Planning Your First Safari in Kenya from the USA: A Step-by-Step Guide

Planning a Kenya safari from the US is one of those things that seems like too much work until you get started, and then it’s a series of choices that quickly whittles down. The most difficult aspect is not any one step. It’s knowing the order of what to do, since the internet will readily lead you into visa forums and packing lists before you’ve even decided on when to go.

So here’s a fairly good breakdown of how it works, as someone who has been through it.

Decide when

This is more important than people realize. Technically, Kenya is a year round destination, but the experience can change greatly from month to month. If you want to see the Great Migration (the one where the wildebeest cross the Mara River) then you’re in the right window, as it runs from July through October. But the Mara is beautiful outside migration season as well, and it’s quieter and cheaper.

The long rains fall in April and May. Most people try to steer clear of those months. The November short rains are less intense and do not typically disrupt travel, but can make some roads challenging. January through March is warm, dry, and good for wildlife in most parks. June is kind of a sweet time of year, right before the migration crowds arrive.

Select your month first. It all flows from there, including how many days makes sense for your trip, since the busier months reward a tighter, earlier-booked itinerary.

Determine the type of travel you’re looking for

This is where many people get stuck, as there are many kinds of safaris in Kenya and the internet doesn’t do a good job of helping you distinguish them.

On the one end, there are budget group tours. Large vehicles, set routes, communal accommodation. They work. You’ll see animals. But it’s more structured and less personal.

At the other end, there are private, completely customized itineraries with a private guide driving just your group, small, remote camps, and a schedule that’s flexible to what you wish to do. Sure, it’s more expensive, but it’s a different safari experience, closer to what you’ll find among luxury safari packages. If you are going all the way from the US, and this is perhaps a once-in-a-decade trip, it’s worth giving careful consideration to which version you will end up wanting.

At Majestic Kenya Safaris, we organize private guided tours for travelers from the United States, taking care of the logistics, internal flights, and camp bookings, so you don’t have to do it all yourself from a different time zone. That’s the kind of discussion you should have early on if you’re not sure what type of trip is right for you, before you begin booking things individually.

Book early. Earlier than you think.

The best safari camps in Kenya are small. Some have 8 tents. A few have four. The good ones sell out 6-12 months ahead during the peak season (July, August, September). If you are thinking about a migration safari and it’s March and you want to go in August, you are probably too late for the best camps, though there are usually limited options still available.

If you are traveling in the shoulder seasons (June, October, November), there is a bit more flexibility, but 3-6 months out is still comfortable, not last minute.

Even internal flights between parks are limited, particularly the smaller bush planes that fly to parks such as the Mara, Samburu, and Laikipia. These aren’t jumbo jets. They’re 12-seater Cessnas and they fill up first.

International flights

It takes about 14 to 20 hours to get to Kenya from the US, depending on the connection. Kenya Airways flies nonstop from New York’s JFK to Nairobi, and it’s currently the only nonstop option from the US. Everyone else routes through a connection, either Europe (London, Amsterdam, Istanbul) or the Middle East (Dubai, Doha).

The European connections are the most popular among American travelers. Most people route through Heathrow or Schiphol. The Middle Eastern carriers, Emirates and Qatar in particular, are often more affordable and the layover airports are much nicer, though the total journey runs a bit longer.

One thing worth saying: book your international flight after, not before, your safari dates are confirmed. I have witnessed people booking a low-cost flight and then finding out that the camps they wanted are fully booked for those dates.

Visas

Kenya currently uses an electronic travel authorization system, the eTA. This involves an online application, payment of the fee, and approval prior to travel through the official government portal, which is the only site you should use, since third-party sites charge inflated fees for the same application. It’s straightforward: name, passport information, dates of travel, and a photo. The government’s standard processing time is about three business days, though it can occasionally run longer, so apply at least a week out and don’t leave it until the final days before departure. The fee is $30, with a small card processing surcharge on top. US citizens traveling to Kenya more than once are also able to apply for a five-year multiple-entry eTA for a higher one-time fee, which is worth it if you think you’ll be back.

