31-Day Masai Mara to Victoria Falls & Kruger: The Self-Launched Overland Route

Start in Nairobi. Take a morning matatu or easyCoach bus from the city centre to Narok (~£4-6, 3-4h), or book a shared tourist shuttle direct to the Mara gate. Stop at the Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint in Narok county for the classic photo stop. Stay at a budget tented camp or basic guesthouse just outside the reserve (e.g. Mara Talek-side), where a 2-day/1-night group safari can be arranged on arrival.

🚌Matatu/easyCoach Nairobi-Narok ~£5, shared shuttle to Mara gate ~£15-20

🛏Budget tented camp or guesthouse outside the reserve (~£15-20/night)

• →Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint
• →Local bus/shuttle to Narok and the Mara
• →Settle into budget tented camp near Talek gate

Join a shared 4x4 group game drive booked locally through your camp (usually £70-110 per person for a shared day trip plus park entry). Look for lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino. Many camps also arrange a visit to a Maasai manyatta (village) for a small community fee — ask your host to book directly so the money stays local.

🚌Shared 4x4 through camp

🛏Budget tented camp near Talek

• →Shared full-day game drive (Big Five)
• →Maasai manyatta cultural visit

Return by shuttle or matatu to Nairobi and check into a hostel in the Westlands/Kilimani area. In the evening, eat at a local restaurant (nyama choma or a cheap Indian spot) and try the bar scene around Kilimani. Use the afternoon to finalise your Tanzania visa (apply online in advance) and pick up bus tickets.

🚌Shared shuttle ~£15-20

🛏Nairobi hostel dorm (~£10-14)

• →Return shuttle to Nairobi
• →Nairobi street food and bars
• →Errands: SIM, visa, bus tickets

Take an early morning shuttle bus from Nairobi to Arusha (Riverside Shuttles or Impala, ~£15-20, 6-7h) crossing at Namanga. From Arusha, a shared taxi or dala-dala to Meserani (25km, ~£1-2) puts you in range of the Snake Park and Masai Cultural Museum. Overnight at a budget lodge or campsite in Meserani — good base for arranging tomorrow's Serengeti trip.

🚌Shuttle bus Nairobi-Arusha ~£17, shared taxi to Meserani ~£2

🛏Budget lodge or campsite in Meserani (~£12-18)

• →Namanga border crossing
• →Meserani Snake Park & Masai cultural museum
• →Views of Mount Meru on the drive

Join a locally booked 3-day group camping safari from Arusha (plenty of agencies on Boma Road, typically £380-500 pp inclusive of park fees, vehicle, cook and camp gear). Drive through Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the crater rim, then enter the Serengeti via Naabi Hill for an afternoon game drive to camp at Seronera or the central plains.

🚌Shared 4x4 safari vehicle (included)

🛏Public campsite tent (included in safari package)

• →Full-day game drive in Serengeti
• →Cross Ngorongoro crater rim
• →Camp in the Serengeti

Early morning drive for predator activity (leopard, cheetah, lion prides), then a slow game drive north to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Camp on the crater rim at Simba A campsite (or a similar public site) for the night — cold up there, so bring a warm layer and a decent sleeping bag.

🚌Shared safari 4x4 (included)

🛏Crater rim public campsite (included)

• →Early morning game drive
• →Camp setup on Ngorongoro Crater rim

Descend into the crater in the 4x4 for a half-day game drive (this is the shot at rhino and dense elephant/mammal viewing). Back out of the gates by afternoon, then return to Arusha/Meserani area for the final night of the safari package.

🚌Safari 4x4 (included)

🛏Budget lodge in Arusha/Meserani

• →Ngorongoro Crater descent game drive
• →Return to Arusha area

Take an early bus from Arusha to Dar es Salaam (budget line like Hood or Dar Express, ~£12-15, 10-12h) — sit on the left for glimpsed Kilimanjaro views if the day is clear. Instead of staying in the city, hop a dala-dala or boda-boda on to Bagamoyo (75km, ~£2-3) for the night. Overnight in a simple guesthouse near the old town.

🚌Bus Arusha-Dar ~£13, dala-dala/boda to Bagamoyo ~£3

🛏Bagamoyo guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Long-distance bus past Mount Kilimanjaro
• →Old slave-trade town of Bagamoyo

Spend the morning wandering Bagamoyo's Catholic mission, old fort and craft workshops, then head into Dar es Salaam for the afternoon. Walk the waterfront at Kinondoni or catch the sun at Coco Beach. Stay near the Kariakoo or ferry terminal area ready for tomorrow's boat.

🚌Dala-dala/bus Bagamoyo-Dar ~£2

🛏Dar es Salaam hostel (~£10-16)

• →Bagamoyo historic mission & fort
• →Dar es Salaam waterfront and beach

Take the early fast ferry from Dar es Salaam to Stone Town (~£22-28, 1.5-2h). Check into a stone-town guesthouse and spend the afternoon getting lost in the alleys: the coral-built Old Fort, House of Wonders, Freddie Mercury's birth house and the nightly Forodhani Gardens food market (grilled seafood skewers and Zanzibar pizza for a couple of quid).

