This amazing 9 Days Kenya Safari is an eight-night, nine day safari in Kenya tour that allows you to explore Kenya’s rich culture, stunning landscapes, and classic wildlife safari destinations: Masai Mara, Samburu, Ol Pejeta & Lake Nakuru National Park.
Your 9-day Kenya safari begins and ends in Nairobi, the country’s capital, and travels to the untamed Samburu National Reserve, home of vast elephant herds and the Samburu Special 5 – unusual species found only in Samburu.
Your next stop is Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a sanctuary on the Laikipia Plateau that is home to the greatest population of black rhinos in East Africa, a population of southern white rhinos, the last two northern white rhinos on the earth, all of Africa’s Big Five games, and orphaned chimpanzees.
You then explore Lake Nakuru one of the Great Rift Valley lakes, taking in their wonderful birdlife and a variety of animals, before ending with Kenya’s flagship reserve, the Masai Mara. The Mara is renowned globally for its exceptional Big Cat population, as well as the annual migration of over two million Wildebeests, Zebras, and Gazelles to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration or the 7th Wonder of the world.
Day 1 & 2: Samburu National Reserve
Day 3 & 4: Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy
Day 5: Lake Nakuru National Park
Day 6, 7, & 8: Masai Mara National Park
Day 9: Nairobi
Day 1: Drive from Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve; Afternoon Game Drive.
Day 2: Full-Day Game Drive in Samburu National Reserve
Day 3: Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Afternoon Game Drive & Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary Tour.
Day 4: Full-Day Safari in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Day 5: Travel to Lake Nakuru National Park, an Afternoon Game Drive
Day 6: Transfer to Masai Mara National Park, Afternoon Game Drive
Day 7: Full-Day Game Drive in Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 8: Game Drive Masai Mara & Maasai Village Visit.
Day 9: Drive Back To Nairobi for Your Departure Flight
Today your fantastic 9 days Kenya safari begins!
Your tour driver guide will meet you at your pre-tour hotel in Nairobi at 7:30 in the morning. After a quick tour briefing, you will depart the bustling city of Nairobi and take a beautiful African drive of about 5 hours to the magnificent wilderness of Samburu National Reserve in the semi-arid northern region of Kenya.
You will pass Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain at 5,199m above sea level and you will arrive at your lodge or camp in time for lunch.
At 4 pm, after some relaxation, go on your first game drive. Samburu boasts an incredible wealth of wildlife despite being a peaceful park that is far quieter than most of east Africa’s other reserves. This 165km2 reserve is home to over 900 Elephants, all 3 Big Cats (Lion, Cheetah, and Leopard), Buffalo, Hippos, Crocodiles, and antelopes like Waterbucks, Gazelles, Dik diks, Impalas, and Kudus.
Of special interest are rare and localized species like Reticulated Giraffe, Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx, and long-necked Gerenuk. These 4, along with the blue-necked Somali Ostrich make up the so-called “Samburu Special 5”, and you’ll hopefully tick off all five easily. After the game drive, return to the lodge to freshen up, enjoy a freshly prepared hot dinner, and a good night’s rest.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Elephant Bedroom Camp/Ashnil Samburu Camp
Midrange: – Samburu Sopa Lodge/Sarova Shaba Lodge/Samburu Simba Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 300km (5 hours)
Activities & Services: –
On day two of your 9 days Kenya safari, enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in Samburu, returning to the lodge/camp for lunch and relaxation in the heat of the day. Samburu is a predator haven for the three big cats, African painted wolves (wild dogs), and even the elusive and rare striped hyena.
The reserve is renowned for its population of lions. It is one of the areas where Joy and George Adamson raised Elsa the lioness, of Born Free fame. Samburu is also one of the best places to see leopards and huge tusked elephants in Kenya.
It is home to the headquarters of Save the Elephants, established by Iain Douglas-Hamilton, meaning that the elephants here are some of the most extensively studied in the world. There are also over 450 bird species including several regional specials such as Vulturine Guineafowl, Yellow-necked spurfowl, Lilac-breasted roller, northern red-billed hornbill, Secretary bird, Taita falcon, and Golden pipit.
You will return to your lodge in the evening for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Elephant Bedroom Camp/Ashnil Samburu Camp
Midrange: – Samburu Sopa Lodge/Sarova Shaba Lodge/Samburu Simba Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services: –
Optional Activities:-
Day three of your 9 days Kenya tour starts with a leisurely breakfast at the lodge.
You’ll then check out and embark on a drive of about 3-4 hours south to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Situated in the foothills of Mt Kenya in Laikipia Plateau, Ol Pejeta is a prime not-for-profit wildlife sanctuary that hosts East Africa’s largest black rhino population; a population of southern white rhinos; our planet’s last two northern white rhinos; all of the Big 5 animals; and orphaned chimpanzees.
The conservancy generates income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises, which it re-invests in conservation and community development. You’ll arrive at your camp in time for lunch. After lunch, have some time to relax and then embark on an afternoon game drive in the conservancy.
Also tour the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which houses, rescued, orphaned, and abandoned chimps. Spend a few captivating hours observing the great apes as they go about their lives, and you might be surprised by how similar their behavior is to ours. After your tour, return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Sweetwaters Serena Camp
Midrange: – Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx.250km (3-4 hours)
Activities & Services: –
On day four of the 9 days Kenya safari, you’ll have a whole day to enjoy Ol Pejeta Conservancy and all its beauty. You’ll a hearty breakfast before embarking on an early morning game drive in a comfortable 4×4 safari vehicle to view the fantastic fauna and flora species of this incredible wildlife area.
