DISCOVER AFRICA
Best Routes for Kenya and Tanzania Self-Drive Safari
A self-drive safari is a unique way to experience the natural world in Kenya and Tanzania at your own pace. Here’s a guide on the best routes for a self-drive safari in these beautiful East African countries:
Classic Kenya & Tanzania Circuit
Day 1-3: Arrival in Nairobi (Kenya).
We shall hand over a 4×4 to you, and you start your Visit to the Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, and Elephant Orphanage you must have booked in advance if you want to visit this facility.
Day 4: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 5& 6: Game Viewing
Wake up early for breakfast, and then you will drive to Masai Mara National Reserve for a game drive. Masai Mara National Park is a great habitat for many animals that are easily spotted while going through the park, such as lions, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, buffalo, warthogs, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, buffalo, leopard, many kinds of antelopes, elephants and many more. After the game drive, you will have lunch at your lodge as you rest for an afternoon activity; in the afternoon, you will go for a hot air balloon safari.
Day 7- Transfer to Nakuru National Park
Have breakfast and proceed to the morning game drive in Mara just to have the last glance at the Great Mara and its residents, then leave for Nakuru with lunch in Mai Mahiu. Enjoy the beautiful sight of Mount Longonot on your way to Nakuru and the view of the beautiful Lake Naivasha from afar. You could engage in an optional fun activity of boat riding at Lake Naivasha. Then, proceed to Nakuru. Dinner and overnight at campsite.
Day 8. In Lake Nakuru National Park, Spot the flamingos and rhinos.
Have a morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park, famously known for flamingoes and a rhino sanctuary for both the white endangered rhino and the black rhino. Enjoy the splendid site of the water body animals like the buffaloes, crocodiles, and the hippos and how they live together. You will view this from the viewpoint of the baboon cliff and interact with the baboons, too. Have a picnic lunch, then later in the day, travel to Naivasha. Have dinner and spend the night in Naivasha.
Day 9: To Amboseli National Park
Enjoy the last sunrise in the park. Later, have lunch and depart for Amboseli National park via Nairobi and the Busy Nairobi – Mombasa highway to arrive in time for dinner and overnight.
Day 10 & 11 : Explore Amboseli
Enjoy a variety of herbivores wallowing in the muddy swamps, like the hippos, the large elephants and their calves, and a variety of other wildlife.
Day 12 & 13: Transfer to Arusha and Lake Manyara
You’ll have breakfast at the hotel, then meet our driver for a transfer to the office, from where we will leave for Lake Manyara National Park. Arrive at the park by 10:00 a.m. with picnic lunches. Proceed for a game drive in search of the wildlife and the flamingos in this national park. Lake Manyara is famous for the tree-climbing lions and the flocks of flamingos.
Day 14 & 15: Explore Serengeti National Park.
Drive from Manyara, and You’ll arrive at the main gate for registration and an afternoon game drive. You will have at least 6 hour game drive before proceeding to Central Serengeti at Seronera Camp, where dinner will be served. Serengeti national park is wide, and we will choose to stay at Central Serengeti to access the area with the largest animal concentration during the game drive. Camp in Serenora
Day 16 : Serengeti National Park - Ngorongoro Crater
You’ll have early breakfast at the camp, then leave with picnic lunches for at least a 6-hour game drive within Serengeti National Park. Here you will track the wildebeest, zebras, giraffes, lions, lionesses, black rhinos, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, bushbuck, lesser kudu, wild dog, kongoni, impala, Grant’s gazelle, black-backed jackal, mongoose, Olive baboon, vervet monkey, among other animals are found here. You will be lucky to see some of them. By noon, leave the park with a stopover at Olduvai Gorge at an extra cost of $35 per person. By evening, arrive at the Ngorongoro Conservancy Area, where you will have dinner and your overnight stay at Simba Camp.
Day 17: Ngorongoro Crater - Tarangire National Park
You’ll have breakfast at the camp, then leave for a game drive within the Ngorongoro Crater. Here, you will be able to descend with a game drive and view the common lion, African elephant, black rhino, blue wildebeest, leopard, cheetah, hyena, wild dog, Grant’s Zebra, African buffalo, and hippopotamus at the crater rim. Have the picnic lunch at the crater rim, then ascend to the main gate. Exit the crater after 6-hour drive to Arusha and end the self-drive tour.
2. 15 Days trip Tanzania safari + Zanzibar
Enjoy the best of Tanzania’s nature, wildlife and beautiful beaches on this 15-day Tanzania Self-drive Safari & Zanzibar beaches. Spot the black-and-white colobus monkeys in Arusha National Park and families of up to 300 elephants in Tarangire National Park. Enjoy the overwhelming wildlife and breathtaking scenery of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater before dropping your 4×4 jeep in Arusha, and you fly to Zanzibar. What better way to end your Tanzania self-drive safari than unwinding on white-sand beaches surrounded by crystal-clear waters?
This private self-drive safari allows you to travel at your own pace exactly how you like it. You will have your 4×4 safari vehicle with a roof tent and camping gear without a guide. If you want a guide, no worries; we can provide a guide at an extra cost of $40 per day.
