Interactive Season Guide

When Should You Go on Safari?

Click any month to see exactly where the herds are, what the weather is doing, and which camps still have availability.

July – October

The Mara River Crossings

Peak season. 1.5 million wildebeest mass on the Tanzania-Kenya border, building courage to cross the crocodile-infested Mara River. The most dramatic wildlife spectacle on Earth.

Weather
Dry, 12–24°C, cool mornings
Crowds
High — book 9–12 months ahead
Pricing
Peak — 40–60% premium over low season
Wildlife
Mara River crossings, predator action, lion hunts
Recommended Camps
Angama Mara, Mahali Pa Nyati, &Beyond Grumeti
River CrossingsPeak SeasonDrama
The Mara River Crossings
Best camps: Angama Mara
Signature Journeys

Six Experiences.
One Africa.

Each experience below is a complete journey — or a chapter in a longer one. Every detail is designed by our Nairobi team, inspected in person, and refined by guest journeys.

Wildebeest herds crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River during the Great Migration in Kenya
Wildlife Spectacle
5–10 nights·July – October·Kenya & Tanzania

The Great Wildebeest Migration

Follow 1.5 million wildebeest across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Witness dramatic river crossings, predator action, and the raw theatre of the African plains.

Explore This Journey
Mountain gorilla family in the misty rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Primate Encounters

Mountain Gorilla Trekking

Uganda & Rwanda · 3–5 nights · June – August · December – February

Traditional Swahili dhow sailing off a white-sand beach on the Kenya coast after a bush safari
Combination Journey

Bush to Beach

East Africa + Indian Ocean · 10–14 nights · Year-round

Lion resting in the golden grass of the Masai Mara during a Big Five safari game drive
Wildlife Safari

Big Five Safaris

4–8 nights

Maasai elder in traditional red shuka and beadwork leading a community-led cultural visit in Kenya
People & Culture

Cultural Journeys

Add-on

Couple sharing a private candlelit dinner under the stars on an African honeymoon safari
Celebrations & Romance

Honeymoon Safaris

7–12 nights

Specialist Add-Ons

Deepen Any Journey With a Focused Experience

Chimpanzee in the dense canopy of Kibale National Park, Uganda
Primate Encounters

Chimpanzee Tracking

Uganda & Rwanda

Leopard illuminated by spotlight during a night game drive in a private conservancy
Nocturnal Wildlife

Night Game Drives

Kenya, Tanzania, Laikipia

Narrow alleys and carved wooden doors of Stone Town, Zanzibar
Coastal Heritage

Swahili Coast City Tours

Zanzibar, Lamu, Mombasa

A family on a game drive vehicle watching lions in the Masai Mara
For Every Generation

Family Safaris

Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa

Table Mountain and the Cape Town coastline, part of a malaria-free South Africa itinerary
Health-Conscious Travel

Malaria-Free Safaris

South Africa (Western & Eastern Cape)

Wildebeest herds crossing the crocodile-infested Mara River during the Great Migration in Kenya
Best Time to Visit
July – October
Wildlife Spectacle

The Great Wildebeest Migration

The Greatest Wildlife Show on Earth — 365 Days of Drama

Follow 1.5 million wildebeest across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Witness dramatic river crossings, predator action, and the raw theatre of the African plains.

  • ◆Calving season (Jan–Feb): 500,000 newborns and wall-to-wall predator action in Ndutu
  • ◆Grumeti River crossings (Jun–Jul): first river crossing; enormous resident crocodiles
  • ◆Mara River crossings (Jul–Oct): the iconic moment; 1.5M animals crossing from Tanzania to Kenya
Kenya (Masai Mara)Tanzania (Serengeti, Ndutu)
Read the Full Guide
Mountain gorilla family in the misty rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda
Best Time to Visit
June – August · December – February
Primate Encounters

Mountain Gorilla Trekking

One Hour That Changes Everything — Bwindi & the Virungas

Spend one profound hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Uganda or Rwanda.

  • ◆One habituated gorilla family visited per trek — maximum 8 permits per family per day
  • ◆Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda — 459 gorillas; 19 habituated families; 4 trekking sectors
  • ◆Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda — most polished infrastructure; USD 1,500 permits
Uganda (Bwindi, Kibale, Mgahinga)Rwanda (Volcanoes National Park)
Read the Full Guide
Traditional Swahili dhow sailing off a white-sand beach on the Kenya coast after a bush safari
Best Time to Visit
Year-round
Combination Journey

Bush to Beach

Africa's Most Loved Itinerary Shape — Safari Then Sea

Combine Big Five game viewing with Indian Ocean relaxation.

  • ◆Kenya: Amboseli or Mara → Diani, Watamu, or Lamu — the definitive combination
  • ◆Tanzania: Serengeti + Ngorongoro → Zanzibar (Stone Town, Nungwi, Paje)
  • ◆Southern Africa: Botswana (Okavango + Chobe) → Mozambique or Seychelles
Kenya coast (Diani, Watamu, Lamu)ZanzibarSeychellesMozambique
Read the Full Guide
Lion resting in the golden grass of the Masai Mara during a Big Five safari game drive
Best Time to Visit
June – October
Wildlife Safari

Big Five Safaris

Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo & Rhino — Where to See Them All

Track lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino in private conservancies.

