Embarking on a thrilling three-day safari from Nairobi, this journey unveils the natural wonders of Hell’s Gate, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Nakuru, offering a glimpse into Kenya’s rich tapestry of landscapes and wildlife. The adventure begins in the bustling city of Nairobi and quickly transitions into the rugged, geothermally active terrains of Hell’s Gate, followed by the serene waters of Lake Naivasha, teeming with hippos and exotic birds. Each day unfolds new marvels, culminating at Lake Nakuru, a sanctuary for flamingos and rhinos. This meticulously crafted itinerary blends wildlife viewing, nature walks, and cultural insights, starting from the dramatic landscapes of Hell’s Gate National Park, where you can cycle with zebras and gazelles, to the tranquil shores of Lake Naivasha, offering a serene connection with nature. The climax is the visit to Lake Nakuru National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its vibrant birdlife and status as a sanctuary for endangered species. Throughout this safari, you’ll engage with Kenya’s rich fauna, flora, and cultural heritage, making this more than just a safari—it’s an immersive journey through Kenya’s natural splendor.
Safari Highlights
Geothermal Wonders: Witness the park's unique geothermal activity, including steaming geysers and hot springs.
Wildlife Cycling Safari: Enjoy a rare opportunity to cycle amidst giraffes, zebras, and other wildlife.
Scenic Gorges and Rock Formations: Explore the dramatic gorges and towering rock formations, a backdrop for many famous movies.
Boat Safari: Cruise on Lake Naivasha, observing hippos, diverse birdlife, and the stunning Rift Valley scenery.
Crescent Island Sanctuary: Walk among free-roaming wildlife like giraffes, waterbucks, and impalas on this peaceful island sanctuary.
Flamingo Spectacle: Marvel at the sight of thousands of flamingos lining the shores of the lake.
Big Five Safari: Engage in game drives to spot rhinos, leopards, lions, buffaloes, and perhaps even elephants.
Birdwatching Paradise: Discover over 400 bird species in one of the world's greatest ornithological sites.
Cuisine: Savor Kenyan culinary delights, offering a taste of local flavors and dishes.
Picturesque Landscapes: Travel through Kenya’s stunning landscapes, from rolling hills to expansive savannahs.
Itinerary
Day 1 :
Nairobi to Hell's Gate National Park
Morning: Depart from Nairobi early in the morning, heading towards Hell’s Gate National Park, located about two hours away. Enjoy the scenic drive through Kenya’s countryside.
Late Morning: Arrive at Hell’s Gate and embark on a guided walking tour or cycling adventure. The park is known for its unique geothermal activity, towering cliffs, and diverse wildlife.
Afternoon: Have lunch at a local restaurant near the park. Post-lunch, explore the gorges and hot springs within the park.
Evening: Travel to your accommodation near Lake Naivasha. Enjoy dinner and relax for the night.
Lunch + Dinner
Day 2 :
Lake Naivasha
Morning: After breakfast, take a boat tour on Lake Naivasha. This is a great opportunity to see hippos, a variety of birds, and other wildlife.
Midday: Return to your accommodation for lunch and some rest.
Afternoon: Visit the nearby Crescent Island Game Sanctuary for a guided walking safari. It’s one of the few places where you can walk among giraffes, zebras, and other animals.
Evening: Enjoy dinner at your accommodation, with an option for a night game drive or relaxation.
Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner
Day 3 :
Lake Nakuru National Park
Early Morning: Depart for Lake Nakuru National Park, famous for its flamingos and rhinos.
Morning: Arrive at the park and embark on a game drive. The park is a sanctuary for rhinos, and you may also spot lions, leopards, and buffaloes.
Midday: Have lunch at one of the lodges in the park or a packed lunch during a picnic.
Afternoon: Continue with the game drive, exploring different parts of the park.
Late Afternoon: Begin the journey back to Nairobi, reminiscing about the unforgettable experiences and sights.
Highly recommend Kelvin of Rustic Nature Tours. We saw his great reviews on Facebook. We wanted to be in a small group and to visit the elephants orphanage and giraffe santiary inHighly recommend Kelvin of Rustic Nature Tours. We saw his great reviews on Facebook. We wanted to be in a small group and to visit the elephants orphanage and giraffe santiary in Nairobi. Kevin delivered all this and took us to a wonderful community project making beautiful beads. We highly recommend Kelvin and his professionalism.…
meganvanvoorhis
We thoroughly enjoyed our Nairobi tour! This was the perfect way to see many of the city highlights on a tight timeframe. Our tour guide, Nicole, was prompt and professional! SheWe thoroughly enjoyed our Nairobi tour! This was the perfect way to see many of the city highlights on a tight timeframe. Our tour guide, Nicole, was prompt and professional! She managed to get us right in front of the animals in Nairobi National Park, including seeing rhinos. We loved the stops at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Giraffe Center. The Kobe Tough Bead and Leather stop was also a hit with our family! Before booking our tour, we were allowed to select a restaurant of our choosing when booking the after requesting, which made it extremely nice to be able to set our own itinerary. The tour company provided us with the time to make a reservation, which worked perfectly into our schedule the day of our tour. Picking a day tour of Nairobi can be daunting with so many choices, but I can tell you you won't regret cooking with Rustic Nature Tours! Asante sana, Nicole - we had a phenomenal day because of you!…
Dean Vandersmissen
Found Rustic tours via a recommendation on Facebook as I needed a Nairobi layover tour guide. Contacted Kelvin and we agreed quickly on what to do and see.
He picked us up onFound Rustic tours via a recommendation on Facebook as I needed a Nairobi layover tour guide. Contacted Kelvin and we agreed quickly on what to do and see.
