Luxury 9-Day Luxury Kenya Safari
$3,575 / personPrivate · lowest rate, US$, subject to availability
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Kenya
9-Day Grand Kenya Safari
An expansive nine-day circuit across Kenya's most distinctive wildlife landscapes, from the volcanic country of Tsavo West to the plains of the Maasai Mara.
Duration9 days8 nights
From$2,834per person, US$, lowest date and party-size rate. Estimate, subject to availability
Trip overview
An expansive private safari circuit that brings together Kenya’s most distinctive wildlife landscapes in one carefully paced journey. From the volcanic drama of Tsavo West and the elephant country of Amboseli, to the calm waters of Lake Naivasha, the rhino sanctuary of Lake Nakuru and the plains of the Maasai Mara, each stage introduces a different expression of Kenya.
The safari runs in a pop-up-roof 4×4 with a professional driver-guide, and includes a Lake Naivasha boat experience alongside daily game drives and strong opportunities for Big Five viewing.
Departures run on any day subject to availability, the route can be customised, and children from age one are accepted, with those under four travelling free. Parties of seven or more need a custom quotation. The published rate runs from US$2,834 to US$6,962 per person, depending on travel dates and party size.
CountryKenyaTsavo West · Amboseli · Naivasha · Nakuru · Maasai Mara
Duration9 days8 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
From$2,834Per person in US dollars, from $2,834 up to $6,962 depending on travel 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 · Departs Nairobi
2
Tsavo West
Days 1 to 3 · 2 nights
3
Amboseli
Days 3 to 5 · 2 nights
4
Lake Naivasha
Day 5 · 1 night
5
Lake Nakuru
Day 6 · 1 night
6
Maasai Mara
Days 7 to 9 · 2 nights
7
Nairobi
Day 9 · Ends here
What you are likely to see
Elephant
Lion
Buffalo
Zebra
Giraffe
Wildebeest
Rhino
Flamingo
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.
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 to Tsavo West
Nairobi to Tsavo West National Park
The safari leaves Nairobi around eight in the morning for Tsavo West, arriving in time for lunch at Salt Lick Safari Lodge. The afternoon game drive runs through the park's volcanic landscape, old lava flows and cinder cones, to Mzima Springs, where more than 220 million litres of clear water rise every day from the volcanic rock beneath.
Hippo and crocodile share the pools, and Tsavo's red dusted elephants, lion, giraffe, zebra and antelope all use the land around them.
Departs around 8amMzima SpringsLunch and dinner
Day 12 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2
5 photos
Salt Lick Safari Lodge
Tsavo West National Park Lodge · 5 photos
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Rooms raised on stilts around a floodlit waterhole, built for watching elephants come to drink without ever leaving the room.
02
Tsavo West National Park
Full day in Tsavo West
With a picnic lunch, the day covers the long views of Tsavo West: Roaring Rocks and Poacher's Lookout first, then Chaimu Crater, a black cinder cone where klipspringer are sometimes seen balancing on the rocks.
Weather and route permitting, the drive carries on toward Lake Jipe on the Kenya and Tanzania border, for its waterbirds and wildlife, before the return to the lodge.
Full day game drivePicnic lunchAll meals
Day 22 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2
5 photos
Salt Lick Safari Lodge
Tsavo West National Park Lodge · 5 photos
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Rooms raised on stilts around a floodlit waterhole, built for watching elephants come to drink without ever leaving the room.
03
Tsavo West to Amboseli
Tsavo West to Amboseli National Park
After breakfast the road runs west from Tsavo toward Amboseli, through changing country, with Kilimanjaro growing larger on the skyline until it fills the view. Arrival is in time for lunch and check in, at a lodge to be confirmed.
The afternoon game drive covers Amboseli's open plains, where large elephant herds walk toward the swamps, and lion, cheetah, zebra and the birds of the wetlands are all likely.
Afternoon game driveAll meals
Day 32 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2Lodge accommodation in Amboseli National Park; the specific property is confirmed with the final itinerary.
04
Amboseli National Park
Full day in Amboseli National Park
The day in Amboseli can be run as two drives, morning and afternoon, or as one long drive with a packed picnic lunch. Either way it covers the open plains and the marshes fed by water off Kilimanjaro, with good odds for elephant, lion, cheetah, hyena, giraffe and wildebeest.
