8-DAY SAMBURU/LAKES NAIVASHA & NAKURU/HELL'S GATE/MASAI MARA NATIONAL PARKS –
8 DAY EXPLORER’S SAFARI
Starting from/returning to Nairobi area hotels, airport, or location of your choice.
We’ll pick you up in style – your own private 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep.
- Nairobi
- Samburu
- Lake Nakuru
- Lake Naivasha
- Masai Mara
- Nairobi
On this immersive African safari, you’ll explore Kenya’s parks and wildlife from North to South over eight action-filled days. Imagine: wide-open plains alive with big game, prides of lions stalking rolling savannahs, Rift Valley lakes and canyons filled with giraffe, antelope, buffalo, and birdlife – pelicans, kingfishers, ostrich, even fuchsia flamingoes!
Although northern Kenya’s Samburu National Park is the region’s most popular reserve, you’ll still feel like you’ve got the place to yourself, it’s so lightly touristed. This is a land of elephants and unusual species like the oryx, gerenuk, and the Somali ostrich.
Heading back south we’ll explore the acacia woods filled with giraffe and rhinos at Lake Nakuru National Park. Where else can you see leopards, baboons, and pink flamingoes in one compact, idyllic setting? We’ll take a sailing safari at nearby Lake Naivasha and perhaps a bicycle safari at neighboring Hell’s Gate Park – cycling past steaming vents, while grazing buffalo, gazelle, antelope, and zebra look on with curiosity.
Our safari adventure turns further south as we adventure on to Kenya’s most popular park – the Masai Mara National Reserve – the richest ecosystem in the region. Prepare yourself to witness all types of wildlife in numbers that will simply astonish you.
What’s Cool About These Parks?
Samburu Park is not just a celebration of land and wildlife but also a cultural destination – you can visit the Samburu people who make this area their home. Visit their village and learn about their lifestyle up close.
Not every safari offers a chance to spot the curious but shy rhino. You’ll have opportunities to see these endangered creatures – both white and black rhinos at Nakuru National Park.
Wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, topi, eland, and more by the thousands… even the tens of thousands during the season of the Great Migration pour into the Masai Mara from the neighboring Serengeti plains, in search of water and food on their annual trek. It’s a display like nothing else on the planet.
Fast & Flexible
At AKS you write the rules. Travel and explore at your own pace in you own way. We’re fast, flexible, and always ready to respond to your requests. Book in advance or even the day before. We’ll get you out on safari – pronto!
The Extras
Depending on your choice of accommodation you can enjoy extras like a bush breakfast/lunch/ dinner, traditional dances around the boma, massage, aromatherapy, Ayurveda, special dietary menus, dinner at a Maasai homestead, game walks, overlook a natural watering hole, and more.
Stay Connected or Not. Your Choice.
We realize you’re on safari to get away from the usual. Still, there are times you may want to go online… perhaps to share your photos and adventures with friends. Our safari vehicles connect with Wi-Fi, about 75% of the time so you can usually connect when you want.
The Details
No one is more important to the success of your safari than your guide. At Africa Kenya Safaris, we have the friendliest, most experienced driver/guides. They will guide, host, inform, and look after you like the special guest you are. That’s our guarantee.
You’ll safari in style out to the parks in your own private 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep – the best way to experience Africa with its higher seating for better views and its rugged all-wheel drive.
We give you more at AKS – customization, flexibility, and lots of choices. Your safari includes park entrance fees, game drives, accommodations, and meals. Plus, we always offer economy, comfort, superior comfort, or luxury safari lodges or tented camps.
Please give us a shout at Africa Kenya Safaris to set up your personalized safari adventure for yourself, your family, and your friends.
Check Out Your Ride
Experience your Africa Kenya Safari in a customized pop-top roof 4x4x Safari Jeep that features: Portable fridge/Cooler Box, 4 Binoculars, long-range high-frequency radio, 4G/LTE broadband WIFI connectivity, AC 230 V Power Outlets, First Aid Kit, Safari Guide Books, Baby Seats (on request), Side steps (on request) and most importantly an expert multi-lingual safari guide who will ensure you have an incredible safari experience.
