Luxury7-Day Luxury Kenya Safari
$1,905 / personPrivate
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Kenya
7-Day Luxury Kenya Safari Beyond the Main Circuit
Beyond the classic circuit: the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru's flamingo shallows, the forested highlands of Aberdare and the wilderness of Samburu, in seven days.
Trip overview
A broader, more characterful side of Kenya beyond the classic safari circuit. This private seven-day journey combines the Maasai Mara with the flamingo-rich shores of Lake Nakuru, the forested highlands of Aberdare and the distinctive wilderness of Samburu, for anyone who wants variety and depth in one trip.
The safari runs in a pop-up-roof safari minivan, with airport pickup and drop-off included throughout.
Departures run on any day subject to availability, minor accommodation and destination changes can be requested, and the trip suits solo travellers and children of all ages. Rates are dated and depend on party size; see the schedule below.
CountryKenyaMaasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Aberdare · Samburu
Duration7 days6 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
From$1,965per person, estimated
How this price works. Per person in US dollars. From $1,965 applies to 5 people, Apr 1 to May 31, 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. Payment and cancellation terms
Map route
Route overview
1
Nairobi
Day 1 · Starts here
2
Maasai Mara
Days 1 to 3 · 2 nights
3
Lake Nakuru
Day 3 · 1 night
4
Aberdare
Day 4 · 1 night
5
Samburu
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
Flamingo
Leopard
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 the Maasai Mara
- About 5 to 6 hours by road (estimate)
- Day 7: Samburu 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.
Nairobi to the Maasai Mara
Day 1: Maasai Mara National Reserve
The safari sets out early from Nairobi, crossing the Great Rift Valley and heading west to the Maasai Mara, the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem and famous for the seasonal movements of wildebeest and zebra, and the predators that follow them.
Lunch is at Sarova Mara Game Camp, and the afternoon goes to the first game drive, onto plains where lion, elephant and the great herds of plains game are all at home.
Afternoon game driveLunch and dinner
Day 12 photos
Open plains as far as the light goes
The herds moving across open ground, vehicles at the tree lineAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
4 photos
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 4 photos
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A luxury tented camp inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Canvas tents on raised decks with hardwood floors, four poster beds under netting and a private veranda facing the bush.
Day 2: Maasai Mara National Reserve
With a packed lunch on board, the whole day is spent exploring the Mara, searching for the Big Five and the reserve's many other residents across its open landscape. The drive can follow the animals wherever they lead, with lunch taken out on the plains in the shade of an acacia.
The birdlife adds another layer to the day, from secretary birds striding through the grass and ground hornbills stalking insects, to vultures circling high overhead.
Full day game drivePacked lunchAll meals
Day 22 photos
Impala, zebra and wildebeest sharing the same stretch of plain
A lion pair resting in the long grass, Maasai MaraAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 1: Sarova Mara Game Camp. See photos and details on Day 1.
Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru
Day 3: Lake Nakuru National Park
The road leaves the Mara and climbs back into the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru, the famous alkaline lake known for its flamingos and as one of Kenya's most important rhino sanctuaries. Lunch is at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, on the hillside above the lake.
The afternoon game drive follows the lake shore and the acacia woodland around it, where black and white rhino, buffalo and Rothschild's giraffe are all at home, and where flocks of pelicans and flamingos gather in the shallows.
Afternoon game driveAll meals
Day 32 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.
Lake Nakuru to Aberdare
Day 4: Aberdare National Park
The route climbs out of the Rift Valley and into Kenya's green central highlands, past tea and coffee plantations, with a stop at Karatina's renowned open air market, one of the largest in East Africa, a riot of fruit, vegetables and colour.
The night is at Aberdare Country Club, below the forested Aberdare mountains. Aberdare National Park, above it, is home to elephant, buffalo, black rhino, leopard, hyena, baboon, colobus monkey, warthog and bushbuck, with rarer species also possible in its misty forests.
