Overview
This is the journey for travellers who want to see how different Kenya can be in a single trip. You start among the lava flows and springs of Tsavo West, climb into the cool highland forest of the Aberdares for a night at a tree lodge, head north to the dry river country of Samburu, then finish with the lake at Nakuru and two nights in the Masai Mara.
Every stop adds wildlife the others don't have. Samburu is home to the northern species you won't find in the south (reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, gerenuk and the blue-legged Somali ostrich), while the Aberdares bring forest animals that rarely show themselves on the savannah.
- Mzima Springs in Tsavo West, where hippos can be watched underwater
- A night at a forest tree lodge in the Aberdares, overlooking a floodlit waterhole
- Samburu's northern specials: reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, gerenuk
- Rhinos and flamingos at Lake Nakuru
- Morning and afternoon game drives in the Masai Mara
Day by day
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Day 1 Nairobi to Tsavo West
Leave Nairobi for Tsavo West, a park of open plains, lava ridges and palm-lined rivers. Its best-known sights are Mzima Springs, where clear water lets you watch hippos below the surface, and the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary.
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Day 2 Full day in Tsavo West
Morning and afternoon game drives through one of Kenya's largest parks. Tsavo has recorded more than 500 bird species, so keep binoculars close between the elephant and lion sightings.
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Day 3 Tsavo West to the Aberdares
Drive north with a lunch stop in Nairobi, then climb through coffee and tea country to the slopes of the Aberdare range. After afternoon tea you transfer to a tree lodge in the forest at about 7,000 ft. Game is watched from viewing decks over a waterhole, and you can ask to be woken at night if elephants, buffalo or even a leopard come in.
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Day 4 Aberdares to Samburu
Descend to the semi-desert north and Samburu National Reserve, a wild, lightly visited region with wildlife found only north of the equator. Lunch at the lodge, then an afternoon game drive along the river.
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Day 5 Full day in Samburu
Morning and afternoon drives along the Ewaso Ng'iro River, where doum palms and acacia make a green ribbon through red earth and volcanic rock. Elephant, leopard, cheetah, oryx and crocodiles are all regulars, and around 365 bird species have been recorded. A Samburu village visit can be added.
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Day 6 Samburu to Lake Nakuru
Head south to the Rift Valley floor, stopping at Thomson's Falls in Nyahururu. After lunch, a game drive around Lake Nakuru, known for flamingos, over 400 bird species, Rothschild's giraffe and both black and white rhino.
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Day 7 Lake Nakuru to the Masai Mara
Cross the Great Rift Valley via Narok, the Maasai market town, and continue to the Masai Mara. Afternoon game drive in the reserve that hosts the Big Five and the great migration.
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Day 8 Full day in the Masai Mara
A full day of morning and afternoon drives across the Mara plains, looking for lion, cheetah, giraffe, eland, topi and the big herds of plains game. A sunrise balloon flight can be arranged.
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Day 9 Masai Mara to Nairobi
One last early game drive, breakfast, then the drive back to Nairobi, arriving in the early afternoon.
Want to change something? Add a night, swap a lodge or combine parks. We’ll tailor it for you.
Customise this safariWhat’s included
Included
- Ground transport in a comfortable safari vehicle
- Full-board accommodation as listed in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- All game drives listed in the itinerary
- Bottled drinking water while on safari
- Airport transfers
Not included
- Park entrance fees and conservation levies (quoted separately at current rates)
- International flights
- Tips and gratuities
- Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks
- Optional village visits and activities marked as optional
- Hot-air balloon flight in the Mara (optional)
- Samburu village visit (optional)
