13-Day Grand Kenya Safari: Samburu, Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Naivasha & Amboseli
Kenya from north to south by road — the Samburu Special Five on the Ewaso Nyiro, rhino at Lake Nakuru, three nights in the Maasai Mara, a boat on Lake Naivasha and Amboseli's elephants beneath Kilimanjaro.
About this safari
The longest of our road safaris. It starts across the equator in Samburu and Buffalo Springs, the dry northern reserves on the Ewaso Nyiro River, where the wildlife is different from the south: reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and the long-necked gerenuk — the Samburu Special Five — with leopard and big elephant herds along the river. Then south down the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru's rhino sanctuary.
The Maasai Mara gets three nights and two full days for the big cats, the plains herds and, between July and October, the Great Migration. After a night on Lake Naivasha with a boat ride among the hippo, the safari finishes in Amboseli, with elephant herds on the plains beneath Kilimanjaro. You travel in your own 4×4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and the same driver-guide throughout, and it ends with a farewell dinner at the Carnivore in Nairobi.
What makes this one special
- The Samburu Special Five in the dry northern reserves
- Leopard and elephant along the Ewaso Nyiro River
- Black and white rhino in the fenced sanctuary of Lake Nakuru
- Three nights inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve
- A boat ride among the hippo on Lake Naivasha
- Elephant herds beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli
The journey, morning by morning
Arrival in Nairobi
Met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by your driver-guide and our airport representative, and driven privately to your hotel in the city. The rest of the day is yours to rest before an early start.
North across the equator to Samburu
Away at 7:00am, north past coffee and tea farms, across the equator and into Kenya's dry north to Buffalo Springs and Samburu. Lunch at your camp on the Ewaso Nyiro River, then at 4:00pm the first game drive for the Samburu Special Five — reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and gerenuk.
Along the Ewaso Nyiro River
Morning and afternoon game drives along a river lined with doum palms, where leopard and lion hunt and big elephant herds come down to drink. Nile crocodiles bask on the sandbanks. Back to camp between drives.
A second day in the north
Another full day in the reserves, used according to what the guides are seeing. Between drives there is time to swim or rest at camp, looking out over the river.
South down the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru
Away at 7:30am, south and down the Great Rift Valley escarpment to Lake Nakuru National Park, a fenced sanctuary for rhino. Lunch at the lodge, then at 4:00pm an afternoon drive through the fever-tree forest and the lakeshore grassland for black and white rhino, Rothschild's giraffe and the waterbirds.
A full day at Lake Nakuru
Morning and afternoon game drives for lion, leopard, waterbuck and the big buffalo herds, with the view over the whole lake from Baboon Cliff. Lunch and time by the pool at the lodge between drives.
Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
Away at 8:00am, south-west through the farmland of the highlands to the Maasai Mara, arriving at camp for lunch. At 4:00pm the first Mara game drive, tracking big cats and the plains herds until sunset.
A full day in the Maasai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives across the rolling grassland, looking for the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and the scarce black rhino — alongside cheetah, hyena and the herds of zebra and gazelle.
The Mara River and the plains
A second full day, shaped around what the guides are seeing. A picnic lunch near the Mara River, watching the hippo and the crocodiles. Between July and October this is where the migration herds gather to cross.
The Maasai Mara to Lake Naivasha
Away at 8:30am, east across the Rift Valley to the freshwater shores of Lake Naivasha, in time for lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon a boat ride on the lake among the hippo pods and the birdlife, with the option of a guided walk on Crescent Island among the zebra and giraffe.
Lake Naivasha to Amboseli, the land of giants
Away at 7:00am after an early breakfast, south past Nairobi and across the Athi Plains to Amboseli National Park, in time for lunch at the lodge with Kilimanjaro behind it. At 4:00pm a game drive across the dusty plains and swamps for the elephant herds and plains game.
A full day in Amboseli
Morning and afternoon game drives for elephant, lion, cheetah and giraffe with Kilimanjaro behind them. Climb Observation Hill for the view across the whole park and its swamps, fed by water from the mountain and full of hippo and waterbirds.
