9 Days Masai Mara, Naivasha, Nakuru, Aberdare, Mount Kenya & Samburu Safari

Most Kenya itineraries pick a side - either the classic southern parks or the wilder northern circuit - but this one gives you both. You will start in the Masai Mara for the wildlife everyone comes to Kenya for, then work your way north through the Rift Valley lakes, the misty highlands of Aberdare, the slopes of Mount Kenya, and finish in Samburu, where the landscape and the animals both look noticeably different from anything you saw in the south.

If you only have one shot at Kenya and want the fullest possible picture of the country rather than just its most famous park, this is the itinerary that delivers it.

It is a private departure, so the pace, stops, and vehicle are yours for the full nine days. Expect a mix of open savannah, volcanic highlands, and semi-desert scenery, plus a noticeably different cast of wildlife once you cross into Samburu territory - species like the reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra that you will not see further south.

Itinerary:

Day 1: Nairobi to Masai Mara Game Reserve

You will be picked up from your hotel and leave Nairobi by around 7:30 AM, passing the Great Rift Valley viewpoint on the way to the Masai Mara. This reserve forms the northern edge of the wider Serengeti ecosystem and is where most travelers' expectations of Kenya come from - lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and rhino all present, alongside huge numbers of zebra and gazelle. Lunch at your camp, then an afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Enchoro Wildlife Camp.

Day 2: Full Day in the Masai Mara

A full day dedicated to the Mara's wildlife, from the big cats to the sheer volume of plains game scattered across the grassland. There is usually the option to visit a Maasai village during your stay, if you are interested in seeing the culture and daily life behind the region's name. Dinner and overnight again at Enchoro Wildlife Camp.

Day 3: Masai Mara to Lake Naivasha

One last early game drive before breakfast, then you will head back through the Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha, with lunch provided en route. Dinner and overnight at Leisure Apex Resort, Naivasha.

Day 4: Hell's Gate National Park to Lake Nakuru

Hell's Gate sits just south of Lake Naivasha and is one of the few parks where the landscape itself is as much the draw as the wildlife - dramatic gorges, geothermal activity, and towering rock formations alongside buffalo, zebra, eland, and over a hundred recorded bird species. After a morning here, you will have lunch in Naivasha and continue to Lake Nakuru for an afternoon game drive, known for its flamingo populations and healthy numbers of both black and white rhino. Dinner and overnight at Buraha Zenoni Hotel.

Day 5: Lake Nakuru to Aberdare National Park

You will head to Aberdare National Park, an isolated volcanic range forming part of the Rift Valley's eastern wall, with deep ravines, waterfalls, and moorland above 3,000 meters. Aberdare holds one of the largest surviving black rhino populations in Kenya alongside elephant, leopard, and colobus monkeys. Your afternoon is spent at a floodlit waterhole below your lodge, watching wildlife come to drink after dark. Dinner and overnight at either The Ark or Treetops Lodge.

Day 6: Aberdare to Mount Kenya via Nanyuki

After breakfast, you will leave Aberdare for Nanyuki, the base town for Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest peak after Kilimanjaro. After lunch, the afternoon includes a visit to the Mau Mau caves, used by freedom fighters during the independence struggle, followed by a nature walk along the mountain's base. Dinner and overnight at Sportsman's Arms Hotel.

Day 7: Mount Kenya to Samburu

You will cross into Kenya's Northern Frontier District, where the landscape shifts to arid savannah fed by the Ewaso Nyiro River. Samburu is home to species found almost nowhere else in the country, often called the Samburu Special Five - the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx, gerenuk, and greater and lesser kudu. Dinner and overnight at Umoja Tented Camp.

Day 8: Full Day in Samburu National Reserve

A full day exploring Samburu's grasslands and acacia woodland, with good chances of elephant, lion, leopard, and cheetah alongside the region's signature species. Dinner and overnight again at Umoja Tented Camp.

Day 9: Samburu to Nairobi

An early game drive and breakfast at camp, then the drive back to Nairobi with a lunch stop along the way. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure once you arrive, ahead of your onward departure.

From $1,900 USD per person

Best Time to Visit

June to October covers the dry season across all six stops on this route and gives the clearest conditions for both the Mara and the northern parks. January to March is a solid secondary window, particularly if you want shorter grass for easier game viewing in Samburu and Nakuru.