Day 1
Nairobi – Samburu
6 Hour Drive
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
7:30 am Are you ready for 8 days of safari action? Your Africa Kenya Safaris driver/guide will come by your hotel, residence, or place of your choosing to pick you up in a private 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep.
Pile in and let’s make tracks for Samburu National Reserve. On the way, look for the snow-capped summit of Mt. Kenya, the country’s tallest peak. We’ll traverse Kenya’s central highlands, and stop at local markets to shop and soak up the ambiance.
We’ll cross the equator and pause to take photos and note the moment.
Arriving at Samburu, take in the immense sweep before us of plains and big sky. We’ll embark on our safari’s first game drive looking for some of the park’s many elephants as well as lion, cheetah, and buffalo.
There will be plenty of time here for game drives but also relaxation. Just talk to your guide about your wishes.
Toward evening we’ll retire at your Samburu accommodation for dinner and a relaxing evening.
Day 2
Full-Day at Samburu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
You’ll quickly notice that safari means an early rise. We’ll be up with the sun and the birds to enjoy the morning light touching the treetops.
This is a day of unlimited game drives… and also relaxation. Your choice.
You’ll be tracking for big game here but small, unusual species as well. Samburu is known for some unique animals like the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and the Beisa oryx – a large antelope.
The park is bisected by the Ewaso Ngiro River which provides life-sustaining waters to the thirsty wildlife. Should you want to see more greenery, we’ll hop over to neighboring Shaba and Buffalo Springs reserves. These two oases offer forests, woodlands, and even some ancient volcanic formations.
We can also visit the local Samburu people in their nearby village for a cultural encounter with these pastoral herders.
Our second safari evening will be at our Samburu lodge or tented camp.
Day 3
Samburu – Lake Nakuru
5 Hour Drive
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Before we leave Samburu, let’s take a final game drive and perhaps discover some more big game – lion, leopard, or elephant.
Now we’re on our way to Lake Nakuru and along our journey, we’ll stop at Nyahururu and witness the tower of cascading waters that is Thompson’s Falls.
There’ll be more waterfalls at Lake Nakuru, along with pretty acacia forests and the blue alkaline lake. Adorning the shores, look for pelicans, kingfishers, ostrich, herons, eagles… and some bright, pink flamingoes.
The rhinos at Nakuru are special – you may see some white rhinos grazing along the lakeshore. And the unique sanctuary here provides a haven to a large population of endangered black rhinos. You might even spot a leopard in this picturesque, versatile park.
We’ll settle in for the evening at your Lake Nakuru accommodation.
Day 4
Lake Nakuru – Lake Naivasha
1 Hour Drive
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The early morning light playing upon the acacia woods and the lake add another level of luminance to the park’s pretty elements. We’ll take a quick game and bird-viewing drive before heading for Lake Naivasha and its neighboring parks.
Hell’s Gate Park is known for its steaming vents, heated mineral pools, and dramatic canyons. We can take a walking or a bicycle safari, meandering past grazing gazelle, antelope, and zebra.
At Lake Naivasha we’ll settle into a peaceful sailing safari across the lake, gliding by the local hippos, while nearby on the shore, grazing antelope will keep an eye on us as we sail by.
Another small, gem of a park is a short visit away – Crescent Island Sanctuary holds peacefully grazing animals like impala, gazelle, and waterbuck. We’ll take a guided walking tour past them and enjoy the many exotic birds also sharing this pastoral space.
It’s been a busy day exploring four parks! We’ll rest up at our Lake Naivasha accommodation.
Day 5
Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara
6 Hour Drive
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
There’s something special about an early morning drive along a scenic lake. We’ll take one more turn around the park before heading out to the great Masai Mara Reserve.
The grand park will greet us with its golden savannahs and rolling hills. We’ll have time for our first of many game drives here over the next four days.
