Kenya & Tanzania Vegan Safari 2024

Prepare to be awestruck as a breathtaking natural spectacle unfolds before your eyes. During this vegan tour you’ll have the opportunity to witness thousands of wildebeest and zebras thundering across vast grasslands, lions on the prowl, herds of elephants traversing the savannah, and elusive leopards hidden in the shadows.

In addition to that, you’ll also get to stay at Kenya’s first carbon-neutral camp, Emboo River. During our stay you’ll enjoy silent safaris in solar powered vehicles (better for the environment & the animals), delicious vegan meals with organic ingredients from their hydroponic farm, and so much more.

You ready to go…? Scroll down to reserve your spot!

Trip Length: 10 days / 9 nights

Start Location: Nairobi, Kenya

End Location: Arusha, Tanzania

Group Size: Max 12 people

Meals: 9 breakfasts, 8 lunches, & 9 dinners are included

Accommodations: Hotels & safari camps

Trip Dates: July 28 – August 6, 2024

Trip Price: $7,320

Single Supplement: $900

Deposit Deadline: April 29, 2024

Tour Highlights

Loads of amazing activities: Exploring the Great Rift Valley, many game drive opportunities (in Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara, & Serengeti National Park) & visit Tepesua Village, home of the Maasai people & much more (you can view the whole itinerary below)!
We will be visiting the Masai Mara during the Great Migration, which is a continuous, year-round movement animals, but the most dramatic and well-known phase of this event occurs from July to October. During this period, vast herds of wildebeests and zebras cross the Mara River in search of fresh grazing lands in the Maasai Mara.
Opportunities to book a hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara & Serengeti National Park.
A private local guide throughout the trip.
All hotel accommodations (including a stay at Kenya’s first carbon-neutral & super vegan-friendly camp).
All transportation & round-trip airport transfers (International airfare is not included).

zebras grazing in the african savanah while a blue hot air balloon glides above them

a mother rhino with her baby standing in the dusty grass and sun in the african savanah

a pack of cheetahs snuggled up together in the tall grasses in africa

Tour Itinerary

Check out the daily activities for this exciting itinerary. Please note, the itinerary is subject to change. We always have to remain flexible for weather, closures, and random things that are out of our control!

Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi

Meals included: Welcome Dinner

Jambo! Welcome to Kenya. Your adventure begins with a welcome reception at the airport. Upon arrival, you will be met by a professional representative. After clearing with the immigration processes, you will then be escorted to your waiting vehicle then be transferred to the hotel for check in to the hotel with rest of the afternoon at leisure.

Depending on the time of arrival, rest of the day at leisure. This evening you’ll have a welcome dinner together with the tour guide.

Optional Activities:

Kiambethu tea farm – USD 55 (minimum of 4 pax)
Karen Blixen museum – USD 30
Kazuri beads – USD 10
Nairobi – Langata Giraffe Sanctuary – USD 35
Half day Nairobi city tour – USD 55

Accommodation:
Sarova Panafric Hotel

Day 2: Lake Nakuru National Park

Destination: Nairobi – Lake Nakuru National Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart Nairobi after breakfast and head north, driving along the escarpment of the Great Rift Valley (approximately 4 hours of driving in total) and on to Nakuru. Arrive in time for check in & lunch. Thereafter, proceed for an afternoon game drive in the park. You might see why this great soda lake has been described as the world’s greatest ornithological spectacle; it amazingly turns into a sea of pink on occasion. Flooding in recent years has unfortunately caused a decline in birdlife. The park boasts substantial numbers of other species, including waterbuck, reedbuck, and gazelle. Return to the lodge with rest of the evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Included Activities:
Lake Nakuru 4 x 4 game drive

Accommodation:
Lake Nakuru Lodge

Day 3: Maasai Mara

Destination: Lake Nakuru National Park – Maasai Mara
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast at the lodge. Thereafter, check out and head to Maasai Mara. Pass by the remote region of Loita Hills, home of the Maasai people. This is one of few places where they still practice their traditional way of life with little influence from the western world. Stop at Tepesua Village where you’ll be welcomed by Maasai Warriors through traditional song and dance.

