Overview
On a 10 days safari in Kenya, expect to explore some of the best safari destinations in Africa. Travel through these destinations and encounter formidable predators and the highly sought-after Big Five. Your 10 days safari in Kenya will start and end in Nairobi, the capital. Travel through Samburu, the home of the Samburu Special Five, and venture to Ol Pejeta for an exclusive look at the unique species and a praised destination for chimps in the whole country. Fly high with the flamingos at Lake Nakuru and explore the aquatic life in Lake Naivasha. Finish off with the great Maasai Mara with a full exploration. Below is a detailed itinerary on how your 10 days safari in Kenya will run.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and travel to Samburu
Our professional guide will take you through a quick briefing on how your safari will run upon arrival. Travel northeast to Samburu National Park for over 5 hours to the home of the Samburu Special Five. Your estimated arrival time will determine your first day’s activity. Assuming you arrive in the afternoon, you will be driven straight to the park. Arrive in time for dinner at your booked lodge and rest by nightfall.
Day 2: Full-day game drive in Samburu National Park
Arise with the fresh rising sun of Samburu with a luxurious, delicious breakfast. Set out to explore the park on a full-day game drive. The full-day game drive focuses on uncovering the vast arid lands and encountering various flora and fauna species. The focus is set on the Samburu Special Five that reign these arid lands. These Samburu Special Five include Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk, and Somali ostrich. The first half of the game drive is done in the northern arid lands of the park. Enjoy a delicious lunch back at the lodge.
In the afternoon, explore the southern arid lands of Samburu. Continue with the last half of your full-day game drive later. Spot predators like lions, leopards, and cheetahs, the swift and stealth hunters. You can also spot huge tusked elephants, hippos, crocodiles, wild dogs, striped hyenas, Grant’s gazelles, dik-diks, impalas, kudus, and waterbucks, among others. Return to the lodge later for dinner and rest by nightfall.
Day 3: Transfer to Ol Pejeta Conservancy and visit the Sweetwaters Chimp Sanctuary
On the third day of your safari, drive for 3-4 hours to Ol Pejeta Conservancy from Samburu National Park after your breakfast. This conservancy sits on the foothills of Mount Kenya and is one of the best places to explore. It hosts the largest population of black rhinos. When you get to Ol Pejeta, head to your booked lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, venture to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary. This sanctuary offers a one-on-one experience with chimpanzees. The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary is the only destination that hosts chimpanzees in all of Kenya. This sanctuary hosts victimized chimps rescued from smugglers, injured chimps, and orphaned ones. You will participate in the feeding process and later return to the lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 4: Full-day game drive in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Your adventure in Ol Pejeta Conservancy continues after breakfast on your fourth day. Embark on a full-day game drive in this conservancy. Ol Pejeta is a non-profit organization that focuses on the conservation of the endangered black rhinos. During this full-day game drive, you have a chance to venture into the conservancy, encountering the black rhinos in the comfort of your safari 4×4 vehicle. Spot the famous Big 5: lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos on this drive. Have lunch by noon back at your lodge before continuing with your drive.
Ol Pejeta also hosts the remaining two northern white rhinos, a rare species of rhino different from the black rhinos. This conservancy is surely a delicacy for predators, hosting over 70 lions, 100 hyenas, 20 leopards, 33 wild dogs, and 30 cheetahs. There are also serval cats, bat-eared foxes, and caracals, among others. All these are spotted during the full-day game drive. Head back to the lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 5: Visit Lake Nakuru National Park and afternoon game drive
Have breakfast at your lodge and later check out and head south to Lake Nakuru National Park. The journey takes you through the Great Rift Valley with views of the soda lake of Nakuru. You will arrive in the afternoon at your lodge for lunch. During your afternoon game drive, traverse the savannah plains of Lake Nakuru National Park, spotting the various populations of wildlife including lions, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, buffaloes, leopards, etc. The highlight of the game drive is the incredible sight of the various flamingos that paint Lake Nakuru pink. This national park hosts over a million flamingos and many other birds like pelicans, waterfowl, African fish eagles, and Verreaux’s eagle, among others. Set off with the setting sun back to your lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 6: Drive to Lake Naivasha for a boat cruise and an evening nature walk
Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before driving off to Lake Naivasha past the Hell’s Gate National Park. Lake Naivasha is a popular spot to explore the aquatic life of Kenya’s formidable and fierce waters. A boat cruise is the best activity to explore Lake Naivasha and spot a variety of species, including hippos, Nile crocodiles, and monitor lizards. Naivasha also invites several species like elephants, waterbucks, buffaloes, and many others that come to quench their thirst.
You will have lunch at the lodge and head for an evening nature walk in the Crescent Island Game Sanctuary. This sanctuary hosts a variety of animals such as giraffes, zebras, primates like vervet monkeys, etc. The sanctuary has no predators, making it the best place for a nature walk. Return to the lodge for dinner and rest shortly before nightfall.
Day 7: Head to Maasai Mara National Reserve and an evening game drive
The adventure is not about to stop as you continue to Maasai Mara National Reserve after breakfast. Enjoy an evening game drive after lunch at the lodge after arriving from Lake Naivasha. An evening game drive in Maasai Mara will take you to the vast savannah grasslands, spotting various animals including the Big Five. The evening is one of the best periods for exploring the vast Maasai Mara. This is because it is one of the times when predators are at their best, as the weather is not that hot. During this game drive, there are high chances of catching the predators in action. Later, head to the lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 8: Full-day game drive in Maasai Mara
The adventures of Maasai Mara continue on your second day in this great reserve after breakfast. Venture early into the vast grasslands of Maasai Mara to begin your full-day game drive. An early drive lets you spot amazing predators that are very active in the early morning hours while hunting. Maasai Mara National Reserve hosts one of the largest concentrations of lions in Africa. During this full-day game drive, you are assured of spotting various prides of lions. Other predators to spot include leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, etc. The Big 5 are the most sought-after animals during a full-day game drive. You will have an incredible picnic lunch in the vast pride lands of Maasai Mara.
After enjoying your picnic lunch, proceed to the vast lands of Maasai Mara on the banks of the Great Mara River and spot the large schools of hippos and countless Nile crocodiles. During the Great Migration, millions of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles cross the Great Mara in a desperate move following the rains. The afternoon game drives are the best time to spot cheetahs in action as they take advantage of the resting lions in the hot weather. By evening, return to the lodge in time for dinner and rest.
Day 9: Journey to Nairobi for a city tour
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge and check out. Leave Maasai Mara National Reserve and set out for Nairobi. The journey lasts for over 6 hours of straight driving through the vast plains of the countryside. You will arrive in the city by noon and have lunch. In the afternoon, take on a city tour exploring the unique attractions of the city. Visit the Giraffe Center for a chance to feed giraffes. This center conserves the endangered species of giraffes, and later explore the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust that looks after orphaned elephants. Visit the National Museum to discover important historical artefacts. Later, head for dinner at the booked hotel in the city and rest.
Day 10: Departure
At the climax of your 10 days safari in Kenya, check out of the hotel after breakfast. Head for the airport for your departing flight back home. This will mark the end of your safari in Kenya.