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East Africa Safari
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18 days · 2 countries Updated Apr 2026

East Africa Safari

Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Cape Town → Kruger

"Two classic safari countries paired with one of the world's prettiest cities."

Time it for the Great Migration (July–October) and the Mara becomes one of the wildlife events of your life. Cape Town in the middle resets the trip with city food and wine; Kruger finishes you on the Big Five.

Best season

July–October for the Migration; year-round for South Africa

Budget

$350–600 per person per day (safari is the driver)

Pace

Slow — three to five nights per base

Best for

Wildlife travellers, photographers, milestone trips

Highlights

Headline experiences

  • Migration river crossing in the Mara
  • Hot-air balloon at sunrise over the savannah
  • Cable car up Table Mountain at sunset
  • Private-reserve game drives bordering Kruger

Gallery

A taste of the route

Maasai Mara at sunrise
Maasai Mara at sunrise
Lions in the long grass
Lions in the long grass
Cape Town from above
Cape Town from above
Elephants in Kruger
Elephants in Kruger

Day by day

  1. Days 1–2

    Nairobi

    Nairobi

    Giraffe Centre, David Sheldrick elephant orphanage, dinner at Talisman in Karen, then bush plane in the morning.

  2. Days 3–7

    Maasai Mara

    Maasai Mara

    Five nights of safari at peak migration. Hot-air balloon at sunrise on day five, sundowners on the savannah every night.

  3. Days 8–12

    Cape Town

    Cape Town

    Fly to South Africa via Johannesburg. Table Mountain, Cape Point, a wine-country day in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek.

  4. Add-on

    Garden Route drive

    Garden Route drive

    Pick up a hire car in Cape Town and head east along the N2 — Hermanus for whales, Knysna lagoon, Tsitsikamma's suspension bridges and bungee jump, ending in Plettenberg Bay. Three to four days, then fly out from George.

  5. Days 13–18

    Kruger National Park

    Kruger National Park

    Fly to Hoedspruit. Big Five game drives in private reserves like Sabi Sands or Timbavati — fewer vehicles, off-road permitted.

Connectivity

The eSIM + VPN combo for this trip

eSIM

Saily

Saily's Africa regional plan covers both Kenya and South Africa on one eSIM with surprisingly strong rural coverage.

Check Saily

VPN

NordVPN

South Africa has higher rates of cybercrime than most travel destinations. A VPN on hotel Wi-Fi is genuinely sensible.

Check NordVPN

Countries on this route