Ultimate Kenya Wildlife Safari

As you step out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a member of our African Diurnal Safaris team or a hotel driver greets you with a big smile: ‘Karibu Kenya – welcome to Kenya!’ He brings you straight to your hotel to relax and, along the way, you get your first impressions of vibrant Nairobi. The next day, your guide takes you on an exclusive, private safari that allows you to travel at your own pace. Let the adventure begin!

Start your 10-day Ultimate Kenya Wildlife Safari with a scenic five-hour drive to the Northern Kenya in Samburu National Reserve, where you’ll be staying for next 2-nights at Ashnil Samburu Camp.

The road to north from Nairobi crossing the equator and descending into increasingly arid, sun-baked terrain that signals the beginning of Kenya’s northern frontier. Samburu’s rugged, semi-desert landscape (home to rare species found nowhere else in Kenya) feels like a different country entirely by the time you arrive at Samburu National Reserve.

Samburu National Reserve is an excellent destination for the first part of your safari journey. Its dry, semi–desert and savannah landscape offers sweeping views and abundant wildlife. The reserve is home to the Northern Five, also known as the Samburu Special Five—five rare species that are uniquely found together in this region. The central Ewaso Nyiro River serves as an ideal vantage point for spotting these animals. Just beyond the park‘s boundaries, you can also encounter the captivating Samburu tribe and gain insight into their distinctive way of life.

The next leg of your 10-day Ultimate Kenya Wildlife Safari takes you on a picturesque 4-hour journey from Samburu National Reserve to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. With a memorable crossing of the equator along the way and views of Mount Kenya in the distance. You typically arrive in time for lunch at Sweetwaters Serena Camp, followed by an afternoon game drive where you may spot your first Rhino.

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a protected area set up for endangered species. For Rhino lovers, this is a pure heaven on earth with a population of more than 100 black rhinos, almost 40 southern white rhinos and the last two remaining northern white rhinos worldwide. These white Rhinos can even be visited up close! Besides Rhinos, the conservancy hosts endangered species like the African wild dog, the oryx, Jackson’s hartebeest and Grévy’s zebra, and houses a sanctuary for abused or orphaned Chimpanzees.

A 4-hour descent through Rift Valley farmlands leads to the alkaline shores of Lake Nakuru National Park, where you’ll cross the equator. This alkaline lake, located in the beautiful Rift Valley, is famous for its stunning landscapes, especially the vibrant flocks of pink flamingos that line its shores. Additionally, Lake Nakuru is also known for its significant populations of both black and white Rhinos,.

You’ll arrive in time for lunch, and afterward, an afternoon game drive will give you the opportunity to explore the park with the breathtaking lake as your backdrop. After this enriching nature experience, you’ll return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Leaving Lake Nakuru’s flamingo-fringed shores, this 5-hour drive southwest is one of Kenya’s great safari road trips – descending through the Rift Valley floor and climbing out across rolling tea country before the grasslands of the Mara open up ahead.

You’ll arrive at Zebra Plaims Mara Camp in the afternoon, where you’ll check in and later go out for a short walking safari. Zebra Plains Mara Camp lies close to the Masai Mara National Reserve, their walking safaris are next level. While walking with two Maasai (one armed for protection) and an experienced guide, this is your chance to get closer than ever to giraffes, zebras, impala and all the other animals in this area. Later you’ll return back at the camp for a well deserved dinner and an overnight stay.

The next 2-day of your 10-Days Ultimate Kenya Wildlife Safari are devoted to exploring the Masai Mara National Reserve, one of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations and home to the legendary Great Wildebeest Migration.

During your morning and evening Kenya game drives, witness the Big Five lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino in their natural splendor. Lions roam confidently across the open plains, leopards lounge in tree branches, and elephants wander gracefully in family groups.

If visiting between July and October, you’ll experience the world-famous Great Wildebeest Migration, where millions of wildebeest and zebras cross the Mara River, braving crocodile-infested waters. This extraordinary phenomenon is nature’s greatest show of survival and instinct.

In the evenings, enjoy cultural interactions with the Maasai people, whose traditions and deep knowledge of wildlife enrich the Kenya safari experience. Later, return to Zebra Plains Mara Camp to unwind beside a crackling fire as the sounds of the African night surround you.

This 5-hour drive northeast from the Mara climbs out of the savannah into the cooler highlands, passing through Narok town and flower farms before the glittering surface of Lake Naivasha comes into view. The transition from open plains to a papyrus-fringed freshwater lake is a quietly beautiful one, with hippos and fish eagles welcoming your arrival.

Have you ever wanted to pass floating hippos by boat? Seek no longer: during a boat safari on Lake Naivasha this is exactly what will happen. You’ll pass between huge groups of hippos while seeing eagles and cormorants flying above you, and admiring giraffes on the shore. The safari on board a small motorized boat takes about 60 minutes and ends on the beautiful Crescent Island, where you’ll continue with a stunning walking safari between zebras, giraffes and wildebeests.

This is your last day! Unfortunately, it’s time to drive back to Nairobi to catch your flight home from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Sad to leave…? Then don’t worry! We can easily add a few days of safari to your holiday or a few days on one of Kenya’s stunning beaches along the coast!