Four elephants, including a calf, walking across open Maasai Mara grassland

Sample journey · Kenya · 13 days

Best of Kenya Safari.

Thirteen days through five corners of Kenya: Nairobi, Amboseli below Kilimanjaro, the river country of Samburu, the foothills of Mount Kenya, then the Maasai Mara.

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Photo: Shafiq Jagani, Maasai Mara Scroll

The idea

The idea

A classic route through Kenya, with short flights, one scenic road day, and two nights in most places, four in the Mara, so the pace stays easy. This is one way we might shape thirteen days.

At each stop you choose where to stay. Two complete combinations, with approximate prices, are shown further down the page. Every route, camp and flight is planned around you, and is confirmed only when your proposal is final and your deposit has arrived.

Length13 days, 12 nights
RouteNairobi, Amboseli, Samburu, Mount Kenya, Maasai Mara
PaceTwo nights in most places, four in the Mara
Getting aroundLight aircraft, and one road day with your guide
Best timeJune to October, mid-December to March
SuitsFirst safaris, couples, families (ages vary by stay)

Day by day

Five stops, thirteen days.

01 · Nairobi · 2 nights

A city start.

  1. Day 1

    Arrival.

    We meet you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and drive you to your hotel: Hemingways Nairobi in the green suburb of Karen, with the Ngong Hills on the horizon, or the Nairobi Serena beside Central Park.

  2. Day 2

    Giraffes and Out of Africa.

    A safari briefing, then the Giraffe Centre, where Rothschild’s giraffes come up to a raised platform. After lunch, the Karen Blixen Museum, the farmhouse of the author of Out of Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills.

StayHemingways Nairobi or Nairobi Serena Hotel

  • Aerial view of Hemingways Nairobi, white buildings among lawns and tall trees in Karen at sunrisePhoto: Hemingways Collection
  • Suite at Hemingways Nairobi with a canopy bed, beamed ceiling, sofa and a window onto green hillsPhoto: Hemingways Collection
  • Nairobi Serena Hotel lit up at dusk, with gardens and palms in front of the buildingPhoto: Serena Hotels
  • Guest room at Nairobi Serena Hotel with a large bed, red curtains and a window onto the cityPhoto: Serena Hotels
01 / 04

Where to stay · one of two

Choose one hotel for both nights.

Aerial view of Hemingways Nairobi, white buildings among lawns and tall trees in Karen at sunrisePhoto: Hemingways CollectionOption 1
Karen

Hemingways Nairobi

Why choose it45 suites in gardens in Karen, each with a balcony or terrace facing the Ngong Hills, a few minutes from the Giraffe Centre. A pool, a spa and afternoon tea.

View the hotel
Nairobi Serena Hotel lit up at dusk, with gardens and palms in front of the buildingPhoto: Serena HotelsOption 2
Central Nairobi

Nairobi Serena Hotel

Why choose itBeside Central Park, with wide corridors and lifts. It sits close to the expressway, so the drive to Wilson Airport for your first flight is short.

View the hotel

02 · Amboseli · 2 nights

Below Kilimanjaro.

  1. Day 3

    To Amboseli.

    A light aircraft from Wilson Airport to Amboseli and a short drive to your camp: Angama Amboseli in Kimana Sanctuary, on the corridor elephants use between Amboseli and the Chyulu Hills, or Elewana Tortilis Camp on a wooded hill beside the national park. Both face Kilimanjaro.

  2. Day 4

    In the park.

    A half or full day in Amboseli National Park, with Kilimanjaro across the border when the cloud lifts. Back at camp, a guided walk, or a night drive at Angama Amboseli.

StayAngama Amboseli or Elewana Tortilis Camp

  • Main building at Angama Amboseli under a fever tree, with a game drive vehicle and Kilimanjaro behindPhoto: Angama
  • Suite at Angama Amboseli with a four-poster bed under white netting and doors open to a deck with loungersPhoto: Angama
  • Thatched tents with lit verandas under a large acacia tree at dusk at Elewana Tortilis Camp AmboseliPhoto: Elewana Collection
  • Four-poster bed with a mosquito net under a thatched roof, lit by lanterns, at Elewana Tortilis Camp AmboseliPhoto: Elewana Collection
01 / 04

Where to stay · one of two

Choose one camp for both nights.

Main building at Angama Amboseli under a fever tree, with a game drive vehicle and Kilimanjaro behindPhoto: AngamaOption 1
Kimana Sanctuary, Amboseli

Angama Amboseli

Fly to Kimana airstrip

Why choose itTen suites in a fever tree forest, each facing Kilimanjaro, with the airstrip inside the sanctuary. Day and night drives and guided walks on the corridor elephants use to the Chyulu Hills, and children of all ages are welcome.