  • ◆Lion: Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Kruger, Hwange — near-daily sightings
  • ◆Leopard: Sabi Sand (Kruger buffer), Mara conservancies, Laikipia — world-class density
  • ◆Elephant: Amboseli (photography), Chobe (volume), Laikipia (habituated, close encounters)
KenyaTanzaniaSouth AfricaBotswanaZimbabwe
Read the Full Guide
Maasai elder in traditional red shuka and beadwork leading a community-led cultural visit in Kenya
Best Time to Visit
Year-round
People & Culture

Cultural Journeys

East Africa Beyond the Wildlife — Community, History & Living Tradition

Walk with Maasai warriors, explore Stone Town, and meet the people who make East Africa unforgettable.

  • ◆Maasai village visits — 2–3hrs, led by elders; community fee paid directly to village fund
  • ◆Stone Town, Zanzibar — guided medina walks with local historians, not hotel staff
  • ◆Lamu Archipelago — Kenya's most intact Swahili culture; UNESCO World Heritage
Kenya (Maasai Mara, Samburu, Lamu)ZanzibarRwanda (Kigali)Uganda (Bwindi, Kampala)
Read the Full Guide
Couple sharing a private candlelit dinner under the stars on an African honeymoon safari
Best Time to Visit
June – October · January – February
Celebrations & Romance

Honeymoon Safaris

Africa for Two — Private, Unhurried, Unforgettable

Private candlelit dinners in the bush, sunrise balloon rides, and secluded beach villas.

  • ◆Private vehicles and private guides throughout the safari — no shared vehicles
  • ◆Lodge selection: west-facing sundowner decks, plunge pools, free-standing baths in the bush
  • ◆Private bush dinners under the stars — set up by the camp team at a private location
KenyaTanzaniaBotswanaZanzibarSeychellesMozambique
Read the Full Guide
Chimpanzee in the dense canopy of Kibale National Park, Uganda
Best Time to Visit
June – August · December – February
Primate Encounters

Chimpanzee Tracking

Africa's Loudest, Fastest Primate Encounter — Kibale & Nyungwe

Follow a wild chimpanzee community through the canopy in Uganda's Kibale Forest or Rwanda's Nyungwe — noisier, faster, and very different from a gorilla trek.

  • ◆Kibale National Park, Uganda — highest primate density in Africa; 90%+ chimp-sighting success rate
  • ◆Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda — smaller, wilder community; genuinely low visitor numbers
  • ◆Chimpanzee habituation experience — up to 4 hours following a community still being acclimatised
Uganda (Kibale Forest)Rwanda (Nyungwe Forest)
Read the Full Guide
Leopard illuminated by spotlight during a night game drive in a private conservancy
Best Time to Visit
Year-round
Nocturnal Wildlife

Night Game Drives

The Bush After Dark — Leopard, Genet, and the Predators You Never See by Day

Spotlight-guided night drives through private conservancies reveal the nocturnal Africa that daytime game drives never show you.

  • ◆Only permitted in private conservancies — never inside national parks
  • ◆Dramatically improved leopard sightings — most active and easiest to find after dark
  • ◆Genet, civet, and aardvark — species rarely, if ever, seen on a daytime drive
Kenya (Laikipia, Mara Conservancies)Tanzania (select concessions)
Read the Full Guide
Narrow alleys and carved wooden doors of Stone Town, Zanzibar
Best Time to Visit
November – March
Coastal Heritage

Swahili Coast City Tours

Stone Town, Lamu & Mombasa — 700 Years of Trading History

Guided walks through Stone Town's UNESCO medina, Lamu's unhurried donkey-tracks, and Mombasa's Old Town Swahili architecture.

  • ◆Stone Town, Zanzibar — UNESCO World Heritage medina; carved doors, House of Wonders, spice tours
  • ◆Lamu Old Town — Kenya's most intact Swahili settlement; donkeys outnumber cars
  • ◆Fort Jesus, Mombasa — 16th-century Portuguese fortress and UNESCO site
Zanzibar (Stone Town)Kenya (Lamu, Mombasa)
Read the Full Guide
A family on a game drive vehicle watching lions in the Masai Mara
Best Time to Visit
June – October · December – February
For Every Generation

Family Safaris

Africa for Grandparents, Parents and Kids — Together

Family-vehicle exclusivity, junior ranger programmes, and camps built for children — a safari the whole family actually enjoys, not endures.

  • ◆Private-vehicle exclusivity for families with children under 6 — no shared game drives
  • ◆Junior ranger and cultural programmes at family-oriented camps
  • ◆Shorter game-drive blocks and built-in rest days, paced for children
KenyaTanzaniaSouth Africa (malaria-free option)
Read the Full Guide
Table Mountain and the Cape Town coastline, part of a malaria-free South Africa itinerary
Best Time to Visit
October – April
Health-Conscious Travel

Malaria-Free Safaris

Cape Town, Winelands & the Garden Route — No Prophylaxis Required

A genuinely malaria-free South African circuit — Big Five viewing, Table Mountain, and world-class wine country, without antimalarial medication.

  • ◆Cape Town — Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula, Boulders Beach penguins
  • ◆Cape Winelands — Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, 45 minutes from Cape Town
  • ◆Garden Route — 300km of coastline, forest, and whale watching (Jun–Nov)
South Africa (Cape Town, Winelands, Garden Route)
Read the Full Guide
Ready to Begin

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calls to you most.

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