9-day Kenya safari takes you from Nairobi to the dry landscapes of Samburu, the forested Aberdare highlands, Lake Nakuru and the open plains of the Masai Mara. Along the way, look for Samburu’s distinctive wildlife, watch for rhinos in Lake Nakuru and spend time searching for lions, cheetahs, leopards and elephants in the Masai Mara. The journey includes two nights in Samburu and two nights in the Masai Mara, with stops in the Aberdare region and Lake Nakuru along the way. Game drives take you through different habitats, with optional experiences like a hot air balloon safari or a Maasai community visit adding more to your time in Kenya.
Safari Highlights
- Discover Nairobi’s main attractions before your safari begins.
- Explore Samburu’s dry landscapes along the Ewaso Ng’iro River.
- Search for the Samburu Special Five, including Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk and reticulated giraffe.
- Look for elephants, lions, leopards and other wildlife on Samburu game drives.
- Watch for animals visiting waterholes in the Aberdare forest.
- Track black and white rhinos in Lake Nakuru National Park.
- Explore the Masai Mara’s open plains in search of big cats and large herds of wildlife.
- Add a hot air balloon safari or a visit to a Maasai community in the Masai Mara.
Detailed Safari Itinerary
Day 1, Arrival in Nairobi
Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, meet your safari representative and transfer to your hotel in Nairobi. Depending on your arrival time, you can spend the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel or head out for a short introduction to the city. Nairobi is the starting point for your journey through Kenya, with the northern landscapes of Samburu, the forests of the Aberdares and the open plains of the Great Rift Valley all ahead of you. Your guide will go through the arrangements for the coming days so you know what to expect as the safari begins. Enjoy dinner and overnight at your hotel.
Accommodation: Luxury, Nairobi Serena Hotel
Meals: Dinner
Nairobi City Tour
Day 2, Nairobi City Tour and Cultural Attractions
After breakfast, meet your guide and head out to discover Nairobi’s main landmarks and cultural attractions. Begin with a drive through the city centre, passing the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and Parliament buildings. Continue to the National Museums of Kenya, where you can learn about Kenya’s history, cultural heritage, wildlife and human evolution. You can also visit a local market to browse Kenyan crafts, jewellery and souvenirs, depending on your interests and the day’s schedule. After lunch, continue sightseeing or take an optional game drive in Nairobi National Park. Just outside the city, the park gives you a chance to see animals such as rhinos, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes and lions with Nairobi’s skyline in the background. Allow enough time for the visit, as park entry and the game drive need to fit into the day’s schedule. Return to your hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Luxury, Nairobi Serena Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3, Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve
After an early breakfast, leave Nairobi and travel north through Kenya’s central highlands to Samburu National Reserve. The drive takes around 5 to 7 hours, with the scenery changing from green farmland and cultivated hills to the dry, open landscapes of northern Kenya. Samburu is centred around the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which draws elephants and other animals into this otherwise dry landscape. As you approach the reserve, the vegetation becomes more scattered, with acacia trees and rugged hills replacing much of the greener countryside. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch if the journey goes to schedule. Depending on your arrival time, you can head out for an afternoon game drive and begin looking for some of Samburu’s distinctive wildlife. Keep an eye out for Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, Beisa oryx, Somali ostriches and elephants. You may also come across lions and other predators as your guide explores the reserve. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Luxury, Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp or Elephant Bedroom Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 4, Samburu Wildlife Safari and Nature Experience
Start the morning with an early game drive through Samburu National Reserve. The cooler hours are a good time to look for predators and watch the wildlife gathering around the Ewaso Ng’iro River. Your guide will take you through open savannah, acacia woodland and areas along the river in search of elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs and other animals. Samburu is particularly known for its Special Five, the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich. Watch for gerenuks standing on their hind legs to reach leaves high on shrubs. You may also see Grevy’s zebras with their narrow stripes and reticulated giraffes moving across the dry plains. Birdlife adds another dimension to the safari, with opportunities to spot Somali ostriches, vulturine guineafowl, hornbills, bee-eaters, kingfishers and birds of prey. Return to your lodge for lunch and a rest during the warmer part of the day. Later, head out for another game drive, giving you more time to explore different parts of the reserve. If you would like to experience the landscape on foot, a guided nature walk can be arranged in an authorised neighbouring conservancy. This needs to be organised in advance and depends on the location of your accommodation. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp or Elephant Bedroom Camp.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 5, Samburu to Aberdare National Park
After breakfast, leave Samburu and travel south to the Aberdare highlands. As you leave northern Kenya behind, the dry plains gradually give way to greener farmland, rolling hills and the cooler, forested slopes of central Kenya. The Aberdare region offers a striking change from Samburu, with mountain forests, bamboo stands and high-altitude moorland. The forests are home to elephants, buffaloes, forest antelopes and several primate species. Depending on your chosen lodge, you may first stop at a base hotel for lunch before transferring to your forest accommodation. Lodges such as The Ark and Treetops are designed around wildlife viewing, with designated areas overlooking waterholes or salt licks. Spend some time watching these clearings, where elephants and buffaloes sometimes emerge from the forest to drink or feed. Other forest animals may also visit, so there is plenty to watch without leaving the lodge. Enjoy dinner and overnight in the Aberdare region.