Amboseli to Nairobi and departure
A last breakfast in Amboseli, then the drive back to Nairobi with lunch on the way. A farewell dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant, then your driver takes you to JKIA for the flight home.
How this journey unfolds — 7 stops in 13 days
- 1Nairobi
- 2Buffalo Springs
- 3Samburu
- 4Lake Nakuru
- 5Maasai Mara
- 6Lake Naivasha
- 7Amboseli
The year on this safari, month by month
July to October for the Great Migration in the Mara, and the dry months of June to October and January to February for the northern reserves, when wildlife gathers along the Ewaso Nyiro, and for the clearest views of Kilimanjaro. April and May bring the long rains and slower roads.
Indicative pattern for Kenya's safari circuit. The long rains (around March–May) and short rains (around November) shift year to year.
Conditions along the route
Live readings where this safari spends its days.
The world this journey moves through
Photography of the landscapes and wildlife along this route — tap any photo to view it full screen.
Included and not included
Included
- Airport meet and assist
- Private transfers as per the itinerary
- Service of an English-speaking professional driver-guide
- Game drives in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
- Accommodation as listed
- Meals as listed in the day-by-day
- Boat ride on Lake Naivasha and a guided walk on Crescent Island
- Farewell dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant, Nairobi
- All park entrance fees and government taxes as per the itinerary
- Driver-guide salary, allowances and vehicle park fees
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle on safari
Not included
- International flights
- Visas, vaccinations and any required tests
- Travel, medical and cancellation insurance
- Optional hot-air balloon safari
- Tips and gratuities
- Telephone calls, room service and items of a personal nature
- Increases in park fees or other charges beyond our control
What a journey like this costs
Indicative all-inclusive rates per person, per night. Your own quote is built from your dates, your camps and the size of your party, and holds once agreed.
- Mid-rangeUS$450 – US$950per person, per night
Comfortable park lodges and permanent tented camps, road transfers between parks, shared game drives, all park fees.
Comfort · Classic camps and lodges
- LuxuryUS$950 – US$1,500per person, per night
Fly-in bush transfers, boutique tented camps, shared or private 4×4 vehicles, all park fees, fine dining.
Luxury camps and lodges
- Ultra-luxuryUS$1,600 – US$3,200+per person, per night
Private charter flights, exclusive-use conservancy lodges, a dedicated private guide and vehicle throughout.
Ultimate luxury camps and lodges
See the camps and lodges behind these bands
*Correct as at September 2026. Third-party costs such as park fees, gorilla permits, balloon flights and lodge rates are set by others and can change — we will quote the current price at the time of confirmation.
Travellers with two weeks who want to see Kenya properly, returning safari-goers who have not been north, and photographers.
Nairobi city hotel, riverside camps and safari lodges
Questions travellers ask
- What are the Samburu Special Five?
- Five animals of Kenya's dry north that you will not find in the Mara or Amboseli: the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, Somali ostrich and gerenuk, a long-necked antelope that feeds standing on its hind legs. Samburu and Buffalo Springs are where to see them, which is why this safari starts in the north.
- How much driving is there on a 13-day road safari?
- Most days are game-viewing days; the six travel days each leave after breakfast and arrive for lunch. The longest are Nairobi to Samburu and Samburu to Lake Nakuru, each roughly five to six hours, and Lake Naivasha to Amboseli, roughly six to seven. If you would rather shorten any of them, a scheduled flight can replace one leg.
- Is this a good safari for a second visit to Kenya?
- Yes. Many first visits cover only the Mara and perhaps Amboseli. This route adds the northern reserves, whose wildlife and dry landscapes are different from the south, and Lake Nakuru's rhino, so a returning traveller sees a different Kenya.
- Will I see the Great Migration?
- If you travel between roughly July and October, the herds are usually in the Maasai Mara during your three nights there. River crossings cannot be timed and are never certain on a given day. Outside those months the Mara's resident lions, cheetah and elephant make it a strong stop all year.
- Can the lodges be changed?
- Yes. These are the lodges our founder recommends for this route, and each can be swapped for a smaller camp or a more luxurious one in the same area. Tell us how you like to stay and we will quote the version that suits you.