You’ll return to your camp for a delicious lunch and some time to relax before setting out again on the afternoon game in the conservancy.
In addition to being a refuge for rhinos, chimps, and the Big 5, Ol Pejeta has one of the highest predator densities in Kenya. There are over seventy Lions, one hundred Spotted Hyenas, thirty Cheetahs, twenty Leopards, and thirty-three African wild dogs, as well as Black-backed jackals, Caracal, Bat-eared foxes, and Serval cats.
You’ll also look out for zebras, giraffes, gazelles, hartebeests, hippos, baboons, elands, bushbucks, warthogs, and other animals. The conservancy boasts over 500 bird species including several specials like Hildebrandt’s starling, D’Arnaud’s barbet, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Taita fiscal, common ostrich, and Temminck’s course.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Sweetwaters Serena Camp
Midrange: – Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx.155km/3-4 hours
Activities & Services: –
Optional Activities:-
On the fifth day of your 9 days Kenya tour, have a good breakfast at the lodge and say goodbyes to the friendly staff.
You will then embark on a drive of about 5 hours southward, with great views of the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru, a scenic soda lake on the valley floor. You have an en-route stop at Nyahururu for a chance to see a 74 meters Thomson’s fall. The oceanic breeze here is lovely. You will relax a bit as you take photos. You will then continue and arrive at Lake Nakuru in time for lunch.
Freshen up, have a hot lunch, and have some time to relax.
In the late afternoon, set off on a game drive in the park. Nakuru is one of the most beautiful parks in Kenya, characterized by a rocky landscape, acacia forests, and waterfalls. The park is a haven for birders, hosting large flocks of pelicans and other fantastic waterbirds. It was once renowned for its millions of flamingos, which covered the lake in a blanket of pink plumes.
But since the major flooding of 2014, fewer flamingos choose to feed or breed here. What makes Nakuru special, however, is the good wildlife population in a contained area. The park has a healthy population of lions, leopards, Cape buffalo, Hippos, Rothschild’s giraffes, and Rhinos.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Sarova Woodlands/the Cliff
Midrange: – Lake Nakuru Lodge/Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – About. 250km/5 hours
Activities & Services: –
On the six days of your 9 days Kenya safari after breakfast, check out of your lodge and embark on a drive of about 4 hours south. You travel across the Great Rift Valley to the world-famous Masai Mara Reserve – Kenya’s flagship conservation area. You’ll reach your lodge or camp in time for lunch. You freshen up, have lunch, and have time to rest. At around 4 pm, you enjoy your first game drive in Masai Mara.
Masai Mara is globally renowned for its exceptional population of Big Cats (Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah), as well as the annual migration of over 1.5 million blue wildebeests, 500,000 Thomson’s gazelles, 97,000 topi, 18,000 common elands, and 200,000 plains zebras to and from the Serengeti every year from July to October, known as the Great Migration or the 7th Wonder of the world.
After the game drive, you will return to the lodge or camp around sunset for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Mara Leisure Camp/Mara Serena Lodge/Ashnil Mara Camp
Midrange: – Mara Sopa Lodge/ Basecamp Masai Mara/Jambo Mara Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & Time: – Approx. 226km/4 hours
Activities & Services: –
Today, after an early breakfast, have a picnic lunch and embark on a full-day game drive in Masai Mara. You have the option of exchanging your morning game drive for a hot-air balloon flight safari, an optional activity that takes you a thousand feet above the savannah to witness the breathtaking views of the sunrise.
The Masai Mara has a diverse array of wildlife, including all of Africa’s Big Five and Big Cats as well as rare species like bat-eared foxes, Caracal, Jackals, Serval Cats, Honey badgers, and Roan antelope.
If you visit between July and October, you may have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the 7th Wonder of the World, the annual Great Wildebeest Migration, particularly as they cross the crocodile-infested Mara River. You’ll return to camp or lodge and enjoy the last dinner in breathtaking Masai Mara tonight.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Mara Leisure Camp/Ashnil Mara Camp/Mara Serena Lodge
Midrange: – Mara Sopa Lodge/Basecamp Masai Mara/Jambo Mara Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services: –
Optional Activity:-
On day eight of your 9 days Kenya safari, you’ll have another game drive to see more of what the wonderful Masai Mara National Reserve offers.
You will begin with a delicious breakfast and then go on a morning game activity. Aside from the fantastic mammals, there are over 450 bird species in the Mara including Common Ostriches, Southern ground hornbills, Secretary birds, Abdim’s stork, African wood owl, Ayres’s hawk-eagle, Denham’s bustard, Hildebrandt’s starling, Jackson’s widowbird, Purple grenadier;
Red-throated tit, Ross’s Turaco, Rosy-throated longclaw, Schalow’s Turaco, Secretary bird, Silverbird, Swahili sparrow, Tabora cisticola, Trilling cisticola, Temminck’s courser, Usambiro barbet, White-bellied go-away bird, Woolly-necked stork, Yellow-mantled widowbird, Yellow-throated Sandgrouse
You return to the lodge at noon for lunch and some relaxation. Visit an authentic Maasai Village in the late afternoon to learn more about the fascinating learn more about Maasai culture and the life of the Maasai people.
Accommodation:-
Luxury: – Mara Serena Lodge/Ashnil Mara Camp/Mara Leisure Camp
Midrange: – Mara Sopa Lodge/Jambo Mara Lodge/Basecamp Masai Mara
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services: –
Today, following an early breakfast, you’ll have one final game drive in the Mara to see the “Big 5” and other animals. After a game drive, you will embark on a six-hour journey back to Nairobi, where your 9 days Kenya safari will conclude.
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