From the savannah to the Indian Ocean

The museums of Addis Ababa at 2,355 m, the savannah of Nairobi National Park next to downtown and Stone Town in Zanzibar, with beach days at the end.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Addis Ababa → Nairobi → Zanzibar · 8–10 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

EthiopiaAddis Ababa
Days
2–3
When
Jan–Feb · Oct–Dec
Per person/day
Average 70–130 USDMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
KenyaNairobi
Days
2–3
When
January and February; part of June to September
Per person/day
Average 8,700 KESMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
TanzaniaZanzibar
Days
4
When
Jan–Feb · Jun–Oct
Per person/day
Average 110–170 USDMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For anyone who wants city, wildlife and sea in East Africa in up to ten days.

Not for anyone who wants a long safari, since the savannah here is Nairobi's, in one day.

The strategy

Addis Ababa, at 2,355 m, comes first, with an easy arrival and breaks between museums. Nairobi follows; arrange the vehicle, admission and timing for the National Park before planning an early departure. Check flights and transfers between all three bases. Zanzibar closes with Stone Town and beaches, but rest needs room in the earlier days too.

What you will see

National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. Holds “Lucy” (Dinkinesh in Amharic, “you are marvelous”), the 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis skeleton found in Hadar, in the Afar region, in 1974.
Nairobi National Park, Nairobi. Nairobi National Park’s savanna begins at the capital’s southern edge: 117 km² protected since 1946, with rhinos, lions, giraffes and other species.
Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, Zanzibar. Built from 1873 on the site of the slave market closed that same year, in the Mkunazini neighborhood.

Day by day