Luxury8-Day Luxury Kenya Safari
$4,008 / personPrivate
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Kenya
7-Day Luxury Samburu, Ol Pejeta & Maasai Mara Safari
Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara in seven days.
Trip overview
Seven days built to show the range of Kenya’s wildlife and landscapes. The route runs from the northern wilderness of Samburu to Ol Pejeta Conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau, on to the bird-rich, rhino-protected shores of Lake Nakuru, and finishes among the sweeping plains of the Maasai Mara.
The safari is private throughout, travels in a pop-up-roof 4×4, and includes airport transfers at both ends. It is a well-rounded route for anyone who wants several of Kenya’s main wildlife areas in a single trip.
Departures run on any day subject to availability, minor changes to the accommodation and destinations can be requested, and the trip is not available to solo travellers. The rate runs from US$3,893 to US$4,237 per person by season.
CountryKenyaSamburu · Ol Pejeta · Lake Nakuru · Maasai Mara
Duration7 days6 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
From$3,893per person, estimated
How this price works. Per person in US dollars, from $3,893 up to $4,237 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
Nairobi
Day 1 · Starts here
2
Samburu
Days 1 to 3 · 2 nights
3
Ol Pejeta
Day 3 · 1 night
4
Lake Nakuru
Day 4 · 1 night
5
Maasai Mara
Days 5 to 7 · 2 nights
6
Nairobi
Day 7 · Ends here
Wildlife you are likely to see
Elephant
Lion
Buffalo
Giraffe
Zebra
Rhino
Wildebeest
Leopard
Cheetah
Flamingo
Grevy's zebra
Beisa oryx
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.
Main transfers on this trip
- Day 1: Nairobi to Samburu
- About 5 to 6 hours by road (estimate)
- Day 7: Maasai Mara to Nairobi
- About 5 to 6 hours by road (estimate)
Road times are estimates without game drives or stops. Traffic, weather, road works and border queues can add time, and your guide plans comfort breaks along the way. Flight times depend on the airline schedule for your date.
Day 1: Nairobi to Samburu
The road north from Nairobi climbs through the green highlands, past the foothills of Mount Kenya, and then drops away into the drier, rougher country of the north, where farmland gives way to scrub, rock and red earth. It is a very different Kenya from the one on most postcards.
Check in at Samburu Simba Lodge is followed by the first game drive into the reserve, where the wildlife is different too, with several species found nowhere in the south.
Drive northFirst game driveAll meals
Day 11 photo
Two elephants greeting, trunks entwined, on the dry riverbedAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
4 photos
Samburu Simba Lodge
Samburu ecosystem, overlooking the Ewaso Ng'iro River and Buffalo Springs Lodge · 4 photos
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Stone and timber blocks stepped along the reserve boundary, with no fence between the lodge and the wildlife that moves through it. A shaded bar terrace looks out over the bush at dusk.
Samburu National Reserve
Day 2: Full day in Samburu
Samburu National Reserve is kept alive by the Ewaso Ng'iro, and the day's drives work the river banks and the acacia scrub around them. Elephant come down to drink and bathe, lion and leopard rest in the shade, and crocodiles lie out on the sand.
The reserve's own species are the prize: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and beisa oryx, none of them found in the parks of the south, which makes Samburu a striking contrast to the rest of the safari.
Full day game drivesAll meals
Day 22 photos
Grevy's zebra, one of Samburu's special five, grazing among the doum palms
A herd of beisa oryx, another of Samburu's special fiveAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 1: Samburu Simba Lodge. See photos and details on Day 1.
Samburu to Ol Pejeta
Day 3: Samburu to Ol Pejeta Conservancy
The road runs south off the dry northern plains and up onto the greener Laikipia Plateau, home to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, with Mount Kenya often in view. Lunch is taken at Sweetwaters Serena Camp.
The afternoon game drive covers land given over entirely to conservation. Ol Pejeta is known for its black rhino sanctuary and for a chimpanzee sanctuary caring for animals rescued from elsewhere in Africa, and lion, elephant and buffalo move across its open plains and acacia scrub.
