10-Day Luxury Samburu, Ol Pejeta and Mara Safari

Driving Time: 5-6 hours · Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Leave Nairobi early heading north through the central highlands. You cross the equator near Nanyuki then drop into the dry northern lowlands where the vegetation thins and the scenery takes on a different feel. Arrive at Ashnil Samburu Camp in time for lunch on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River.

The late afternoon game drive introduces you to the reserve. Samburu’s special northern species are the main draw and you’ll likely spot several on the first outing. Elephants are common along the river and lions patrol the woodland edges. A solid first drive to get oriented.

Dinner and overnight stay at Ashnil Samburu Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Morning and afternoon drives covering different areas. The Ewaso Nyiro River is the focal point, drawing wildlife through otherwise dry country. Early morning is the most productive time with predators active and temperatures cooler. Look out for Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk browsing on their hind legs, and Beisa oryx on the open plains.

The birdlife is excellent with several northern specials not found further south. Afternoon drives often produce leopard sightings along the riverbanks. The reserve has a quieter, more remote feel than the southern parks and the camps are generally less busy.

Dinner and overnight stay at Ashnil Samburu Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Second full day in Samburu. Your guide focuses on what you haven’t seen yet or revisits productive spots from yesterday. Samburu’s predators include lions, leopards, and cheetahs though sightings vary and the bush can be thick in places. Patience helps here more than in open savanna parks.

The river is always worth time in the late afternoon as animals come to drink before dark. Buffalo, waterbuck, and various antelope gather alongside the resident hippos and crocodiles. A good last evening in Samburu before heading south tomorrow.

Dinner and overnight stay at Ashnil Samburu Camp.

Driving Time: 3-4 hours · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Head south to Ol Pejeta through Nanyuki with Mount Kenya visible to the east on clear days. A manageable drive compared to Day 1 and you arrive at Sweetwaters Serena Camp before lunch. Ol Pejeta is a private conservancy combining rhino conservation with cattle ranching, one of the more successful models of wildlife and land use in Kenya.

The afternoon drive focuses on rhinos. Ol Pejeta holds East Africa’s largest black rhino population alongside a healthy white rhino population. There’s also a sanctuary for the last two northern white rhinos on earth, worth visiting. Lions, elephants, and plains game fill the rest of the conservancy.

Dinner and overnight stay at Sweetwaters Serena Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Full day with morning and afternoon drives. Black rhinos are solitary and stay in thicker bush while white rhinos tend to be more social and visible in open grassland. Your guide knows the conservancy well and positions you for decent viewing of both. Early morning is the best time before the heat builds.

Optional visit to the chimpanzee sanctuary in the afternoon, the only place in Kenya to see chimps. It’s an interesting addition to what has mostly been savanna wildlife. General game viewing continues across the conservancy’s mixed habitat of grassland, riverine forest, and bush.

Dinner and overnight stay at Sweetwaters Serena Camp.

Driving Time: 7-8 hours · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Long drive west from Ol Pejeta across the Rift Valley and into Maasai country. Plan for a full day in the vehicle with an early start and a lunch stop along the way. The scenery changes significantly during the journey from highland farmland to open savanna. Arrive at Mara Maisha Camp in the late afternoon.

If there’s light left, a short evening drive follows. After Ol Pejeta’s enclosed conservancy the Mara’s scale and wildlife density are immediately obvious. Lions, elephants, buffalo, and giraffe spread across the open plains. Your guide works the radio to find out what’s happening across the reserve.

Dinner and overnight stay at Mara Maisha Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

First full day with morning and afternoon drives. Leave at dawn when predators are active. Lions are generally easy to find in the Mara. Cheetahs favour the open areas and leopards appear along the rivers and in woodland patches. Your guide stays in radio contact across the reserve to track what’s happening.

The Mara River holds hippos and large crocodiles year-round. Between July and October the wildebeest migration crossings happen along the river, though timing is never predictable. Outside migration the resident populations of zebra, wildebeest, topi, and gazelle remain substantial.

Dinner and overnight stay at Mara Maisha Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Second full day. Your guide adjusts the plan based on your interests. You can opt for a full-day drive with a picnic lunch for maximum time out in the reserve. The Mara is large enough that you can cover new ground each day without repeating yourself.

Optional dawn hot air balloon flight if booked in advance. It costs extra but gives a perspective on the scenery and wildlife that you can’t get from a vehicle. The afternoon continues with normal game viewing as the day cools.

Dinner and overnight stay at Mara Maisha Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Third full day in the Mara. Four nights in one camp lets you slow down and build on what you’ve seen over the previous days. Your guide will have a good sense of where specific animals are ranging and can track individuals across multiple outings. Morning drives remain consistently good throughout the stay.

Optional Maasai village visit in the afternoon, which gives useful context to the communities living alongside the wildlife. The last evening drive is a good chance to take it all in before heading back to Nairobi tomorrow.

Dinner and overnight stay at Mara Maisha Camp.

Driving Time: 5-6 hours · Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Final morning game drive before breakfast, then pack up and head back to Nairobi. The drive east takes most of the day and you arrive by mid to late afternoon depending on traffic.

Drop off at your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Evening departures work fine.