Accommodation: The Ark or Treetops
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 6, Aberdare to Lake Nakuru National Park
After breakfast, leave the Aberdare highlands and travel west to Lake Nakuru National Park. The drive takes you through the central Kenyan countryside before descending into the Great Rift Valley, where the landscape opens into broad grasslands and lakeside woodland. Arrive at your lodge around lunchtime, depending on your departure point and the journey, before heading into the park for an afternoon game drive. Lake Nakuru is an important sanctuary for both black and white rhinos. Your guide will take you through the park’s grasslands and acacia woodland in search of these animals, along with buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, zebras, waterbucks and lions. The lakeshore is also worth exploring for its birdlife. Pelicans and flamingos are among the birds you may see along the water, although flamingo numbers change with the lake’s feeding conditions. As you continue through the park, watch for wildlife along the woodland edges and around open clearings before returning to your lodge in the evening. Enjoy dinner and overnight.
Accommodation
- Luxury, Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge.
- Mid-range, Lake Nakuru Lodge or a confirmed equivalent.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 7, Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara National Reserve
After an early breakfast, leave Lake Nakuru and travel southwest to the Masai Mara, passing through the Rift Valley countryside and the Narok region. The drive takes around 5 to 7 hours, depending on road conditions and the location of your camp. As you approach the Mara, the countryside opens into rolling grasslands dotted with grazing animals and Maasai homesteads. Arrive at your lodge or tented camp for lunch, depending on your arrival time, then head into the reserve for an afternoon game drive if time permits. The Masai Mara is famous for its large predator populations and open wildlife-viewing plains. Your guide will look for lions resting in the grass, cheetahs scanning the plains and leopards sheltering in trees or riverine woodland. Elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and numerous antelope species are also part of the Mara’s wildlife. If you are travelling during the Great Migration, you may encounter large herds of wildebeest and zebras moving across the plains. Their movements change throughout the season, so the locations of the herds vary. Return to your accommodation in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation
- Luxury, Mara Serena Safari Lodge
- Mid-range, Sarova Mara Game Camp or Mara Sopa Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Day 8, Masai Mara Game Drives and Optional Balloon Safari
Rise early for another day in the Masai Mara, with the choice of a morning game drive or a hot air balloon safari arranged in advance. If you choose the balloon safari, you will leave camp before sunrise and travel to the launch site. As the balloon rises, you will see the Mara’s grasslands, winding rivers and wildlife from above. After landing, a bush breakfast may be arranged as part of your balloon experience. If you prefer to stay on the ground, join your guide for an early morning game drive. This is a good time to look for lions and cheetahs before the sun gets higher, while elephants, giraffes, zebras and antelopes move across the plains. Your guide will also search wooded areas and riverbanks for leopards. During the Great Migration, large herds of wildebeest and zebras may spread across the reserve. You can also visit areas along the Mara River, where hippos and crocodiles live. River crossings are a natural spectacle, but they depend on the movements of the herds and cannot be scheduled. Return to camp for lunch and some time to relax before heading out for an afternoon game drive. Alternatively, you can arrange a visit to a participating Maasai community to learn about local traditions and daily life. Return to your lodge or camp for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation
- Luxury, Mara Serena Safari Lodge
- Mid-range, Sarova Mara Game Camp, Mara Sopa Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Hot-Air Balloon Safaris
Day 9, Masai Mara to Nairobi
After breakfast, check out of your lodge or tented camp and begin the journey back to Nairobi. Travel through the Narok region and across the Great Rift Valley, leaving the Mara’s open grasslands behind as you make your way towards the city. Allow around 5 to 7 hours for the drive, depending on your camp’s location, road conditions and traffic. On arrival in Nairobi, your driver-guide will drop you off at your hotel or transfer you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward journey. If you have an international flight that evening, leave plenty of time for the drive and airport check-in, as traffic approaching Nairobi can delay your arrival. Your nine-day Kenya safari comes to an end after exploring Nairobi’s cultural attractions, Samburu’s distinctive northern wildlife, the Aberdare forests, Lake Nakuru’s rhino habitats and the wildlife-rich plains of the Masai Mara.
Meals: Breakfast.
Inclusions and Exclusions
Safari Inclusions
- Airport pickup and transfer to the Nairobi hotel.
- Ground transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle.
- Experienced English-speaking safari driver-guide.
- Eight nights of accommodation in selected hotels, safari lodges or tented camps.
- Meals as indicated in the daily itinerary.
- National park and reserve entrance fees
- Nairobi city sightseeing and museum entrance fees
- Drinking water during safari activities
- Return transfer to Nairobi or the agreed departure point.
Safari Exclusions
- International and domestic flights
- Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)
- Travel and medical insurance.
- Personal expenses, including laundry, souvenirs and additional drinks.
- Tips and gratuities for the safari guide and lodge staff.
- Optional Nairobi National Park visit unless included in the booking.
- Optional guided nature walks in Samburu.
- Hot air balloon safari in the Masai Mara unless specifically included.
- ‘Optional Maasai community visits.
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari.
- Any services not specified in the final booking confirmation.
