Giraffe browsing on a green bush in dry grassland in the Maasai Mara under a clear blue sky

Sample journey · Kenya · 10 days

North to the Mara.

Ten days across three safari regions: the plains of Lewa, the river country of Samburu, then the open grasslands of the Maasai Mara.

Begin a conversation See the day-by-day
Photo: Shafiq Jagani, Maasai Mara Scroll

The idea

The idea

Three safari regions, three very different landscapes, and three nights in each, so there is time to settle in rather than pack and unpack. This is one way we might shape ten days in Kenya.

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.

Length10 days, 9 nights
RouteNairobi, Lewa, Samburu, Maasai Mara
PaceThree nights in each camp, two moves
Getting aroundLight aircraft throughout
Best timeJune to October, mid-December to March
SuitsFirst safaris, couples, families (ages vary by camp)

Day by day

Three stops, ten days.

01 · Laikipia · 3 nights

Plains below Mount Kenya.

  1. Day 1

    To Lewa.

    A scheduled light aircraft from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the airstrip for your camp, about an hour. Your guide meets you for the drive to camp, then an afternoon game drive.

  2. Day 2

    On the conservancy.

    Morning and evening game drives, and a walk with an armed guide. Depending on your camp, camel rides and, for experienced riders, horse rides.

  3. Day 3

    Forest and plains.

    A full day in Ngare Ndare Forest from Lewa Safari Camp, or a slower day of drives close to camp.

StayLewa Safari Camp, Sirikoi or Loisaba Tented Camp

  • Swimming pool ringed by lanterns in front of thatched buildings at Elewana Lewa Safari Camp at duskPhoto: Elewana Collection
  • Tent at Elewana Lewa Safari Camp with a bed facing tied-back curtains and mesh walls looking onto bare trees at duskPhoto: Elewana Collection
  • Woman sitting at the edge of a pool watching zebras graze below a hill at SirikoiPhoto: Sirikoi
  • Canvas tent with an open front and lamplit bedroom on a wooden deck under trees at SirikoiPhoto: Sirikoi
  • Pool lined with lanterns at Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp, reflecting the main tent and an orange sunsetPhoto: Elewana Collection
  • Tent at Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp with a bed facing open doors, a deck and the valley at sunsetPhoto: Elewana Collection
01 / 06

Where to stay · one of three

Choose one camp for all three nights.

Swimming pool ringed by lanterns in front of thatched buildings at Elewana Lewa Safari Camp at duskPhoto: Elewana CollectionOption 1
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Lewa Safari Camp

Fly to Lewa Downs airstrip

Why choose itOwned by the conservancy itself and run by Elewana, about 40 minutes from the airstrip. Camel rides, evening horse rides for experienced riders and days in Ngare Ndare Forest. Family tents take an extra bed for a child under 16.

View the camp
Woman sitting at the edge of a pool watching zebras graze below a hill at SirikoiPhoto: SirikoiOption 2
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Sirikoi

Fly to Lewa Downs airstrip

Why choose itA small, family-owned lodge on a spring-fed waterhole, about 15 minutes from the airstrip. Four tents, a two-bedroom cottage and a house with its own pool, and a heated infinity pool for everyone.

View the camp
Pool lined with lanterns at Elewana Loisaba Tented Camp, reflecting the main tent and an orange sunsetPhoto: Elewana CollectionOption 3
Loisaba Conservancy

Loisaba Tented Camp

Fly to Loisaba airstrip

Why choose itTwelve tents on an escarpment looking towards Mount Kenya, with family tents linked by walkways. Day and night drives, walking, camel and horse riding, and village visits.

View the camp

02 · Samburu · 3 nights

River country in the north.

  1. Day 4

    North to Samburu.

    A short light aircraft flight north to Samburu, then a short drive to your camp. An evening game drive.

  2. Day 5

    Along the river.

    Game drives in your camp’s conservancy and along the river in Samburu National Reserve. A guided bush walk, or a visit to a Samburu community.

  3. Day 6

    After dark.

    A slow day, then a night drive from Saruni Samburu or Sasaab. Walks and night drives take place on conservancy land, not inside the national reserve.

