9-Day Laikipia, Samburu & Maasai Mara Safari
$8,600 / personPrivate · lowest rate, US$, subject to availability
View itinerary
Kenya
9-Day Kenya Hidden Gems Safari
Four of Kenya's classic reserves in nine days, joined entirely by scheduled flights so no day is spent on the road.
Duration9 days8 nights
From$8,200per person sharing, US$. Estimate, subject to availability
Trip overview
A private circuit through Amboseli, Samburu and the Maasai Mara, run at a fly-in pace that trades long drives for time on the ground in each park. A private house in Nairobi opens and closes the trip.
Two nights are set aside at Amboseli and Samburu, three at the Mara, so the pacing never asks a single day to cover both a transfer and a full game drive.
CountryKenyaKenya
Duration9 days8 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
Best timeJun – Oct
From$8,200Per person sharing, in US dollars. An indicative starting price: your exact rate is quoted for your dates and party size, subject to availability. All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
Map route
The route, stop by stop
1
Nairobi
Day 1 · Arrive
2
Amboseli
Days 2 to 4 · 2 nights
3
Samburu
Days 4 to 6 · 2 nights
4
Maasai Mara
Days 6 to 9 · 3 nights
5
Nairobi
Day 9 · Ends here
What you are likely to see
Elephant
Lion
Giraffe
Zebra
Grevy's zebra
Gerenuk
Cheetah
Leopard
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.
Best months to travel
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best
Quieter
Green season
Gallery
The ground this safari covers
Day by day
9 days, in order
Each day lists the route, the meals included and the lodge for that night. Ask us for the expected driving time on any day.
01
Nairobi
Arrival in Nairobi
The flight is met at Jomo Kenyatta International, and a private transfer continues to the first night's accommodation: not a hotel, but a private house run in the style of a family residence, with the calm that comes with it. The rest of the day is unhurried, time to adjust to the altitude and the hour before the bush begins.
Private arrival transferEvening at leisure
Accommodation
One night
10 photos
Manzili House
Nairobi Hotel · 10 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Manzili House is a small luxury retreat in Nairobi, designed as a calm and stylish base at the start or end of a Kenya safari. Its setting offers views over the surrounding landscape, and it is within reach of Nairobi National Park, where you can see wildlife against the city skyline, and of Wilson Airport, […]
One night in Nairobi, at a property such as Maanzili House. The exact accommodation is confirmed with the final itinerary.
02
Nairobi to Amboseli
Nairobi to Amboseli
A short flight from Wilson Airport heads south to Amboseli, and on a clear morning Kilimanjaro appears out of the window long before the airstrip does. The transfer from the airstrip doubles as a game drive, so the safari starts the moment the aircraft lands.
Lunch is taken on arrival. In the afternoon a first game drive follows the elephant herds as they walk in toward the swamps, the light turning warm over the grass and the mountain.
Scheduled flightAfternoon game drive
Day 22 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2
8 photos
Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli
Kitirua Conservancy, bordering Amboseli National Park Tented camp · 8 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Elewana Tortilis Camp lies just outside Amboseli National Park in the private Kitirua Conservancy, one of the last stretches of unspoilt woodland in the Amboseli ecosystem. The camp looks straight towards Mount Kilimanjaro, and the views of the snow-capped summit from the lounge, bar and dining area are the stuff of safari dreams. There are […]
Night 1 of 2 at Amboseli, at a property such as Tortilis Luxury Camp. The exact lodge is confirmed with the final itinerary.
03
Amboseli
Full Day in Amboseli
Amboseli's elephants set the rhythm. In the morning the families walk out of the woodland toward the swamps, where they spend the heat of the day drinking, bathing and feeding, often with Kilimanjaro directly behind them.
Game drives cover the park in the morning and again in the afternoon, when the light softens and the mountain is most likely to come out of its cloud. Buffalo, hippo, zebra and wildebeest share the wetlands, and the evening is a second at camp.
Morning and afternoon drivesElephants and Kilimanjaro
Day 32 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2
8 photos
Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli
Kitirua Conservancy, bordering Amboseli National Park Tented camp · 8 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Elewana Tortilis Camp lies just outside Amboseli National Park in the private Kitirua Conservancy, one of the last stretches of unspoilt woodland in the Amboseli ecosystem. The camp looks straight towards Mount Kilimanjaro, and the views of the snow-capped summit from the lounge, bar and dining area are the stuff of safari dreams. There are […]
A second night at the same property in Amboseli.
04
Amboseli to Samburu
Amboseli to Samburu
Samburu lies far to the north, and reaching it means a connection back through Nairobi. The change in the landscape below is dramatic: the green of the central highlands gives way to red earth, dry hills and the riverine forest along the Ewaso Ng'iro.
Lunch is taken on arrival, with the first game drive that same afternoon, in country that feels a world away from Amboseli's open plains.
Scheduled flight via NairobiAfternoon game drive
Day 42 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2
8 photos
Saruni Samburu
Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy, north of Samburu National Reserve Lodge · 8 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Saruni Samburu is a boutique lodge in the Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy, about seven kilometres north of Samburu National Reserve in Kenya’s dramatic northern frontier. Perched on a rocky outcrop, it offers sweeping views over the Kalama landscape and the mountains beyond, and staying in a community conservancy means a more private safari with the […]
Night 1 of 2 in Samburu, at a property such as Saruni Samburu. The exact lodge is confirmed with the final itinerary.
