Karibu! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins in Nairobi – Kenya’s capital – with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight, where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, maybe 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. When you've met your new travel buds, why not join the group for an optional group dinner and get to know each other better. It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. Petty theft is common in Nairobi. As a general rule, the safest place for your valuables is on your person in a neck wallet or money belt. Your hotel room or reception may also have a safe in which to store things. If you do decide to go exploring, make sure you get local advice on where it is and isn't safe to walk – particularly for later in the day. Be careful not to leave bags unattended on chairs or the floor when you're in a bar or restaurant. Without being paranoid, appearing vigilant is a great deterrence to would-be thieves. Also, make scans of important travel documents and email them to yourself – this will save you hours of time in paperwork if anything does happen.

Transfer from Nairobi to the famous Maasai Mara – one of the best game reserves in Africa. On the way, you'll stop in Loita Hills – a remote region 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. Visit the Tepesua Village, known for championing Maasai women’s health and education. Maasai Warriors will welcome you here by way of traditional song and dance. Meet your hosts and attend a talk full of insights into this remarkable and ancient culture. Take a walk to the community village, which was founded for widows who can never remarry and lost their cows due to drought. The village offers support, safety and economic growth through the Tepesua Widows Income Project. Here, the women make handicrafts and sew handbags using sustainable materials as well as washable sanitary pads and backpacks to sell to visitors and locals. Learn about village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home and its cattle enclosures. Continue to the outskirts of the Maasai Mara, where your permanent tented camp can be found. Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours.

This morning, you have the option to take part in a hot air balloon ride and bush breakfast, giving you a rare chance to see the open plains at sunrise, teeming with wildlife. After, explore the Maasai Mara in 4WD safari vehicles with game drives in the morning and the afternoon today to give you the best chance to spot the Big Five. This is the quintessential African experience, and with sparse open plains and some of the world's most impressive animals, you won't soon forget this one. Keep your eyes peeled for wildebeest, lions, leopards, antelope and giraffes along the way. An optional balloon ride over the Mara at sunrise is offered as a pre-booked service, which guarantees you a place. If you would rather wait and try to get a better price by booking this locally on the ground, you are welcome to—but keep in mind that this is a popular activity, and places are limited. You'll be picked up before dawn and taken to the launch site for a safety briefing with your pilot. As the sun rises, you'll drift through the sky, sometimes floating at tree level, offering incredible photo opportunities. At other times, you'll soar higher, taking in sweeping views of the vast plains and the early morning movements of the wildlife below. After landing, enjoy a bush breakfast before returning to camp to rejoin your group.

Get ready for a long travel day as you journey toward the Kenya-Tanzania border and make your way to the magnificent Lake Victoria. This vast lake is the main source of the Nile, the longest river in the world, and spans the shores of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. On arrival, unwind with a lakeside dinner while you ponder the magnitude of the world’s largest tropical lake. Your travel time today will be approximately 10-11 hours, including border formalities.

Enjoy a relaxed morning, taking in the magnificent views of Lake Victoria in the morning light. Travel to Serengeti National Park, renowned for its incredible wildlife and vast, open landscapes. After passing through the park gate, experience the greatest commute possible as we slowly make our way to our permanent tented camp via the 'scenic safari route.' Along the way, stop to take photos of the abundant wildlife and stunning views. Tonight, you'll have a true African safari experience – with your comfortable safari camp set right in the heart of the Serengeti. After dinner, gather around the campfire to share stories, then fall asleep to the sounds of the wild. Your travel time today will be approximately 3 hours, not including your safari en route to camp. Your safari tent is equipped with an ensuite, solar power, and private veranda. The camp is unfenced, and there's a good chance wildlife will be nearby or wander through camp, particularly at night. Your leader will provide a full safety briefing upon arrival.

Wake to another glorious day in the Serengeti National Park. Start the day with an early morning 4WD safari to spot the wildlife when they're at their most active. Then, return to camp for a relaxed brunch. This afternoon, head off again for another drive through the park. Return to camp for dinner and another night under the Serengeti's stars. There is another optional balloon ride this morning, offered as a pre-booked service, which will guarantee you a place. If you would rather wait and try to get a better price by booking this locally on the ground, you are welcome to – but keep in mind that this is a popular activity and places are limited. Today’s game drives will depend on the time of year and how far the best possible animal sightings are likely to be from camp. To maximize your chances of epic wildlife encounters (and reduce time spent commuting to and from camp), you may do a full-day safari rather than separate morning and afternoon safaris.

