Our fly-in Kenya safaris connect the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, and the Indian Ocean coast by scheduled domestic flights and private charters. Working with trusted local aviation partners, we coordinate every flight, airstrip transfer, and ground connection so you land directly at each reserve and spend your time doing what you came for. Every itinerary is private, fully inclusive, and designed around your dates and the experience you want.
Your guide and 4x4 are reserved for your party alone at every destination. No shared vehicles, no compromised schedules.
All domestic flights, airstrip transfers, and connection logistics are coordinated as part of your itinerary.
A 45-minute flight replaces a six-hour road transfer. That time goes straight back into game drives, guided walks, and afternoons at camp.
Our Nairobi team is available seven days a week. Whatever the hour back home, every message gets a reply immediately.
Fly-in safaris requires more logistical coordination than a road trip, so we keep the booking side as straightforward as possible. Put down 30% to confirm your domestic flights, your private vehicle, and your lodges at each destination. The balance is due 60 days before departure.
As a TRA-licensed Kenya tour operator, we work to the standards the government sets for the industry. Before your balance falls due, you receive a written day-by-day itinerary and written accommodation confirmation. Every payment comes with a full receipt.
Every kenya safari with domestic flights listed below is private, fully inclusive, and coordinated end to end. Browse our most popular fly-in packages below, each designed to put more hours in the bush and fewer on the road.
Experience Kenya’s iconic Masai Mara on this 3-day fly-in safari featuring scenic flights, luxury accommodation, guided game drives, Big Five encounters, and unforgettable wildlife moments.
Experience Kenya’s finest wildlife destinations on this 7-day luxury safari featuring Samburu, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and Masai Mara, with scenic flights, premium lodges, and exclusive game drives.
Experience the best of Kenya on this 8-day safari and beach escape combining thrilling wildlife encounters, scenic landscapes, comfortable accommodation, and relaxing days along Kenya’s beautiful coast.
Experience the ultimate Kenya bush and beach escape on this 10-day safari combining thrilling wildlife encounters, scenic landscapes, luxury accommodation, and relaxing days on Diani Beach.
A 14-day private luxury safari traversing Amboseli, Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Naivasha, and Masai Mara, ending with two relaxing days at Diani Beach on Kenya’s coast.
A 10-day private luxury safari covering Samburu’s rare northern wildlife, rhino conservation at Ol Pejeta, and four nights of classic big-game viewing in the Masai Mara.
A 9-day private luxury safari looping through Samburu’s rare northern wildlife, rhinos at Ol Pejeta, flamingos at Lake Nakuru, and three full days in the Masai Mara.
A 12-day private luxury+ safari spanning Amboseli’s elephants, Samburu’s northern species, Ol Pejeta’s rhinos, Lake Nakuru’s flamingos, and four nights at Governors’ Camp in the Masai Mara.
A 10-day private luxury south-to-north loop covering Amboseli’s elephants and Kilimanjaro views, Tsavo West and East’s vast wilderness, finishing with three days in the Masai Mara.
A 9-day private luxury fly-in safari connecting Amboseli’s elephants, four nights of big-game viewing in the Masai Mara, and Samburu’s rare northern wildlife – all via scheduled flights.
A 10-day private luxury circuit covering all of Kenya’s top destinations – Samburu, Ol Pejeta’s rhinos, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, three days in the Masai Mara, and Amboseli.
Fly in from Nairobi and spend three full days on game drives in the Masai Mara, tracking big cats and Big Five wildlife from Mara Serena Lodge, or another luxury lodge/camp of your choice.
Cover four of Kenya’s top parks in seven days: Amboseli’s elephants, Lake Naivasha’s hippos, Nakuru’s rhinos, and two full days of big cat drives in the Mara.
Classic private luxury circuit spanning seven days: Amboseli’s elephants, a Lake Naivasha boat safari, Nakuru’s rhinos, and two nights of Big Five drives at boutique Mara Maisha.
Safari and beach in ten days: two nights in Samburu for rare northern wildlife, four nights of Big Five game drives in the Masai Mara, then three nights at Diani Beach.
Seven days of private luxury safari and beach: three nights in the Masai Mara for Big Five game drives, then three nights relaxing at Diani Beach. Includes return flights to Diani.
Eleven days of private luxury road safari, tracking north to south through Samburu, Ol Pejeta’s last northern white rhinos, Lake Nakuru, the Masai Mara, and Amboseli’s elephants.
