Highlights of Kenya Safari Itinerary
Mountain views, the Big 5, wildebeest migrations, Masai tribes people and more animals then you can imagine, its hard to squeeze a highlights itinerary into just a 7 day stay but this is my go to for those looking for an all animal focused week long experience in Kenya.
Sadly due to coronavirus some of the direct flights that used to link the parks have now been cancelled but if you’re willing to fly via Nairobi this itinerary gives you 3 beautiful and very different wildlife areas where you’ll see most of the major African mammals, meet incredible people, learn about the Maasai culture and be immersed in nature.
My Highlights of Kenya 7 Day Itinerary begins in Amboseli on the foothills of Mt Kilimanjaro where you can get to visit an authentic Maasai cultural boma and then onto the conservation focussed Lewa Conservancy where you can learn all about there work to protect the rhino population and then last but definitely not least to the world famous Masai Mara National Park to glide above the wildebeest herds in a hot air balloon.
If you have a few extra days free then why not add on a beach side retreat on the sunny island of Lamu.
Read on for a day-to-day overview and remember all my itineraries are completely tailorable so get in touch if your looking for a safari of a lifetime.
Please note itinerary is an overview with possible activities on offer. Depending which lodge you stay at activities may vary.
Maasai tribe performing their traditional jumping dance
Day 1 - Fly to Amboseli
At the base of Mount Kilimanjaro is the Amboseli National Park and it’s surrounding conservancies. The backdrop of the mountain with herds of elephants marching past creates picture postcard moments which turn into forever memories.
The park and surroundings are famous for being one of the best places to spend time up close with the magnificent herds of elephant. Due to a long running elephant studies headed up by the renowned elephant researcher Cynthia Moss, these animals are used to having vehicles around and are therefore very relaxed, continuing their natural behaviour so you can see how these wonderful creatures live and interact with each other.
Take one of the domestic airlines from Wilson Airport to Amboseli National Park where you’ll be collected by one of the lodges drivers in a 4x4 vehicle and taken back to your accommodation as you enjoy a game drive on route.
Check in, relax and enjoy the sounds and smells of the African savannah. Depending what time you arrive, enjoy lunch, siesta and an afternoon game drive with a sundowner around a fire with the sights, smells and sounds of Africa welcoming you to the wild.
Recommended Lodges:
Day 2 - Explore Amboseli National Park
Wake up to the breathtaking view of the sun rising on Mount Kilimanjaro. If you’re staying at a camp outside of the park you'll have breakfast packed up for you so you can enjoy a long game drive in Amboseli National Park at leisure and stop at one of the beautiful picnic spots to enjoy your well earned breakfast.
With Kilimanjaro as your backdrop you can enjoy 5 different habitats within the park from the dried up bed of Lake Amboseli to wetlands, sulphur springs, savannah and woodlands with an incredible array of animals including huge herds of elephants, buffalos, hippos, lions, zebra, giraffe, antelope and over 420 species of birds including herons, pelicans and crowned cranes to name just a few.
You’ll return to camp around mid-day and have time to unwind with an afternoon nap or sun yourself at the camps pool if they have one.
In the afternoon I highly recommend going to see a Maasai village, the cultural experiences here aren’t as commercialised as they are around the Masai Mara National Park and so it’s a great spot to visit a real lived in village and understand the ways of life of the Maasai. For those camps such as Satao Elerai who lease the land from the local Maasai who own it, you’ll be shown around the local village and may even bump into the camps staff and their families while being shown around. I personally worked with the Elerai Maasai community and they genuinely loved having guests come up to see them, it gave them a good reason to put on a show and dance and the community kids although shy loved having visitors come by.
Enjoy your last night at the lodge and make sure you get a good nights rest for more adventures that await you.
Recommended Lodges:
Watching the Elephants heading down to the water hole while cooling off in Satao Elerai pool
Day 3 - Explore Lewa Conservancy
Take a morning walk with your guide and a Maasai warrior armed with his spear or bow and arrow to protect you. The guides won’t actively walk you into the big game and most plains game will move away when they see a person on foot but take the time to study the tracks the animals leave behind, learn about the medicinal uses of plants and which ones the Maasai use to cure various illnesses. It feels so special to step away from the vehicle and explore the African savannah by foot.
You can either take a commercial flight which will take you through Nairobi Wilson airport or charter a plane which can fly you directly from Amboseli National Park to Lewa Conservancy so you can maximise your time spent in the savannah. If you are part of a group charter planes can work out quite good value for money so its worth enquiring.
Arrive at Lewa Conservancy and depending on the time you’ll enjoy a game-drive back to your chosen accommodation or head there for afternoon tea and out again for your evening game-drive.
