$4,816 to $5,376 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Explore the land of magnificent giants
Explore the land of magnificent giants
Your epic 8-day Kenyan adventure begins with a morning departure from Nairobi, driving south across the scenic Athi Plains. As the city skyline fades, the classic African savannah unfolds before you, punctuated by acacia trees and distant volcanic hills. Arrive at Amboseli National Park in time for a warm welcome, lunch, and a brief rest at your lodge or camp.
In the afternoon, head out for your first game drive. Dominated by the colossal, snow-capped peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Amboseli offers an unmatched photographic backdrop. The park is world-renowned for its dense populations of free-ranging African elephants, including impressive old bulls and matriarchal families. As dusk approaches, watch these gentle giants traverse the dusty plains against a dramatic golden sunset, before returning to camp for dinner.
- Main Destination:
- Amboseli National Park
- Accommodation:
- Kilima Safari Camp
Wildlife in Amboseli NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
More exploration of the land of giants
More exploration of the land of giants
A full day in Amboseli allows you to experience the park at its most magical, starting with an early morning game drive when Mount Kilimanjaro is most likely to be clear of clouds. The early light catches the snow-capped peak beautifully, offering spectacular photographic opportunities as herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, and zebras begin their daily trek across the plains.
Spend the day exploring the park’s contrasting landscapes, from the dry, dusty beds of Lake Amboseli to the lush, green Enkongo Narok marshes. Fed by underground springs from Kilimanjaro, these swamps are a lifeline for wildlife, drawing hippos, waterbucks, and an incredible variety of waterfowl. Keep an eye out for lions, cheetahs, and hyenas resting in the shade of acacia trees. After a picnic lunch in the wild or a midday break at the lodge, an afternoon game drive catches the predators becoming active again as the sun dips low, painting the savannah in rich, golden hues.
- Main Destination:
- Amboseli National Park
- Accommodation:
- Kilima Safari Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Transfer to Lake Naivasha
Transfer to Lake Naivasha
After an early breakfast, bid farewell to Mount Kilimanjaro and journey north through the scenic Great Rift Valley toward Lake Naivasha. Descending the dramatic escarpment, you'll watch the landscape shift into lush, volcanic terrain before arriving at your lakeside lodge in time for lunch and a brief rest.
The afternoon introduces you to Naivasha's tranquil waters. Embark on a scenic boat cruise across the freshwater lake, navigating past pods of snorting hippos and scanning the shoreline for diverse waterbirds, including African fish eagles and colorful kingfishers. Afterward, step onto Crescent Island Game Sanctuary for a unique walking safari. Because there are no large predators, you can walk safely alongside giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, and impalas. As the sun sets over the water, head back to your lodge for dinner and a peaceful night's rest.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Naivasha (Naivasha)
- Accommodation:
- Lake Naivasha Resort
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Journey to the Maasai Mara
Journey to the Maasai Mara
Leaving the tranquil waters of Lake Naivasha behind, your journey takes you deeper into the Great Rift Valley, climbing across the dramatic Loita Plains toward Kenya’s ultimate wildlife crown jewel: the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The landscape transforms into boundless, rolling grasslands that seem to stretch infinitely into the horizon. Arrive at your camp or lodge in time for a warm welcome, lunch, and a short rest as the midday heat dissipates.
In the late afternoon, set out for your inaugural game drive in this legendary wilderness. The Maasai Mara is world-renowned for its exceptional predator populations, and the golden hour is prime time to spot them. Scan the vast savannah for prides of lions lounging after a slumber, a solitary leopard draped over an acacia branch, or a cheetah scanning the plains from atop a termite mound. Return to camp as twilight falls, falling asleep to the distant, thrilling sounds of the African night.
- Main Destination:
- Masai Mara National Reserve
- Accommodation:
- Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
Wildlife in Masai Mara NR
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Explore the magical Maasai Mara
Explore the magical Maasai Mara
Wake up to the dawn chorus of the savannah and set out for a full-day exploration of the Maasai Mara. With custom picnic lunches packed, you have the ultimate flexibility to track wildlife across the reserve's sweeping grasslands and riverine forests. This is big cat country, and today is dedicated to observing their complex social dynamics and hunting behaviors.
Traverse the vast plains where massive herds of wildebeest and zebras graze, keeping a sharp lookout for stealthy predators following in their wake. Make your way down to the Mara River, where dramatic encounters await. Scan the deep waters for massive pods of hippos and enormous Nile crocodiles basking on the muddy banks. If your safari falls during the migration season, you might even witness the tense anticipation of a river crossing. After an action-packed day of photography and wildlife tracking, return to your camp as the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky in deep crimson and gold.
- Main Destination:
- Masai Mara National Reserve
- Accommodation:
- Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Golden sunsets and the vast plains of Mara
Golden sunsets and the vast plains of Mara
Your final full day in the Maasai Mara is all about diving deeper into the reserve's hidden corners and maximize your time with its iconic wildlife. Heading out at first light, you will catch the savannah at its most active. This is the best time to find apex predators wrapped up in the remnants of a night hunt or watch spotted hyenas returning to their dens before the heat of the day sets in.
You can spend the morning tracking specific resident prides, observing cubs at play, or scanning the isolated thickets for a glimpse of a solitary black rhino. After a midday rest at your lodge or camp to recharge, the afternoon game drive offers a final chance to capture that perfect shot against the Mara’s vast, open horizons. As the light softens into a classic African dusk, pull up at a scenic viewpoint for a traditional safari sundowner, raising a glass to three incredible days in one of the world's greatest wildernesses.
- Main Destination:
- Masai Mara National Reserve
- Accommodation:
- Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Exit the Mara, enter the pink lake
Exit the Mara, enter the pink lake
After an early breakfast, say goodbye to the sweeping plains of the Maasai Mara and journey back north toward the floor of the Great Rift Valley, arriving at Lake Nakuru National Park. Transitioning from the open savannah to a landscape of yellow-fever acacia woodlands and rocky escarpments, you will arrive at your lodge in time for lunch and a brief rest.
In the afternoon, head out for a game drive around the lake's shores. Lake Nakuru is a globally recognized haven for birdlife, frequently hosting dense flocks of lesser and greater flamingos that fringe the alkaline waters in a soft pink hue, alongside pelicans and cormorants. Beyond the exceptional birding, Nakuru is one of Kenya’s most successful sanctuaries for both black and white rhinoceroses. Keep your eyes trained on the lakeshore and the forest edges to spot these prehistoric-looking giants grazing, and scan the high branches of the acacia trees for a chance sighting of a leopard or the rare Rothschild's.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Nakuru National Park
- Accommodation:
- Lake Nakuru Lodge
Wildlife in Lake Nakuru NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Depart to Nairobi
Depart to Nairobi
Your final morning on safari begins with a peaceful early morning game drive through Lake Nakuru National Park. Watch the mist rise off the lake as waterbucks graze along the shoreline and leopards make their final rounds before retreating into the deep canopy of the acacia forests. It is a beautiful, quiet hour for photography and a chance to check off any final wildlife sightings.
Return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast before packing up and checking out. As you drive back toward Nairobi, climbing the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, stop at a panoramic viewpoint for one last look at the expansive valley floor below. Arrive back in Kenya's capital by early afternoon, where you will be dropped off at your hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward journey, carrying a wealth of memories and incredible photographs from eight days in the wild.
- Main Destination:
- Nairobi (City)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
