Travel through the diverse habitats of the land of the Masai, in search of some of the most incredible wildlife and birdlife on Earth, in some of Kenya’s most renowned wildlife destinations.
Possessing over 1,000 species, several endemics and many near endemics, a favourable climate, diverse habitats and unique topography, Kenya is a birdwatcher’s paradise. On this tour you can expect to see a plethora of species as you pass through the Great Rift Valley, the Masai Mara, Aberdare National Park, Samburu and even Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi.
The capital alone is home to more than 600 resident and migrant species, more than any other of the world’s capital cities. As you journey across Kenya from Nairobi National Park to the Masai Mara, delights include grey-crowned crane, lesser flamingo, and endemic gems such as Sharpe's longclaw or Aberdare cisticola. The varied habitats comprise rolling grassland dotted with flat-topped acacia trees, the arid plains of Samburu National Reserve, mountains such as Mt. Satima in Aberdare National Park that rise above 4,000 metres, riverine forest, the eastern edge of the vast Congo Rainforest, the lakes of the Great Rift Valley, coastal forest and productive estuaries.
One of the world’s finest and most diverse wildlife destinations awaits at the conclusion of this itinerary where, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant are all found in the country’s foremost protected area, the Masai Mara. Harbouring the most significant populations of other wild mammals, reptiles and birds than anywhere elsewhere in the country, the Mara is famed for good reason and whilst this itinerary operates outside the Great Migration season, a host of resident predators and plains game remain on the grasslands year-round.
Depart the UK on an overnight flight to Nairobi.
On arrival meet your guide and head for Nairobi National Park, where key species include red-throated tit and rosy-throated longclaw. You can also hope to find gazelle, giraffe, and the critically endangered black rhino. At the hippo pools, you can look for local gems including dark-capped yellow and African moustached warblers.
Accommodation: Nairobi Tented Camp, 1-night
After breakfast, depart Nairobi and travel north towards the Aberdare region. The drive takes you through the changing landscapes of central Kenya, including fertile farmlands and the scenic highlands.
Upon arrival in Aberdare, continue to The Ark Lodge. The lodge overlooks a waterhole and salt lick that attracts a variety of wildlife, providing excellent opportunities for viewing animals from the lodge itself.
The afternoon and evening can be spent observing wildlife around the waterhole. The forested Aberdare environment is home to elephant, buffalo, bushbuck, waterbuck and numerous bird species, while visitors may also encounter other forest wildlife.
Accommodation: The Ark, 2-nights
Today you spend a full day observing wildlife around the waterhole, birdwatching at the lodge itself is excellent, as forest lies all around; among the species recorded from the viewing decks are silvery-cheeked hornbill, olive and eastern bronze-naped pigeons, Hartlaub’s turaco, Rüppell’s robin-chat, mountain yellow warbler and yellow-crowned canary. Wildlife is also abundant in the area, and the waterhole and salt-lick in front of the lodge attract regular visitors from the surrounding forest, such as African buffalo, bushbuck, waterbuck, black-and-white colobus monkey, Sykes’ monkey and the occasional bushpig or giant forest hog.
If you prefer, embark on a birding walk or visit the moorlands in search of key threatened species such as the migrant lesser kestrel, Jackson’s widowbird, Abbot’s starling, Jackson’s francolin, Hunter’s cisticola, crowned eagle, Sharpe's longclaw, olive ibis, lammergeier, Ayres's hawk-eagle, African grass owl and Cape eagle owl.
Enjoy an early breakfast before departing the Aberdare region and travelling north on a spectacular drive through grassland and stunning scenery towards Samburu National Reserve. The journey takes you into the drier landscapes of northern Kenya, where the scenery changes dramatically from the lush central highlands to the rugged semi-arid terrain of the Samburu ecosystem. Keep an eye out for lilac-breasted roller, long-tailed and red-collared widowbirds along the roadside.
Arrive at Samburu Intrepids in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive in the reserve.
Samburu is renowned for its distinctive northern Kenya wildlife, including Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich. Elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and buffalo are also found in the area.
Accommodation: Samburu Intrepids Camp, 3-nights
You spend the next two full days in this incredibly rich part of Kenya, exploring the adjacent Shaba National Reserve and Samburu National Reserve. The highlights here include Grant's wood hoopoe, Donaldson Smith's sparrow-weaver, Friedmann's lark, black-bellied sunbird and vulturine guineafowl.
Together these reserves host over 380 species thanks to the combination of semi-desert habitat and rich woodlands along the Ewaso Ng’iro River. Birds of the arid northern bush country are augmented by a number of riverine forest species. A number of raptors nest on the cliffs of Samburu’s inselbergs. Birds such as the shining sunbird, bristle-crowned starling and other arid-country species reach the southern limit of their range here. Mammal life is also prolific, with opportunities to see olive baboon, vervet monkey, dwarf mongoose, Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Kirk's dik-dik, common waterbuck, gerenuk and the magnificent beisa oryx.
Today you embark on a long drive after breakfast, as you depart Samburu and travel south towards the Lake Elementaita in the Great Rift Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as a Ramsar site that boasts more than 450 bird species. The journey offers changing scenery as you descend from northern Kenya towards the Rift Valley.
During the journey you pass by an Important Bird Area close to Aberdare National Park, and you can hope to see slender-billed starling, African snipe, tinkling cisticola and Cape wagtail. Also present are martial and crowned eagle, mountain buzzard, African marsh harrier, and golden-winged sunbird. Other species of interest include both lesser and greater flamingo, the remarkable Jackson’s widowbird and the grey-crested helmet-shrike.
