Grand Kenya
13 days, 12 nights
Price Range:
$7,674 – $15,653
(all-inclusive price per person, depending on dates & camps selected)
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Kenya’s biodiversity is remarkable, and that’s why it remains atop any safari aficionado’s list of Africa’s top wildlife-viewing destinations. This comprehensive discovery of Kenya samples a broad range of habitats that support a staggering number and variety of animals. Multi-day stays in Amboseli, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the Masai Mara and Samburu will likely reveal all the icons of the bush: elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, lion, leopard, multitudes of antelope, and the list goes on…and on.
Our Expert Says
Kenya has long been a fascinating country that merits extended exploration. This comprehensive itinerary affords the luxury of discovering each of Kenya's richest wildlife habitats. From the private Lewa Conservancy that's bringing back endangered species like white and black rhino, to the famous national reserves and parks, while getting to experience a taste of Maasai culture along the way, this safari surveys the best of Kenya.
– Sarah Raby
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Day 1: Nairobi
A rough outpost amidst a highland swamp as the colonial capital of British East Africa in 1907, Nairobi today is the urban heartbeat of independent Kenya and one of Africa’s most important cities. Nairobi has long been a meeting point for adventurers and travelers from all over the world, and most Kenya safaris still originate here. Nairobi’s national museum and the historic home of Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, are popular attractions.
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Days 2-4: Amboseli/Chuylu Hills
Elephants abound in Amboseli, and to see these African icons against the backdrop of snow-topped Mount Kilimanjaro is a timeless image of the continent. This mosaic of dusty plains and swampy springs is also home to buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, impala, hyena, lion, leopard, cheetah and a third of Kenya’s nearly 1,100 bird species. The nearby photogenic black lava Chyulu Hills are a captivating area of ancient craters, rolling grasslands and aromatic cedar forest.
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Days 5-7: Samburu Nat'l Reserve
At the heart of Samburu’s rugged wilderness in arid northern Kenya, the Ewaso Nyiro River flows—a permanent water supply and oasis that is a magnet for wildlife. Samburu offers Kenya’s most frequent leopard sightings, also lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo. Found only in this region are such cretures as reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra. Birdwatching is superb, with numerous weaver birds, martial eagle and blue-legged Somali ostrich.
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Days 8-9: Laikipia/Lewa
The dramatic Laikipia region, wild and sparsely populated, has become a center for global conservation leadership. Much of Laikipia is comprised of privately owned ranches that have been combined by local communities to create vast conservancies, with free-ranging wildlife including elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and abundant plains game. Renowned among Laikipia’s sanctuaries is Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which has played a critical role in sustaining endangered rhinoceros and Grevy’s zebra and sitatunga.
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Days 10-12: Maasai Mara Nat'l Reserve
The famed Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s most acclaimed wildlife reserves, renowned for its wildebeest migration, prides of lion and huge herds of plains animals. The Mara is the northern portion of the Serengeti Plains, and we find excellent wildlife viewing all year long in these grasslands. The reserve is named for the Maasai tribespeople, the traditional inhabitants of the area who graze cattle here, and the Mara River that runs through it.
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Day 13: Nairobi/Home
Your safari adventure ends today in Nairobi, Kenya.