East Africa is safari heartland: the Serengeti and Masai Mara, mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda, Kilimanjaro, Ethiopia’s ancient churches and the beaches of Zanzibar.
Where to go in East Africa
TanzaniaSerengeti National Park
Endless plains, big cats and the Great Migration year-round in different parts of the park.
Jan to Feb, Jun to Oct 3 to 4 nights
Ngorongoro Crater
A vast volcanic caldera packed with wildlife, one of the best places to see black rhino.
Jun to Feb 1 to 2 nights
KenyaMasai Mara
Kenya’s most famous reserve, with dense big cat populations and the migration from about July to October.
Jan to Feb, Jun to Oct 3 to 4 nights
Amboseli National Park
Big elephant herds with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop.
Jan to Feb, Jun to Oct 2 nights
UgandaBwindi Impenetrable National Park
Ancient rainforest that is home to around half of the world’s mountain gorillas.
Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb 2 to 3 nights
RwandaVolcanoes National Park
Mountain gorillas and golden monkeys on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes.
Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb 2 to 3 nights
Murchison Falls National Park
The Nile forces through a seven-metre gap in one of Africa’s most powerful waterfalls.
Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb 2 to 3 nights
Zanzibar
Spice island beaches and the winding alleys of UNESCO-listed Stone Town.
Jun to Oct, Dec to Feb 4 to 7 nights
Mount Kilimanjaro
Africa’s highest mountain, a non-technical climb through five climate zones.
Jan to Feb, Jun to Oct 6 to 9 days
Ethiopia
Simien Mountains
Dramatic escarpments with gelada monkeys and Ethiopian wolves.
Oct to Mar 3 to 5 nights
Countries
Burundi
Lake Tanganyika beaches and famous drumming in a small, hilly country.
Gitega Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb
Some regions off-limits
Eritrea
A time capsule of 1930s architecture in a highland capital.
Asmara Oct to Mar
Some regions off-limits
Ethiopia
Ancient churches, high mountains and the birthplace of coffee.
Addis Ababa Oct to Mar
Some regions off-limits
Kenya
The classic safari country, with the Great Migration, Maasai culture and Indian Ocean beaches.
Nairobi Jan to Feb, Jun to Oct
Some regions off-limits
Rwanda
Mountain gorillas, rainforest and a spotless, safe-feeling capital.
Kigali Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb
Somalia
The longest mainland coastline in Africa, currently off-limits.
Mogadishu Dec to Mar
Advice against travel
South Sudan
The world’s newest country, with huge wildlife migrations, currently off-limits.
Juba Dec to Mar
Advice against travel
Tanzania
Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar: maybe the best safari-and-beach combination in the world.
Dodoma Jan to Feb, Jun to Oct
Some regions off-limits
Uganda
Gorillas, chimps and the source of the Nile in the “Pearl of Africa”.
Kampala Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb
Some regions off-limits