The Best of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, and Zanzibar 2025

Airline: Kenya Airways

New York to Nairobi

• Date: October 3, 2025

• Flight #: KQ3 

• Depart: New York (JFK) at 1:45 PM

• Arrive: Nairobi (NBO) at 10:45 AM+1 Oct 4

You will be picked up from the airport and transferred to Nairobi City to your hotel. Check-in to the hotel and enjoy the afternoon at leisure. Depending on your time of arrival, your rooms may or may not be ready.

Lunch is on your own at the hotel.

After some time to relax and freshen up, tonight you will have a Meet & Greet and Welcome Dinner with your Tour Leaders and fellow travelers at the nearby Sarova Stanley Hotel.

Hotel: Sarova Panafric Nairobi or similar
Meals: Welcome Dinner

Today, you will have the unique opportunity to see some of Kenya's most iconic wildlife up close. You’ll start your day by visiting Nairobi National Park, the only National Park in the world located within a capital city. The tour begins with a game drive through the park, where you can see lions, buffalos, and other African animals in their natural habitat.

Then, it's off to the Giraffe Center, where you can feed and observe these gentle giants up close. The center is involved in giraffe conservation programs in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa.

It also has a gift shop and an educational facility where visitors can learn more about these magnificent animals.

Later in the evening, enjoy dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant. Your transfer from the hotel to the restaurant will be staged the Nairobi way: Matatu with live music onboard. Enjoy the Kenyan way of local transport.

Hotel: Sarova Panafric Nairobi or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Today you will bid farewell to Nairobians and proceed to Arusha via the Namanga Border. You will travel by private coach bus from Kenya to Tanzania. The ride is about 5 – 6 hours, including comfort stops.

Upon arrival in Arusha, Tanzania in the late afternoon, you will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch you’ll head to Maasai Market. The Maasai Market is a haven for those who love street shopping. Located near the Arusha Clock Tower, visitors are in for a treat with more than 100 stalls that sell everything from local arts, souvenirs to quirky jewelry. A must-visit, this colorful market is ideal for those who love to bargain.

Optional Beadwork Session at Sanaa: Is a workshop where people with disabilities have the opportunity to enhance and strengthen their unstoppable talents by creating unique handmade pieces, giving them a life purpose and dignity. Sanaa’s mission is to empower people with disabilities through art with the purpose of giving back to the communities of Tanzania.

Later in the afternoon you will then be transferred to your hotel where you’ll check in and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure to relax. Your hotel is a luxury property with a beautiful pool, serene spa, and lovely grounds. There are several restaurants on site where you can choose to have dinner. Why not end the night with cocktails on the rooftop bar overlooking the city

Hotel: Gran Melia Arusha or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Today after breakfast, you will start your day with a A half-day tour of the town. A sampling of the local food and of course a chance to learn & taste banana beer adds a unique taste of local flavor.
A short tuk tuk ride & short walk is included. You will start your visit to Maasai Market, followed by a visit to Shanga.

The Maasai Market is a haven for those who love street shopping. Located near the Arusha Clock Tower, visitors are in for a treat with more than 100 stalls that sell everything from local arts, souvenirs to quirky jewelry. A must-visit, this colorful market is ideal for those who love to bargain.

Shanga is a remarkable social enterprise. It combines a successful business model with a strong social impact, creating unique, high-quality handmade crafts while employing and empowering people with disabilities. Shanga is the Swahili word for bead and this tour gives artistically minded travelers the opportunity to work with beautiful glass beads while supporting an income- generating initiative for the disabled.

After the visit, you will proceed to Mto wa Mbu area for your cultural excursion with traditional lunch. Mto Wa Mbu Village offers a very rare experience for visitors! Around 120 tribes reside in the village - it's a cross-cultural melting pot with probably the most exotic mix of languages and customs found anywhere in Tanzania. While enjoying this visit to the village, you'll be in the heart of the Northern Safari Circuit in Tanzania. Time spent here will be a welcome respite from your safari activities. Mto Wa Mbu Village is very close to Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Park in the Great Rift Valley. The village is surrounded by magnificent scenery situated on the main road leading to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area.