Two parks, seven days, all by air: two nights at Amboseli watching elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, then four nights of Big Five game drives at Mara Serena Lodge.
Three days of private luxury game drives in the Masai Mara, with two full days tracking the Big Five and an optional hot air balloon at dawn. Perfect if you only have a few days in Kenya.
From vast savannas teeming with wildlife to stunning coastlines – Kenya’s story is written in remarkable figures.
The distances between Kenya’s parks are real. Nairobi to the Masai Mara by road takes five to six hours on a good day. By light aircraft, the same journey takes 45 minutes. That gap is a full afternoon game drive, a guided bush walk, or a sundowner watching the light drop over the plains.
For travelers with ten days or fewer who want to cover more than one park, a fly-in itinerary makes every day count. It is also the better option when physical comfort matters, when your group includes older travelers or young children, or when you want access to remote destinations that are not realistically reachable by road on a tight schedule.
Lewa, Borana, and the private conservancies of Laikipia sit in this category. Their airstrips make them far easier to reach than their map position suggests, and staying there puts you in landscapes shared by almost no other visitors.
The Masai Mara – The Mara is Kenya’s most celebrated wildlife reserve and its best-served by air. Wilson Airport in Nairobi connects daily to airstrips inside and around the reserve, including Ol Kiombo, Keekorok, and Musiara, with flight times of around 45 minutes. Safarilink, FLY ALS, and Air Kenya, which are some of our partners, run scheduled services, and private charters reach the smaller conservancy airstrips. From July through October, the wildebeest migration crosses the Mara River here. The resident big cats, including the densest population of lion, leopard, and cheetah in Africa, are present year-round.
Amboseli – Amboseli sits near the Tanzanian border at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is famous for its large, habituated elephant herds and for the views: on a clear morning, watching a breeding herd move across the plain with Kilimanjaro behind it is one of the most recognizable images in African wildlife photography. Direct flights from Nairobi take around 45 minutes.
Samburu – Samburu National Reserve in Kenya’s north is drier, more dramatic, and home to wildlife species you will not find in the southern parks. The Samburu Special Five, the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, Beisa oryx, and Somali ostrich, make Samburu a priority for serious wildlife travelers. The reserve is best reached by air, and the camps here feel genuinely remote.
Diani Beach – A coastal extension is the most popular addition to a fly-in circuit. Ukunda Airstrip near Diani takes daily scheduled flights from Wilson Airport in just over an hour. Three to four nights at the coast adds white sand, warm Indian Ocean water, fresh seafood, and real downtime after days in the bush.
Lewa and Ol Pejeta – These two Laikipia-region conservancies offer exclusive wildlife access, smaller vehicle numbers, and experiences the national parks cannot match: night drives, walking safaris, rhino tracking. Ol Pejeta is also home to Najin and Fatu, the world’s last two northern white rhinos. Both conservancies have airstrips served by scheduled and charter flights from Nairobi.
A typical fly-in safari combines two to four destinations over seven to twelve nights. You arrive in Nairobi on your international flight, spend the night at a comfortable airport hotel, then take an early morning domestic flight to your first destination. From there, the routing follows the parks you have chosen.
We coordinate all domestic flights as part of the itinerary, including airstrip transfers, luggage handling, and connection logistics. Luggage on light aircraft is typically limited to 15kg in a soft-sided bag, and we brief every client on this at the time of booking.
A common ten-night routing looks like this:
Day 1 – Arrive Nairobi. Airport hotel overnight.
Days 2-4 – Fly to Masai Mara. Three nights, morning and afternoon game drives.
Days 5-6 – Fly to Amboseli. Two nights, sunrise drives with Kilimanjaro views.
Days 7-8 – Fly to Samburu. Two nights in a remote northern camp.
Days 9-11 – Fly to Diani Beach. Three nights on the coast before departure.
Every itinerary we build is custom. This is a starting point, not a fixed product.
Scheduled domestic flights on routes such as Nairobi to the Masai Mara typically run between USD 150 and USD 300 per person each way, depending on the airline, season, and how far in advance you book. Private charters cost more but give you full flexibility on timing and routing, and they are worth considering for groups of four or more. On light aircraft, luggage is limited to 15 kilograms per person in a soft-sided bag. Hard-shell suitcases are not accepted on these routes. Any excess luggage is stored securely at our Nairobi office for the duration of your safari and returned to you on your way out, so you travel light in the bush without leaving anything behind.