Meet your Maasai hosts, take a walk to the community village and enjoy a fascinating talk full of insights into this ancient culture. The village offers support, safety, and economic growth through the ‘Tepesua Widows Income Project,’ where widowed women sew eco-friendly handicrafts to sell to visitors and locals.

Tepesua Village is known for championing Maasai women’s health and education. Learn about village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home. Take a walk to the community village which was founded to alleviate the poverty of Maasai widows, who traditionally are not allowed to inherit property.

Drive on to Maasai Mara Game Reserve. On arrival, proceed to your camp, arriving for check in and lunch. Thereafter, head out for an afternoon game drive in 4 x 4 cruiser. The Masai Mara is the quintessential African experience, with sparse open plains, dramatic skies, and some of the world’s most tremendous animals. Here lies arguably one of the finest game reserves on the continent. This is the land of the famed and fated annual migration of wildebeest.

Included Activities

Loita Hills – Cultural talk and village visit.
Afternoon Maasai Mara game drive in 4 x 4 cruiser

Accommodation
Emboo River Camp (river room)

Day 4: Maasai Mara

Destination: Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Rise a little before dawn to begin your morning game drive. As the sun rises, you shouldn’t have any trouble spotting wildlife, as this is often one of the most active times of the day for animals.

After what is hopefully an exciting morning’s drive, you will return to the camp for lunch and to relax during the heat of the day. Set off again in the afternoon – this time you can expect to return to the camp at around sunset. Depending on wildlife movements, you may not return to the camp in the middle of the day, making for one full game drive instead (in this case you will stop for a picnic lunch).

Once you return to the camp there is an option to go back out and visit a Maasai Village. These visits can be fascinating to learn about the different culture and way of life of traditional Maasai people.

An optional balloon ride over the Masai Mara at sunrise is highly recommended, an unforgettable experience for many travelers. Enjoy a balloon ride over the Mara. Glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, enjoying amazing photo opportunities. Upon landing, you’ll be treated to a bush breakfast before returning to your vehicle.

Note: The hot air balloon ride is a popular activity with limited places, so it’s offered as a pre-booked activity which guarantees you a place. If you choose to wait and book this activity locally on the ground, you may risk missing out on a place.

Included Activities

Morning 4 x 4 game drive
Afternoon 4 x 4 game drive

Optional Activity:
Hot air balloon safari – $ 500 (to ensure availability this need to be pre-booked)

Accommodation
Emboo River Camp (river room)

Day 5: Maasai Mara

Destination: Maasai Mara Game Reserve
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast at the camp. Thereafter day spent in the Mara with full day game drives. You’ll explore this diverse environment and most likely see a multitude of wildlife. An optional balloon ride over the Mara at sunrise is an unforgettable experience.

If you have pre-booked this, you will be picked up before dawn and driven to the launch site for a safety briefing from your pilot. Then you will glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, which provides amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you will ascend, getting an overview of the enormity of the plains and of the early morning movements of the teeming herds. After landing, you’ll be treated to a bush breakfast, then be returned to your camp.

Note: The balloon ride is offered as a pre-booked service which will guarantee you a place. If you would rather wait and try to get a better price by booking this locally on the ground, you are welcome to, but keep in mind that this is a popular activity and places are limited.

Included Activities

Morning 4 x 4 game drive
Afternoon 4 x 4 game drive

Optional Activity:
Balloon safari – $ 500

Accommodation:
Emboo River Camp (river room)

Day 6: Lake Victoria – Musoma

Destination: Masai Mara – L. Victoria (Musoma)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast at the Camp. Thereafter, check out and drive to the shores of Lake Victoria – Musoma. There will be a brief stopover in Kisii for a visit to understand the work and art of soapstone carving in a local workshop.

