Mid-range7-Day Mid-Range Kenya Safari
$2,070 / personPrivate
View itinerary
Kenya
5-Day Tsavo East & Amboseli Safari from Diani Beach
For travellers already on Kenya's coast: Tsavo East's red elephants and Amboseli's herds beneath Kilimanjaro, without leaving the beach behind for long.
Trip overview
This five day private safari is designed for travellers already staying on Kenya’s coast. It connects Diani Beach with two well known parks: Tsavo East, known for its red elephants, and Amboseli, where large elephant herds graze beneath Kilimanjaro.
The itinerary balances focused game drives, comfortable accommodation and unhurried time in the bush.
Departures run on any day subject to availability. For seven or more travellers a quote is required, and children of all ages are accepted, with under fours travelling free.
CountryKenyaTsavo East · Amboseli
Duration5 days4 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsDiani Beach
From$2,160per person, estimated
How this price works. Per person in US dollars, from $2,160 up to $2,250 depending on travel dates and party size. Subject to availability. All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote. Payment and cancellation terms
Map route
Route overview
1
Diani Beach
Day 1 · Starts here
2
Tsavo East
Days 1 to 3 · 2 nights
3
Amboseli
Days 3 to 5 · 2 nights
4
Diani Beach
Day 5 · Ends here
Wildlife you are likely to see
Elephant
Lion
Buffalo
Zebra
Giraffe
Wildebeest
Rhino
Leopard
Cheetah
Solid tone means often seen on this route. Outline means possible, and worth the patience. Sightings vary with season and luck, and nothing wild is guaranteed.
Photos
Photos from this route
Itinerary
Day by day itinerary
Each day lists the route, the meals included and the lodge for that night. Lodges are as proposed for your dates and are confirmed by name in your written confirmation.
Day 1: Diani Beach to Tsavo East
Diani's palms and white sand are left behind early, and the road climbs inland from the coast until the green gives way to dry bush and the famous red earth of Tsavo. The transfer into the park is a game drive in its own right, so the first elephants, dusted rust red from head to foot, often appear before the lodge does.
Lunch is at Sentrim Tsavo Lodge. In the afternoon the vehicle heads out to the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, across the highway in neighbouring Tsavo West, where the endangered black rhino live under protection in their natural surroundings, one of the rarest sightings in Kenya.
Ngulia Rhino SanctuaryLunch and dinner
Day 12 photos
An elephant dusted red with Tsavo's earth
Open country toward the Chyulu HillsAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
4 photos
Sentrim Tsavo Lodge
Just outside Tsavo East National Park, about 20 minutes from Voi Gate Tented camp · 4 photos
View lodge & photosClose
A tented camp inside the park, evening built around a fire circle under the trees and canvas rooms open to the bush sounds outside.
Tsavo East National Park
Day 2: Full day in Tsavo East
With a picnic lunch packed, the whole day is spent out in Tsavo East, one of the largest and wildest parks in Africa. The search is for elephant, buffalo, leopard, the rarely seen wild dog and the mongoose families that dart between the termite mounds.
The route takes in Aruba Dam, where animals gather to drink through the dry months, Lugard Falls, where the Galana River churns through channels of water-worn rock, and the Yatta Plateau, a ridge of ancient lava running for around 290 kilometres, often described as the longest lava flow in the world.
Extended game drivePicnic lunchAll meals
Day 22 photos
Giraffe among the scrub
A game drive on the Tsavo plainsAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 1: Sentrim Tsavo Lodge. See photos and details on Day 1.
Day 3: Tsavo East to Amboseli
Breakfast is early, and after checking out, the road heads west toward Amboseli, the drive broken by a game drive on the way. Kilimanjaro grows on the horizon as the red earth gives way to the pale, open plains around the mountain.
Lunch is at Amboseli Sopa Lodge, and the afternoon safari brings the change of scene into focus: elephant herds moving toward the swamps, giraffe, eland, warthog, wildebeest, gazelle, and with luck, lion resting in the grass.
En-route game driveAfternoon safariAll meals
Day 32 photos
Two bulls on the Amboseli plain, Kilimanjaro behind them
Open plains beneath KilimanjaroAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
4 photos
Amboseli Sopa Lodge
Kimana area, foothills of Kilimanjaro, about 20 minutes' drive from Amboseli National Park Lodge · 4 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Thatched cottages spread through the grounds just outside the park, several rooms opening onto a private view of Kilimanjaro on a clear morning.
Amboseli National Park
Day 4: Full day in Amboseli
Amboseli gets the full day, with a picnic lunch taken out on the plains. The park's swamps, fed from underground by water off Kilimanjaro, draw elephant, buffalo, zebra and wildebeest through the heat, and giraffe, lion, cheetah, leopard and wild dog are all possible, with a remarkable variety of birdlife in between.
In the late afternoon, an optional visit to a Maasai village, at extra cost, brings traditional dance and a taste of local food, before the evening at the lodge.