Neither is better in an absolute sense. The choice depends on your priorities.
A fly-in safari makes sense if you have ten days or fewer and want to see multiple parks without sacrificing game time, if road travel for long distances is not practical for your group, or if you want access to remote conservancies not reachable by road on a short trip.
A road safari is the better fit if you have more time and want to see Kenya at ground level, if you enjoy the journey between parks as part of the experience, or if you want to put more of your budget toward lodges and time in the parks rather than flights.
Many clients combine both. Drive through one section of the circuit, fly over the longer gaps. We recommend the routing that makes practical and experiential sense for your specific dates, group, and interests.
Kenya rewards visitors all year, and the best timing depends on what you want to see. June through October is the classic window for the Great Migration and dry-season wildlife viewing, when animals gather at water sources and the bush thins out for clearer sightings. December and January bring green landscapes, newborn wildlife, and softer morning light. The quieter shoulder months of March and April offer strong game viewing with fewer vehicles and better value on accommodation.
Kenya Airways operates the only nonstop service from the US, flying JFK to Nairobi in around 14 hours. From other US cities, a single connection through Amsterdam, Paris, Dubai, Doha, or Addis Ababa brings you into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Round-trip economy fares typically fall between USD 1,100 and USD 2,000, with business and premium cabins available for travelers who want to arrive rested. July through October seats fill quickly, so booking around six months ahead is advisable.
You can find current entry requirements through the official Kenya Immigration portal and destination information through the Kenya Tourism Board. The Kenya Wildlife Service manages national parks and reserves.
Not a traditional visa. Since January 2024, Kenya uses an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) instead. You apply online at the official eTA portal before you fly, the standard fee is about USD 30, and processing usually takes around three business days. The eTA covers stays of up to 90 days, and US citizens can also opt for a 5-year multiple-entry version. We walk you through it with every confirmed booking.
Kenya Airways flies nonstop from New York (JFK) to Nairobi in roughly 14 hours, the only direct route from the US. From other cities you connect once through Europe, the Gulf, or Addis Ababa, which brings total travel time to about 17 to 23 hours depending on where you start.
Kenya is rewarding all year, but the most popular window is June through October, when the dry season concentrates wildlife and the Great Migration moves through the Masai Mara. December and January bring lush green-season scenery, newborn animals, and lower rates, while March and April offer quieter parks and the best value.
Our packages start from approximately USD 1,200 per person, with the final price depending on the parks you visit, your choice of lodges, the length of your trip, and the season. International flights are separate and typically run USD 1,100 to USD 2,000 round trip.
You reserve your dates with a 30% deposit, and the remaining balance is due 60 days before departure. There are no hidden fees and no surprises. Every booking comes with a written itinerary, confirmed accommodation, and full payment receipts.
Kenya is a well-established safari destination that welcomes large numbers of international visitors every year. As anywhere, common sense helps: follow your guide’s advice, keep valuables secure, and stick to recommended areas. We plan routes and lodges with safety in mind, and we suggest reviewing the latest US State Department travel guidance before you go.
If you fly directly from the US, a yellow fever certificate is not required for entry, though it is required if you arrive from or transit a yellow-fever-risk country. The CDC still recommends the yellow fever vaccine for most safari areas, along with malaria prevention medication for parks below about 8,200 feet. Visit a travel clinic or check the CDC’s Travelers’ Health site four to six weeks before departure for advice tailored to you.
Yes, and many travelers do. The Indian Ocean coast is a short flight from Nairobi, so a 3 to 5-night extension at Diani Beach or Mombasa pairs easily with any package. It is the perfect way to unwind after a stretch of early morning game drives.
Light, neutral clothing in khaki, beige, or olive works best, with long sleeves for game drives and layers for chilly early mornings. Bring a zoom lens of 200mm or longer for wildlife photography, and pack a soft duffel bag under 15kg (about 33 lbs) if your itinerary includes light-aircraft flights.
A common guideline is USD 15 to 25 per day for your safari guide and USD 5 to 10 per day for lodge staff. Tipping is appreciated but always at your discretion. We include a full tipping guide with every booking so you are never left guessing.
Have a question or need any clarification? Contact us using this form and we’ll get back to you immediately.
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