Mto Wa Mbu Village has a very active cultural program that seeks to show its visitors the villagers’ traditional way of life through various activities, and also showcase the range of community projects that are in place. You can visit the top spots in the area, indulge in Tanzanian cuisine, and experience authentic cultural interaction.

Your day will end after visiting African Galleria which is among the biggest collection of typical African Artists heritage. African Galleria is a combination of a workshop and a contemporary art gallery dedicated to the promotion of African art; seeking exposure through tourists and travelers who arrive daily in Tanzania. African Galleria invests in creativity and innovation, and connects artists with other artists and professionals and to create unique and competitive pieces to the world of fine art.

Then after the visit you will proceed to Acacia Farm Lodge for your dinner and overnight stay.

Hotel: Acacia Farm Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will proceed to Lake Eyasi to visit the Hadzabe tribe. The Hadza are a modern hunter-gatherer people living in northern Tanzania. They are considered one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes in Africa with approximately 1,300 tribe members. Their native homeland includes the Eyasi Valley and nearby hills. The Hadza remain an important study focus for anthropologists, as they represent a modern link to ways of human existence and survival largely abandoned by most of humanity.

As a hunter-gatherer society, the Hadza have no domesticated livestock, nor do they grow or store their own food. The Hadza survive by hunting their food with hand-made bows and arrows and foraging for edible plants. The Hadza diet is primarily plant-based but also consists of meat, fat, and honey. They create temporary shelters of dried grass and branches, and they own few possessions.

The Hadza speak a unique language known as Hadzane, which incorporates clicking and popping sounds as well as more familiar sounds. According to their own history, which they preserve through oral tradition, the Hadza have lived in their current environment bordering the Serengeti plains since their first days as a unique group. This is relatively close to the spot where Homo habilis, one of the earliest hominids, lived 1.9 million years ago. Genetically, the Hadza shows as having one of the oldest lineages of contemporary humans.

Later in the afternoon, you will then be transferred to your lodge in Karatu for lunch. You will have your afternoon at leisure. Dinner will also be at the lodge this evening.

Optional Activities at the Lodge: Guided nature walk around the property, biking, traditional dance lesson, or painting can be arranged.

Hotel: Acacia Farm Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy an early morning breakfast before you start your descent into the crater. The Ngorongoro Crater in Northern Tanzania, once a gigantic volcano, is the largest intact caldera in the world.

Some say that before it erupted, it would have been higher than Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

Today, long since it collapsed and eroded, the volcano is an extensive highland area with the famous 600m deep Ngorongoro Crater as its focal point. Nearly three million years old, the ancient caldera shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth. After your half day game drive, you will then enjoy your lunch at the crater floor, a place with a natural spring, the Nguitoktok spring.

After lunch, you will exit the crater and proceed to the famous Serengeti National Park. You will enjoy a game drive enroute to your hotel located in the Serengeti. This is a long day of driving, but well-worth the amazing once-in-a-lifetime safari experience!

Dinner will be at your hotel this evening.
 

Note: Melia Serengeti Lodge is an all-inclusive resort

Hotel: Melia Serengeti Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast or an early morning hot air balloon ride, you set out for a game drive / safari, including a lovely bush lunch within the Serengeti National Park. Once again, this is your opportunity to spot the BIG FIVE!

In the late afternoon you return to the hotel and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

Dinner is at the hotel.

Hotel: Melia Serengeti Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today, you will have an early start in the endless plains of Serengeti. After breakfast at the hotel, you will then proceed to Seronera Airstrip, with a game drive enroute, for your onward flight to Zanzibar (flight time is about 1 hour and 35 minutes).

Arrive in Zanzibar and transfer to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure

Note: Mora Zanzibar is an all-inclusive resort

Hotel: Mora Zanzibar or similar 
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Azam Marina to start your Indian Ocean Adventure on the boat.