View the camp
Thatched tents with lit verandas under a large acacia tree at dusk at Elewana Tortilis Camp AmboseliPhoto: Elewana CollectionOption 2
Kitirua Conservancy, beside Amboseli National Park

Elewana Tortilis Camp

Why choose itA solar-powered tented camp on a wooded hill facing Kilimanjaro. Game drives in the park and the conservancy, walks with Maasai guides, a pool, and a family tent and a private house for families.

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03 · Samburu · 2 nights

River country in the north.

  1. Day 5

    North to Samburu.

    A morning light aircraft from Amboseli, connecting at Wilson Airport, to Samburu, then a short drive to your camp: Saruni Samburu, whose villas are built into a rock face in the Kalama Conservancy, or Sasaab, on a ridge in the Westgate Conservancy. An afternoon game drive.

  2. Day 6

    Northern species.

    Game drives in the conservancy and in Samburu National Reserve, home to reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and beisa oryx, species of Kenya’s dry north. A night drive, a visit to a Samburu village, time in the photographic hide at Saruni Samburu or a camel ride at Sasaab.

StaySaruni Samburu or Sasaab

  • Red-roofed villas built among boulders on a rocky hillside at Saruni SamburuPhoto: Saruni Basecamp
  • Bed with a mosquito net and leather cushions beside a deck looking over hills at Saruni SamburuPhoto: Saruni Basecamp
  • Aerial view of thatched buildings, a tent and a pool on a bushy ridge above a river at SasaabPhoto: The Safari Collection
  • Four-poster bed under a canvas roof, with a desk and a plunge pool outside at SasaabPhoto: The Safari Collection
01 / 04

Where to stay · one of two

Choose one camp for both nights.

Red-roofed villas built among boulders on a rocky hillside at Saruni SamburuPhoto: Saruni BasecampOption 1
Kalama Conservancy

Saruni Samburu

Fly to Kalama airstrip

Why choose itStone villas built into a rock face above northern Kenya, with day and night drives, a photographic hide, two pools and two-bedroom family villas. Samburu National Reserve is within reach for the day.

View the camp
Aerial view of thatched buildings, a tent and a pool on a bushy ridge above a river at SasaabPhoto: The Safari CollectionOption 2
Westgate Community Conservancy

Sasaab

Fly to Sasaab airstrip

Why choose itEleven tented suites, each with a plunge pool, on a ridge above a river valley. Day and night drives, walks, camel rides and village visits, with Samburu National Reserve about 25 minutes away.

View the camp

04 · Mount Kenya · 2 nights

Rhinos below Mount Kenya.

  1. Day 7

    South to Solio.

    South by road with your guide, about three to four hours, to JW Marriott Mount Kenya Safari Camp in Solio Game Reserve, a private reserve between Mount Kenya and the Aberdares.

  2. Day 8

    Rhino country.

    Morning and afternoon game drives in a reserve known for its work with rhinos, and a visit to the Solio rhino orphanage. A walk, a cycle or a night drive, or an afternoon by your suite’s plunge pool.

StayJW Marriott Mount Kenya Safari Camp

  • Tented suite with a covered deck among acacia trees and dry grass at JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari CampPhoto: JW Marriott Mount Kenya Safari Camp
  • Tented suite at JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari Camp with a white bed and twin mirrorsPhoto: JW Marriott Mount Kenya Safari Camp
01 / 02

Where to stay

The one camp we suggest here, for both nights.

Tented suite with a covered deck among acacia trees and dry grass at JW Marriott Mount Kenya Rhino Reserve Safari CampPhoto: JW Marriott Mount Kenya Safari Camp
Solio Game Reserve

JW Marriott Mount Kenya Safari Camp

Why choose itNineteen tented suites, each with a plunge pool, in a private reserve known for its rhinos, looking towards Mount Kenya and the Aberdares. Night drives, walks, cycling and a visit to the rhino orphanage.

View the camp

05 · Maasai Mara · 4 nights

The Mara to finish.

  1. Day 9

    To the Mara.

    By road to Nanyuki airstrip, then a scheduled light aircraft to the Maasai Mara, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours with stops. From 1 April to 15 June, and 1 November to 15 December, it routes via Nairobi. An afternoon game drive.

  2. Day 10

    On the plains.

    Game drives in your camp’s private conservancy and in the national reserve, and a visit to a Maasai village. A balloon safari can be added as an optional extra.