Karatina marketHighland sceneryAll meals
Accommodation
One night
8 photos
Aberdare Country Club
Mweiga, Nyeri County, near Aberdare National Park Lodge · 8 photos
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The Aberdare Country Club stands on Mweiga Hill in Nyeri County, in Kenya’s central highlands, roughly two and a half hours by road north of Nairobi. Once a colonial family home, it looks out over the plains with the Aberdare Mountains to the west and Mount Kenya to the east. The club sits within its […]
Aberdare to Samburu
Day 5: Samburu National Reserve
The road runs north, dropping off the cool highlands into hot, dry country, with Mount Kenya often visible on the way. A picnic lunch is taken along the road, and Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp is reached in time for an afternoon or evening game drive.
Samburu is one of Kenya's most distinctive landscapes, red earth, doum palms and the Ewaso Ng'iro River, and its elephant, zebra, giraffe and other wildlife make an immediate impression, with several species found nowhere in the south.
Picnic lunch en routeAfternoon or evening game driveAll meals
Day 51 photo
Two elephants greeting, trunks entwined, on the dry riverbedAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
8 photos
Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp
Ewaso Nyiro River, Samburu National Reserve Tented camp · 8 photos
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Samburu Intrepids is a tented camp set deep inside Samburu National Reserve, on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River in Kenya’s semi-arid north. Tall acacia trees shade the camp, and the river is a magnet for wildlife in this dry country, so elephants coming down to drink and crocodiles basking on the banks are […]
Day 6: Samburu National Reserve
A full day of game drives across Samburu, a reserve with an impressive range of wildlife: elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and wild dog, along with the northern specialists found only in Kenya's dry north, the gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, Grevy's zebra and beisa oryx.
The Ewaso Ng'iro River runs through the reserve and draws the animals to it through the heat of the day, and more than 450 bird species have been recorded along its banks.
Full day game drivesAll meals
Day 62 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 5: Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp. See photos and details on Day 5.
Day 7: Samburu to Nairobi
A final morning game drive in Samburu, as the reserve wakes up, and then the road south to Nairobi, with lunch taken on the way. Arrival in Nairobi is expected around five in the afternoon, and the safari ends with a transfer to the airport or to onward accommodation.
Final morning game driveLunch en routeBreakfast 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 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 transfers
- Meals as specified
- Drinking water throughout the tour
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
Rates by travel date
| Travel dates | Solo | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15 to Sep 30, 2026 | $4,550 | $3,170 | $2,995 | $2,925 | $2,855 | $2,855 | Quote |
| Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2026 | $4,010 | $2,810 | $2,635 | $2,565 | $2,495 | $2,495 | Quote |
| Nov 1 to Dec 14, 2026 | $3,905 | $2,740 | $2,565 | $2,495 | $2,425 | $2,425 | Quote |
| Dec 15 to Dec 31, 2026 | $4,550 | $3,170 | $2,995 | $2,925 | $2,855 | $2,855 | Quote |
| Jan 1 to Feb 28, 2027 | $3,660 | $2,510 | $2,335 | $2,265 | $2,195 | $2,195 | Quote |
| Mar 1 to Mar 31, 2027 | $3,705 | $2,540 | $2,365 | $2,295 | $2,225 | $2,225 | Quote |
| Apr 1 to May 31, 2027 | $3,315 | $2,280 | $2,105 | $2,035 | $1,965 | $1,965 | Quote |
| Jun 1 to Jun 14, 2027 | $3,705 | $2,540 | $2,365 | $2,295 | $2,225 | $2,225 | Quote |
| Jun 15 to Sep 30, 2027 | $4,550 | $3,170 | $2,995 | $2,925 | $2,855 | $2,855 | Quote |
| Oct 1 to Oct 31, 2027 | $4,010 | $2,810 | $2,635 | $2,565 | $2,495 | $2,495 | Quote |
| Nov 1 to Dec 14, 2027 | $3,905 | $2,740 | $2,565 | $2,495 | $2,425 | $2,425 | Quote |
| Dec 15 to Dec 31, 2027 | $4,550 | $3,170 | $2,995 | $2,925 | $2,855 | $2,855 | Quote |
Rates are per person and exclude international flights. Requested itinerary changes may affect the advertised rate.
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 Kenya Safari Beyond the Main Circuit
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$1,965
Per person in US dollars. From $1,965 applies to 5 people, Apr 1 to May 31, 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.
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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All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
