7-Day Kenya Wildlife Safari Itinerary (Best between July & October)

You will be picked up from your Nairobi hotel/airport in the morning after early breakfast and drive through the scenic floor of the great East African Rift Valley and Narok town to Masai Mara National Reserve. Immediately check in on arrival at your reserved lodge or camp and join in for lunch. You will take a late afternoon game drive in the plains of Mara to spot the big cats in action, great herds of antelopes, and other wild game, and view the impressive savanna sunset. Return to your lodge for a sumptuous buffet dinner and a great wilderness night.

The ride takes about 5hrs.

• Accommodation & meals:  Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp/AA Lodge Mara/Lenchada Tourist camp.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

After a quick breakfast, pack your lunch and embark on a full-day game drive in the Mara plains in search of its popular residents: the lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, monstrous crocodiles, and their prey: zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, hippos, antelopes, and other gazelles.

The reserve is well known for its black-manned lion and is one of the few places where you have the chance to spot the “Big 5” during game drives. Many of the cheetahs are so tame that they seek shelter from the scorching sun under safari vehicles, and several even climb on top to get a better view of their prospective prey. For bird enthusiasts, almost 500 species have been recorded here. Among these are 16 species of eagle, many hawks and falcons, 6 species of vulture, 8 species of stork, 4 species of bustard, and 9 species of sunbird.

You will have a picnic lunch organized under a croton tree shade overlooking the vast landscape of the park and take the opportunity to go as far as the edges of the Mara River to catch up with the great migration, the most popular attraction in Masai Mara during the months of July to October. It is the scene of the epic annual trek of 1.5 million wildebeest from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara region. During this time of year, the savannah is awash with wildebeest, zebras, and other herbivores. At the same time, it’s known for the dramatic Mara and Talek River crossings. Wildlife viewing is excellent since there’s less vegetation. Following on their heels are the predators of the savanna: lions, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas, and vultures, prompting a mixture of wild activities that leave the whole event breathtaking and therefore unforgettable moments you should never miss. You will have a picnic lunch near the Mara Riverbanks.

Although you can visit Masai Mara throughout the year for excellent wildlife viewing, many travelers plan their trip around the Great Migration.

Optional: The evening activity is a cultural experience with one of Kenya’s most famous indigenous tribes in the local Masai village for $20. Learn about the Masai community and interact with the locals. A balloon safari can be organized after your early morning game drive for $380.

Lake Nakuru National Park is home to a variety of wildlife, including the famous white and black rhinos. It is a popular birder’s paradise with its high population of birds, including thousands of flamingos, which form a very beautiful deep pink coloration along the edge of the lakeshore. There are over 400 species of birds visiting the lake. Animals can also be sighted in the park, including Rothschild’s Giraffes, Black and White Rhinos, Waterbucks, Reedbucks, Lions, buffaloes, Leopards, baboons, and several other species of plains game.

After an early breakfast, check out of your Masai Mara lodge and head to Lake Nakuru. On arrival, immediately check in at your reserved lodge and enjoy a sumptuous lunch.

You will embark on an afternoon game drive to see one of the largest ornithological spots, the Flamingo haven.  Seasonal change and rising water levels may influence their presence at the lake sometimes, but you will definitely have the opportunity to spot them. After your activities, return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

The ride takes about 5hrs.

• Accommodation & meals:  Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge/Sarova Lion Hill Lodge/Flamingo Hill Tented Camp.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Wake up for a morning game drive and then return to the lodge for breakfast. Park up and leave Nakuru with a short game drive en route to Lake Naivasha.

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake on the Great Rift Valley floor consisting of the Crescent Island and home to over 100 bird species such as vultures, Verreaux’s Eagles, Augur Buzzards, Swifts, among others, and an incredible variety of wildlife like African Buffalo, Zebra, Eland, Hartebeest, Thomson’s Gazelle, Baboons, Klipspringer Antelope, Zebra, Waterbuck, Impala, and Chanler’s Mountain Reedbuck. Check in at your reserved lodge on arrival and join in for lunch.

In the afternoon, take a nature walk around the lodge and visit Hells Gate National Park, which has a number of activities such as walking safaris, hiking, bicycle riding, rock climbing, or you can choose to have a boat ride around the lake. Cross over to Crescent Island and view abundant wildlife and bird species. You may also opt to walk through the gorges and pass by the hot springs.

The ride takes about 1hr.

• Accommodation & meals: Sawela Lodge/Naivasha Sopa Lodge/Naivasha west beach camp.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

After an early breakfast, check out and drive through stunning landscapes of the Great Rift Valley, the outskirts of Nairobi, via Emali town to Amboseli National Park.

Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya’s most popular parks, set against the backdrop of Africa’s best views of Mt. Kilimanjaro (5895 m), and popular for hundreds of big-tusked elephant sightings as its signature attraction. Nature lovers can explore five different habitats here, ranging from the dried-up bed of Lake Amboseli to wetlands with sulfur springs, the savannah, and woodlands. They can also visit the local Masai community that lives around the park and experience their authentic culture. Take a short game drive on your way to the lodge, arriving in time for lunch.

After settling in, take an afternoon game drive within Amboseli, where Mount Kilimanjaro offers scenic backgrounds for photography, and spend the whole day exploring the park. Later in the evening, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Optional: Masai village cultural experience, nature walk, swimming in one of the lodges (all at extra cost).

The ride takes about 5hrs.

• Accommodation & meals:Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge/AA Lodge Amboseli/ Amboseli Eco Camp.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Have an early breakfast and transfer to Tsavo East National Park, one of the largest parks in Kenya, renowned for its large numbers of dust-red elephants and the famous man-eating lions. It’s wide open, with a rugged landscape and scattered vegetation. Due to this, herds of elephants, giraffes, buffalo, zebras, warthogs, and antelope can be spotted from a distance.

On arrival, you will have a game drive on the way to your lodge. Immediately check in and have lunch before resuming your unforgettable moments in this African wilderness. This vast area is an excellent birding haven, popular with specialist birding safaris. Notable species recorded in this expanse include the rare Basra Reed Warbler, Friedmann’s Lark, Ostrich, Blue Quail, Violet Wood Hoopoe, Martial Eagle, and Crowned Eagle. After a busy day on the plains, retire to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

The ride takes about 5hrs.

• Accommodation & meals: Voi Wildlife Lodge.
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Have a light breakfast and take an early morning game drive in the plains. Return to the lodge for a late breakfast and park up your bags, ready to proceed to Diani Beach, Mombasa, or Watamu, Malindi, and be dropped off at your preferred lodge.

The ride takes about 3hrs.

• No accommodation.
• Meals: Breakfast.

End of the 7 Days Kenya Wildlife Safari