Enjoy a final game drive through the Serengeti National Park this morning as you exit your camp inside the park and make your way to the park gate. From here, drive to the Ngorongoro Conservation area, where you'll hop in the park's 4WD jeeps and descend to the crater floor. The jeeps have an open roof, and the animals here are less wary of humans and vehicles, which makes watching them up close easier. Take in the spectacular views from the crater's rim 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, endangered black rhino and the colourfully dressed Maasai people who often water their cattle at the lake here. This afternoon, leave the Ngorongoro Crater and drive to Karatu – a small town on its outskirts and your base for the next two nights. Your travel time today will be approximately 3.5 hours, not including the safari as you make your way out of the Serengeti.

After breakfast, make your way towards Lake Eyasi, a vast seasonal soda lake, stopping at a scenic viewpoint to take in the magnificent views across its shimmering waters. The area surrounding 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 with little modern influence. Today’s visit to the Hadzabe lands offers fascinating insight into this ancient culture and a chance to learn about their way of life. Meet community members and take part in daily activities such as hunting, gathering, and traditional dance, while learning about their unique ‘click’ language — believed to be one of the oldest still spoken today. Return to your lodge in Karatu later in the day to relax and unwind. Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours.

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. Maybe opt for a hike through the Ngorongoro Reserve Forest to Elephant Caves accompanied by an expert local guide and armed ranger. This is the perfect way to stretch your legs after a few days of travel. You'll hike through the Ngorongoro rainforest as your local guide explains the ins and outs of the area and points out interesting animal tracks and footprints. Marvel at the wild landscape and spot the varied birdlife as you walk. In the afternoon, you’ll head to Arusha, where you spend your last night. Your travel time today will be approximately 2.5 hours. The optional activity prices do not include transportation costs. These depend on the number of travellers booking the activity and can be split accordingly.

This morning, bid farewell to your crew, transfer to Arusha Airport, and take an included flight to Stone Town, Zanzibar. You'll be unescorted for the rest of the trip; however, local representatives will be on hand to look after you. Zanzibar is an archipelagic gem known for its idyllic beaches, vibrant markets, and layered history. Once a major hub in the East African slave trade and home to Arabian sultans, its past has shaped a distinctive culture where African, Arab, and European influences converge. Join a local guide this afternoon to explore the many charms of Stone Town, the historic heart of Zanzibar. Discover its winding alleys and lively markets, sample local dishes, and gain insight into daily life on the island. As this trip is a combination of shorter itineraries, the travellers in your group and your group leader are likely to change today. You’ll be unescorted for the flight and the Zanzibar portion of this trip. However, our local representatives will be on hand to look after you. Depending on the flight schedule and arrival time, your guided tour of Stone Town may take place in the morning on Day 11.

This morning, you have the option to visit the spice plantations for a guided tour, where you'll learn about the history of the region's spice trade and have the chance to touch, smell, and taste spices like cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger, followed by a tea sampling. Alternatively, you can head directly to the white sands and sparkling blue seas of the northern beaches.

Wake up in paradise and perhaps start your day with a peaceful stroll along the coast as the sun rises over the Indian Ocean. Enjoy a full day to soak up the best of island life – whether that means relaxing on the sand with a good book, in the warm, turquoise waters, or indulging in freshly grilled seafood for lunch. Speak with your local representative for recommendations on how to make the most of your time in this idyllic setting.

Your trip comes to an end today. Please advise your booking agent at the time of booking if you need help with transfers to Stone Town Airport or the ferry terminal. If you’d like to spend more time in this island paradise, post trip accommodation can also be pre-booked at your beach resort or in Stone Town. If you’re flying out today, the most convenient option is to depart from Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ). If your flight departs from Dar es Salaam, ferries to the mainland depart at 7.30 am, 9.30 am, 12.30 pm and 3.30 pm. Be sure to allow plenty of time to reach the airport, and speak with your leader earlier in the trip for advice or assistance with arrangements.