11 Days Kenya Luxury Safari | Samburu to Amboseli

Depart Nairobi early for the drive north through Nanyuki, past the equator crossing and the foothills of Mount Kenya, then on through Isiolo into the semi-arid Samburu landscape. The road covers approximately 345 kilometres and takes five to six hours with stops. Arrive at Samburu Intrepids in time for lunch on the riverside deck overlooking the Ewaso Nyiro River, where elephants regularly drink within view of the dining area. The camp’s 28 tents sit on raised decks along the riverbank beneath doum palms. In the late afternoon, head out on your first game drive into Samburu National Reserve, tracking the Samburu Special Five: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and gerenuk, species found almost nowhere else in Kenya. Return to camp for sundowners on the deck and dinner riverside.

A full day dedicated to Samburu National Reserve and, time permitting, the neighbouring Buffalo Springs National Reserve across the river. Morning and afternoon game drives cover the riverine forest and open scrubland where the Special Five concentrate, alongside healthy populations of elephant, lion, leopard and cheetah. The Ewaso Nyiro River is the lifeline of this ecosystem, and much of the wildlife activity centres on its banks. Guides here are known for their tracking skill in terrain that is markedly different from Kenya’s southern savannahs. An optional guided walk or visit to a nearby Samburu village can be arranged to learn about the pastoralist culture of the region.

An early game drive before breakfast, then depart Samburu for the drive south to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, approximately three hours through Isiolo and Nanyuki with Mount Kenya visible for much of the route. Arrive at Sweetwaters Serena Camp, set around a waterhole in the 110,000-acre conservancy, in time for lunch. Ol Pejeta holds the highest wildlife-to-area ratio of any protected area in Kenya and is one of the few places in the country where all Big Five species are reliably found together. The afternoon game drive focuses on the conservancy’s rhino sanctuary, home to the last two northern white rhinos left on the planet, Najin and Fatu, alongside the largest black rhino population in East Africa. Ol Pejeta’s private status also permits night game drives, an option worth adding for a chance at nocturnal species rarely seen in the national parks.

A morning visit the conservancy’s chimpanzee sanctuary, the only one of its kind in Kenya, before departing south toward Lake Nakuru. The drive takes approximately two and a half hours through the agricultural highlands of Central Kenya. Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge sits on a plateau along Lion Hill inside Lake Nakuru National Park itself, one of only two lodges positioned within the park boundary, giving direct access to game drives without a gate transfer. The afternoon drive covers the lake shore and its flamingo populations, the park’s black and white rhino sanctuary, and the euphorbia forest that gives Nakuru its distinctive landscape. Leopard sightings are unusually reliable here, with cats regularly spotted resting in trees during daylight hours.

An early drive through Lake Nakuru National Park before breakfast, then depart for the Masai Mara. The route runs south through the Mau Escarpment and across the Rift Valley floor, approximately four to five hours depending on road conditions. Arrive at Zebra Plains Valley Camp, positioned in a private conservancy bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve, in time for lunch. The camp’s setting in an open valley puts you directly in the path of resident wildlife, with zebra, giraffe and antelope regularly visible from the tents. Settle in with an afternoon game drive into the surrounding conservancy before dinner and a campfire evening.

A full day inside the Masai Mara National Reserve, entering through the nearest gate for a complete circuit of the reserve’s plains and river systems. Picnic lunch is taken in the bush. The Masai Mara covers 1,510 square kilometres and produces different sightings on every drive, from lion prides resting in riverine shade to cheetah hunting on the open grassland. Guides communicate by radio across vehicles throughout the day, which is what produces consistent Big Five encounters across a multi-day stay rather than relying on a single sighting. Between July and October, the afternoon can be positioned at the Mara River crossing sites to watch for the Great Wildebeest Migration.

The second full game drive day pushes into new terrain: the private conservancies bordering Zebra Plains Valley Camp and the Talek River corridor on the reserve’s eastern edge. These conservancies operate under stricter vehicle limits than the national reserve, and permit activities such as walking safaris and night drives that are not allowed inside the Masai Mara itself. Expect large elephant herds, dense buffalo concentrations and excellent predator density where multiple prides and coalitions overlap. An optional Maasai village visit or hot air balloon safari at dawn can be added on this day; both are best booked at the planning stage.

After breakfast, check out and departure for Lake Naivasha, approximately four to five hours back across the Rift Valley floor. The Great Rift Valley Lodge & Golf Resort sits at around 7,000 feet on the Eburru Escarpment above Lake Naivasha, with panoramic views stretching to Mount Longonot’s volcanic crater and the Aberdare Mountains. This is a deliberate change of pace after five nights of game drives: the afternoon is left open for a round on the resort’s 18-hole championship golf course, a boat trip on Lake Naivasha, a visit to Hell’s Gate National Park for walking and cycling among its gorges, or simply time by the pool with the Rift Valley laid out below.

The longest transfer of the itinerary: from Naivasha south past Nairobi and on toward the Tanzanian border region, approximately five to six hours. The reward on arrival is immediate. Ol Tukai Lodge sits inside Amboseli National Park beneath Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, with elephant herds visible from the lodge grounds on most afternoons. Amboseli holds one of the largest and best-studied free-ranging elephant populations on the continent, with several resident bulls carrying exceptionally long tusks. Settle in over lunch, then head out on an afternoon game drive across the park’s swamp-fed plains, with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop for photography through the late afternoon light.

A full day exploring Amboseli’s five distinct ecosystems: swamp, savannah, woodland, the dried bed of the former Lake Amboseli, and the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro itself. Morning game drives focus on the permanent swamps, where elephant herds gather to drink and bathe against clear early-morning views of the mountain before cloud typically builds by mid-morning. Amboseli also holds strong populations of lion, cheetah, buffalo and over 400 recorded bird species. An optional visit to a Maasai community adjacent to the park can be arranged for the afternoon, or guests can simply extend the game drive across the park’s open plains.

After breakfast and check-out, depart for the drive back to Nairobi, approximately four hours via the Namanga or Emali route depending on conditions. The eleven-day journey closes back where it began, having covered Kenya’s northern deserts, its central rhino conservancies, the Rift Valley lakes, the Masai Mara and the foot of Kilimanjaro entirely by road. We arrange onward airport transfers according to your flight time.