510 spots left Reserve
Aug-30-2024Sep-08-2024$ 4,20516 spots left Reserve
Sep-06-2024Sep-15-2024$ 4,05016 spots left Reserve
Sep-13-2024Sep-22-2024$ 4,05016 spots left Reserve
Sep-20-2024Sep-29-2024$ 4,05012 spots left Reserve
Sep-27-2024Oct-06-2024$ 4,05015 spots left Reserve
Oct-04-2024Oct-13-2024$ 4,05011 spots left Reserve
Oct-18-2024Oct-27-2024$ 4,05014 spots left Reserve
Oct-25-2024Nov-03-2024$ 4,05016 spots left Reserve
Nov-15-2024Nov-24-2024$ 3,89516 spots left Reserve
Dec-13-2024Dec-22-2024$ 3,89516 spots left Reserve
Dec-27-2024Jan-05-2025$ 3,89516 spots left Reserve
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Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

4,320 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

94%
4.6 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 3,248
Great 675
Average 140
Disappointing 77
Terrible 180
Value
4.6
Guide
4.6
Activities
4.6
Lodging
4.6
Transportation
4.6
Meals
4.6

East Africa Highlights

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Company Reviews

Sardines in a can

3.0
Details
Value3.0
Guide3.0
Activities3.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation3.0
Meals3.0
Love adventures but the size of the cabins on our trip to the Cyclades Islands are extremely cramped . We have three mature adults in one cabin with no space to move and no space to hang or store anything ( including wet towels ).
If any of us had been physically inflexible or overweight we could not have coped with the sleeping arrangements . It is impossible to sit on the top bunk and even turning over in bed requires considerable planning .
An adventure does not mean cutting back on basic essentials …
In our view there were too many people in too small a space .
Two complete strangers were also asked to sleep together in an extremely small double bed , which meant that one of them decided to sleep on deck or in the living space .
The only redeeming factor was our Skipper who is professional, friendly , informative and skilled .
I would recommend this trip if the numbers were reduced .
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I feel totally cheated

2.0
Details
Value2.0
Guide2.0
Activities2.0
Lodging2.0
Transportation2.0
Meals2.0
I feel totally cheated. Just finished the Spain and Portugal 14 day trip. The itinerary does not match the actual experience and is I feel deliberately miss leading. When I says a “local bus” and an approx 3 hour journey the reality is a 6 hour trip door to door in the middle of the day. You miss valuable time at the actual destination in favour of being jammed in a bus with dozens of people traveling on a freeway with nothing worth seeing at all. The bush are not even express so you stop in the industrial outskirts of a number of towns and even the airport. By the time you finally reach the destination you are tired and frustrated. I want my money back. It’s a cheap experience that you pay a lot of money for.
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Have not even started and not impressed

2.0
Details
Value2.0
Guide2.0
Activities2.0
Lodging2.0
Transportation2.0
Meals2.0
Booked a premium tour to Israel and paid in full. Once I paid Intrepid changed the tour, not because of operational or safety reasons but on the basis of previous customers feedback. We asked them to keep the tour as it was advertised originally and they suggested we ask our group to see if we can persuade them to go to the original destination once we had arrived in Israel which is simply ridiculous and then I complained so they offered my money back. Not exactly the best resolution now that I already paid for my flights and booked time off separately. Hopefully the tour will be better than my experience so far.
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No help when things go wrong (seriously ill on trip)

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
Unfortunately, Intrepid is a company I would recommend being wary of. They are fine as long as everything is going ok, but if anything goes wrong? Don't expect any help or decent customer service. I made the mistake of booking two trips, and both times I ran into problems:

Trip 1- I was taken very ill while in Vietnam and had to drop out of the tour. I had no help from the guide- no help with getting to a doctor (I don't speak Vietnamese and was too ill to get out of bed anyway), he didn't even assist with arranging a hotel room.

Trip 2- I've had to cancel an upcoming (2024) trip, but haven't received the refund despite phoning the customer service line several times. The people I talk to are nice, but don't seem to be able to actually get anything done. They just suggest waiting a bit longer- not sure how long they think is acceptable to hang on to someone's money really.
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Check for other companies offtering the same trip

3.0
Details
Value3.0
Guide3.0
Activities3.0
Lodging3.0
Transportation3.0
Meals3.0
I would think carefully before doing business with Intrepid Travel again. In May I went on 2 one-week guided cycle tours in France with Intrepid. They were both great cycles and I enjoyed the cycling very much. However, I had several complaints about the company and some of the guides (not all of them).
Once I had paid for my trips, it was very difficult to get in touch with Intrepid to ask a question.
During the trips, several times I was told something one day only to have the info change without any good reason. The guides need proper training about dealing with the heat. Some of use suffered from dehydration and heat stroke and the guides were quite flippant about it. I was told that the guides would not leave anyone behind, but it happened several times.
There was one guide (a trainee) who really took some of the pleasure out of my cycle tour. She spoke to me with a tone used for a child. This tone and her attitude to me almost bordered on harassment.
I went on a third cycling tour with a different company after my 2 with Intrepid and it was much better than my experience with Intrepid.
As the demand for ebikes rises, tour companies such as Intrepid need to increase their fleet of ebikes. They also don’t need to charge the huge amount to rent these ebikes. We only want to rent them, not buy them. As the cost of ebikes comes down, if should reflect in the rental price.
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Ecuador guide Eitel made the tour…

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Our Ecuador guide Eitel made the tour exceptional! He has encyclopedic knowledge of Ecuador and Latin America. Because he has traveled the world, Eitel placed this information within contexts that we could appreciate. That says a lot because we were a diverse group of travelers. The experience deepened my appreciation for the country's marvelous people, history, cultures, and resources.
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport Overland vehicle,4x4 Safari Vehicle

Group Size

Small Group - 24 max

Maximum Number of People in Group: 16

Accommodations

Hotel (3 nights),Lodge (2 nights),Permanent Tented Basic Lodge (2 nights),Camping with basic facilities (2 nights)

Guides

On this trip you will be accompanied by three crew members - Group Leader, Cook and Driver who will usually be Kenyan. Your Group Leader’s role involves organizing the overall operation and smooth-running of the trip, managing trip logistics, coordinating the tipping kitty (where applicable) and will form work groups to take turns cooking, cleaning and shopping. (From time to time your leader may drive as well) Your Group Leader will work towards making the trip as safe and enjoyable as possible for all travellers. Intrepid trips are built around the co–operation and participation of all the group members under the supervision of the group leader. The group leader will show the group how to set up and use the equipment. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting, especially when tracking and identifying game - we think it's the best of both worlds. Regardless of the country of origin, our Group Leaders are chosen for their leadership skills and are wonderful ambassadors for our company and our beautiful continent and its people. Your Cook is responsible for the cooking and will help to coordinate the work groups for preparing the meals and washing up! Cooks are also responsible for organizing food shopping (they are always happy to have you on board) and most importantly, they make sure high hygiene standards are kept at all times while camping. Your Driver’s main responsibility is to get you to your destination safely; they are also responsible for the maintenance of the vehicles along the way. Everyone is expected to participate and carry their share of the workload/duties, making camp chores easier. The duties Rota system is adopted where all members share in general camp duties – cooking, shopping, washing up etc. If the whole group participates it will be quicker, easier, and more fun. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders.

Age Notes :

Min. Age: 15

Max Age: 99

Additional Information

Finish point

  • Lush Garden Hotel
  • Sakina Nairobi road - Arusha Opposite Hass Petrol Station
  • Arusha
  • TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF
  • Phone: +255 787884466

Trip ID#:

intrepid-YGSA

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