Iconic Kenya
9 Days
Nairobi | Laikipia | Samburu | Maasai Mara | Lake Nakuru
Kenya’s ultimate safari destinations - golden savannas, abundant wildlife and wide horizons. Fascinating cultures, community visits and warm and friendly hospitality.
Transport - Road and Air
Day 1
NAIROBI
Arrive in Nairobi, where you will begin and end your safari.
Depending on your international flight times, you will likely spend one full day here either at the start or end of your trip.
Recently named the world’s best city to visit in 2024 by Lonely Planet, Nairobi is Kenya’s bustling, dynamic, cosmopolitan capital.
Wildlife - “The World’s Only Wildlife Capital”. Visit Nairobi National Park or one of Nairobi’s world-famous animal sanctuaries such as the Giraffe Centre, Elephant Orphanage, Nairobi Safari Walk, Snake Park, and Karura Forest.
Culture - Experience the city’s cultural and arts scene with a visit to an art gallery or collective, artisanal market, the National Museum or Karen Blixen Museum, or sample its world-class restaurants.
LAIKIPIA, IL NGWESI
Days 2-3
NAIROBI - IL NGWESI 6H (ROAD)
Travel across some of Kenya’s most breathtaking landscapes to reach Il Ngwesi Eco-Lodge. This community-owned lodge sits on 16,500 hectares of land, home to the Il Lakipiak Maasai – ‘people of wildlife’. Truly special, this award-winning enterprise combines eco-tourism with sustainable environmental management and community development.
Enjoy superb wildlife viewing from the lodge combined with bush drives, sundowners, and a bush breakfast. Il Ngwesi plays a significant role in conserving wildlife in Northern Kenya and is a sanctuary for endangered species such as white rhinos, Grevy’s zebra, and African wild dogs.
Visit a local Maasai Cultural Boma to learn about traditional hunting techniques, beading, and honey collecting. Sleep under starry skies in their famous star beds.
Il Ngwesi is a conservancy where you can step out of your vehicle and take part in a range of walking safaris. This is the best way to connect more intimately with the wildlife and landscape around you.
Activities Include
Wildlife viewing; bush walks; traditional hunting; beadwork; night game drives; campfire music and dancing; birdwatching; romantic bush dinners.
Days 4-6
SAMBURU
IL NGWESI - SAMBURU 2H (ROAD)
Leave Laikipia and journey toward Kenya’s vast, arid, and semi-arid north. Palm groves, riverine forests, dry bushland and a sacred mountain backdrop make Samburu the jewel of Kenya’s expansive northern wilderness.
Pass through local villages and small towns, catching a glimpse of the daily life of Samburu’s communities.
Samburu National Reserve stretches along the Ewaso Nyiro River, which acts as a magnet for wildlife in search of water, vegetation and prey. It is a haven for elephants as well as lions, cheetahs and leopards.
It is also home to the Northern Special Five species (Grevy zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, and the Beisa oryx). This is a unique group of rare and beautiful animals native to this region of Kenya.
Enjoys camps where elephants are your bedfellows - ok not literally, but close enough!
Activities Include
Morning and evening game drives; campfires; community visit.
MAASAI MARA
Days 7-8
SAMBURU - MAASAI MARA 2H (ROAD) & 1.5H (AIR)
Fly to the world-famous Maasai Mara - the land of endless savanna! Located in southwest Kenya, the Mara is one of the great wildernesses of the world. Large mammals are varied, abundant, and easy to see. The vast plains stretch south to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.
This iconic safari reserve and its surrounding conservancies promise unparalleled wildlife viewing, set against a backdrop of rolling grassland, hills, riverine forests, and acacia bushland.
Discover the Great Migration, one of Kenya’s most sought-after experiences. Millions of animals, most notably wildebeest, follow this age-old circular route, traversing the Serengeti - Mara ecosystem in search of fresh grazing and water (this is a season-specific experience).
Search for the Big Five (lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants, and rhinos) along with zebras, giraffes, cheetahs, ostriches, impalas, gazelles, hippos, and countless other species.
Activities Include
Wildlife viewing; walking safaris; Maasai cultural experience; night game drive; campfire entertainment; birdwatching; romantic bush breakfast/dinner.
ADD-ONS - Hot air balloon ride; wellness/yoga
DAY 9
LAKE NAKURU
MAASAI MARA - LAKE NAKURU 4.5H (ROAD)
Journey up the Great Rift Valley to visit its most famous soda lake, Lake Nakuru. This lake is renowned as one of Kenya's oldest and most famous National Parks. It is known around the world for its flamingos, which are found in their thousands (sometimes millions).
Discover the diverse and abundant birdlife as well as the rare and endangered animals that are under protection in this compact park. Lake Nakuru is a recognized sanctuary for the endangered white and black rhino, as well as the extremely rare Rothschild’s giraffe.
Aside from the lake, the park contains a variety of ecosystems – rocky escarpments, pockets of acacia forest, and woodlands – drawing more than 400 species of birds.
Activities Include
Wildlife viewing; birdwatching; viewpoint visit.
EXTENSION OPTION: Fly to Lamu for a 3-day stay at an all-inclusive beach lodge with curated local heritage experiences.
Prices start at $295 per day, per person (for 2 people or more)
INCLUSIVE OF
Airport transfers
Entrance fees to National Parks, National Reserves, and Community/Private Conservancies
Expert driver guide for entire trip
Fully equipped 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser
Supplemental medical emergency insurance (evacuation cover)
Exclusive of accommodation, flights to and from Kenya and any internal flights.
Accommodation comes in a wide range of options depending on location. We source the best and have options to suit most budgets. Prices and options will be available to you upon request.
Add-ons are optional activities offered at an extra cost.