10-Day Kenya Safari & Zanzibar Beach Holiday

Day-by-day itinerary

Route: Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Amboseli → Nairobi / Kilimanjaro Connection → Zanzibar → Zanzibar Airport

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to Maasai Mara

   After breakfast you leave Nairobi and travel on toward Maasai Mara, descending the wall of the Great Rift Valley and passing through Narok and Maasai farming country. You arrive in time to settle in, and the day continues with a game drive across open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem. There is the possibility of seeing lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game, depending on movement and conditions on the day. The reserve is best known for its big cat densities, and between roughly July and October the wildebeest migration commonly moves through the ecosystem. Transport and game drives are shared with other travellers on this joining departure. Dinner is served at your Maasai Mara camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

2. Day 2

   Maasai Mara to Amboseli

   You leave Maasai Mara after breakfast and head for Amboseli, travelling south past Kajiado and through Maasai rangeland toward the Tanzanian border country. Lunch and check-in come first, then an afternoon drive through open plains, dust flats and spring-fed swamps beneath the bulk of Kilimanjaro. Your guide works the area for large elephant herds, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and abundant water birds around the swamps, with sightings varying by season and conditions. Amboseli is known for its free-ranging elephant families, and on clear mornings Mount Kilimanjaro often rises above the plains, though cloud can hide it. Dinner and overnight are at your camp or lodge in Amboseli.

3. Day 3

   Amboseli to Nairobi / Kilimanjaro Connection

   Bags are loaded after breakfast and you depart Amboseli bound for Nairobi / Kilimanjaro Connection, returning through the highland approaches to the city. Lunch and check-in come first, then an afternoon drive through Kenya's highland capital and the usual start and end point for road safaris. Nairobi is the arrival and departure hub for most Kenyan safari itineraries. The evening is spent at your Nairobi / Kilimanjaro Connection accommodation, with dinner and overnight there.

4. Day 4

   Maasai Mara to Amboseli

   Following an early breakfast, the day begins with the road transfer from Maasai Mara to Amboseli, travelling south past Kajiado and through Maasai rangeland toward the Tanzanian border country. Arrival is followed by check-in and a first drive into open plains, dust flats and spring-fed swamps beneath the bulk of Kilimanjaro. Look for large elephant herds, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and abundant water birds around the swamps as the light softens through the afternoon. Amboseli is known for its free-ranging elephant families, and on clear mornings Mount Kilimanjaro often rises above the plains, though cloud can hide it. The evening is spent at your Amboseli accommodation, with dinner and overnight there.

5. Day 5

   Zanzibar to Zanzibar Airport

   Breakfast is taken before you set out from Zanzibar for the drive to Zanzibar Airport, flying east from the mainland to the island. After check-in and a chance to freshen up, you head out into Indian Ocean coastline of white sand, reef and the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town. There is the possibility of seeing reef fish, dolphins offshore and the endemic red colobus in Jozani Forest, depending on movement and conditions on the day. Zanzibar pairs a long Swahili and Omani trading history in Stone Town with reef beaches on the north and east coasts. Dinner and overnight are at your camp or lodge in Zanzibar Airport.

6. Day 6

   Amboseli to Zanzibar

   Following an early breakfast, the day begins with the road transfer from Amboseli to Zanzibar, flying east from the mainland to the island. Once you reach Zanzibar there is time to check in before heading out among Indian Ocean coastline of white sand, reef and the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town. This is good country in which to look for reef fish, dolphins offshore and the endemic red colobus in Jozani Forest. Zanzibar pairs a long Swahili and Omani trading history in Stone Town with reef beaches on the north and east coasts. Dinner is served at your Zanzibar camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

7. Day 7

   Full-Day Zanzibar Airport Safari

   The day is set aside for Zanzibar Airport, with drives timed around the first and last hours of light. The drives cover Indian Ocean coastline of white sand, reef and the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town, moving between habitats as conditions change. There is the possibility of seeing reef fish, dolphins offshore and the endemic red colobus in Jozani Forest, though wild sightings are never guaranteed. Days here are unstructured, with swimming, reef trips or a Stone Town walk as you prefer. Zanzibar pairs a long Swahili and Omani trading history in Stone Town with reef beaches on the north and east coasts. The evening returns you to your Zanzibar Airport accommodation for dinner and overnight.

8. Day 8

   Full-Day Zanzibar Airport Safari

   You have a complete day in Zanzibar Airport, starting early while the air is still cool and animals are active. The drives cover Indian Ocean coastline of white sand, reef and the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town, moving between habitats as conditions change. There is the possibility of seeing reef fish, dolphins offshore and the endemic red colobus in Jozani Forest, though wild sightings are never guaranteed. Days here are unstructured, with swimming, reef trips or a Stone Town walk as you prefer. Zanzibar pairs a long Swahili and Omani trading history in Stone Town with reef beaches on the north and east coasts. The evening returns you to your Zanzibar Airport accommodation for dinner and overnight.

9. Day 9

   Full-Day Zanzibar Airport Safari

   A full day in Zanzibar Airport allows you to explore well beyond the areas reached on a short visit. Much of the day is spent among Indian Ocean coastline of white sand, reef and the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town. Sightings may include reef fish, dolphins offshore and the endemic red colobus in Jozani Forest, depending on season and conditions. Days here are unstructured, with swimming, reef trips or a Stone Town walk as you prefer. Zanzibar pairs a long Swahili and Omani trading history in Stone Town with reef beaches on the north and east coasts. The evening returns you to your Zanzibar Airport accommodation for dinner and overnight.

10. Day 10

    Full-Day Zanzibar Airport Safari

    Today is spent entirely in Zanzibar Airport, beginning with a game drive shortly after first light. Your route takes in Indian Ocean coastline of white sand, reef and the coral-stone lanes of Stone Town, with your guide reading recent movement to decide where to spend time. There is the possibility of seeing reef fish, dolphins offshore and the endemic red colobus in Jozani Forest, though wild sightings are never guaranteed. Days here are unstructured, with swimming, reef trips or a Stone Town walk as you prefer. Zanzibar pairs a long Swahili and Omani trading history in Stone Town with reef beaches on the north and east coasts. You return to your camp or lodge for dinner and a second night at Zanzibar Airport.