12 Days Magical Kenya Discovery

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi – Gateway to the Wild

Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where you’ll be warmly welcomed by your professional guide and transferred to your hotel in Nairobi. Depending on your arrival time, you may explore the Giraffe Centre, David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, or the Karen Blixen Museum.

In the evening, unwind at your luxury hotel, enjoy a gourmet dinner, and prepare for the unforgettable days ahead.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Hemingways Nairobi / Giraffe Manor

• Mid-range: Tamarind Tree Hotel / Eka Hotel Nairobi

Day 2: Nairobi – Drive to Amboseli National Park

After breakfast, depart for Amboseli National Park, located near the Tanzanian border. This park is world-renowned for its large elephant herds and stunning backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak.

Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive. Watch elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, and buffalo roam the open plains as Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped summit glows in the distance.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Tortilis Camp / Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

• Mid-range: Ol Tukai Lodge / Kibo Safari Camp

Day 3: Full-Day Exploration of Amboseli

Spend a full day exploring Amboseli’s diverse ecosystems. Begin with a sunrise game drive, when wildlife is most active and Kilimanjaro is often visible in its full glory. Return to the lodge for breakfast and relaxation, then enjoy another game drive in the late afternoon.

Amboseli is a photographer’s paradise, offering magnificent views of elephants silhouetted against the mountain, as well as over 400 bird species, including pelicans, herons, and fish eagles.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Tawi Lodge / Tortilis Camp

Day 4: Amboseli – Drive to Aberdare National Park

After breakfast, depart Amboseli and drive north through the scenic highlands to Aberdare National Park, a lush mountain region known for its dense forests and cool climate.

Arrive at your lodge—often set deep in the forest where animals come to drink at floodlit waterholes. This is one of the few places where you can watch elephants, buffalo, bushbucks, and sometimes leopards right from your balcony.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: The Ark Lodge / Aberdare Country Club

• Mid-range: Treetops Lodge

Day 5: Aberdare – Drive to Samburu National Reserve

After breakfast, continue north to Samburu National Reserve, a semi-arid wilderness along the Ewaso Nyiro River. Samburu is home to unique species found only north of the equator, including the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, and gerenuk (giraffe gazelle).

Arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive, where you’ll spot elephants bathing in the river and lions resting under acacia trees.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Samburu Intrepids Camp / Sarova Shaba Game Lodge

• Mid-range: Ashnil Samburu Camp

Day 6: Full-Day Safari in Samburu

Enjoy a full day of game drives in the rugged landscapes of Samburu. The dry savannah, riverine forests, and dramatic hills create a striking backdrop for wildlife photography.

In addition to its rare northern species, Samburu is home to leopards, cheetahs, elephants, and over 450 bird species. You may also visit a Samburu village to learn about the traditions and daily life of this proud, colorful tribe.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Elephant Bedroom Camp / Samburu Intrepids

Day 7: Samburu – Drive to Mount Kenya Region

After breakfast, travel south to the Mount Kenya region, home to rich farmlands and breathtaking scenery. Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a private reserve known for its rhino conservation efforts and its rare northern white rhinos—the last two remaining on Earth.

Enjoy game drives in the conservancy, where you can also spot lions, elephants, chimps (in the Sweetwaters Sanctuary), and a variety of plains game.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Sweetwaters Serena Camp

• Mid-range: Serena Mountain Lodge

Day 8: Mount Kenya – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park

After breakfast, descend into the Great Rift Valley and drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya’s most beautiful reserves. Famous for its rhinos and flamingos, the park also shelters Rothschild giraffes, baboons, buffaloes, and even the occasional leopard.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive around the lake, watching flamingos wade in the shallows and pelicans skim across the water’s surface.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: The Cliff Nakuru / Sarova Lion Hill Lodge

• Mid-range: Flamingo Hill Camp

Day 9: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Lake Naivasha

After breakfast, continue to Lake Naivasha, a serene freshwater lake surrounded by volcanic hills. Upon arrival, take a boat ride to view hippos and waterbirds up close, then enjoy a guided walking safari on Crescent Island.

In the afternoon, relax at your lodge, take a dip in the pool, or visit a local flower farm—a specialty of the region.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Chui Lodge / Loldia House

• Mid-range: Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort / Naivasha Kongoni Lodge

Day 10: Lake Naivasha – Drive to Masai Mara National Reserve

After breakfast, depart for the crown jewel of Kenya’s safari circuit—the Masai Mara National Reserve. Arrive at your camp in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive.

The Masai Mara offers exceptional wildlife viewing year-round and is especially famous for the Great Migration (July–October), when millions of wildebeest and zebras cross from Tanzania’s Serengeti. The Mara’s plains are also home to the Big Five and hundreds of bird species.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Angama Mara / Mara Bushtops

• Mid-range: Mara Sopa Lodge / Mara Simba Lodge

Day 11: Full-Day Game Drive in Masai Mara

Spend an entire day exploring the legendary Masai Mara. Begin with a sunrise game drive when predators are on the move, followed by breakfast in the bush.

Continue tracking wildlife throughout the day, from lions and cheetahs to elephants and buffaloes. Enjoy a picnic lunch by the Mara River, where hippos and crocodiles bask on the banks.

Optional: Experience a hot air balloon safari at dawn for panoramic views of the savannah, followed by a champagne breakfast—an unforgettable highlight of your safari.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Mara Plains Camp / Mahali Mzuri

• Mid-range: Ashnil Mara Camp / Mara Intrepids

Day 12: Morning Game Drive – Return to Nairobi

Enjoy one last early morning game drive to capture the magic of the Mara at sunrise. After breakfast, check out and drive (or fly) back to Nairobi, arriving in the afternoon.

Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy lunch at Carnivore Restaurant or do some last-minute souvenir shopping before being transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your departure.

Your 12 Days Magical Kenya Discovery Safari concludes with unforgettable memories of Africa’s wilderness, its people, and its untamed beauty.