Besides, your passport must have a minimum of 6 months validity from date of entry. This is a strict rule and the airline will enforce it at check-in, before you even get on the plane.

Immunizations and health supplies

If you are coming from or passing through a country where yellow fever is endemic, you will need to be vaccinated against yellow fever. It’s not required if you are flying direct from the US or through Europe, but some people do get it just in case. You should check the CDC’s current guidance for Kenya with a travel clinic to find out what’s needed, since these things frequently change.

Beyond that, the standard recommendations are hepatitis A and B, typhoid, and a course of malaria prophylaxis depending on which regions you’re visiting. The Mara and coastal areas carry higher malaria risk than Nairobi or the highlands. A travel health consultation, ideally six to eight weeks before departure, sorts all of this out. Most major US cities have dedicated travel clinics and the appointments are quick.

Let me put it simply. Discuss this aspect with a doctor, not the internet.

Money

Kenya uses the Kenyan shilling, although US dollars are accepted throughout the tourism circuit. Most safari camps use the dollar as their quoting currency and want to be paid in dollars. Credit cards are accepted at larger lodges and in Nairobi, but it’s cash only for tips in most cases. Once you’re in Kenya, you can also get a temporary local SIM card (Safaricom is the best) and use their M-Pesa service to make local payments, instead of carrying hard cash. M-Pesa is widely used across the country and it’s cheap to use.

If carrying cash, bring clean, fairly new US currency. Older notes, particularly those printed before 2006, are sometimes rejected. Small denominations for tips, fives and tens mostly. Higher denominations for other purposes.

ATMs are available in Nairobi and larger towns, but do not work in the more remote regions where you’ll be spending most of your time. So withdraw what you need while you’re in Nairobi or another major town.

Travel insurance

Get it. Not negotiable. Be sure it includes medical evacuation, since if something goes wrong in the Mara or up in Samburu, you could be looking at a charter flight to Nairobi. Without coverage, that would be very costly. Most safari operators require proof of insurance before they’ll confirm your booking, so this isn’t optional even if you wanted it to be.

Creating the actual itinerary

One of the most common mistakes US travelers make is cramming too much in. Kenya has numerous parks and reserves, and it’s very easy to want to visit five or six of them in ten days or less. Don’t. Half the trip will be spent on the move and you won’t be able to appreciate the places you visit due to lack of time and energy.

Most people find two or three areas over a 7 to 10 day period to be the sweet spot, and it’s worth reading through how those durations actually play out before you commit to a number of days. The classic mix: the Maasai Mara for the big cats and the migration, Amboseli for elephants and Kilimanjaro in the background, and perhaps Laikipia or Samburu for something wilder and less visited. If you wish to unwind after the bush, add a couple of nights on the coast (Diani or Lamu).

This type of travel is possible thanks to internal flights, which cut out the road days. Nairobi to the Mara takes about an hour by plane, but six hours or more by road. The flights cost more, but they buy you time, meaning you spend more time in the parks and reserves where it actually matters.

The final week before you leave

Confirm everything, including flights, transfers, camp reservations, and internal flights. Print copies of your eTA, insurance papers, and vaccination papers. Download offline maps of the regions you’ll be traveling to. Charge everything. Pack light. Soft duffel (15 kilos or less), no hard suitcase, since bush flights won’t take one.

And then, honestly, stop planning. Close the browser windows. The most enjoyable moments of a Kenya safari are the ones that aren’t planned. The leopard in the tree that your guide spotted from half a kilometre away. The old Maasai man who walked you through his village without your asking. The roar of a lion in the middle of the night, at three o’clock, as you lie in your tent, thinking, “Did I really need canvas walls?”

You can’t schedule any of that. You just show up.