Itinerary
The following itinerary is a sample. To customize this itinerary to your wishes and preferences, please contact one of our Adventure Specialists at 800-543-8917.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi to begin your Kenya safari
Transfer to your hotel in the leafy Karen/Langata area, away from the bustle of central Nairobi
Arrive in Nairobi, where you are greeted at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the leafy suburbs of Karen or Langata. Once a rough outpost amidst a highland swamp when it was the colonial capital of British East Africa in 1907, Nairobi today is the urban heartbeat of independent Kenya and one of Africa’s most important cities. Nairobi has long been a meeting point for adventurers and travelers from all over the world, and most Kenya safaris still originate here.
Days 2 to 3: Watch elephants cross Amboseli beneath Mount Kilimanjaro
Search for elephant herds on open plains and around the park’s spring-fed wetlands
Look for lions, cheetahs, leopards and plains game on open 4x4 wildlife drives
Walk with a guide inside the private Kitirwa Conservancy
Transfer this morning to Nairobi's domestic Wilson Airport for your flight to the Kitirwa Conservancy and Tortilis Camp, a small luxury tented camp on the edge of Amboseli National Park. Amboseli is known for its elephants, and to see these African icons against the backdrop of snow-topped Mount Kilimanjaro offers a timeless image of one of the continent's most famous scenes. This mosaic of dusty plains and swampy springs is also home to buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, impala, hyena, lion, leopard, cheetah and a third of Kenya’s nearly 1,100 bird species. The nearby black lava Chyulu Hills are a photogenic region of ancient craters, rolling grasslands and aromatic cedar forest. Enjoy wildlife drives in open 4x4 vehicles and exclusive walks inside the private Kitirwa Conservancy.
Days 4 to 6: Track rhinos across a pioneering private conservancy
Look for black and white rhinos within Lewa’s 65,000-acre protected landscape
Search for northern Kenya species including Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, gerenuk and Beisa oryx
Explore by day and night 4x4 drives, with optional walks, horseback rides and scenic flights
Fly back to Wilson Airport this morning for your onward flight to Kenya's Laikipia region, an area renowned for its groundbreaking private conservancies that are global conservation leaders. Your destination is famed Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Lewa Safari Camp, a small luxury tented camp founded in 1924 and run by the same family still today. The camp enjoys a stunning location within the 65,000-acre Lewa Conservancy, with views of Mount Kenya’s snowy summit in one direction and wildlife-rich lowlands in the other.
Lewa Conservancy offers a firsthand experience of crucially important wildlife conservation work. A pacesetter for bringing back endangered species, this private refuge has become the leading role model for sustainable conservation in East Africa. It has played an instrumental role in returning black and white rhinoceros from the brink of extinction, and its mixed habitat is also a sanctuary for rare endemic species found only in the north of Kenya such as Grevy's zebra, sitatunga, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe and Beisa oryx. The Big Five—lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and Cape buffalo—thrive here alongside cheetah, wildebeest, hartebeest, hippo, hyena, colobus monkey and wild dog. Lewa is home to more than 400 bird species, including Somali ostrich, kori bustard and lilac-breasted roller.
Camp activities include walking safaris and day and night wildlife drives in 4x4 vehicles, as well as optional scenic flights in an open-cockpit biplane, cultural visits to the village of Il Ngwesi, excursions to the Ngare Ndare forest, and horseback riding on the reserve. All optional activities can be arranged and purchased on arrival at the lodge.
Days 7 to 9: Search for lions and plains game in a Maasai Mara Private Conservancy
Look for lions, cheetahs and abundant plains game across open savanna
Meet Maasai community members and learn about pastoral traditions
In migration season, watch for wildebeest and zebra attempting to cross the Mara River
Depart by light aircraft this morning for the Greater Maasai Mara ecosystem, transferring by road to our camp within one of the private conservancies bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve. These protected lands form an important part of the broader Mara ecosystem, supporting abundant wildlife across open grasslands. Lions, cheetahs and other predators roam among herds of elephant, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra and other plains game.
Explore on wildlife drives with fewer vehicles than are typically found within the public reserve, allowing for a quieter, more intimate safari experience. Private conservancies also offer opportunities not permitted within the national reserve, including night drives in search of nocturnal wildlife. Cultural encounters with the Maasai are another highlight, with opportunities to meet community members and learn about their traditions and pastoral way of life.
You may also have the option to enter the Maasai Mara National Reserve, where you'll have a chance to find the Big Five, enjoy excellent cheetah viewing on the open savanna and witness plentiful herds of plains game. During the migration season, you may venture into the Maasai Mara to watch for wildebeest and zebra herds as they attempt to cross the crocodile-filled Mara River.
Day 10: Return to Nairobi after your custom Kenya safari
Fly from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi and relax in a day room before homeward flights
Your Kenya safari comes to a close today as you fly back to Nairobi. On arrival, transfer to a nearby hotel, where a day room awaits. Since most international flights depart late at night, there’s time to relax and refresh before transferring to the airport for your homeward flight.
