East African Safari Packages: 5 Private Trips Compared

The best East African safari packages combine a realistic route, a private vehicle and guide, and a price you can break down by day. If this is your first safari and you want to keep costs down, the 6-Day Kenya Big Five Express from $1,378 is the sharpest pick. For Kenya and Tanzania in one week, take the 7-Day Epic from $2,063. If you want the Great Wildebeest Migration, look at the 9-Day Ultimate from $3,429. If you want comfort without rushing, the 10-day Grand East African Luxury Safari from $5,405 is the one.

Comparing packages is harder than it looks. Operators bundle things differently, so a low headline number may leave out park fees, put you in a shared vehicle, or squeeze three parks into two days. Below you will find five itineraries in order of price, with the route, the type of traveler each suits, and what drives the cost.

All five are private trips run by Extra Miles Unique Adventures, a Nairobi-based operator working since 2007. Every price is a "from" price, so your final quote depends on dates, group size and accommodation tier. These five cover Kenya and Tanzania. Gorilla trekking in Uganda or Rwanda is not part of them, and we plan it as a custom trip on request.

1. 6-Day Kenya Big Five Express Safari

Route and highlights

This is the shortest and cheapest of the five, and it still puts a game drive in every day. You move through Amboseli for elephants under Mount Kilimanjaro, Lake Nakuru for birdlife and Rift Valley scenery, and the Masai Mara for Big Five country. The route stays practical, so your hours go to watching animals rather than sitting in a vehicle.

• Duration: 6 days, 5 nights
• Country: Kenya
• Parks: Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara
• Style: private, flexible pace

Who it suits and what it costs

Pick this one if it is your first safari and you have a week or less. One country means no border crossing, which keeps the plan simple for couples, families and solo travelers. It starts from $1,378, about $230 per day at the from-price.

Time it for the dry months, June to October and January to February, when animals gather near water. Mara river crossings are most likely from July to October.

Six days is enough to see Kenya's three classic parks if you want game drives instead of long transfers.

2. 7-Day Epic Kenya & Tanzania Safari Experience

Route and highlights

Here you get two countries in one week. The trip pairs the open plains of Amboseli with the wildlife-rich northern Tanzania circuit, so you see Kilimanjaro's snowcap from Kenya and then cross into Tanzania's famous parks. Extra Miles builds it around your dates, comfort level and travel style.

• Duration: 7 days, 6 nights
• Countries: Kenya and Tanzania
• Style: private safari, flexible pace

Who it suits and what it costs

This works for travelers who want Tanzania on the list but cannot take more than a week off. It starts from $2,063, about $295 per day. That is only $685 more than the 6-day Kenya trip, so it is the cheapest way to add a second country.

One honest caution: a week is tight for two countries. If you can add a day, take it. If you cannot, ask for fewer stops and longer stays in each park.

If you only have a week, add the second country by cutting stops, not by adding them.

3. 8-Day Magical Kenya & Tanzania Safari

Route and highlights

This is the balanced Kenya and Tanzania option. The route links Mount Kilimanjaro views with the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti plains and the Masai Mara. The crater gives you dense wildlife in a single caldera, and the Serengeti and Mara give you the wide-open savanna that most people picture when they think of safari.

• Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
• Countries: Kenya and Tanzania
• Highlights: Kilimanjaro views, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Masai Mara
• Style: private, flexible pace

Who it suits and what it costs

Choose it if you want both countries without rushing, especially as a couple or a family. It starts from $2,711, about $339 per day. The step up from the 7-day trip is $648 for one extra day, and that day buys you slower mornings and a better chance at the animals you most want to see.

When you compare East African safari packages, check how many nights you spend in each park. Two nights per park is a good minimum, because it lets you do both a dawn and a dusk drive.

Two nights in each park matters more than adding a fourth or fifth park to the route.

4. 9-Day Ultimate Kenya and Tanzania Safari

Route and highlights

This is the package for migration country. It runs across Kenya and Tanzania and covers the Great Wildebeest Migration, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, the Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru, with Mount Kilimanjaro views on the way. You get Big Five encounters, open plains and a lake setting in a single journey.

• Duration: 9 days
• Countries: Kenya and Tanzania
• Highlights: migration, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru
• Style: private safari, flexible pace

Who it suits and what it costs

It suits travelers who want the full East Africa picture and are willing to spend a little more. It starts from $3,429, about $381 per day, which is $718 more than the 8-day trip.

The herds move through the Serengeti and Mara through the year, so your travel month decides the routing. Tell the planner when you want to go and ask where the herds are likely to be. River crossings in the Mara are most likely from July to October.

The migration is a moving target, so build the route around your travel month and not the other way around.

5. The Grand East African Luxury Safari

Route and highlights

This 10-day private luxury safari gives you the most time in the wilderness. It visits the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, and the pace is deliberately unhurried. You travel in a pop-up roof 4x4 Land Cruiser, which gives everyone a window seat and a clear view for photography.

• Duration: 10 days, 9 nights
• Countries: Kenya and Tanzania
• Parks: Masai Mara, Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater
• Transport: pop-up roof 4x4 Land Cruiser

Who it suits and what it costs

Honeymooners, anniversary trips and photographers get the most from it, as do travelers who simply dislike rushing. It starts from $5,405, about $540 per day, which is $1,976 more than the 9-day trip. For that you get an extra day, a luxury level of comfort and more time in each place. You can read the full itinerary on the Grand East African Luxury Safari page.

If you want to skip long drives, ask about our Kenya flying safaris, which use scenic flights between camps.

Pay for time in each park first, and for luxury second, because time is what produces the wildlife sightings.

How to pick your safari

The five packages come down to time and budget. Six days in Kenya from $1,378 is the simplest start, and a week adds Tanzania from $2,063. The 8-day trip from $2,711 gives the best balance across both countries, the 9-day trip from $3,429 targets migration country, and the 10-day luxury trip from $5,405 buys the most time and comfort.

Whatever you choose, remember that these are from-prices and that your dates, group size and accommodation tier set the final quote. For Uganda or Rwanda gorilla trekking, ask for a custom plan. To get a quote built around your dates, request a tailored itinerary and quote. We reply within 24 hours, and you can also message us on WhatsApp.