Safaris

Kenya

East Africa

Kenya, in seven routes

An unusual amount of variety in short distances. Big cats in the Mara, elephants under Kilimanjaro, red dust in Tsavo, flamingo lakes in the Rift Valley and the dry north at Samburu. We drive all of it ourselves.

In short

Three days and you should stay in the Mara. Seven and you can cross four ecosystems without a single internal flight.

Nairobi sits in the middle of everything, which is what makes Kenya so workable. Amboseli is about five hours south, the Maasai Mara five to six west, Lake Nakuru three up the Rift Valley escarpment. Tsavo is on the road to the coast, so a safari can end at Diani.

That geography means you do not have to choose between wildlife density and variety. A seven day route takes in a soda lake, savannah, acacia woodland and open pans, and every leg is a road our guides drive regularly.

July to October is the driest stretch and the migration window, so the rates on this page are quoted for August and September. January to March is clear, quieter and often better for cats.

Shortest route

3 days

Longest route

9 days

From

USD 1,450 pp

Peak season

July to October

Parks in our routes

Nine

Amboseli, first light. The mountain clouds over by mid morning.

Why go

What Kenya does better than anywhere else

The Maasai Mara holds some of the highest lion densities in Africa, with resident cheetah and leopard along the Talek and Mara rivers, and from late July it receives the Great Migration from the Serengeti. That is the headline, and it earns it.

But Kenya is more than the Mara. Amboseli gives you large elephant families on open pans with Kilimanjaro behind them, which is a different photograph entirely. Lake Nakuru and Ol Pejeta bring rhino into a route that would otherwise be all cats. Samburu holds species that simply are not found further south: Grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Beisa oryx.

And because Tsavo runs down towards Mombasa, a nine day route can finish with four nights on the Indian Ocean, returning to Nairobi on the SGR train rather than repeating the drive.

Where the routes go

Six places, six different days

All parks and reserves →

Maasai Mara

5 to 6 hours from Nairobi

Open grassland cut by two rivers. Two nights minimum, three if the migration is in. The best big cat viewing in the country.

Amboseli

5 hours from Nairobi

A dried lake bed and marshes fed by Kilimanjaro snowmelt. Flat, open, and elephants at very close range.

Nakuru and Ol Pejeta

3 to 4 hours from Nairobi

Rhino country. Nakuru has both black and white rhino with Rothschild giraffe; Ol Pejeta adds chimpanzee and night drives.

Samburu

6 hours from Nairobi

Dry, rocky, and completely different in feel. The Ewaso Nyiro draws elephant, and the northern specials live here.

The Aberdares

3 hours from Nairobi

Highland forest and tree hotels built over waterholes. You sit still and the animals come to you.

Tsavo East and West

On the Mombasa road

Red earth, Mzima Springs and the Aruba dam. Pairs naturally with Amboseli, and with a coastal finish.

The Mara in August, when the herds are in and the dust never quite settles.

The routes

Seven Kenya safaris

Every route runs at three accommodation levels. The days, the vehicle and the guide stay the same; the lodges and the price move. Prices are per person sharing for two travellers.

Most requested

3 days / 2 nights

Code UTS-MAMA-03

Three days, Maasai Mara

Mara Serena, Zebra Plains or Mara Sopa

Two nights in the reserve with full days on game drives. The shortest sensible Mara trip.

From, per person sharing

USD 1,450 to 1,810

Details

4 days / 3 nights

Code UTS-LANA-04

Four days, Mara and Lake Nakuru

Sarova, Lake Nakuru Lodge or Sopa options

A night at Nakuru for rhino and flamingo, then two nights in the Mara.

From, per person sharing

USD 1,940 to 2,340

Details

5 days / 4 nights

Code UTS-ANAM-05

Five days, Tsavo and Amboseli

Satao and Serena, Ashnil and Severin, or Sentrim and Sopa

Red elephants, Mzima Springs, then Kilimanjaro from the Amboseli marshes.

From, per person sharing

USD 1,740 to 2,130

Details

6 days / 5 nights

Code UTS-ANAM-06

Six days, Mara, Naivasha and Amboseli

Sand River and Tortilis, Sarova and Kibo, or Mara Maisha and Kilima

Three ecosystems, with a boat trip on Lake Naivasha in between.

