East Africa is filled with abundant wildlife, exotic beaches, stunning sceneries, beautiful mountains and picturesque soda lakes. It’s worth a visit and should be on your bucket list!

This detailed East Africa itinerary will help you plan your trip.

 

Day 1: Land in Arusha, transfer to hotel and rest. Head over to Lake Manyara National Park (2 hours drive away) and explore the park for another hour or two. Next, head over to Serengeti and stay the night there.

 

Day 2 & 3: Explore Serengeti

Wake up to Serengeti’s beautiful sunrise and enjoy a full day of game viewing! You can book a hot air balloon safari, horseback safari or a jeep safari. Make sure you go with a guide so you can see all the beautiful spots and the wildlife. The guides know the best spots to check out the wildlife.

Spend the night at a lodge in Serengeti.

 

Day 4: Wake up and head over to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Explore the beautiful area along with the Ngorongoro Crater that’s located here. You can easily spot the Big 5 here.

Spend the night here at one of the many lodges that you can find there.

 

Day 5 & 6: Wake up and head over to Arusha, book a flight to Zanzibar and then spend the next 2 days in Zanzibar. Day 4 will be spent discovering Stone tone whereas Day 5 will be spent indulging in watersports activities at Nungwi Beach. This will give you the relaxing break you need in the middle of your hectic safari. Head to Dar es Salaam from Zanzibar at the end of Day 5 and spend the night there.

 

Day 7: Explore Dar es Salaam for a few hours before catching a flight to Nairobi. Reach Nairobi and then relax in your hotel or explore the beautiful capital of Kenya. Make sure you check out the Nairobi Giraffe Center.

 

Day 8 & 9: Head over to Masai Mara National Park. Spend the night in the park. Explore it on /day 8. Spend another night here at Masai Mara.

Day 10: Wake up and then head over to Lake Nakuru National Park. Spend the day exploring the Park. Spend the night at Nakuru.

Day 11: Make your way to Aberdare National Park and spend the day at this beautiful park. After you’re done exploring the park, head over to Nairobi. Catch a flight to Kampala, Uganda. Spend the night there.

Day 12 & 13: Start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and spend your day there. Camp in the forest at night.

Day 14: Head back to Kampala and catch a flight back home!

 

This detailed itinerary will let you explore all the major tourist destinations of East Africa! You can modify it according to your own interests. If you’re more interested in trekking than going on a safari, you can add a Kilimanjaro trek to the list and skip Uganda altogether.

Make sure you plan your trip to East Africa during the dry season. For more information, check out the Best Time to Visit Tanzania in 2021.