You will have a private guide who will transport you on a journey to various hotspots in Zanzibar. You will enjoy the rich history of several islands around Zanzibar Urban West. You can spend the entire excursion relaxing and enjoying the company of your travel companions on the boat. Or, if you're interested in snorkeling or swimming, your crew shall provide a tender boat to take you to the nearby reef, islands, or sand banks to enjoy the serene waters of the Indian Ocean. (Note: you must be able to navigate from the boat to a raft-style tender to go swimming or snorkeling).

You will enjoy a delicious lunch onboard, specially prepared by our private chef. Let the rhythm of Tanzanian Bongo Flavour or your favorite play list entertain you while you glide across the beautiful blue waters.

After a sunset cruise around the Stone Town area, you will return to the dock and be transferred back to your hotel.

Dinner will be at the hotel.

Hotel: Mora Zanzibar or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will have the FULL DAY at leisure.

Optional Leisure activities are offered by the resort.

This evening enjoy a Farewell Dinner with your fellow travelers at the resort.

Hotel: Mora Zanzibar or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Farewell Dinner

Today after breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and head out on excursions.

We do understand today is your last day in Zanzibar and we are glad you will be able to do some final shopping while immersing yourself in the rich Zanzibar culture. You will start your journey with a tour of one of Zanzibar's world-famous spice farms. Along the way, you will learn about the rich history of the island. Sailors from the ancient times reported the islands full of aromas, and Arab merchants traveled as early as the eighth century to Pemba and Unguja, the islands that make up Zanzibar, for spices. You will learn how the island got its nickname in the 15th century, and also learn about growing and harvesting spice plants.

Today you will also experience Zanzibar traditional cooking class and traditional dances.

Our next stop will be the fruit market, which opened in 1904, with its variety of tropical fruits and spices.

This will be followed by visiting the Anglican Cathedral at Mkunazini, which was built in 1874 on the site of the former slave market. Your local guide will tell you about the city's slave history and show you the dungeons where the slaves were kept and the place where slaves were auctioned.

You will end your stay in Zanzibar with a short walking tour and shopping in Stone Town. With a refreshing walk in the narrow streets, we will explore the old houses, most of which are older than 150 years. Time permitting, you'll be able to do some last-minute shopping in the local shops and markets you pass along the way.

After the tour, you will be transferred to Abeid Amani Karume International Airport for your flight back home.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Zanzibar to New York

• Date: October 14, 2025

• Flight #: PW733

• Depart: Zanzibar (ZNZ) at 7:00 PM

• Arrive: Nairobi (NBO) at 8:40 PM

Layover in Nairobi

• Date: October 14, 2025

• Flight #: KQ2

• Depart: Nairobi (NBO) at 11:35 PM

• Arrive: New York (JFK) at 7:35 AM+1 October 15

WELCOME HOME!

Full Package Price

$8,499 per person
(double occupancy)

$9,249 per person 
(single occupancy)

Land Only Package 
(flights and transfers NOT included)

$7,299 per person
(double occupancy)

$8,049 per person 
(single occupancy)

Note: In the Land Only package you will make your own flight arrangements and transportation to/from the hotel upon arrival and departure. Overton Travel can assist you with these arrangements upon request.

Payment Schedule

• Deposit: Due at time of booking: $500 (non-refundable)
• Installment #1: January 15, 2025  
• Installment #2: February 15, 2025  
• Installment #3: March 15, 2025     
• Installment #4: April 15, 2025     
• Installment #5: May 15, 2025      
• Installment #6: June 15, 2025          
• Installment #7: Final Payment Date: June 30, 2025  Remaining Balance

Airline: Kenya Airways

New York to Nairobi

• Date: October 3, 2025

• Flight #: KQ3 

• Depart: New York (JFK) at 1:45 PM

• Arrive: Nairobi (NBO) at 10:45 AM+1 Oct 4

Zanzibar to New York

• Date: October 14, 2025

• Flight #: PW733

• Depart: Zanzibar (ZNZ) at 7:00 PM

• Arrive: Nairobi (NBO) at 8:40 PM

Layover in Nairobi

• Date: October 14, 2025

• Flight #: KQ2

• Depart: Nairobi (NBO) at 11:35 PM

• Arrive: New York (JFK) at 7:35 AM+1 October 15

All seats included in the Full Package group booking are in Economy Class

Please contact Overton Travel at the time of booking if you would like to upgrade your seat.