Once you arrive at Lake Elementaita Serena Camp and check in, the afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the camp and the spectacular surroundings of the lake. The surrounding Soysambu landscape is renowned for birdlife and scenic views, with opportunities for feral lovebird, avocet, Klaas’s cuckoo, glossy ibis, black heron, red-billed teal and black-tailed godwit.
Accommodation: Lake Elementaita Serena Camp, 2-nights
Today you drive to nearby Lake Nakuru, famous for its vast flock of flamingos, pelicans and a wealth of other waterbirds, to spend a full day exploring this stunning location.
One of Nakuru’s greatest attractions is its birds, and apart from the obvious greater and lesser flamingo, species of interest recorded here include great white pelican, black-necked and little grebes, as well as rare martial eagle, lesser kestrel and Madagascar squacco heron. In the nearby acacia woodland look for forest birds such as Narina trogon, red-throated wryneck, greater and scaly-throated honeyguides, arrow-marked babbler, and African firefinch. The park is equally well known for its rhino population and, you may also encounter, buffalo, lion, leopard, giraffe, zebra and various antelope species.
After the game drive, return to Lake Elementaita Serena Camp to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
After breakfast, depart Lake Elementaita and travel towards the world-famous Masai Mara ecosystem.
Upon arrival in the Mara region, proceed towards Porini Mara Camp, located within the Ol Kineyei Conservancy system. Depending on arrival time, enjoy your first game drive en route to camp.
The conservancy setting provides an opportunity to experience the Mara away from the main reserve and offers excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing in a more intimate wilderness environment.
Accommodation: Porini Mara Camp, 2-nights
You spend today exploring the Masai Mara National Reserve on a full-day game drive. The abundant plains of the Mara teem with life, with predator sightings a regular occurrence lion, leopard, cheetah and spotted hyena all thrive here, whilst a wealth of plains game consists of Thompson and Grant's gazelles, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, wildebeest, zebras and eland.
Birding is also amazing with more than 400 bird species recorded. Travelling early in the year is the best time to see the European migrants before they head off on their long journey back north around April. During your stay you can hope to see Abdim and woolly-necked storks, plus lesser flamingo in the swamps. Other species of interest include vultures, ostrich, long-crested eagle, pygmy falcon, secretary bird, marabou stork, red-winged Schalow's and Ross’s turacos, Pel's fishing owl, guinea fowl, and Jackson's, black-bellied and Hartlaub’s bustards among others.
Later in the afternoon, begin the return journey towards camp, enjoying further game viewing along the way.
This morning there's time for a final drive to look for wildlife before breakfast, followed by a transfer to the local airstrip for your scheduled flight from the Mara to Wilson Airport in Nairobi. The flight provides a convenient and scenic conclusion to the safari portion of your journey, with aerial views of the Mara and Kenyan countryside.
Upon arrival at Wilson Airport, you're met and transferred by road to Emara Ole Sereni, located close to Nairobi National Park.
Check in and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Emara Ole-Sereni, 1-night
This morning you transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to check in for your flight home.
Kenya’s bustling capital is more than just a starting point for your wildlife safari. Places to visit in the city include the Karen Blixen Museum, Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Centre. For those staying longer, nearby Nairobi National Park has a wide diversity of wildlife. Find Out More about {acc:title}
Samburu is a remote, arid wilderness of scrub desert and scorched savannah coloured with sandy creams, muted greens and earthen ochre; perfect camouflage for its wildlife and bird species rarely found elsewhere. Large herds of elephant are attracted by the Ewaso Ng'iro River, which bisects the reserve. Find Out More about {acc:title}
Although Lake Nakuru is relatively small, it is known for one of the greatest bird spectacles on earth – thousands of fuschia-coloured flamingos. Over 400 species of birds are found here, and the surrounding national park is famous for its sizeable population of rhinos and the rare Rothschild’s giraffe. Find Out More about {acc:title}
Kenya’s first national park, established in 1946, Nairobi National Park lies at an altitude of 1,500 to 1,760m and covers approximately 117 square kilometres. During the dry season it provides sanctuary for numerous migrating herbivores along with a host of other wildlife, in particular, rhinos. Find Out More about {acc:title}
Ol Kinyei is renowned for having unspoilt and spectacular views over the Mara plains and for being home to a wide variety of wildlife. It’s a great location from which to observe the annual Serengeti wildebeest migration (June to October), as well as wildebeest calving during February and March. Find Out More about {acc:title}
Kenya’s finest wildlife sanctuary, the Masai Mara is a paradise of gently rolling grasslands studded with acacia trees. Remaining as the ancestral homelands of the Masai, a curious harmony between man and wildlife exists that allows a route for the large migrations and a home for predators and plains wildlife. Find Out More about {acc:title}
With sweeping plains on one side and Nairobi on the other, this tented camp is situated deep within riverine forest, yet on the doorstep of the city. It is the first accommodation allowed inside Nairobi National Park, which is home to lion, leopard, rhino and a range of savannah wildlife. Find Out More about Nairobi Tented Camp
Porini Mara is the only safari camp in the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, and offers traditional game drives, comfortable accommodation and a wonderful safari experience at an affordable price. It has some of the best safari guides in the Mara, and with just six spacious tents, the camp has an exclusive feel. Find Out More about Porini Mara Camp
British Travel Awards
Awarded Silver in Favourite Tour Operator for Nature & Wildlife 2024 & 2025
Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards
Awarded Bronze in Best Travel Company for Wildlife & Nature Holidays 2024
