10 Days Classic Kenya Explorer

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi – Welcome to Magical Kenya

Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where you’ll be warmly received by your guide and transferred to your luxury hotel in Nairobi. After a briefing about your upcoming adventure, relax and recover from your journey.

If time allows, you may explore some of Nairobi’s top attractions such as the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Centre, or Karen Blixen Museum.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Hemingways Nairobi / Giraffe Manor

• Mid-range: Eka Hotel / Tamarind Tree Hotel

Day 2: Nairobi – Drive to Amboseli National Park

After breakfast, depart for Amboseli National Park, located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. The drive offers scenic views of rural Kenya and local Maasai settlements.

Arrive in time for lunch at your lodge, followed by an afternoon game drive. Amboseli is world-famous for its large elephant herds, which often graze with Kilimanjaro’s snowy peaks as a backdrop—a sight that perfectly captures Africa’s wild beauty.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Tortilis Camp / Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

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

Day 3: Full-Day Game Drive in Amboseli

Spend a full day exploring Amboseli’s picturesque landscapes. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times for photography and wildlife viewing, as the air is cool and clear.

Expect sightings of elephants, lions, cheetahs, buffaloes, zebras, and hippos. Bird enthusiasts will enjoy the park’s 400+ species, including herons, pelicans, and African fish eagles.

Enjoy a picnic lunch in the bush or return to your lodge for a leisurely meal before another evening game drive.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Tawi Lodge / Tortilis Camp

Day 4: Amboseli – Drive to Lake Naivasha (Great Rift Valley)

After breakfast, drive north into the Great Rift Valley, a dramatic geological formation stretching from Lebanon to Mozambique. Arrive at Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake known for its serenity and rich birdlife.

In the afternoon, enjoy a boat safari on Lake Naivasha, spotting hippos and water birds such as kingfishers and cormorants. Continue to Crescent Island for a guided walking safari, where you can walk among giraffes, zebras, and impalas—a truly peaceful and immersive experience.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Chui Lodge / Loldia House

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

Day 5: Explore Hell’s Gate National Park

After breakfast, explore Hell’s Gate National Park, one of Kenya’s most dramatic landscapes, characterized by towering cliffs, deep gorges, and geothermal activity. It’s one of the few parks where cycling and hiking are allowed, making it ideal for a unique outdoor adventure.

Enjoy a cycling safari or walk through Fischer’s Tower Gorge, spotting zebras, gazelles, and baboons. Optional visits to the Geothermal Spa or Elsamere Conservation Centre (home of Born Free author Joy Adamson) can also be arranged.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Chui Lodge

• Mid-range: Lake Naivasha Country Club

Day 6: Lake Naivasha – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park

Depart for Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya’s most scenic and compact reserves. Famous for its once-vast flamingo populations, the park is also a sanctuary for black and white rhinos, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, and leopards.

Enjoy an afternoon game drive through acacia forests and along the lake’s shores. Climb to Baboon Cliff Viewpoint for panoramic views across the shimmering lake.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: The Cliff Nakuru / Sarova Lion Hill Lodge

• Mid-range: Flamingo Hill Camp / Lake Nakuru Lodge

Day 7: Lake Nakuru – Drive to Masai Mara National Reserve

After breakfast, journey west toward the world-renowned Masai Mara National Reserve, home to Africa’s richest wildlife concentrations. Arrive in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon game drive across the savannah.

The Mara is famed for its abundance of predators and prey—expect to see lions, cheetahs, elephants, wildebeest, zebras, and giraffes. Between July and October, witness the awe-inspiring Great Migration, where millions of wildebeest and zebras thunder across the plains.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Angama Mara / Mara Bushtops

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

Day 8: Full-Day Game Drive in Masai Mara

Spend the day exploring the vast landscapes of the Masai Mara, one of the world’s most spectacular wildlife destinations. Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives, or opt for a full-day safari with a picnic lunch beside the Mara River, where hippos and crocodiles bask.

Optional: Begin your day with a hot air balloon safari at dawn, floating silently over the plains as the sun rises—a once-in-a-lifetime experience—followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Mara Plains Camp / Mahali Mzuri

• Mid-range: Entim Mara Camp / Ashnil Mara Camp

Day 9: Cultural Visit & Sunset Game Drive

After breakfast, visit a traditional Maasai village, where you’ll meet the local community, learn about their culture, and witness their famous jumping dances. This cultural immersion offers a deeper appreciation of how the Maasai live in harmony with the land and wildlife.

Return to the reserve for an afternoon game drive, enjoying your final moments with Africa’s wildlife as the sun dips below the horizon. End your day with a private sundowner on the savannah—an unforgettable farewell to the wild.

Dinner and Overnight:

• Luxury: Mara Serena Safari Lodge / Angama Mara

• Mid-range: Mara Leisure Camp / Basecamp Explorer

Day 10: Morning Game Drive – Return to Nairobi

Enjoy your final sunrise game drive before returning to your lodge for breakfast. Check out and drive (or take a short flight) back to Nairobi, arriving in time for lunch and last-minute souvenir shopping.

Depending on your flight time, you’ll be transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your departure, marking the end of your unforgettable 10-day Classic Kenya Explorer Safari.