Picnic lunchOptional Maasai village visitAll meals
Day 42 photos
An elephant crossing below Kilimanjaro, Amboseli
An elephant herd moving across Amboseli after rainAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 3: Amboseli Sopa Lodge. See photos and details on Day 3.
Day 5: Amboseli to Diani Beach
One last look at the mountain over breakfast, and then the road back toward the coast, with a game drive on the way out of the park. The dry plains slowly turn to green, the air grows warm and heavy, and the Indian Ocean comes back into view.
The safari ends with drop-off at the preferred address in Diani or elsewhere on the coast.
En-route game driveBreakfast and lunch
Price
Price and what is included
Written plainly so there are no surprises at the airport. Anything optional can be added to the quote before you pay.
Included
Already in the price you see.
- Park fees for non-residents
- All activities unless specifically marked optional
- All accommodation unless listed as an upgrade
- A professional driver-guide
- All transportation unless marked optional
- All taxes and VAT
- Round-trip airport transfer
- Meals as specified in the itinerary
- Drinking water throughout the safari
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari
- Tips, published guideline US$10 per person per day
- Personal expenses including souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees
- Government-imposed increases in taxes or park fees
Rates by travel date
| Rate range | Per person |
|---|---|
| Published range | $2,160 to $2,250 |
Rates are per person in US dollars and exclude international flights. For seven or more travellers, a quote is required.
Before you book
Frequently asked questions
What travellers ask us most about a safari like this one. Anything else, ask below and a specialist in Nairobi replies during office hours, Monday to Saturday.
Is this a private safari?
Yes. This safari is private: your own vehicle and guide for the whole trip, and we never merge your party with another to cut costs.
How do we book, and how much is the deposit?
Press Book this safari. You can hold your dates for three days without paying while a specialist checks availability with the lodges and parks, or pay a deposit of 30, 40 or 50 percent, or the full amount, by credit or debit card through Pesapal. You can also pay by bank transfer, or in person at our Nairobi office by card. The standard schedule is a 30 percent deposit to confirm and the balance 60 days before arrival; bookings made within 60 days of departure, and gorilla or chimpanzee permits, are paid in full at booking. Card details go to Pesapal, never to Volcan.
Do we need a visa?
Kenya: most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), applied for online before travel at etakenya.go.ke, together with the mandatory Kenyan inbound travel health insurance (bought during the eTA application or on the eCitizen portal). Rules depend on your passport and change from time to time, so check them before you book flights, and always apply through the official government portal, never a third-party agent. We tell you what applies to your route when we confirm your trip.
Which vaccinations and health precautions do we need?
See a travel clinic at least six weeks before you go. Malaria is present in most safari areas of East Africa, so ask about antimalarials, insect repellent and cover-up clothing for the evenings. A yellow fever certificate can be required depending on your route and where you arrive from.
What vehicle will we travel in?
A pop up roof 4x4 safari vehicle, usually a Toyota Land Cruiser, provided through the licensed Kenyan transport partners we contract and work with regularly, with the same driver guide from the first day to the last. It is yours alone for the whole safari, and every vehicle carries reusable water bottles.
Can children come on this safari?
Yes, and a private vehicle makes it easy to set the pace around them. Child rates depend on the lodges, and some camps and activities set minimum ages, so tell us the ages of everyone travelling and we confirm what applies before you pay anything.
What happens if we need to cancel?
Tell us in writing as early as possible. The cancellation charges for your trip are set out in your written booking confirmation. Gorilla permits, internal flights and non-refundable lodge deposits already paid on your behalf cannot be recovered, so they are charged in full. Refunds go back to the card or account the payment came from. The detail is in our Booking & Payment Terms.
Can we change this itinerary?
Yes. Every route on this site is a starting point. The dates, the number of nights, the lodges and the pace can all change, and we re-price the trip before you commit to anything. There are no fixed departures and no minimum group size.
Enquire
Plan this safari with us
Send your dates and who is travelling. A specialist checks availability with the lodges and parks and replies during Nairobi office hours, Monday to Saturday, with an itemised price.
- Free, and no obligation
- Ask about changing the dates, lodges or pace
- Answered by the team in Nairobi who plan the trip
Availability
5-Day Tsavo East & Amboseli Safari from Diani Beach
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$2,160
Per person in US dollars, from $2,160 up to $2,250 depending on travel dates and party size. Subject to availability. All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
Prices are for guidance and are confirmed against current lodge and park rates before any payment.
Enquire first for questions and a written quote, with no commitment. Book this safari asks us to hold your dates for 72 hours without payment. Your booking is confirmed only when we confirm it in writing and your deposit is received under our booking terms.
More ideas
Similar safaris
Mid-range
Mid-range6-Day Amboseli, Lake Naivasha & Maasai Mara Safari
$2,512 / personPrivate
View itinerary
Mid-range4-Day Lake Naivasha & Maasai Mara Safari
$1,590 / personPrivate
View itinerary
All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