StaySaruni Samburu, Sasaab or Samburu Intrepids

  • Tents with curved red roofs and a fire pit on a rocky hillside at dusk in the Kalama ConservancyPhoto: Saruni Basecamp
  • 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
  • Thatched main building on a raised wooden deck behind a lawn and trees at Samburu IntrepidsPhoto: Heritage Hotels / Samburu Intrepids
  • Bed with a mosquito net and pink cushions in a tent opening onto trees at Samburu IntrepidsPhoto: Heritage Hotels / Samburu Intrepids
01 / 07

Where to stay · one of three

Choose one camp for all three 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
Thatched main building on a raised wooden deck behind a lawn and trees at Samburu IntrepidsPhoto: Heritage Hotels / Samburu IntrepidsOption 3
Samburu National Reserve

Samburu Intrepids

Fly to Samburu airstrip

Why choose itTents with four-poster beds on raised decks beside the Ewaso Nyiro River, inside the reserve, with a kids’ club. Walks and camel safaris take place outside the reserve.

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03 · Maasai Mara · 3 nights

Out on the open grasslands.

  1. Day 7

    To the Mara.

    A scheduled light aircraft from Samburu to the Maasai Mara, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. From 1 April to 15 June and 1 November to 15 December it goes via Nairobi. Then a drive of up to 45 minutes to your camp.

  2. Day 8

    In the conservancy.

    Game drives in your camp’s conservancy, with walks at Naboisho Camp and Kicheche Mara North, and night drives at Naboisho. At Mara Plains Camp, drives in the conservancy and the national reserve follow no fixed schedule.

  3. Day 9

    Your choice.

    A full day on the plains. A balloon safari over the Mara can be added as an optional extra.

  4. Day 10

    Home.

    A last morning drive, then a light aircraft to Wilson Airport, about 40 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes depending on stops, timed for your onward flight.

StayNaboisho Camp, Mara Plains Camp or Kicheche Mara North

  • Male lion with a full mane lying half-hidden in tall grass in the Maasai MaraPhoto: Shafiq Jagani, Maasai Mara
  • 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
  • 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 Kicheche Mara North tents among trees beside a winding stream, with hills on the horizonPhoto: Kicheche Safari Camps
  • Twin beds with red cushions, a daybed and a writing desk inside a tent at Kicheche Mara NorthPhoto: Kicheche Safari Camps
01 / 07

Where to stay · one of three

Choose one camp for all three nights.

Aerial view of Naboisho Camp tents scattered among trees on green plains in the Mara Naboisho ConservancyPhoto: Asilia AfricaOption 1
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
Two staff members holding trays on a rope suspension bridge among trees at Mara Plains CampPhoto: Great Plains ConservationOption 2
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 Kicheche Mara North tents among trees beside a winding stream, with hills on the horizonPhoto: Kicheche Safari CampsOption 3
Mara North Conservancy

Kicheche Mara North

Fly to Mara North airstrip

Why choose itNine tents and a two-bedroom family suite above a stream, run on solar power. Kicheche’s own guides drive the unfenced conservancy beside the national reserve, and bush walks and a night of wild camping are part of the stay.

View the camp

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

Begin a conversation

Pricing guide

Two ways to take this journey.

The price depends on the camps you choose. These two combinations show one camp in each safari region; 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 in these safari regions give the rains as roughly April and May, and again in November into mid-December. In those months some camps close, and the Samburu to Mara flight 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.

Flight times move.

Light aircraft stop at several airstrips on the way, so times can shift by up to 40 to 45 minutes.

Ages differ by camp.

Some camps set minimum ages for children or for walks, often 12 for walking. We match camps to the ages in your party.

Wildlife is wild.

Animals move freely, and no sighting can be promised. Your guide will read the land and the season for you.

Nothing is fixed until confirmed.

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

Shaped around you.

The length, the order, the camps and the nights in each can all change, and the coast can be added at the end.

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

Would a journey like this suit you?

Tell us who is travelling and when, and we will shape it around you.

Begin a conversation Message us on WhatsApp
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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