🚌Fast ferry Dar-Stone Town ~£25

🛏Stone Town guesthouse (~£15-22)

• →Fast ferry to Zanzibar
• →Old Fort and House of Wonders
• →Forodhani Gardens night market

Dala-dala north to Nungwi or Kendwa (2h, ~£2) for the day. Swim, snorkel off the beach, or book a snorkelling/diving trip through your guesthouse (snorkel trip ~£25-35, a dive ~£50-60). Sleep in a beach hostel or basic bungalow.

🚌Dala-dala to north ~£2

🛏Beach hostel/bungalow (~£14-22)

• →Snorkelling or diving
• →Beach swimming
• →Sunset at Kendwa

A free day — take a spice farm tour (~£15-20), hire a kayak, or simply swim and read. Coastal cruises and dhow sunset sails can be booked on the sand for ~£10-15. Move back to Stone Town in the late afternoon if you prefer to be close to the ferry for the morning.

🚌Dala-dala ~£2

🛏Stone Town or north coast guesthouse (~£15-22)

• →Optional spice farm tour
• →Dhow sunset sail
• →Beach relaxation

Catch the ferry back to Dar es Salaam and head north to a coastal camp (Bagamoyo or Kigamboni area) for the night. Sundowner at the beach and an early night ahead of the long bus south tomorrow.

🚌Fast ferry ~£25

🛏Coastal guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Return fast ferry
• →Beach sundowner

Take a bus from Dar es Salaam towards Morogoro/Mikumi (Dar Express or local lines, ~£6-8, 5-6h) — the main road runs through the northern edge of Mikumi National Park, so you get elephant and giraffe sightings from the bus window. Book a night at a budget camp or lodge near the gate and arrange an optional afternoon or early-evening game drive in a local 4x4 (~£35-50 shared).

🚌Bus Dar-Mikumi ~£7

🛏Budget lodge/campsite near Mikumi (~£12-20)

• →Bus through Mikumi National Park
• →Optional afternoon game drive

Early bus from Mikumi towards Iringa and on to Mbeya (~£10-14). The stretch past Iringa through the Great Ruaha valley and Baobab Valley is genuinely scenic. Overnight in Mbeya town at a guesthouse; this is a good staging point for the Malawi border.

🚌Bus Mikumi-Mbeya ~£12

🛏Mbeya guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Baobab Valley scenery
• →Southern Highlands travel day

A gentler day: drop into the Utengule coffee lodge near Mbeya for the day-use pools and a coffee plantation tour with roasting demo (~£10-20). Alternatively stay in town and just rest. Return to Mbeya for the night ahead of the border crossing.

🚌Local taxi ~£5

🛏Mbeya guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Optional coffee plantation tour with roasting demo
• →Poolside relaxation with Mbeya Range views

Bus or shared taxi to the Tanzania-Malawi border (Kasumulu/Songwe, ~£5-8), walk across, and pick up onward transport on the Malawi side to Karonga. Settle into a lakeside guesthouse — beach time, a village walk, craft market browsing and maybe a crash course in Bao.

🚌Shared taxi/bus to border ~£6, local minibus into Malawi ~£3

🛏Karonga lakeside guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Tanzania to Malawi border crossing
• →Lake Malawi beach time
• →Village walk and craft market

Northbound minibus or shared taxi to Mzuzu (~£5-8) for supplies and the market, then on to Ngala Beach Lodge area (budget rooms or camping ~£10-18) where the lakeshore is calm and quiet.

🚌Minibus/shared taxi ~£8

🛏Ngala Beach budget lodge/campsite (~£12-18)

• →Mzuzu market and supplies
• →Drive through rubber plantations
• →Lakeshore evening

Options booked through the lodge: kayaking (~£10), snorkelling (~£10-15), a waterfall hike with a local guide (~£10-15) or just lake swimming. Cichlid snorkelling in the clear water is free if you bring your own mask.

🚌On foot

🛏Ngala Beach budget lodge/campsite (~£12-18)

• →Kayaking
• →Snorkelling
• →Waterfall hike
• →Lake swimming

Head south from Mzuzu to the Mchinji border (~£6-9 with a change), cross into Zambia at Mwami, then shared taxi or bus to Chipata and on to Petauke (~£5-8). The bus route skirts Nkhotakota Game Reserve on the Malawi side — keep an eye out. Overnight in Petauke at a basic guesthouse.

🚌Minibus to border ~£7, shared taxi/bus Petauke ~£7

🛏Petauke guesthouse (~£10-14)

• →Malawi-Zambia border crossing
• →Nkhotakota Game Reserve roadside scenery

Bus down the Great Eastern Road through the Luangwa River bridge (worth hopping out for photos) to Lusaka (~£8-10, 6-7h). Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the city; Lusaka has a decent cafe and market scene to explore in the evening.