The Mara is known for its numerous prides of lions as well as cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, and other large game like elephants and buffalo. Get ready for some prodigious wildlife viewing.
We will spend the first of three evenings at our Mara accommodation.
Day 6
Full Day at the Masai Mara
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
We designed this longer safari to give you plenty of time to get to know the Masai Mara, its wildlife, and its land. Today and tomorrow you’ll have opportunities to explore the reserve and even revisit your favorite viewing spots.
The Mara is rich with wildlife – over 95 mammal species – predators and grazers inhabit this great fertile tract. All the big cats are here as well as rhino, elephant, and buffalo.
But the biggest display of wildlife by far is the spectacle of the Great Migration (July – October) when uncountable wildebeests, zebras, gazelle, and more flood into the park showing a powerful torrent of nature’s raw energy.
We’ll go down to the Mara River, site of the crossing to witness the incredible numbers of wildlife pouring in. It’s a scene of unquestioned drama as the grazers cross the river, filled with waiting crocodiles. And then on the welcoming banks, lions, leopards, and cheetahs lie in wait. Still, most of the vast influx makes it through and they continue, stretching in trains out to the horizon.
This is a sight you’ll not soon let go of and will share in the coming years.
Toward evening we will head back to our Mara accommodation to rest up from this memorable day.
Day 7
Full Day at the Masai Mara
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Very few get to enjoy two full days exploring this immense and busy park. Talk to your driver/guide as to how you would like to spend your day – discover new areas, revisit favorite spots or add some relaxation time. It’s all up to you.
For a different sort of view of the Great Migration, consider our optional pre-dawn hot air balloon safari. You’ll alight as the morning sun awakens the park revealing the land and wildlife below. Witness the migrating wildlife streaming out to the far reaches. This is an unforgettable vision.
For an added cultural take on this iconic park, we suggest an optional visit to a Maasai village. You’ll meet the local people and learn about the pastoral lifestyle up close.
The Mara offers brilliant sunsets – enjoy this evening’s as we head back to our safari lodge or tented camp for our final night on safari.
Day 8
Masai Mara – Nairobi
6 Hour Drive
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Our eighth day on safari – you’re practically pros. Let’s go for another game drive to visit or revisit some favorite viewing areas.
A big safari breakfast follows and then it’s time to head back to Nairobi. We should arrive around 4:30 pm and we’ll take you to your hotel, residence or another place of your choosing.
Over a week on the safari trail – six parks – and more types and numbers of wildlife than you probably imagined. But that’s what we do – give you the best and richest safari experience. Hope you took lots of photos and are holding many treasured memories. From the entire team at Africa Kenya Safaris, a big thanks for your time, trust, and commitment to our natural world.
Tour Highlights
- Views of snow-capped Mt. Kenya
- The Samburu Five – Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, oryx, gerenuk, Somali ostrich
- Visit the local Samburu people – see their homes and culture
- 1000’s of elephants
- Boat safari – view wildlife on the shore
- Glide by hippos
- Guided walking safari at Crescent Island Sanctuary – giraffes, zebras and more
- Visit to Hell’s Gate National Park – bicycle past grazing wildlife
- Bird watching
- Rhino sanctuary
- Rothschild’s giraffes
- Flamingoes, pelicans, and other birdlife
- The Great Rift Valley escarpment – dramatic towering formations & scenery
- Unlimited game drives in your own comfortable Safari pop-up top vehicle
- The Big 5 – elephant, lion, rhino, buffalo & leopard… plus zebra, cheetah and much more
- Experience the Masai Mara, home to an ancient culture
- Your choice of accommodations – from budget to luxury – stay in lodges or tented camps
- Optional Masai village – Please arrange with your driver/guide – $20 per person
- Optional Hot Air Balloon Ride – please ask us about this unique opportunity – $420 per person
- Private dedicated English or other language speaking driver/guide
Accommodations
Samburu
Samburu Simba Lodge, Ashnil Samburu Camp, Sarova Shaba Game Lodge, Samburu Game Lodge
Samburu Sopa Lodge
Samburu Sopa Lodge
Lake Nakuru
Sarova Lionhill Game Lodge, Flamingo Hill Tented Camp
Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge.
