Grand Kenya
8 days, 7 nights
Price Range:
$9,275 – $15,475
(all-inclusive price per person, depending on dates & camps selected)
view larger image
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 Maasai 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
view image gallery
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.
view image gallery
Day 2: Meru Nat'l Park
The wild and verdant savanna of Meru National Park gained global renown in the writings of naturalist Joy Adamson, who lived here with her husband, George, and Elsa the lioness of Born Free fame. The park is crossed by three major rivers and numerous mountain-fed streams, creating lush habitat for zebra, elephant, cheetah, leopard, reticulated giraffe, eland, waterbuck, hippopotamus, hartebeest, buffalo and more than 300 recorded species of birds. Snow-capped Mount Kenya stands sentinel over all.
view image gallery
Days 3-4: Shaba Nat'l Reserve
In the eastern corner of the Samburu ecosystem is Shaba National Reserve, the secluded wilderness where famed conservationist Joy Adamson released her first hand-raised leopard into the wild. At home in this rugged, hilly landscape watered by the Ewaso Ngiro River is a magnificent collection of wildlife, including Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, elephant, buffalo, lesser kudu, oryx, Grant’s gazelle, Somali ostrich and abundant lion.
view image gallery
Day 5: 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 creatures as reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra. Birdwatching is superb, with numerous weaver birds, martial eagle and blue-legged Somali ostrich.
view image gallery
Day 6: Lewa / Laikipia
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, Grevy’s zebra and sitatunga.
view image gallery
Day 7: 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.
view image gallery
Day 8: Nairobi/Home
Your safari adventure ends today in Nairobi, Kenya.