$3,584 to $4,144 pp (USD)
2 travelers on Start dateArrival
Arrival
Day 1
Tranquil Waters & Walking Safaris: Welcome to Lake Naivasha
Tranquil Waters & Walking Safaris: Welcome to Lake Naivasha
Your 9-day Kenyan expedition begins with a morning departure from Nairobi, driving north down the dramatic eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Stop to take in the vast, panoramic views before descending to the valley floor and arriving at Lake Naivasha in time for lunch at your lakeside resort.
In the afternoon, step onto a boat for a scenic cruise across the freshwater lake, navigating past resident pods of snorting hippos and watching African fish eagles swoop down for prey. Your boat guides you to the shores of Crescent Island Game Sanctuary, where you will embark on an intimate walking safari. Because there are no large predators, you can safely walk alongside giraffes, zebras, and waterbucks on foot. Conclude your day with a relaxing dinner, falling asleep to the peaceful sounds of the lake.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Naivasha (Naivasha)
- Accommodation:
- Lake Naivasha Resort
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Into Big Cat Territory: Journey to the Maasai Mara
Into Big Cat Territory: Journey to the Maasai Mara
After an early breakfast by the lake, bid farewell to Naivasha and travel deeper into the Great Rift Valley, climbing across the expansive Loita Plains toward Kenya’s ultimate wildlife crown jewel: the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Watch the landscape transform 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 3
Sunrise Patrol & Savannah Horizons
Sunrise Patrol & Savannah Horizons
Wake up to the dawn chorus of the savannah and set out for an immersive, 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 4
Deep in the Mara Wilderness: Tracking the Apex Predators
Deep in the Mara Wilderness: Tracking the Apex Predators
Your second full day in the Maasai Mara is dedicated to venturing into the reserve's more secluded tracks and maximizing your encounters with its iconic wildlife. Heading out at first light, you will catch the savannah at its most active, a prime time for bird and wildlife photography as apex predators wrap up their night hunts before the daytime heat sets in.
Spend the day tracking resident lion prides, observing cubs at play, or scanning thickets for a elusive leopard. Your guide's deep knowledge of predator-prey dynamics will help place you in the perfect position for spectacular behavioral shots. After a midday rest at camp to recharge, the afternoon game drive offers a final chance to capture that perfect silhouette against the Mara's vast horizons. As twilight approaches, pause at a scenic viewpoint for a classic safari sundowner, raising a glass to three incredible days in Africa's greatest wilderness.
- Main Destination:
- Masai Mara National Reserve
- Accommodation:
- Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Journey to Lake Nakuru
Journey to Lake Nakuru
After an early breakfast, say goodbye to the rolling plains of the Maasai Mara and journey back north toward the floor of the Great Rift Valley, arriving at Lake Nakuru National Park. The landscape shifts beautifully from open savannah to fever-tree acacia woodlands and dramatic rocky escarpments. 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 world-renowned haven for birdlife, hosting dense flocks of pelicans, cormorants, and greater and lesser flamingos that fringe the alkaline waters in a soft pink hue. Beyond the exceptional birding, Nakuru is one of Kenya’s most successful sanctuaries for endangered wildlife. Keep your eyes trained on the open shores and forest edges to spot prehistoric-looking black and white rhinoceroses grazing, and scan the high branches of the yellow acacias for a chance sighting of a leopard or the rare, five-horned Rothschild's giraffe.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Nakuru National Park
- Accommodation:
- Lake Nakuru Lodge
Wildlife in Lake Nakuru NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Secrets of the Ridge: Exploring Nakuru’s Escarpments
Secrets of the Ridge: Exploring Nakuru’s Escarpments
A full day at Lake Nakuru National Park allows you to explore the diverse habitats that make this park an ecological gem. Set out at dawn when the lake is often covered in a soft, ethereal mist, a perfect moment for landscape and bird photography. Drive up to the iconic Baboon Cliff or Out Of Africa lookout points, you can capture sweeping panoramic views of the entire shimmering lake below.
Spend the rest of the day tracking the park’s healthy populations of white and black rhinos, observing them grazing in family groups or resting under the shade of fever trees. Unlike many other parks, Nakuru also offers a fantastic chance to see large herds of the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe feeding on the high acacia canopy. Scan the woodlands for tree-climbing lions, defassa waterbucks, and olive baboons. After a restful midday break, your afternoon game drive tracks the park’s leopards and nocturnal hunters as they begin to stir, concluding another spectacular day in the Rift Valley.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Nakuru National Park
- Accommodation:
- Lake Nakuru Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Into the Arid North: Journey to Rugged Samburu
Into the Arid North: Journey to Rugged Samburu
Bid farewell to the Great Rift Valley as you journey north, crossing the equator and watching the lush green highlands give way to the dramatic, semi-arid landscapes of Kenya's northern frontier. Arrive at Samburu National Reserve in time for lunch and a rest at your lodge or camp, situated along the lifeline of this wilderness: the Ewaso Nyiro River.
In the late afternoon, set out for your first game drive in this unique, rugged ecosystem. Samburu's striking red earth and doum palms provide a stark, stunning contrast to the savannahs you've seen so far. Almost immediately, you will begin encountering wildlife uniquely adapted to these harsh, dry conditions. Scan the brush for Samburu's famous "Special Five"—including the striking reticulated giraffe and the elegant, long-necked gerenuk feeding on its hind legs—before returning to camp for dinner under the starlit northern sky.
Samburu is famous for hosting five rare, climate-adapted species found almost nowhere else.
- Main Destination:
- Samburu National Reserve
- Accommodation:
- Samburu Sopa Lodge
Wildlife in Samburu NR
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Lifeline of the Arid North
Lifeline of the Arid North
Wake up to the gentle sounds of the Ewaso Nyiro River flowing past the Samburu Simba Lodge. Set out at first light for a full-day exploration of the reserve, when the crisp morning air prompts predators like leopards and lions to move before the equatorial sun takes over.
Spend your morning tracking the reserve's unique wildlife along the riverbanks, where large herds of elephants gather to bathe, drink, and shake seed pods loose from the doum palms. Keep a close eye on the dry bush for the striking Beisa oryx and the narrow-striped Grevy’s zebra.
Return to Samburu Simba Lodge for lunch and a midday rest. You can relax by the stunning infinity pool, which overlooks a watering hole where elephants and baboons frequently come to drink, allowing you to watch wildlife without leaving the property.
Later in the evening, capture the amazing sunsets only in this part of the country.
- Main Destination:
- Buffalo Springs National Reserve
- Accommodation:
- Samburu Simba Lodge
Wildlife in Buffalo Springs NR
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Drive back to Nairobi
Drive back to Nairobi
Your final morning on safari begins with one last, peaceful game drive along the Ewaso Nyiro River. Catch the crisp dawn light, the ultimate golden hour for photography, as you search the riverine forests for any final glimpses of leopards returning from a night's hunt or massive elephant bulls shaking the doum palms for seed pods.
Return to Samburu Simba Lodge for a hearty breakfast before packing your gear and checking out. As you journey south out of the rugged northern frontier, you will watch the arid landscape transition back into lush, green highlands.
- Main Destination:
- Nairobi (City)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
