Mist over the vast floor of the Ngorongoro Crater at sunrise

Destinations

Safari Destinations Across East Africa

The parks, reserves and conservation areas we know first-hand — and when to visit each one.

Tanzania

Tanzania Safari Destinations

Zebra herds spread across the open Serengeti plains at dawnTanzania

Serengeti National Park

Tanzania's most famous park — endless plains, granite kopjes and the stage for the Great Migration.

Wildlife highlights
Lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, hyena
Main attractions
Seronera valley, Grumeti and Mara rivers, southern calving plains, kopje landscapes
Best time to visit
June to October for dry-season game viewing; January to March for calving
Recommended duration
3–4 nights
Plan This Destination
Morning mist over the vast floor of the Ngorongoro CraterTanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

A collapsed volcanic caldera holding one of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa.

Wildlife highlights
Lion, black rhino, elephant, buffalo, flamingo, hyena
Main attractions
Crater floor game drives, Lake Magadi, crater rim viewpoints, Maasai communities
Best time to visit
Year-round; mornings are best on the crater floor
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination
Elephants walking beneath giant baobab trees in Tarangire National ParkTanzania

Tarangire National Park

Baobab-studded landscapes and some of the largest elephant herds in East Africa.

Wildlife highlights
Elephant, lion, leopard, giraffe, eland, tree-climbing python, over 500 bird species
Main attractions
Tarangire River, baobab groves, Silale swamps
Best time to visit
June to October when wildlife concentrates along the river
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
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Leopard resting in a tree in northern TanzaniaTanzania

Lake Manyara National Park

A narrow strip of groundwater forest, floodplain and soda lake beneath the Rift Valley escarpment.

Wildlife highlights
Tree-climbing lion, elephant, baboon troops, hippo, flamingo
Main attractions
Groundwater forest, hippo pools, escarpment views, night game drives
Best time to visit
July to October for game viewing; November to May for birdlife
Recommended duration
1 night or a day visit
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Safari vehicle on a track in southern TanzaniaTanzania

Nyerere National Park

Tanzania's vast southern wilderness on the Rufiji River, ideal for boat safaris and walking.

Wildlife highlights
Lion, wild dog, elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile
Main attractions
Rufiji River boat safaris, walking safaris, remote wilderness
Best time to visit
June to October
Recommended duration
2–3 nights
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Open plains and baobabs in Ruaha National ParkTanzania

Ruaha National Park

Rugged, remote and dramatic — Tanzania's largest national park with exceptional predator sightings.

Wildlife highlights
Large lion prides, leopard, wild dog, elephant, greater and lesser kudu
Main attractions
Great Ruaha River, baobab landscapes, low visitor numbers
Best time to visit
June to October
Recommended duration
2–3 nights
Plan This Destination
Flamingos on a shallow soda lake in the Rift ValleyTanzania

Lake Natron

A stark soda lake beneath Ol Doinyo Lengai, and a key breeding site for lesser flamingos.

Wildlife highlights
Lesser flamingo, waterbirds
Main attractions
Waterfalls, volcano treks, dramatic Rift Valley scenery
Best time to visit
June to October
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination
Community members walking across open plains at sunriseTanzania

Lake Eyasi

A Rift Valley lake known for cultural encounters with the Hadzabe and Datoga communities.

Wildlife highlights
Birdlife, small game
Main attractions
Cultural visits, lake landscapes, guided walks
Best time to visit
Year-round
Recommended duration
1 night
Plan This Destination

Kenya

Kenya Safari Destinations

Cheetah on the grasslands of the Maasai Mara National ReserveKenya

Maasai Mara

Kenya's flagship reserve — rolling grasslands, dense predator populations and the Mara River crossings.

Wildlife highlights
Lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant, wildebeest, zebra, hippo
Main attractions
Mara River crossings, big cat viewing, hot air balloon safaris, Maasai culture
Best time to visit
July to October for the migration; excellent year-round
Recommended duration
2–3 nights
Plan This Destination
Elephant herd crossing open plains with distant mountainsKenya

Amboseli

Famous for large elephant herds framed by the snows of Kilimanjaro.

Wildlife highlights
Elephant, lion, cheetah, giraffe, wildebeest, abundant birdlife
Main attractions
Kilimanjaro views, Observation Hill, swamps and marshes
Best time to visit
June to October and January to February
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination
Red dust plains and open bush in Tsavo, KenyaKenya

Tsavo

Kenya's largest wilderness, split into Tsavo East and Tsavo West, known for red-dusted elephants.

Wildlife highlights
Elephant, lion, buffalo, lesser kudu, hirola
Main attractions
Mzima Springs, Yatta Plateau, Lugard Falls
Best time to visit
June to October and January to February
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination
Leopard in dry northern Kenyan bushKenya

Samburu

Semi-arid northern Kenya, home to species found nowhere else in the country.