Upgrades to Business Class seats can be done, based on availability at the time of booking.

Specific seats on the flight cannot be guaranteed with group bookings

Seats are assigned by the airlines. If you would like a specific seat, contact the airline directly after you receive your travel document to request a specific seat.

Also note, that some airlines do not assign seats in advance for group bookings, and seats will be assigned at the airport upon check-in.

If you need a specific seat, you should not purchase your flights as part of the group booking. You should purchase your flights separately as an individual ticket.

Passport

• Must be valid for at least 6 months past the return date (expiration date of 04/15/2025 or later).
• Must have at least 2 blank pages.

Visa - Kenya

• A visa is not required to enter Kenya, however, travelers must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
• Apply for your ETA here: https://www.etakenya.go.ke

Visa - Tanzania

• Apply through the Tanzania Immigration Department website https://visa.immigration.go.tz/. (Applicants are required to lodge Visa applications ten days before their expected date of travel)

Zanzibar Travel Insurance

• All non-resident visitors to Zanzibar must purchase inbound travel insurance from Zanzibar Insurance Corporation before entering Zanzibar. 
• You need this insurance even if you have already purchased travel insurance in the US.
• Failure to comply with this mandatory requirement may result in entry denial at immigration checkpoints.
• You can purchase the insurance online here: https://visitzanzibar.go.tz.

Immunizations

• Please consult your healthcare provider and the CDC website for Immunization recommendations and requirements.
• Below are the CDC websites:
  • Kenya:
    • https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/kenya
  • Tanzania and Zanzibar:
    • https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/tanzania

Yellow Fever Vaccine

• We recommend travelers get the yellow fever vaccination before arriving to Kenya and Tanzania. 

Malaria

• Malaria is a serious disease transmitted by mosquitoes. There is no vaccine for malaria, but there are medications you can take to prevent it. Talk to your doctor about malaria prophylaxis before your trip.

Exploring East Africa, including safaris, tribe visits, and local experiences, requires specific mobility considerations for a comfortable trip.

1. Safari Vehicles: Safaris use specially equipped 4x4 vehicles. These have high steps, so a moderate level of physical mobility is necessary to get in and out of these vehicles. We offer a mobile step to assist you to get into the vehicle. Please note that you will be getting in and out of the vehicle several times a day (for rest stops, meals, shopping, etc.).

2. Walking on Uneven Terrain: Safari and local cultural experiences involve short walks on uneven ground to explore specific areas. Good mobility helps navigate these paths.

3.. Long Drives and Bumpy Roads: A reasonable level of physical stamina is beneficial for safari drives, which can last several hours. It's essential that you are comfortable with sitting for extended periods and are able to handle the rugged, bumpy roads.

4. Footwear: Wearing sturdy, comfortable footwear is important for managing the terrain. A good pair of sneakers or hiking shoes is a must-have on this trip. 

If you have specific mobility needs, it's crucial to communicate these to Overton Travel at the time of booking. We may be able to make special accommodations, such as providing steps for the vehicles, arranging for certain room types, or offering assistance with activities.

By planning ahead and working together, we may be able to create a comfortable and enjoyable cultural experience in East Africa for you.

We encourage all travelers to purchase a travel protection plan at the time of initial trip deposit. 

Overton Travel uses Travel Safe. Click here to review and purchase a travel protection plan from them: Travel Protection.

You can purchase travel protection through the supplier used by Overton Travel or any other supplier you choose.

Immerse yourself in the rich and diverse flavors of East African cuisine, where each dish tells a story of tradition and culture. Delight your taste buds with the aromatic spices and vibrant ingredients that define this region's culinary heritage. From the hearty and savory stews like Ugali and Sukuma Wiki to the tangy and spicy bites of Samosas and Nyama Choma, every meal is a celebration of unique textures and tastes. Savor the fusion of influences from indigenous recipes to Swahili coastal flavors, and let each bite transport you to the heart of East Africa.