From, per person sharing

USD 2,955 to 5,125

Details

7 days / 6 nights

Code UTS-FOPA-07

Seven days, four parks

Nakuru, Mara, Naivasha, Amboseli

Our most requested route, and the only one with two full days and no transfer.

From, per person sharing

USD 3,190 to 5,645

Details

9 days / 8 nights

Code UTS-NOCI-09

Nine days, the northern circuit

Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Aberdare, Nakuru, Naivasha, Mara

The full Kenyan spread, north to west, including a tree hotel night in the Aberdares.

From, per person sharing

USD 3,995 to 5,320

Details

9 days / 8 nights

Code UTS-THCO-09

Nine days, safari and the coast

Amboseli, Tsavo, Diani Beach

Safari first, then four all inclusive nights on the Indian Ocean, back by SGR train.

From, per person sharing

USD 2,750 to 3,350

Details

Peak season rates, August and September. Included: accommodation, all park and reserve entry fees, transport in our own 4×4 with an in-house driver guide, and meals as stated per lodge. Not included: international flights, the Kenya eTA, balloon flights, Maasai village fees, drinks and tips. Ask us for green season and shoulder rates.

Green season, after the long rains

Best time to visit

Kenya month by month, honestly

July to October is the dry season and the migration window in the Maasai Mara. Grass is short, animals gather at water, and the river crossings are possible on any day in that period. It is also the busiest and most expensive time, which is why the rates above are quoted for August and September.

January to March is the other strong window. Skies are clear, the parks are quieter, calving means plenty of predator activity, and Amboseli is at its best for Kilimanjaro views.

April, May and part of November are the long and short rains. Roads get harder, some camps close, and rates fall a long way. If afternoon storms do not bother you, the landscape is at its most beautiful and you will share sightings with almost nobody.

Practical

What to know before you fly to Nairobi

Getting in and getting around

Most travellers arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International and start the safari the next morning.

A visitor eTA is applied for online before travel. We send you the current link when you book.

All road transfers are in our own pop-top 4×4 with an in-house driver guide.

Internal flights to the Mara or Samburu can replace the long drives, quoted on request.

Park entry fees are included in every rate we quote.

On safari

Game drives run early morning and late afternoon, when animals are active and the light is low.

Mornings are cold before sunrise, even in August. Bring a fleece.

Neutral colours, and a longer lens than you think you need.

The Mara access roads are rough, so pack in a soft bag rather than a hard case.

Discuss yellow fever certification and malaria prophylaxis with your doctor before travel.

Why book with us

A Nairobi operator, not a booking page

The vehicles are ours and maintained in house. The driver guides are on our staff, and one of them stays with you for the whole route rather than changing at each camp. We are Kenya registered and TRA registered, with an office in Westlands you can visit. Every property in your itinerary is named before you pay, at all three price levels.

Vehicles

Our own 4×4 fleet

Guides

In-house, one per route

Lodge levels

Three per route

Support

A Nairobi number, while you travel

Questions

Kenya safari questions

How much does a Kenya safari cost?–

From USD 1,450 per person sharing for three days in the Maasai Mara, up to USD 5,645 per person for the seven day four park route at the top lodge level. Those are peak season figures and include park fees, accommodation and transport with a driver guide.

Is the Maasai Mara worth it outside migration season?+

Yes. The Mara has resident lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and buffalo all year. The migration adds spectacle, but January to March often gives better sightings with far fewer vehicles.

How long is the drive to the Maasai Mara?+

Five to six hours from Nairobi, with a stop at the Rift Valley viewpoint. The last stretch is rough. If you would rather not drive it, we will quote the 45 minute flight instead and hold a vehicle and guide in the reserve.

Can I see rhino in Kenya?+

Yes. Lake Nakuru National Park has both black and white rhino, and Ol Pejeta Conservancy on Laikipia is one of the best places in East Africa for rhino, with night drives permitted.

Are your safaris private?+

All of them. Your own vehicle and your own driver guide, not a shared seat with a fixed departure time.

Can a Kenya safari include the coast?+

Yes, and it is a good way to finish. Our nine day Amboseli and Tsavo route ends with four all inclusive nights at Diani, returning to Nairobi on the SGR train.

Kenya registered tour operator

TRA registered

Our own 4×4 safari vehicles

In-house driver guides

Westlands, Nairobi

Start planning

Send us your travel window, group size and whether the migration matters to you. We will come back with the route costed at all three lodge levels.