8-Day Luxury Kenya Fly-In Safari: Samburu & Maasai Mara
An eight-day luxury Kenya fly-in safari pairing the rugged Kalama Conservancy in Samburu — home of the Samburu Special Five and the community-owned Reteti Elephant Sanctuary — with the Big Five plains and Great Migration of the Maasai Mara.
About this safari
This eight-day fly-in safari combines the wild, dramatic north of Kenya with the wildlife theatre of the south. In Samburu you stay on the community-owned Kalama Conservancy, a cliffside wilderness beneath Mount Ololokwe where the rare Samburu Special Five — reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich — live alongside lion, leopard and large elephant herds. A visit to the pioneering, community-owned Reteti Elephant Sanctuary shows conservation in action, rehabilitating orphaned elephants and returning them to the wild.
A short bush flight south carries you to the Maasai Mara National Reserve for two full days of Big Five game drives, gourmet picnics by the Mara River, and — from July to October — front-row seats to the Great Wildebeest Migration. Seamless fly-in transfers connect Nairobi, Samburu and the Mara, so the whole journey is spent among wildlife rather than on long roads.
What makes this one special
- Fly-in convenience with scenic bush flights between Nairobi, Samburu and the Maasai Mara
- Kalama Conservancy — a cliffside luxury camp in community-owned Samburu wilderness
- The Samburu Special Five: reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich
- Exclusive visit to the community-owned Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
- Bush breakfast near Mount Ololokwe
- Two full days of Big Five game drives in the Maasai Mara
- Gourmet picnic by the Mara River with hippos, crocodiles and seasonal crossings
The journey, morning by morning
Welcome to Nairobi — arrival & transfer
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where your driver-guide meets you for a seamless transfer to your luxury Nairobi city hotel. Relax and settle in before your safari begins.
Fly from Nairobi to Kalama Conservancy, Samburu
Transfer to Wilson Airport for a scenic morning flight to Kalama Conservancy in Samburu. Check into your cliffside luxury camp, then set out on an afternoon game drive to track lion, leopard and the rare Samburu Special Five across the dramatic northern landscapes.
Kalama Conservancy & the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
An inspiring visit to the community-owned Reteti Elephant Sanctuary to learn about elephant rescue and rehabilitation, followed by a bush breakfast near Mount Ololokwe. The afternoon returns to the vehicle to track Samburu's famous predators across the arid, doum-palm country.
A full day in Samburu
A full day among Samburu's distinctive wildlife with morning and afternoon game drives along the seasonal riverbeds and open plains, watching for elephant herds, big cats and the Special Five, with the Mathews Range and Ololokwe on the horizon.
Fly from Samburu to the Maasai Mara
A short bush flight south to the world-renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve. Enjoy a game drive en route to your luxury tented camp across the endless savannahs, taking in the roaming herds, before settling in for the evening.
Big Five game drives in the Maasai Mara
A full day of prime Big Five safari across the Mara ecosystem — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and, in places, rhino — with a gourmet picnic near the Mara River watching hippos and crocodiles. From July to October the wildebeest crossings may unfold before you.
The Maasai Mara — at your own pace
A second full day in the reserve, following the wildlife and revisiting whatever you most want to see — a leopard along the Talek, a cheetah on the plains, or the herds massing at the river. An optional sunrise balloon safari is available on request.
Fly the Maasai Mara to Nairobi — departure
A final morning in the bush before flying back to Nairobi. Savour a farewell lunch at the famous Karen Blixen Restaurant and relax in a luxury day-use room before your airport transfer for the evening flight home.
How this journey unfolds — 3 stops in 8 days
- 1Nairobi
- 2Samburu
- 3Maasai Mara
The year on this safari, month by month
Available year-round. June to October offers the best combined game viewing, with the Mara's migration typically July to October. January and February are warm, clear and quieter across both regions; the long rains around March to May bring green landscapes and lower rates.
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
Representative photography of the landscapes and wildlife on this route — tap any photo to view it full screen. Client photography replaces these once our own library arrives.
Included and not included
Included
- All airport and airstrip transfers
- Accommodation in a double/twin room sharing at the camps and lodge named
- Full-board meal plan on safari
- Scheduled shared game drives in a 4×4 safari Land Cruiser
- Scheduled light-aircraft flights between Nairobi, Samburu and the Maasai Mara
- Reteti Elephant Sanctuary visit
- Sundowners
- Soft drinks, house wines, selected beers and house spirits (at all-inclusive camps)
- All national park and conservation fees
- Laundry
- AMREF Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
- All government taxes and levies
Not included
- International flights from your home country
- Kenya visa fees
- Travel, medical and cancellation insurance
- Souvenirs and gifts
- Champagne, private-cellar wines and premium spirits
- Tips and gratuities
- Telephone calls, room service and items of a personal nature
Travellers who want variety — the rugged, exclusive north paired with the classic Mara — and who value community-led conservation. Suits couples, photographers, families with older children and small groups.
A set luxury package: a cliffside luxury tented camp on Kalama Conservancy in Samburu, and a luxury lodge or tented camp in the Maasai Mara, with a luxury Nairobi city hotel on arrival. Room types and extensions are arranged by the Wildtouch team.
Questions travellers ask
- What is the Samburu Special Five?
- The Special Five are five species you see in Kenya's arid north but almost nowhere else in the country: the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. Samburu and the neighbouring Kalama Conservancy are among the best places on earth to see all five, alongside lion, leopard and elephant.
- What is the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary?
- Reteti is the first community-owned and -run elephant sanctuary in Africa, in the Namunyak Conservancy near Samburu. It rescues and rehabilitates orphaned and abandoned elephant calves and releases them back into the wild, employing local Samburu keepers. Your visit directly supports that community-led conservation.
- Why stay on Kalama Conservancy rather than only the national reserve?
- Kalama is a community conservancy bordering Samburu with far fewer vehicles, exclusive access and a direct benefit to the Samburu landowners who keep the land wild. You get the same wildlife with a quieter, more private feel, and your stay helps fund the conservancy.
This itinerary is a starting point
Dates, lodges and pace are shaped around you — by the Wildtouch team, who run the trips. Share your dates and party and we'll make it yours.