Luxury 7-Day Luxury Kenya Safari Beyond the Main Circuit
$1,965 / personPrivate · lowest rate, US$, subject to availability
View itinerary
Kenya
7-Day Luxury Kenya Safari
Amboseli, the Rift Valley and the Maasai Mara in seven days. Kilimanjaro at the start, the lakes in the middle, and two nights on the plains to finish.
Duration7 days6 nights
From$1,905per person in US$, based on 6 travellers, 4 Apr to 31 May 2027. Estimate, subject to availability
Trip overview
Seven days through the landscapes Kenya is best known for, at a pace that leaves time in each of them. It opens under Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, works north through the Rift Valley lakes at Naivasha and Nakuru, and finishes with two nights in the Maasai Mara.
The safari is private, the vehicle is a pop-up roof 4×4, and airport transfers are included at both ends. Game drives are the backbone of it, with nature walks where the park allows them, which in practice means Hell’s Gate and Crescent Island.
Departures run on any day subject to availability and the route can be adjusted. Children of all ages are accepted, with a discount under 13 and no charge under 3. The trip is not sold to solo travellers.
CountryKenyaAmboseli · Lake Naivasha · Lake Nakuru · Maasai Mara
Duration7 days6 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
Best timeJul to Oct, and Jan to Feb
From$1,905Per person in US dollars. From $1,905 applies to 6 travellers, 4 Apr to 31 May 2027. Rates change with travel dates and party size and are 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
Amboseli
Days 1 to 3 · 2 nights
3
Lake Naivasha
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
What you are likely to see
Elephant
Lion
Buffalo
Zebra
Giraffe
Hippo
Wildebeest
White rhino
Flamingo
Cheetah
Leopard
Black rhino
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
7 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 Amboseli
Nairobi to Amboseli National Park
The driver-guide collects the party from their Nairobi hotel for an early start south, and the city gives way to the wide, dry plains of Maasai country. The last stretch into Amboseli is a game drive in its own right, so the safari begins well before the lodge.
Lunch and a short rest at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge, then out again in the afternoon, when elephant, zebra, wildebeest and lion are all possible, with Kilimanjaro filling the skyline behind them. Dinner follows, and the evening runs on beside the bonfire or in the quiet of the room.
Early departureGame drive en routeLunch and dinner
Day 13 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2
5 photos
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Inside Amboseli National Park, facing Kilimanjaro Lodge · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Built low against the swamp edge with Kilimanjaro filling the view on a clear morning, close enough to the elephant herds to watch them from the terrace.
02
Amboseli National Park
Full day in Amboseli National Park
The first drive leaves early, when the light is cool and low and Kilimanjaro is most likely to be out, the snow on its summit catching the first sun. Breakfast follows back at the lodge, with the middle of the day free to enjoy it.
The afternoon runs through elephant country and up to the observation point, a small hill that lays out the whole park in one view, the swamps shining green among the dry plains, before the drive back for dinner.
Dawn game driveAfternoon game driveAll meals
Day 24 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2
5 photos
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge
Inside Amboseli National Park, facing Kilimanjaro Lodge · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Built low against the swamp edge with Kilimanjaro filling the view on a clear morning, close enough to the elephant herds to watch them from the terrace.
03
Amboseli to Lake Naivasha
Amboseli to Lake Naivasha
North after breakfast, away from the mountain and up into the Rift Valley, to Lake Naivasha, with lunch on arrival at Muthu Lake Naivasha Country Club. The afternoon carries a choice: a boat trip on the lake, at extra cost, or a walk on Crescent Island.
The island is walked rather than driven, which puts giraffe, zebra, impala and waterbuck at close range with nothing but grass in between, a very different feeling from a vehicle. The lake itself holds the hippo and a wealth of birdlife, fish eagles among them.
Drive northOptional boat trip or Crescent IslandAll meals
Day 32 photos
Accommodation
One night
4 photos
Muthu Lake Naivasha Country Club
South Lake Road, Lake Naivasha Hotel · 4 photos
View lodge & photosClose
A 1930s colonial country house and its cottages, set in gardens of yellow fever acacia that reach the lake. Zebra, waterbuck and colobus move across the lawns.