Wildlife highlights
Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, beisa oryx, leopard
Main attractions
Ewaso Ng'iro River, Samburu culture, dramatic arid scenery
Best time to visit
June to October and December to March
Recommended duration
2 nights
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Freshwater Rift Valley lake with birdlife and fever treesKenya

Lake Naivasha

A freshwater Rift Valley lake ideal for boat trips, walking safaris and birdwatching.

Wildlife highlights
Hippo, giraffe, buffalo, fish eagle, over 400 bird species
Main attractions
Boat safaris, Crescent Island walks, Hell's Gate National Park
Best time to visit
Year-round
Recommended duration
1 night
Plan This Destination

Uganda

Uganda Safari Destinations

Mountain gorilla in the dense forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National ParkUganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Ancient montane rainforest sheltering roughly half the world's mountain gorillas.

Wildlife highlights
Mountain gorilla, forest elephant, colobus monkey, over 350 bird species
Main attractions
Gorilla trekking, forest walks, Batwa cultural experiences
Best time to visit
June to August and December to February are drier
Recommended duration
2–3 nights
Plan This Destination
Volcanic peaks rising above forest in the Virunga rangeUganda

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Uganda's smallest park, set among the Virunga volcanoes, with gorillas and golden monkeys.

Wildlife highlights
Mountain gorilla, golden monkey, buffalo, forest birds
Main attractions
Volcano hikes, golden monkey tracking, Batwa trail
Best time to visit
June to August and December to February
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination
Big cat resting in savannah grass in western UgandaUganda

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Uganda's most popular savannah park, spanning crater lakes, grassland and the Kazinga Channel.

Wildlife highlights
Tree-climbing lion of Ishasha, elephant, hippo, buffalo, chimpanzee
Main attractions
Kazinga Channel boat cruise, Ishasha sector, crater drives
Best time to visit
June to September and December to February
Recommended duration
2 nights
Plan This Destination
The Nile forcing through the narrow gorge of Murchison Falls, UgandaUganda

Murchison Falls National Park

Uganda's largest park, where the Nile squeezes through a narrow gorge and thunders into the valley below.

Wildlife highlights
Elephant, lion, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, shoebill
Main attractions
Boat trip to the falls base, top-of-the-falls hike, delta cruises
Best time to visit
December to February and June to September
Recommended duration
2 nights
Plan This Destination
Wild chimpanzee in the canopy of Kibale Forest, UgandaUganda

Kibale Forest National Park

The premier chimpanzee tracking destination in East Africa, with 13 primate species.

Wildlife highlights
Chimpanzee, red colobus, L'Hoest's monkey, forest elephant
Main attractions
Chimpanzee tracking, habituation experience, Bigodi wetland walk
Best time to visit
June to September and December to February
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination
Terraced green hills surrounding a highland lakeUganda

Lake Bunyonyi

A tranquil island-scattered highland lake, perfect for resting after gorilla trekking.

Wildlife highlights
Otter, birdlife
Main attractions
Canoe trips, island visits, terraced hillside walks
Best time to visit
Year-round
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination

Rwanda

Rwanda Safari Destinations

Misty volcanoes above terraced farmland in Volcanoes National Park, RwandaRwanda

Volcanoes National Park

Rwanda's gorilla trekking home in the Virunga mountains, easily reached from Kigali.

Wildlife highlights
Mountain gorilla, golden monkey, buffalo
Main attractions
Gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, Dian Fossey hike, volcano climbs
Best time to visit
June to September and December to February
Recommended duration
2 nights
Plan This Destination
Elephants and open savannah beside a lakeRwanda

Akagera National Park

Rwanda's savannah park of lakes and rolling plains, now home to the Big Five.

Wildlife highlights
Lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, hippo
Main attractions
Lake Ihema boat trip, game drives, birdwatching
Best time to visit
June to September
Recommended duration
1–2 nights
Plan This Destination
Chimpanzee in dense rainforest canopyRwanda

Nyungwe National Park

One of Africa's oldest rainforests, famous for chimpanzees and a forest canopy walkway.

Wildlife highlights
Chimpanzee, colobus monkey, forest birds
Main attractions
Canopy walkway, chimpanzee tracking, waterfall trails, tea estates
Best time to visit
June to September and December to February
Recommended duration
2 nights
Plan This Destination
Warm East African light over open countryside near KigaliRwanda

Kigali

A clean, welcoming capital and a natural start or finish to any Rwanda journey.

Wildlife highlights
—
Main attractions
Genocide Memorial, art and craft cooperatives, markets, city viewpoints, dining
Best time to visit
Year-round
Recommended duration
1 night
Plan This Destination
Dramatic African sunset over the savannah with a silhouetted acacia tree and giraffes

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