Drive further to Kenya – Tanzania and on to the town of Musoma. This is not only Africa’s largest lake – it’s the largest tropical lake in the world. Its shores are shared by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. There are plenty of activities to choose from while
you’re here. You can visit an African marketplace for a chance to interact with the people of Musoma.

Optional Activities:

Walks to the market & Butiama village (FOC for in-house guests)
Visit to Mwalimu Nyerere Museum (FOC)
Sundowner – USD 25

Accommodation
Mwitongo Lodge Butiama

Day 7: Serengeti National Park

Destination: Musoma – Serengeti National Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast at the lodge. Thereafter, check out, head on to the Serengeti National Park (approximately 3 hours). Enjoy an enroute drive on your way to the camp arriving for check in followed by lunch. Later, proceed for a game drive, expect to come back to the camp at dusk for dinner and overnight.

These ‘Endless Plains’ span some 14,700 square kilometers, but their main claim to fame is 3 million or so animals. The games most likely to be seen in the Serengeti are the wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, lion, cheetah, warthog, hyena, hippo, and ostrich.

You’ll take a game drive en route to your camp and watch the landscape change within the park from the vast treeless central plains to thick scrub and forest in the north. Linking these areas is the savannah, dotted with acacia trees and magnificent rock outcrops. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy a real safari camp experience with modern comforts.

Included Activity:
Afternoon 4 x 4 Cruiser game drives

Accommodation:
Acacia Central Camp

Day 8: Serengeti National Park

Destination: Serengeti National Park
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start around sunrise for a morning game drive and follow that up later with an afternoon game drive, as the animals tend to be more active in the cooler hours of the day. You will usually return to camp during the hotter hours in the middle of the day, where you will enjoy a hearty meal, relax, and maybe take a siesta.

The seemingly endless Serengeti Plains capture the essence of Africa. They are home to massive numbers of grazing animals and various predators, and the interaction between the many species often provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the world.

Depending on wildlife movements and opportunities for sightings, the drive may continue through lunch and last all day. In this case, you will return to the camp in the late afternoon.

Included Activities:

Morning game drive – Serengeti National Park
Afternoon game drive – Serengeti National Park

Optional Activity:
Balloon ride – $ 599

Accommodation:
Acacia Central Camp or similar

Day 9: Ngoro Ngoro Conservation Area

Destination: Serengeti National Park – Ngoro Ngoro Conservation Area
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast at the camp. Thereafter check out and drive for about 1 hr. to arrive at Ngoro Ngoro where you will proceed to explore the world-renowned Ngoro Ngoro Crater, widely regarded as a microcosm of natural habitats in Africa and often touted as a veritable Garden of Eden. Within this crater lies every type of ecosystem, including riverine forests, open plains, freshwater, and alkaline lakes. Ngoro Ngoro Crater is the remnants of an ancient volcano caldera, and within its 300 square kilometers is a remarkable concentration of wildlife.

The scenery is spectacular as you descend almost 600 meters down to the crater floor. There is every chance that you will see a considerable variety of wildlife in this compact area, including the highly endangered black rhinoceros.

In the afternoon, you will leave the crater and proceed to Karatu for the night. (National Park regulations stipulate that vehicles are only allowed a maximum of six hours in Ngoro Ngoro Crater.) The late afternoon can be spent relaxing at the lodge, enjoying the wonderful views.

Included Activity:
Ngoro Ngoro Crater tour

Accommodation:
The Castle at Ngorongoro or similar

Day 10: Adios!

Destination: Karatu – Arusha – Depart
Meals included: Breakfast.

Breakfast at the lodge. Thereafter, check out and on to Arusha. Hopefully, there will be clear skies and fantastic views of the mountain from the road. Drop off in Arusha at Kilimanjaro airport for your homebound flight depending on the flight timings.
If you would like to extend your safari, we’ll happily organize additional services for you (subject to availability).

Reserve Your Spot

FAQ’s

I’m solo, is there a single supplement?