The day closes at Observation Hill, where the whole park spreads out below, the swamps shining among the dust, and the mountain beyond.
Morning and afternoon game drivesAll meals
Day 43 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2Lodge accommodation in Amboseli National Park; the specific property is confirmed with the final itinerary.
05
Amboseli to Lake Naivasha
Amboseli to Lake Naivasha
The Great Rift Valley is crossed on the way north to Lake Naivasha, which is reached in time for lunch at Enashipai Resort & Spa. The afternoon is at leisure beside the freshwater lake, known for its birdlife, hippo and yellow barked acacia, with colobus monkey and waterbuck both possible along the shore.
After several days of early starts, a free afternoon by the water is very welcome. Dinner is at the resort.
Rift Valley crossingAfternoon at leisureAll meals
Day 52 photos
Accommodation
One night
4 photos
Enashipai Resort & Spa
Lake Naivasha, about 90 minutes from Nairobi Hotel · 4 photos
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A resort and spa on the Naivasha shoreline, with wide gardens under acacia and fever trees and rooms finished in warm timber and terracotta tones.
06
Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru
Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru
After breakfast, a short drive along the Rift Valley reaches Lake Nakuru National Park, a sanctuary for the endangered black and white rhino. Lunch and check in come first, at a lodge to be confirmed.
The afternoon game drive follows the lake shore and the acacia woodland, looking for white rhino, Rothschild's giraffe, the park's tree climbing lions, waterbuck and leopard, with flamingos and pelicans in the shallows.
Afternoon game driveAll meals
Day 63 photos
Accommodation
One nightLodge accommodation in Lake Nakuru National Park; the specific property is confirmed with the final itinerary.
07
Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
The road runs south across the floor of the Great Rift Valley, past small trading towns and farmland, until the savannah opens up as the Mara approaches. Lunch and check in are at Mara Serena Safari Lodge, set on a ridge above the reserve.
The afternoon game drive drops into the Mara's rolling grassland, country made for spotting predators at a distance, with lion, cheetah, elephant and plenty of plains game likely, and the Oloololo Escarpment forming a long wall to the west.
Afternoon game driveAll meals
Day 72 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2
1 photo
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Mara Triangle, Maasai Mara National Reserve, hilltop above the Mara River Lodge · 1 photo
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Built into a ridge inside the reserve, above the bend of the Mara River where the crossings happen. Rooms are shaped after a Maasai manyatta and every one of them faces the plains.
08
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Full day in the Maasai Mara
With a picnic lunch on board, the day is spent across the reserve. The Mara is known for its black maned lions, its extraordinary density of wildlife and its Big Five, with cheetah on the open plains and a bird list of around 500 species, from eagles and vultures to storks and the Kori bustard, one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
Full day game drivePicnic lunchAll meals
Day 83 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2
1 photo
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Mara Triangle, Maasai Mara National Reserve, hilltop above the Mara River Lodge · 1 photo
View lodge & photosClose
Built into a ridge inside the reserve, above the bend of the Mara River where the crossings happen. Rooms are shaped after a Maasai manyatta and every one of them faces the plains.
09
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
An early morning game drive catches the Mara's early risers: cats returning from a night's hunting, and herds moving out onto the dew wet grass. Breakfast and check out follow.
The road back to Nairobi climbs out of the Rift Valley past farmland and escarpment views, with lunch en route, and reaches the city in the afternoon, for transfer to a hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Early game driveLunch en route
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.
- 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 specifically marked optional
- All taxes and VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals as specified in the itinerary
- Drinking water on all days
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 items, souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees
- Government-imposed increases in taxes or park fees
- Meals not specifically listed as included
Rates by travel date
| Rate range | Per person |
|---|---|
| From | $2,834 |
| Up to | $6,962 |
The published rate depends on both the travel dates and the size of the party; parties of seven or more require a custom quotation.
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.
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.
What vehicle will we travel in?
A Toyota Land Cruiser from Volcan’s own fleet, in the company’s colours, 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 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 Grand Kenya Safari
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$2,834
Per person in US dollars, from $2,834 up to $6,962 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.
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