05
Samburu
Full Day in Samburu
Samburu and its neighbour, Buffalo Springs, sit on either side of the Ewaso Ng'iro River, and the day covers both. The river is the only permanent water for a long way, so almost everything comes to it at some point: elephant in the shallows, lion resting in the shade of the doum palms, baboons along the banks.
This is also where the north's own species live: Grevy's zebra, with their narrow stripes and big rounded ears, the reticulated giraffe, and the long necked gerenuk, which feeds standing upright on its hind legs. None of them are found in the Mara or Amboseli.
Morning and afternoon drivesNorthern specials
Day 52 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2
8 photos
Saruni Samburu
Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy, north of Samburu National Reserve Lodge · 8 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Saruni Samburu is a boutique lodge in the Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy, about seven kilometres north of Samburu National Reserve in Kenya’s dramatic northern frontier. Perched on a rocky outcrop, it offers sweeping views over the Kalama landscape and the mountains beyond, and staying in a community conservancy means a more private safari with the […]
A second night at the same property in Samburu.
06
Samburu to the Maasai Mara
Samburu to the Maasai Mara
From the air, Samburu's dry country gives way to the long grass of the Maasai Mara, and the approach, low over plains dotted with herds, is an introduction in itself. Lunch is at camp.
The first game drive follows in the afternoon, onto plains holding one of the densest concentrations of predators in Africa, and it is a rare afternoon here that passes without lion.
Scheduled flightAfternoon game drive
Day 62 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 3
5 photos
Il Moran Governors’ Camp
Mara River, Musiara area, Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Governors’ Il Moran Camp is a small, intimate tented camp in a forested stretch along the Mara River, in the Musiara area of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Being inside the reserve and beside the river puts you in prime wildlife country, and the camp is well placed for the wildebeest migration, which typically moves […]
Night 1 of 3 in the Maasai Mara, at a property such as Il Moran Governors' Camp. The exact lodge is confirmed with the final itinerary.
07
Maasai Mara
Full Day in the Maasai Mara
Dawn is when the Mara is most alive, and the first of two full days on the reserve is built around it: lions finishing the night's hunt, hyenas heading back to their dens, cheetah climbing onto termite mounds to scan the grass.
The heat of the middle of the day is spent at camp, and the evening drive brings the best light of all.
Morning and afternoon drivesBig cats
Day 72 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 3
5 photos
Il Moran Governors’ Camp
Mara River, Musiara area, Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Governors’ Il Moran Camp is a small, intimate tented camp in a forested stretch along the Mara River, in the Musiara area of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Being inside the reserve and beside the river puts you in prime wildlife country, and the camp is well placed for the wildebeest migration, which typically moves […]
A second night at the same property in the Maasai Mara.
08
Maasai Mara
Second Full Day in the Maasai Mara
Wherever the morning's reports place the herds, that is where the second full day goes. Wildlife on the Mara moves with the grass and the rain, and a guide who knows where the prides were the day before can use that to find them again.
Depending on the season, that can mean wildebeest massed along the Mara River, or the resident zebra and topi, with the cats watching from the edge. The evening is the last in the bush.
Morning and afternoon drivesMigration plains
Day 82 photos
Accommodation
Night 3 of 3
5 photos
Il Moran Governors’ Camp
Mara River, Musiara area, Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Governors’ Il Moran Camp is a small, intimate tented camp in a forested stretch along the Mara River, in the Musiara area of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Being inside the reserve and beside the river puts you in prime wildlife country, and the camp is well placed for the wildebeest migration, which typically moves […]
A third night at the same property in the Maasai Mara.
09
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
Departure
Nairobi is reached on a morning flight, and lunch is taken privately before an afternoon visit to the Giraffe Centre, home to the endangered Rothschild's giraffe, which lean down to the raised platform to be fed at eye level. It makes a good closing note to the safari, and the transfer to the airport is timed to the international flight.
Flight to NairobiGiraffe CentreDeparture
Accommodation
No overnightNo overnight. Departure timed to the international flight.
The price
The price, in full
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.
- All internal flights
- Accommodation as specified
- All meals as mentioned
- Transfers and game drives
- Park fees and entrance charges
- Services of a professional guide
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses, including tips
- Drinks and meals not mentioned
- Optional activities and excursions
Before you book
Questions, answered
What travellers ask us most about a safari like this one. Anything else, ask below and a specialist in Nairobi replies within one business day.
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.
Will we see the Great Migration and a river crossing?
The herds usually reach the Maasai Mara around July and stay until about October, crossing the Mara River many times in that period. For the rest of the year they are in the Serengeti in Tanzania. The timing is set by the rains, so no operator can promise a crossing on a given day, but our guides follow the reports every morning and position you as well as experience allows.
Is there a luggage limit on the flights?
Light aircraft on safari routes usually allow about 15 kg per person, hand luggage included, in a soft-sided bag without wheels or a frame. We confirm the exact allowance for your flights, and anything you do not need on safari can usually be stored until you return.
Do we need a visa?
Kenya: most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), applied for online before travel at etakenya.go.ke. 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.
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.
Enquire
Plan this safari with us
Send your dates and who is travelling. A specialist checks availability with the lodges and parks and replies within one business day 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
9-Day Kenya Hidden Gems Safari
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$8,200
Per person sharing, in US dollars. An indicative starting price: your exact rate is quoted for your 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.
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