7-Day Magical Kenya Luxury Safari

Drive Time: 4-5 hours · Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Morning pickup from your Nairobi hotel around 7:00 AM. Drive southeast toward the Tanzanian border. Road is tarmac most of the way, scenery gradually drying out as you approach Amboseli. Kilimanjaro appears on the horizon long before you reach the park if visibility is good.

Arrive at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge around midday. The lodge sits inside Amboseli National Park with direct views toward Kilimanjaro from the rooms and terrace. Check in, lunch overlooking the plains, then first game drive at 4:00 PM.

Amboseli is all about elephants. Large herds moving between the swamps, family groups with calves, big tuskers. The swamps fed by underground springs from Kilimanjaro concentrate wildlife in predictable areas. Also plenty of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, various antelope. Lions are around but take more effort to find than in the Mara.

Dinner and overnight at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Full day in Amboseli. Early start around 6:30 AM to catch Kilimanjaro before clouds form, the mountain shows best at dawn, then usually disappears by mid-morning. Your guide will position you for the classic shot: elephants with the peak behind them.

Morning around the swamps watching elephant families interact. The research project here has tracked these animals since 1972, so guides often know individuals by sight. Back to lodge for lunch and midday rest. The viewing deck stays active even during the heat, animals come to the nearby swamp throughout the day.

Afternoon drive at 4:00 PM. Observation Hill in the park center offers panoramic views across the basin. Short walk to the top, worth it for the perspective. Cheetahs sometimes hunt on the dry lake bed. Lots of water birds, pelicans, geese, herons around the wetlands.

Dinner and overnight at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge.

Drive Time: 6-7 hours via Nairobi · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning game drive if there’s time, otherwise breakfast and checkout. Drive back toward Nairobi, then continue northwest to Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley. Road passes through or around Nairobi depending on traffic, then climbs the escarpment with views over the valley.

Arrive at Sawela Lodge for a late lunch. The property sits on the lake shore with gardens running down to the water. After settling in, afternoon boat safari on Lake Naivasha.

Naivasha is freshwater, different from the alkaline soda lakes elsewhere in the Rift Valley. Large hippo populations, fish eagles, pelicans, cormorants along the shore. The boat takes you around the papyrus edges where birds concentrate. Optional walk on Crescent Island where you can get close to zebra, giraffe, wildebeest without a vehicle, no predators on the island.

Dinner and overnight at Sawela Lodge.

Drive Time: 1.5 hours · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Short drive north to Lake Nakuru after breakfast. Easy journey through the Rift Valley on good tarmac. Arrive at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge for lunch.

The lodge sits on a ridge inside Lake Nakuru National Park with panoramic views over the lake. After settling in, afternoon game drive around Nakuru. The park is compact and fully fenced, which has helped both black and white rhino populations recover significantly.

One of the few places in Kenya where you’re likely to see both rhino species in a single afternoon. Leopards are spotted regularly in trees around the park. Flamingo numbers vary with the lake’s chemistry but can be spectacular when conditions are right. The waterhole at the lodge attracts buffalo, zebra, waterbuck throughout the afternoon and evening.

Dinner and overnight at Sarova Lion Hill Lodge.

Drive Time: 4-5 hours · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early morning game drive in Nakuru, best time for predators and active rhinos. Return for breakfast, checkout, then drive west to the Masai Mara through Narok. Road is tarmac to Narok, then rougher murram road into the reserve but manageable.

Arrive at Mara Maisha Camp for lunch. The camp is boutique-sized with limited guest numbers, positioned for good wildlife access. Tented accommodation with proper luxury, comfortable beds, en-suite bathrooms, private verandas. After settling in, late afternoon game drive into the Mara.

Wildlife density is immediately obvious. Lions, elephants, buffalo, giraffe spread across the plains. This is what the Mara does, abundance as standard.

Dinner and overnight at Mara Maisha Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Full day in the Mara with morning and afternoon drives. Early start around 6:30 AM when it’s cooler and animals are most active. Lions are practically guaranteed, the Mara has healthy populations. Leopards require patience but sightings happen regularly near the Mara River where there’s tree cover. Cheetahs hunt on the open plains. Buffalo in massive herds, elephants everywhere, rhinos present but less common.

If you’re visiting July through October, the migration dominates everything. Over a million wildebeest plus zebra crossing from Tanzania. River crossings are dramatic when they happen but completely unpredictable, might see three in a morning or wait days. Your guide maintains radio contact with other drivers and will get you there if activity builds.

Outside migration months, the resident wildlife still delivers excellent viewing. Actually less crowded without the seasonal rush. Hot air balloon safaris available if booked ahead (around $450 per person).

The Mara River deserves extended time even without crossings, hippo pods, large crocodiles, excellent birdlife along the water.

Dinner and overnight at Mara Maisha Camp.

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

Final early morning game drive before breakfast. Last chance for Mara wildlife at dawn when light is best. Return to camp around 9:00 AM, pack up, then drive back to Nairobi.

Lunch stop en route or packed lunch depending on preference. Arrive in Nairobi mid to late afternoon. Drop off at your hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for evening international flights.