Lewa Conservancy is a safe refuge for many endangered animals and has a very successful breeding program for the critically endangered black rhino. It’s also home to other rare animals including the Grevy’s zebra and wild dog as well as the more common favourites such as elephants, lions and more than 400 species of birds.
Recommended Lodges:
Day 4 - Adventures in Lewa
The beauty of Lewa Conservancy is not just its endangered animals and fantastic conservation efforts but also the array of activities on offer. Depending where you stay a part from the traditional game-drive you can explore the conservancy on foot with a guided walk, go horse-riding, meet the anti-poaching tracker dog team, visit a school, helicopter up to Mt Kenya and enjoy a fly-fishing experience or if you stay at Lewa Wilderness you have the option to enjoy a breathtaking scenic flight in their retro yellow WACO bi-plane.
Spend the day enjoying the many activities on offer.
You certainly won’t get bored and with 65,000 acres of wilderness to explore, you may well want to add an extra day here to give yourself time to fit it all in!
Recommended Lodges:
Camel riding at Lewa Safari Camp
Day 5 - Masai Mara Game Reserve
Have breakfast at camp before a game-drive on route to the airstrip for your flight back to Nairobi and onto the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
Again you can charter a flight for a direct flight from Lewa to the Masai Mara to save time and make the most out of your days.
Once you land in the Masai Mara you’ll be immediately surrounded by wildlife and at anytime you may drive past some sleeping lions or browsing elephants. Always be at the ready with your camera to hand. Known also as the Mara for short, this unique wildlife conservation haven is famous for its natural diversity which is why so many nature documentaries and series are filmed here and how it has now been voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
It is a safari lovers paradise!
The Great Masai Mara is made up of the Masai Mara National Reserve and its surrounding conservancies. Keep an eye out as I will be writing a blog on the difference very soon but a very quick overview is that the National Reserve is open to the public and has strict rules on what time you can gamedrive, you can’t go off road and you can’t go for walks from the properties. Whereas the conservancies are a little more flexible on the activities they offer and as you only have those staying there game-driving the area it tends to be a lot less crowded. But if you are there to see the wildebeest migration you can have a long way to drive depending where you are so for a chance to be the first to see the wildebeest crossing or for a prime position stay in a camp inside the reserve.
There are so many camps its hard to list just a few, but here are the ones I know personally and love.
Recommended Camps and Lodges:
Day 6 - Enjoy the Magic of the Masai Mara
You’ll have a wake up call early and tea or coffee either brought to your tent or waiting for you in the main lodge area. Head out on game-drive as the sun rises and look out for the tracks to find out who’s been out and about the night before.
The game-driver will have breakfast with him so you can enjoy a long morning exploring while the days at its coolest and the animals at their most active. Enjoy exploring the rolling hills savannah with the animals some of the most relaxed in Africa. If you come across a sleeping lion you’ll be lucky if it lifts its head, they are so used to the cars in their habitat and you may even be lucky enough to have a cheetah jump on the roof of your vehicle as they’ve adapted to using the cars as vantage points to look for food or escape predators.
Head back to camp for a well deserved siesta or if there is a spa at the camp enjoy a relaxing massage.
You’ll be served a late buffet lunch before heading back out on the plains for an evening sunset and sundowners admiring the beautiful views.
Recommended Lodges:
Elephants relaxing around the Naibor Camp vehicle in the Masai Mara Reserve
Day - Fly Back to Nairobi
It’s your last day and your last game drive. Head out on another early game-drive and keep your eyes peeled for any of the animals you are still yet to see. Or for the ultimate finisher to your safari book onto a hot air balloon ride. It’s an early morning but its the one of the most beautiful places in the world to float above the many animals and see the wild from the air. A really special time to do it is during the wildebeest migration where you can appriciate quite how huge the herds are as they look like thousands of ants across the land.
Have breakfast back at camp and pack up your things before your flight back to Nairobi.
Your days not done when you land in Nairobi. To top off your trip and for those with an evening flight i’d highly recommend fostering one of the Sheldrick orphan elephants for just $50 which also gives you access to their private evening viewing where the baby elephants of 2 years and under come in from their afternoon walk in the bush, get given their evening bottles and get tucked up for the night by the keepers. It’s an incredibly special way to end your safari time.
And if you aren’t ready for the adventures to end then check out one of my blogs on the beaches of Kenya and add an extra few days enjoying the sun, sea and sand of the Kenyan coast.
Looking for a quote?
If you have any questions on the above itinerary, want more information on any of the camps or would like a bespoke quote get in touch!
Join me on this safari.
I’ll be personally hosting and running this itinerary a few times a year starting in 2023. We’ll be travelling as a group of between 6 - 8 people in our very own luxury safari bush plane so that we can fly directly between lodges and also never have to miss a sighting as the plane is at our beck and call!