Lake Nakuru Lodge
Lake Naivasha
Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge, Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge.
Lake Naivasha Country Club.
Naivasha Kongoni Lodge, Elsamere Lodge
Masai Mara
Ashnil Mara Camp, Mara Eden Safari Camp, Mara Serena Safari Lodge, Sarova Mara Game Camp, Mara Engai Lodge, Ilkeliani Camp.
Mara River Camp, Tipilikwani Mara Camp, Matira Camp, Wilderness Camp, Keekorok Lodge
Zebra Plains Mara Camp, Osero Camp, Mara Sopa Lodge, Losokwan Luxury Camp, Enkorok Mara Camp, Elangata Olerai Camp
Mara Chui Camp, Jambo Mara Safari Lodge
ALL SAFARI PRICES ARE LISTED BY SEASON, NUMBER OF PERSONS, AND COMFORT TIER
Please check out our prices for these private safaris – you’ll see they are the most reasonable anywhere for each tour. There are no hidden fees, plus you’ll travel in safari-style in a 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep.
Prices are in USD per person for a double/twin en-suite room.
To view our tour prices for the 3 Safari Seasons, please click High, Peak or Low
High Season (3rd Jan-31st Mar) & (16th Oct-22nd Dec)
| No. Of Pax | Economy | Comfort | Luxury |
| 2 | USD1760 | USD2000 | USD2140 |
| 4 | USD1470 | USD1710 | USD1860 |
| 6 | USD1380 | USD1620 | USD1770 |
| SRS* | USD190 | USD290 | USD410 |
Peak Season (1st Jul-15th Oct.) & (23rd Dec-2nd Jan)
Xmas Supplement to apply on selected hotels on 24th -26th Dec & 31st Dec-1st Jan
| No. Of Pax | Economy | Comfort | Luxury |
| 2 | USD1950 | USD2190 | USD2810 |
| 4 | USD1670 | USD1910 | USD2530 |
| 6 | USD1570 | USD1820 | USD2440 |
| SRS* | USD320 | USD380 | USD720 |
Low Season (1st Apr – 30th June Excluding Easter Weekend)
| No. Of Pax | Economy | Comfort | Luxury |
| 2 | USD1670 | USD1680 | USD1810 |
| 4 | USD1390 | USD1400 | USD1530 |
| 6 | USD1290 | USD1310 | USD1440 |
| SRS* | USD0 | USD0 | USD0 |
*Safari price per person for 3 persons shall be 6% less the per person price of 2 persons.
*Safari price per person for 5 persons shall be 3% less the per person price of 4 persons.
*Solo person safari price: add 50% to per person price based on 2 persons.
*Easter Supplement: USD 35 Per Person Per Night.
*Christmas / New Year Supplement on Dec 25th, 26th, 31st and Jan 1st: USD 35 Per Person Per Night.
Your Tour Includes
- Transport in a private 4 x 4 Landcruiser Jeep
- Nairobi airport/hotel pick up and drop off
- Stay in economy, comfort or luxury lodge/tented camps (your choice)
- Our experienced and friendly English speaking/other language guide/driver
- Bottled drinking water
- Park entrance fees
- Game viewing drives
- All meals on safari
- Government taxes and local levies
- The Flying Doctors emergency medical evacuation/rescue insurance cover
– Bottled & Soft Drinks
– Items and services of a personal nature
– Tips & Gratuities
Lots of Ways To Stay
Safari Lodge or Tented Camp?
Economy, Comfort, or Luxury?
We offer lots of ways to settle into your safari evening. Some people like the familiar four walls of a traditional lodge. Others go for the outdoors feel of a tented camp. Either way, both lodge or tented camp come in economy, comfort, and lux editions. Choose the accommodation style that suits your needs. And then, which level of service works for you.
