Samburu & Mara Explorer

Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transfer to your boutique hotel in the leafy Karen suburb. Take the afternoon to rest after your journey, explore the hotel grounds, and prepare for the adventure ahead. A welcome dinner features Kenyan cuisine paired with local wines.

Drive north from Nairobi, crossing the equator and passing through the Laikipia foothills to reach Samburu National Reserve by lunchtime. This semi-arid landscape, carved by the Ewaso Nyiro River, is dramatically different from Kenya's southern parks. Your afternoon game drive introduces the Samburu Special Five and the elephants that wade through the river shallows.

Explore Samburu in depth with morning and afternoon game drives. The morning takes you upstream along the river, where breeding herds of elephants cross in the dawn light and leopards emerge from their rocky lairs. The afternoon focuses on the open plains where cheetahs hunt and reticulated giraffes browse the tops of acacia trees. A visit to a Samburu community introduces the culture of these semi-nomadic pastoralists.

Depart Samburu and drive south to the Laikipia Plateau, a patchwork of private conservancies and community ranches that has become one of Kenya's most important wildlife areas. Your intimate lodge sits on a vast private ranch where black and white rhinos roam freely. An afternoon bush walk with an armed guide brings you face-to-face with the wilderness at ground level.

Dedicate the day to Laikipia's unique conservation landscape. Morning and afternoon game drives reveal large herds of elephants, packs of wild dogs, and the endangered Grevy's zebra. An optional horse ride alongside giraffes and zebras offers a truly magical perspective. The evening brings a night drive, revealing nocturnal treasures like aardvarks, porcupines, and hunting leopards.

Fly from Laikipia's Nanyuki airstrip to the Masai Mara, landing on a bush strip amid the golden grasslands. Transfer to your luxury tented camp in a private conservancy, where the Mara's legendary wildlife is on display from the moment you arrive. An afternoon game drive reveals why the Mara is considered Africa's greatest wildlife arena.

A full day exploring the Masai Mara's vast ecosystem. Your guide navigates the open savannas, riverine forests, and rocky outcrops in search of the Mara's legendary big cats. Watch cheetahs sprint, lions stalk, and leopards lounge. If the migration is in residence, witness the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest on the move. A Maasai cultural visit rounds out the day.

Enjoy an optional early morning game drive or a relaxed breakfast at camp before flying back to Nairobi's Wilson Airport. Transfer across the city to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your international departure, or extend your stay. Your epic Kenya traverse — from the arid north to the lush Mara — concludes with an extraordinary collection of memories.