04
Hell's Gate to Lake Nakuru
Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru National Park
Hell's Gate comes first, early in the morning. It is one of the few parks in Kenya that can be walked or cycled among the wildlife, and moving through the red walled gorge on foot, with zebra and buffalo grazing nearby, is a different experience from watching through a window. Breakfast follows, and then the road north to Lake Nakuru, with a game drive on the way in.
After lunch at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, the drive continues through the park in search of black and white rhino, leopard, the flamingo shallows and the birdlife the lake is famous for.
Hell's Gate at dawnGame drive en routeAll meals
Day 43 photos
Accommodation
One night
6 photos
Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge
Inside Lake Nakuru National Park, on the slopes above the lake Lodge · 6 photos
View lodge & photosClose
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.
05
Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
After breakfast the road crosses the Great Rift Valley, climbs its western wall and runs on to the Maasai Mara, which is reached in time for lunch at Mara Serena Safari Lodge, high on a ridge above the reserve.
The afternoon goes out across the rolling savannah. The Mara holds the Big Five, and alongside them cheetah, serval, hyena, bat eared fox and eland. The vehicle returns as the evening settles over the plains, the sky going orange and then deep blue.
Cross the Rift ValleyAfternoon game driveAll meals
Day 53 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
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.
06
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Full day in the Maasai Mara
Packed lunches mean the whole day can be spent on the reserve, and for some it begins with an optional hot air balloon safari at first light, rising silently over the grass as the herds wake below. Lunch is taken out on the reserve, in the shade of an acacia rather than back at the lodge, so the vehicle can stay where the wildlife is.
A traditional Maasai village can be visited in the afternoon, and the day closes back at the lodge with dinner and the bonfire.
Full day game drivePacked lunchAll meals
Day 64 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.
07
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
Breakfast, and then the return drive to Nairobi through the escarpment country of the Rift Valley, a last long look across the valley floor.
Lunch on arrival is at Carnivore, a Nairobi institution, and the safari ends at a Nairobi hotel or at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, according to the departure time.
Return driveLunch at CarnivoreBreakfast and lunch
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.
- A private safari and private 4x4 transport
- Accommodation as listed in the itinerary
- Game drives, and the nature walks listed in the days
- Airport transfers at both ends of the safari
- Meals as listed for each day
- Drinking water throughout
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights
- The Lake Naivasha boat trip and the hot air balloon safari, both optional
- Drinks other than the drinking water provided
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari, at extra cost
- Anything not listed under what is included
Rates by travel date
| Travel period | 2 to 3 travellers | 4 to 5 travellers | 6 travellers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Jun to 30 Sep 2026 | $4,039 | $3,404 | $3,170 |
| 1 Oct to 22 Dec 2026 | $3,374 | $2,739 | $2,505 |
| 23 Dec 2026 to 1 Jan 2027 | $4,039 | $3,404 | $3,170 |
| 2 Jan to 28 Feb 2027 | $2,824 | $2,318 | $2,134 |
| 1 to 27 Mar 2027 | $2,697 | $2,193 | $2,007 |
| 28 Mar to 3 Apr 2027 | $2,824 | $2,318 | $2,134 |
| 4 Apr to 31 May 2027 | $2,541 | $2,087 | $1,905 |
| 1 to 15 Jun 2027 | $2,712 | $2,206 | $2,021 |
| 16 to 30 Jun 2027 | $3,239 | $2,736 | $2,549 |
| 1 Jul to 30 Sep 2027 | $3,819 | $3,243 | $3,035 |
Per person in US dollars, and the figure falls as the party grows. Rates vary by travel date, group size and season, and exclude international flights.
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
7-Day Luxury 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
$1,905
Per person in US dollars. From $1,905 applies to 6 travellers, 4 Apr to 31 May 2027. Rates change with travel dates and party size and are 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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