Day 1: Arrival Kilimanjaro - Arusha
Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro airport, you will meet laba Africa specialist to brief you and hand over your rented 4×4 safari vehicle. You can drive to your hotel and the rest of the day is at leisure, you can relax and enjoy the African atmosphere.
This trip is an exclusive private self-drive safari so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest! You can decide when to leave in the morning and when to return in the evening. During the self-drive safari, you can also observe a specific animal or herd for as long as possible. You don’t have to be considerate of anyone since you’re the pilot of your flight.
Day 2: Self drive to Materuni Waterfall and Coffee Farm Tour
A tour of Materuni Village and Waterfalls is a great way to spend a day away from the bustle of town life. The walk to Materuni Waterfall offers a glimpse into the nature of Tanzania and a warm welcome for the upcoming Tanzania 4×4 self drive safari. The Materuni Waterfall tour starts with a walk through the area adjacent to the waterfall, which is rich in the beautiful natural scenery of Tanzania. It is an opportunity to see how local fruits like avocados, mangos, lemons, and bananas grow, as well as learn some of the local history, traditions, village economy, and agricultural and cultural life. When you get to the waterfall, you can refresh yourself in the natural pool, so swimsuits will come in handy!
Camping in moshi.
Day 3: Arusha National Park
After breakfast, drive your 4×4 rented jeep to Arusha National Park, where your safari on self-drive starts. This beautiful park has a diverse landscape, wildlife, from lakes, lovely waterfalls and swamps to volcanos, mountains and tropical rainforests That attracts many birds, including hornbills and thousands of pink-hued flamingos etc. This park is also the only place on your northern Tanzania circuit where you can easily see the black-and-white colobus monkey.
Experience One of the most off the beaten path safari activities in this national park like a canoe and walking safari . It is a great change to enjoy wildlife closer, from a different perspective than sitting in a safari vehicle. You will camp in a public campsite in the park
Day 4 & 5 self-drive safari in Tarangire N.P
The next 2 days will be for you to enjoy 4×4 rental in Tarangire National Park . Tarangire is one of the least known National parks in Tanzania, it still has an original safari vibe. The hilly landscape scattered with grand Baobab trees against the blue sky is breathtaking. You will have 2 days to Witness the world’s largest concentration of elephants in this small but amazing Park. Expect to see families of elephants with up to 300 individiuals around the Tarangire River, drinking or enjoying a mud bath on a hot day. Apart from elephants, Tarangire is a paradise for bird lovers and home to many zebras, lions etc
Day 6 to 9: Self drive safari in Serengeti National Park and wildebeest.
Continue your safari in the Serengeti National Park, arriving in the evening, and camp in Serenora central Serengeti. We are sure that you have seen the breathtaking landscapes in nature documentaries, not so? This is your chance to enjoy this in real life. The endless plains and abundance of wildlife here are unmatched. The wildebeest migration, with more than a million wildebeest, is the highlight for most people coming to Serengeti. There is more to that, in our opinion, and you can choose to drive to the Ndutu sector of the park to witness the season of birth and the beginning of new lives in the Serengeti Mara area.
Day 10: Drive to Ngorongoro
Drive to Ngorongoro conservation area and camp at simba campsite.
Day 11: Morning game drive in Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast at the Simba campsite in Ngorongoro, drive to the crater rim and through a lush highland forest, with unique birdlife to be spotted among the different tree species. Once on the Ngorongoro crater floor, you may discover a large variety of grazing animals , as well as the big cats that are attracted by this abundant supply food. Depending on the time of year, you may see huge flocks of pink flamingos around the shores of the shallow Lake Magadi, while hippos inhabit the surrounding swamp. After the game drive, you will drive to Karatu for an overnight stay.
Day 12: Lake Eyasi and Hadza tribe
You will wake up very early, just before sunrise, to visit the Hadzabe tribe, one of the last true nomadic tribes in Africa. After some explanations about the tribe, you will join them in their daily morning activities. This experience is off the beaten track and does not feel touristic by any means. The photographic opportunities are out of this world. This tour will definitely be a highlight of your safari. The activities with the tribe can either be joining the men in their daily hunting, or the women in their fruit gathering session. In either of them, you will learn about many aspects of the Hadzabe way of living. After the cultural encounter with the tribe, we will visit Lake Eyasi, a season shallow Salt Lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley and then stay at camp for another night.
Day 13: Drive to Kilimanjaro airport and flight to Zanzibar.
Today is the day to say goodbye to the mainland Tanzania and say hello to the paradise island of Zanzibar!! Yourself drive safari in Tanzania will end in Kilimanjaro airport, meet with our guide or representative to get the 4×4 back.
| Camping Gear Set | |
|---|---|
| 🛏️ | Folding foam mattress |
| 🛌 | Sleeping bag (with pillows and bed sheets) |
| 🪑 | Chairs and small table |
| 📦 | Storage box |
| 🔥 | 1 gas tank & 1 burner |
| 🍽️ | Cups, plates & bowls |
| 🍳 | Pots, frying pans, cutlery set |
| 🔪 | Knife, can opener, corkscrew |
| 🧀 | Cutting board |
| 🧽 | Dishtowel and detergent |
| 💡 | Solar table lamp |
| ⛺ | Roof tent or ground Tent |
| ❄️ | Fridge |