Drive to LaikipiaAfternoon game driveAll meals
Day 31 photo
Plains zebra grazing among acacia scrub at Ol PejetaAccommodation
One night
4 photos
Sweetwaters Serena Camp
Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia Tented camp · 4 photos
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A canvas tented camp set on open ground inside one of Kenya's leading conservation landscapes, with the Laikipia plains running out from the veranda of every tent.
Day 4: Ol Pejeta to Lake Nakuru
A morning safari at Ol Pejeta makes the most of the cool hours, and then the road runs west and down into the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park. Arrival is in time for lunch at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge.
The afternoon game drive circles the lake and its woodland, with rhino, giraffe, lion and a great abundance of birdlife all possible.
Morning safariAfternoon game driveAll meals
Day 42 photos
Rhino and flamingo share the same shoreline
Flamingos along the shallowsAccommodation
One night
6 photos
Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge
Inside Lake Nakuru National Park, on the slopes above the lake Lodge · 6 photos
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The only lodge on Lion Hill itself, inside the park, so the game drives start at the door. Chalets step down the ridge and look across the soda lake.
Day 5: Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
The road crosses the Great Rift Valley, climbing its western wall and running on through farmland until the open savannah of the Maasai Mara takes over, marking the start of the safari's final stretch.
Ashnil Mara Camp, a luxury tented camp inside the reserve, is reached in time for a first game drive, onto plains where the great herds graze and lions rest in the long grass.
Cross the Rift ValleyFirst Mara game driveAll meals
Day 52 photos
Game drive tracks through the park
Open plains as far as the light goesAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
8 photos
Ashnil Mara Camp
Western Maasai Mara National Reserve, near the Mara River Tented camp · 8 photos
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Ashnil Mara Camp is a tented camp inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, on its western side near the Mara River. Staying within the reserve means less time travelling and more time watching wildlife, and the Mara River is the setting for the famous wildebeest crossings during the annual migration. Hippos and crocodiles are often […]
Ashnil Mara Camp, luxury tented camp inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Day 6: Full day in the Maasai Mara
A full day on the Maasai Mara, with extended game drives across the reserve and strong odds for the Big Five and the Mara's abundant plains game. The morning drive catches the predators while they are still on the move, and the day follows the animals wherever they lead.
In migration season the reserve adds the great herds of wildebeest and zebra, moving in long lines across the open ground with the predators never far behind. Whatever the month, the evening back at camp is spent comparing notes on the day's sightings.
Extended game drivesMigration season sightings possibleAll meals
Day 63 photos
The migration herds filling the plain, July to October
The herds crossing the Mara River
Hippos and crocodiles on the bank of the Mara RiverAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 5: Ashnil Mara Camp. See photos and details on Day 5.
Ashnil Mara Camp, luxury tented camp inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Day 7: Maasai Mara to Nairobi
A last breakfast at camp, with the sounds of the Mara all around, and then the road back to Nairobi, climbing up the Rift Valley escarpment and onto the highlands. The safari ends in the city, with a drop-off at a hotel or another preferred location.
Final breakfastReturn 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.
- Private safari services
- Accommodation for 6 nights as specified
- Meals as specified in the itinerary
- Game drives and safari activities described in the itinerary
- Transport in a pop-up-roof 4x4 safari vehicle
- Airport transfers to and from the safari
- Applicable park and conservancy fees included in the quoted safari package
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights unless separately arranged with the operator
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari
- Personal expenses and optional activities not stated as included
Rates by travel date
| Travel period | Per person |
|---|---|
| Low season | $3,893 |
| High season | $4,237 |
The final rate depends on the exact travel dates, lodge availability and any changes requested to the itinerary.
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.
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.
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.
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
7-Day Luxury Samburu, Ol Pejeta & Maasai Mara Safari
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$3,893
Per person in US dollars, from $3,893 up to $4,237 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.
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