Yes, the single supplement is $900. We can also try and room you with another single passenger if you’d like to save you some cash. Also note, single rooms might not be available or only available for an additional fee at Emboo Camp. We’re working on those details.

Is travel insurance required?

Travel insurance is required for the tour and must include emergency repatriation. We’re happy to provide you with a recommendation or help you book it. If you plan to include a cancel for any reason policy with the insurance, you must purchase it within 15 days of making the trip deposit. You will need to provide proof of insurance at the group meeting on day 1.

I have a friend who wants to come but they aren’t vegan. Will there be non-vegan food options?

We prioritize ensuring that vegan options are the focus for all included meals. Many places will have non-vegan options but those would be available to them at an additional cost. There are also a few meals that aren’t included and your friend could choose whatever they like then!

Do I need a visa to enter Kenya or Tanzania?

Yes, visas are required for both destinations and you must apply for the Kenya visa in advance and we encourage that for Tanzania as well.

Kenya visas are no longer being issued on arrival. If you require a visa, it is mandatory that you hold a Kenyan electronic visa (e-visa) prior to departure.

Apply here

Should you require a letter of invitation or list of hotel confirmations for your application, please let us know, and we will issue one tailored to your departure.

Single-entry visas allow for multiple entries into Kenya for a period of 90 days, provided you have not left East Africa. E-Visas can take at least 48 hours to process. Visitors will then be required to present their printed e-Visa upon entry to Kenya. If you are travelling on one of our itineraries that leaves and re-enters Kenya, you will need to take multiple copies of your e-Visa – one to present at each border crossing.

TANZANIA:
An E-Visa can be obtained by clicking here. While most applications are approved within two weeks, we recommend allowing extra time to ensure you have received your visa before departure.

Should you require a letter of invitation or list of hotel confirmations for your application, please let us know, and we will issue one tailored to your specific tour and departure.

To review entry requirements you can also, click here.

What is the deadline to reserve my spot?

A non-refundable deposit (if you cancel it can be moved to another tour), is due by April 29, 2024. Final payment for the trip is due May 14th, 2024.

What’s not included in the tour price?

– Round-trip international airfare
– Visa fees
– Possibly city taxes; sometimes, these are assessed at the hotels.
– Additional activities that aren’t included
– Additional meals that aren’t included
– Beer/wine/cocktails
– Gratuities
– Travel insurance

Are kids allowed on the tour?

Unfortunately, this itinerary isn’t suited for young kids. The age requirement is 16 years old and up.

Are Covid-19 or any other vaccines required?

Currently, Covid-19 vaccines aren’t required for entry to Kenya or Tanzania (if coming from the US), but you could be pulled for random testing upon arrival.

Yellow fever is required for Kenya.

For other vaccines, the CDC and WHO recommend the following for Kenya: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, cholera, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia and influenza.

It’s also good to check the US State Department to determine what, if anything, is required. We encourage all travelers to chat with their doctor before traveling to asses individual needs as everyone’s health is different.

Are there things I should keep in mind before booking a trip like this?

Yes!
– Camping in the Serengeti National Park with no barriers between you and the animals is amazing, but it’s important to heed the safety advice of your leader. You’ll be briefed on arrival.
– This is an overland trip. That means you’ll be travelling with a group in a purpose-built vehicle, visiting remote communities. While the trucks don’t have air conditioning, they do have sliding windows which let in the breeze and make it even easier to take spectacular snaps of the local wildlife. The drive days can be long, but it’s as much about the journey as the destination, and half the fun is the camaraderie.
– As the early bird catches the worm, the early camper sights the animals. There will be many early starts either to make use of the better safari time or to beat the morning traffic on long travel days.
– There might be times when the food options are more simple.

Need Other Travel Help?

I can help! If this gorgeous trip to East Africa doesn’t work for you but you’d like help creating a trip somewhere else, reach out! I offer vegan-friendly and sustainable travel planning services.