🚌Bus Petauke-Lusaka ~£9

🛏Lusaka hostel (~£12-18)

• →Luangwa River bridge
• →Lusaka evening wander

Morning bus or Mazhandu/Juldan coach to Livingstone (~£12-16, 6-7h). Afternoon entry to the Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls) UNESCO site on the Zambian side (~£20-25 entry) — walk the Knife Edge bridge for spray and rainbows. Overnight in a Livingstone hostel or campsite.

🚌Coach Lusaka-Livingstone ~£14

🛏Livingstone hostel/campsite (~£12-20)

• →Victoria Falls (Zambia side) entry and Knife Edge bridge

Optional adrenaline: white-water rafting the Batoka Gorge (~£120-150), bungee at the Victoria Falls bridge (~£110), or a gentler sunset boat cruise on the Zambezi (~£30-40). Book through any hostel activity desk. Otherwise town and markets.

🚌Local taxi ~£5

🛏Livingstone hostel/campsite

• →Optional white-water rafting
• →Optional bungee jump
• →Zambezi sunset cruise

Museum, markets and poolside recovery. Livingstone Museum (~£5) is a good rainy-afternoon option, and the Waterfront area is easy for a slow breakfast. Do your Zimbabwe visa prep today (Kaza visa or single-entry, depending on nationality).

🚌On foot/taxi ~£3

🛏Livingstone hostel/campsite

• →Livingstone Museum
• →Markets and town
• →Relaxation

Cross to Victoria Falls town for a second, very different view of the falls — the Zimbabwe side walk (~£25 entry) is often the wetter, more dramatic perspective. Back over the border the same day; the Kaza visa simplifies this if you qualify.

🚌Border shuttle/shared taxi ~£8

🛏Livingstone hostel/campsite

• →Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe side) walkway

Bus from Livingstone across the Victoria Falls border to Bulawayo (~£12-18, long day, 8-9h via Hwange), pick up supplies in the city, then a shared taxi or local bus ~40km to Matobo (~£3-5). Stay at a budget lodge or campsite near the park gate.

🚌Bus Livingstone-Bulawayo ~£15, shared taxi to Matobo ~£4

🛏Matobo budget lodge/campsite (~£12-20)

• →Zambia-Zimbabwe border crossing
• →Victoria Falls town
• →Bulawayo supplies stop

Book a local guide at the gate for a rhino-tracking walk (~£25-40 pp, best with a couple of others to split costs) — Matobo holds black and white rhino and the walks are on foot with an armed ranger. Later, drive up to World's View for Cecil Rhodes' grave and the rock-art caves.

🚌Local guide 4x4 ~£10

🛏Matobo budget lodge/campsite

• →Guided walk tracking black and white rhino
• →World's View and rock art caves

Bus or shared taxi from Bulawayo to Beitbridge (~£10-14), clear the often-slow border on foot, then an onward bus/taxi to Musina and Tshipise (~£6-8). Soak in the Tshipise hot springs (~£8 day entry) and overnight at a budget resort or campsite.

🚌Bus Bulawayo-Beitbridge ~£12, taxi Musina-Tshipise ~£7

🛏Tshipise campsite/budget resort (~£15-22)

• →Beitbridge border crossing
• →Tshipise hot springs

Bus or shared shuttle through Limpopo Province to Hazyview (~£15-20, via Tzaneen or Phalaborwa). Use the afternoon for the Panorama Route highlights if you have transport — God's Window and Bourke's Luck Potholes are possible with a local tour (~£30-40) from Hazyview. Sleep in a backpackers lodge in Hazyview.

🚌Shuttle/bus ~£18

🛏Hazyview backpackers (~£15-22)

• →Limpopo Province travel
• →Optional Panorama Route half-day (God's Window, Bourke's Luck)

Join a shared open-vehicle day safari into Kruger from Hazyview (~£65-85 including park entry and lunch) — or, if you're on a tight budget, hop the SANParks shuttle/own-hire and self-drive the southern circuit from Numbi or Phabeni gate. Look for the Big Five along the Sabie River and Skukuza area.

🚌Shared open safari vehicle (included in day tour)

🛏Hazyview backpackers

• →Full-day Kruger National Park game drive

Morning bus or shared shuttle from Hazyview via Nelspruit to Pretoria (~£15-22, 6-7h; alternatively a budget flight from Nelspruit/KMIA). Finish in Pretoria's Hatfield or Brooklyn area, with an easy Gautrain link to Johannesburg OR Tambo for onward flights.

🚌Bus Hazyview-Pretoria ~£18

🛏Pretoria hostel (~£15-20)

• →Final drive to Pretoria
• →Gautrain link to Johannesburg