  3. Day 11

    Your choice.

    Another full day: a bush meal, a slower morning in camp, or, from Naboisho Camp, a walk or night drive in the conservancy.

  4. Day 12

    To the river.

    A full day out with a packed lunch, towards the Mara River in the national reserve. From July to October the wildebeest herds may cross here, though no crossing can be promised.

  5. Day 13

    Home.

    A last morning drive, then a light aircraft to Wilson Airport, timed for your onward flight.

StayMara Plains Camp or Naboisho Camp

  • River winding between grassy banks and trees in the Maasai Mara, with giraffes on the left bankPhoto: Shafiq Jagani, Maasai Mara
  • Two staff members holding trays on a rope suspension bridge among trees at Mara Plains CampPhoto: Great Plains Conservation
  • Canvas suite at Mara Plains Camp with leather armchairs, a writing desk and a deck opening into green treesPhoto: Great Plains Conservation
  • Aerial view of Naboisho Camp tents scattered among trees on green plains in the Mara Naboisho ConservancyPhoto: Asilia Africa
  • Tent at Naboisho Camp with a large bed and glass doors to a deck looking over open grasslandPhoto: Asilia Africa
01 / 05

Where to stay · one of two

Choose one camp for all four nights.

Two staff members holding trays on a rope suspension bridge among trees at Mara Plains CampPhoto: Great Plains ConservationOption 1
Olare Motorogi Conservancy

Mara Plains Camp

Fly to Olare Motorogi airstrip

Why choose itSeven canvas suites on raised decks in riverine forest, with copper baths and wood-burning stoves. Vehicle numbers are kept low, and drives in the conservancy and the national reserve follow no fixed schedule.

View the camp
Aerial view of Naboisho Camp tents scattered among trees on green plains in the Mara Naboisho ConservancyPhoto: Asilia AfricaOption 2
Mara Naboisho Conservancy

Naboisho Camp

Fly to Mara Ol Seki airstrip

Why choose itRun by Asilia Africa and open all year, with nine tents, two of them family suites, for children aged 5 and over. Walks and night drives are part of the stay, and from June to March guests staying three nights or more can fly camp on the plains.

View the camp

Inspired? Let’s begin crafting a journey specifically around you.

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Pricing guide

Two ways to take this journey.

The price depends on the stays you choose. These two combinations show one stay at each stop; the second has the smaller, more private camps. Both prices are approximate.

Approximate all-inclusive, high season prices per person for the whole journey, including everything listed under What is included. We prepare an exact quote when your proposal is finalised, based on your dates, the stays you choose and the size of your group.

When to go

Timing this journey.

High seasonSource: Kenya Wildlife Service
Long rainsSource: Kenya Wildlife Service
Migration on the Kenyan side, typicallyNever certain; it moves with the rains

The Kenya Wildlife Service calls July to March the high season, and April to June the long rains. Camps give the rains as roughly April and May, and again in November into mid-December; in those months the flight from Nanyuki to the Mara goes via Nairobi. In the Mara, the wildebeest migration typically reaches the Kenyan side between July and October. It moves with the rains, so it is never certain.

Good to know

Before you decide.

Soft bags, 15 kg.

Safarilink and AirKenya allow 15 kg per person, hand luggage included, in soft bags.

One road day.

Day 7 is spent mostly on the road with your guide, from Samburu to Solio. A private charter can shorten it.

Ages differ by stay.

Some stays set minimum ages for children or for walks; at Angama Amboseli, families with children under seven take a private vehicle. We match each stay to the ages in your party.

Wildlife is wild.

Animals move freely, and no sighting can be promised.

Nothing is fixed until confirmed.

Flights, rooms and activities depend on availability when you book, and are held only once your proposal is final.

Additional details

What is included.

Included

  • All transport within Kenya, including light aircraft flights
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Game drives
  • Park and conservancy fees

Not included

  • Long-haul flights
  • Beverages
  • Travel insurance
  • Visas
  • Optional activities such as balloon safaris

Booking terms are on How we plan: a 30% deposit to confirm, with the balance due 60 days before departure.

Dirt vehicle tracks through Maasai Mara grassland, with topi and impala grazing among the bushes

Africa, Private & Personal

Planning a safari in Kenya?

Tell us how you like to travel, and we will suggest the destinations and camps that suit your journey.

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Email
enquiries@etanasafaris.com
Phone & WhatsApp
+254 795 887765
Office
The Piano Building, Brookside Drive, Nairobi
Your enquiry is answered personally by the family.
Photo: Shafiq Jagani, Maasai Mara
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