14-Day Grand Luxury Kenya Safari

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

Leave Nairobi early heading southeast through Maasai country. The road dries out as you approach the Amboseli basin and on a clear morning Kilimanjaro appears ahead well before you reach the gate. Arrive at Tortilis Camp around lunchtime.

The late afternoon game drive covers the open plains and swamp edges. Amboseli has reliable elephant viewing and the swamps attract hippos and good numbers of waterbirds. Lions and cheetahs work the grassland. A solid first evening to get oriented.

Dinner and overnight stay at Tortilis Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Morning and afternoon drives covering different sections. Start early for the best light on Kilimanjaro before the clouds build. Your guide knows the elephant families well and can often identify individuals by ear shape and tusks. Observation Hill is worth a short stop for the view over the swamps and plains below.

The afternoon focuses on predators and the swamp edges where buffalo, zebra, and waterbirds concentrate around the water. Amboseli is compact so you can cover it thoroughly without spending too long driving between sightings.

Dinner and overnight stay at Tortilis Camp.

Driving Time: 9-10 hours via Nairobi · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Long drive day heading north through Nairobi and up into dry northern Kenya. Plan for a full day in the vehicle and an early start. The scenery shifts noticeably once you drop off the highlands, vegetation thinning and the colours changing. Arrive at Samburu Intrepids in the early evening, on the bank of the Ewaso Nyiro River.

Samburu’s special northern species show up quickly, often on the first morning drive. Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and gerenuk are commonly seen. Elephants move along the river in the evening. It feels like a different country from Amboseli almost immediately.

Dinner and overnight stay at Samburu Intrepids.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Morning and afternoon drives in the reserve. The river is the focal point with wildlife concentrated along its banks. Early morning is productive with good predator activity and the best light. The birdlife is excellent with several northern specials not found further south including vulturine guineafowl and Somali ostrich.

The afternoon might bring leopard sightings along the riverbanks or lions working the woodland. Samburu has a quieter, more remote feel than the southern parks and the camps are generally less crowded. Worth taking time here rather than rushing through.

Dinner and overnight stay at Samburu Intrepids.

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 and you arrive at Sweetwaters Serena Camp before lunch. Ol Pejeta is a private conservancy that combines 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 for the context it gives to rhino conservation globally. 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, white rhinos more social and often in open grassland. Your guide knows the conservancy well and positions you for decent viewing of both. Early morning is the best time for rhino activity before the heat builds.

Optional visit to the chimpanzee sanctuary in the afternoon, the only place in Kenya to see chimps. It’s a worthwhile stop that adds an unexpected element to the safari. General game viewing continues in the afternoon across the conservancy’s mixed habitat of grassland, riverine forest, and bush.

Dinner and overnight stay at Sweetwaters Serena Camp.

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

Drive southwest to Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley. You arrive at Sawela Lodge around lunchtime with the afternoon free to relax or explore the lake area. Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake with no predators, different from everything you have seen so far on the trip.

A boat ride on the lake in the afternoon is a good option, getting close to hippos and large flocks of waterbirds including pelicans, cormorants, and fish eagles. Crescent Island nearby offers walking alongside zebra, wildebeest, and giraffe without a vehicle. A quiet and different day before the long drive to the Mara tomorrow.

Dinner and overnight stay at Sawela Lodge.

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

Head west across the Mau Escarpment into Maasai country. The road descends into classic savanna and the scenery opens up as you near the reserve. Arrive at Mara Maisha Camp in the afternoon. Even arriving later you’ll have time for a short evening drive.

After Ol Pejeta’s enclosed conservancy and Naivasha’s lake setting the Mara’s scale and wildlife density are immediately striking. Lions, elephants, giraffe, and buffalo spread across the open plains in every direction. Your guide works the radio to find out what’s active before you’re even out of the vehicle.

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, often in large prides. Cheetahs work the open grassland and leopards appear along the rivers and in woodland patches. Your guide stays in radio contact with other guides across the reserve.

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

Dinner and overnight stay at Mara Maisha Camp.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Second full day. By now your guide knows your interests and can plan accordingly. Option for a full-day drive with picnic lunch out in the reserve for maximum time with wildlife. 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, drifting over the plains at first light. It costs extra but gives a completely different perspective on the scenery. The afternoon continues with standard game viewing as the day cools.

Dinner and overnight stay at Mara Maisha Camp.

Flight: Mara to Diani · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Final morning game drive before breakfast, then transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Diani on the south Kenya coast. The domestic flight takes around two hours, sometimes with a stop, and lands you in a completely different Kenya from the one you’ve spent the last ten days exploring.

Arrive at The Sands at Nomad in time for a late lunch. The Indian Ocean is right in front of you and the pace shifts immediately. Diani has one of the better stretches of beach on the East African coast with white sand and warm water. The afternoon is yours to settle in.

Dinner and overnight stay at The Sands at Nomad.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

A full day at the beach. Swim, snorkel, or simply rest. The Sands at Nomad has good food and the beach in front of the property is calm and clean. Water sports including kayaking and windsurfing are available nearby. Diani’s reef is worth snorkelling if the conditions are right.

Optional day trips to Shimba Hills National Reserve nearby for elephant and sable antelope viewing, or a dhow excursion along the coast. Both need advance arrangement. Otherwise this is a rest day after ten days of early mornings and long drives.

Dinner and overnight stay at The Sands at Nomad.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Enjoy a full day by the beach. Take a swim, go snorkelling, or simply relax by the shore. The Sands at Nomad offers excellent dining, while the beach directly in front of the property is peaceful and well maintained. Nearby activities include kayaking and windsurfing. If conditions are favourable, Diani’s coral reef provides a rewarding snorkelling experience.

Dinner and overnight stay at The Sands at Nomad.

Flight: Diani to Wilson Airport, Nairobi · Meals: Breakfast

Final breakfast at the beach then transfer to Ukunda airstrip for the short flight back to Wilson Airport in Nairobi. The flight takes about an hour. Arrive in Nairobi by mid-morning.

Connect to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for international departures or continue to your Nairobi hotel if you have additional time in the city.