9 Days Grand Kenya Safari - Tsavo, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria & Masai Mara

If you want to see Kenya properly rather than just tick one park off a list, this is the itinerary built for that. Over nine days you will move through six of the country's best-known reserves - the elephant herds and man-eating-lion history of Tsavo East, the rhino sanctuary and hidden leopard trap of Tsavo West, Amboseli's classic elephants-against-Kilimanjaro views, the flamingo-lined shores of Lake Nakuru, the geysers and hot springs of Lake Bogoria, and the Great Migration grounds of the Masai Mara. It is a genuinely long trip, and a fair amount of driving comes with covering that much ground, but almost every day is broken up with game drives, so you are rarely in the vehicle without a reason to stop and look.

This is a private departure, so your vehicle, driver guide, and daily schedule are yours alone. It suits travelers who have already done a shorter safari and want the fuller picture, or anyone who has the time and wants to avoid coming back to Kenya for a second trip.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Nairobi, Mombasa or Diani to Tsavo East

Your driver guide collects you from your Nairobi hotel, Nairobi airport, or from Mombasa or Diani if you are joining from the coast, and you head toward Tsavo East. This park is known for two things in particular - some of the largest elephant herds in Kenya, and the historical notoriety of its man-eating lions from the early 1900s. You will check in and have lunch at your lodge, then head out for an afternoon game drive before returning for dinner and an overnight stay at Voi Safari Lodge.

Day 2: Full Day in Tsavo East

An early game drive before breakfast gets you out while the light and the wildlife activity are both at their best. After breakfast, you will spend the rest of the day exploring the park with a packed lunch, looking for zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and hippo, along with a stop at Aruba Dam. Dinner and overnight again at Voi Safari Lodge.

Day 3: Tsavo East to Tsavo West

After one more early game drive and breakfast, you will leave Tsavo East for Tsavo West, with wildlife viewing along the route. Once checked in and after lunch, the afternoon is spent visiting the rhino sanctuary, followed by a stop at a known leopard baiting site back at the lodge - sightings are not guaranteed, but it is one of the better chances in the region. Dinner and overnight at Ngulia Safari Lodge.

Day 4: Tsavo West to Amboseli

After breakfast, you will head out for a morning game drive that includes a stop at Mzima Springs, where hippos and fish are visible through unusually clear water, and crocodiles and monkeys are often nearby. From there you will continue to Amboseli, arriving in time for lunch at Manjaro Camp. The afternoon game drive takes you across the plains beneath Mount Kilimanjaro, with good chances of elephants, lions, cheetah, and buffalo around the swamp areas. Dinner and overnight at Manjaro Camp.

Day 5: Amboseli to Lake Nakuru, via Lunch in Nairobi

After an early breakfast and a short game drive on your way out of Amboseli, it is a long but easy drive north to Lake Nakuru. You will stop in Nairobi for lunch at the Carnivore restaurant, then continue on, passing scenic viewpoints over the Great Rift Valley en route. You will arrive at Lake Nakuru in time for a game drive to see one of East Africa's best-known birdwatching spots, along with a good chance of spotting both black and white rhino. Dinner and overnight at Buraha Zenoni Hotel, Nakuru.

Day 6: Lake Nakuru to Lake Bogoria to Lake Naivasha

After breakfast, you will leave Nakuru with a short game drive and a packed lunch for Lake Bogoria, a shallow soda lake known for its geysers, hot springs, and resident flamingo populations. After lunch, you will continue to Lake Naivasha for dinner and an overnight stay at Leisure Apex Resort.

Day 7: Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara

After breakfast, you will head to the Masai Mara, arriving in time for lunch at camp. The afternoon game drive covers ground in search of lion, cheetah, elephant, and buffalo, in what is usually the wildlife highlight of the whole trip. Dinner and overnight at Enchoro Wildlife Camp.

Day 8: Full Day in the Masai Mara

An early game drive before breakfast, followed by a full day in the park with a packed lunch, tracking predators and their usual prey - zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, and hippo - along with a stop at the Mara River, where crocodile sightings are common. Dinner and overnight again at Enchoro Wildlife Camp.

Day 9: Masai Mara to Nairobi

After breakfast at camp, you will begin the drive back to Nairobi, arriving at around 1:00 PM. If you have an afternoon flight, a packed lunch can be arranged so you can head straight to the airport, or you will be dropped back at your hotel.

From $1,950 USD per person

Best Time to Visit

June to October is the strongest window for this itinerary, since it covers the dry season across all six parks and lines up with the Great Migration in the Masai Mara toward the tail end of that period. Clearer skies also improve your odds of an unobstructed Kilimanjaro view from Amboseli.

Good to Know

This is a long itinerary with real driving distances between parks - comfortable for most travelers, but worth knowing going in. Groups of 3 or more should confirm final per-person pricing with us directly before payment, since rates scale with group size. Can be shortened by dropping either the Tsavo or Bogoria/Naivasha legs if 9 days is more time than you have available.