He picked us up on airport in the morning in his crazy safari car and we saw downtown, giraffes and we did the Nairobi safari.
Got to day that I laughed a lot with Kelvin as he is a great person! He did everything he could so we could see as much as possible in our short time window.
See you again my friend!…
dpca193
Douglas was the perfect person to plan my Kenya trip from the very beginning. Even while I was still in India, he was always responsive and patient with all my questions, whichDouglas was the perfect person to plan my Kenya trip from the very beginning. Even while I was still in India, he was always responsive and patient with all my questions, which made me feel completely at ease.
A friend recommended him to me, and I’m so glad I trusted that suggestion. As a solo traveler, it’s important for me to have someone who truly understands the routes and ensures I experience the beauty of the destination without stress and Douglas did exactly that.…
Becky Marchant
What a fantastic day tour to Nairobi National Park, Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage, and a surprise garden lunch. Our guide, Calvin, a top notch birder and guide paced the dayWhat a fantastic day tour to Nairobi National Park, Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage, and a surprise garden lunch. Our guide, Calvin, a top notch birder and guide paced the day perfectly and provided us with an excellent experience! We have travelled to Kenya multiple times, but our private tour with Rustic Nature Tours and Calvin in particular ranks as a highlight among our experiences.…
fionacO1730AX
Our day visiting the Elephant Orphanage, and Giraffe Centre was truly unforgettable, and a huge part of that was thanks to our guide, Dennis.
From the moment he picked us up,Our day visiting the Elephant Orphanage, and Giraffe Centre was truly unforgettable, and a huge part of that was thanks to our guide, Dennis.
From the moment he picked us up, Dennis was warm, professional and incredibly knowledgeable. His driving was smooth and safe throughout Nairobi’s busy roads which allowed us to relax and fully enjoy the experience.
Dennis was patient, friendly and always happy to answer questions. At each location he explained what we were seeing and gave helpful tips so we could get the most out of the visit.
The elephant orphanage and giraffe centre were incredible experiences, and Dennis made the day flow perfectly so we never felt stressed or hurried. His local knowledge and genuine enthusiasm made the tour feel personal rather than just another stop on a schedule.
If you are lucky enough to have Dennis as your driver and guide, you are in excellent hands. He is a true professional and a wonderful ambassador for Kenya. We would highly recommend him to anyone wanting an authentic, enjoyable and well-organised day exploring Nairobi.
Thank you Dennis for such a memorable experience! 🐘🦒🌿…
Darren Page
Incredible experience with Kelvin. Arrived spot on time, and was greeted with a friendly run down of what we would be doing for the day. We started at the Nairobi national parkIncredible experience with Kelvin. Arrived spot on time, and was greeted with a friendly run down of what we would be doing for the day. We started at the Nairobi national park and entry went super smooth, was incredible we saw so much including the Rhinos & Lions. The vehicle had great views all around and we took plenty of excellent photographs.
We could not believe how many people Kelvin knew, and this knowledge of animals and birds was amazing.
We then visited the Sheldrick Elephant orphanage, which again was an excellent experience, Kelvin making sure that we were in the best position to see the elephants, baby Rhino & baby Zebra.
We then had lunch at great cafe called Makutano Grill which we would also highly recommend.
We then finished the day with a visit to the Giraffe centre and again Kelvin made sure we were in a great spot and even gave us his food to give to the Giraffes.
I cannot recommend Kelvin highly enough and will look for him for a future trip to Kenya / Uganda in a couple of years time.
Thank you so much…
PriscillaT509
Highly recommend! This was an amazing and efficient half-day getting up close and personal with baby elephants and giraffes: At the orphan sanctuary our guide ushered us toHighly recommend! This was an amazing and efficient half-day getting up close and personal with baby elephants and giraffes: At the orphan sanctuary our guide ushered us to exactly best spot to watch and pet the animals. You can’t go up to the elephants but if they come to you, you can pet them. Bonus was our guide knew the names and personalities of the giraffes along with their dating history - so feeding giraffes at Rothschild was fun and informative. We also learned some basics of Swahili to boot! Asante sana!…
Dan Greenwood
An absolutely tremendous safari! My wife and I have travelled extensively throughout Africa and this ticked all the boxes for all the right reasons. Joel is a tremendous guideAn absolutely tremendous safari! My wife and I have travelled extensively throughout Africa and this ticked all the boxes for all the right reasons. Joel is a tremendous guide with extensive knowledge of wildlife. Further, as this was a private tour, we had Joel and his skills all to ourselves! We have been trying to see serval cat for so many years, and as soon as we entered Nairobi National Park, one appeared in the dawn grassland and walked towards our vehicle. A once in a lifetime wildlife experience and an absolute highlight of years of natural encounters.
We went on to see so many tremendous species including over10 rhinos, both black and white, incredible! We saw everything from slender mongoose, through all the various antelopes one could imagine, to giraffe zebra, hippo, buffalo, you name it, Joel found it!
My wife and I are also extremely keen birders, and Joel is most knowledgeable on all species. We saw so many birds of prey, including black winged kite, brown snake eagle and eastern chanting goshawk! My wife really enjoyed getting close-up shots of purple grenadiers.
The duration of the national park part of the tour was over 4 hours, which really allowed us to seek out our most wanted species. We weren't rushed and Joel took his time to ensure that we were happy.
It is worth pointing out that Joel is a safe and considerate driver, which on the busy roads of Nairobi is extremely welcome.
At the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Joel was quick to ensure that we were well positioned to have great view. This is an incredible place to visit, and we highly recommend that everyone does go to see the splendid work, and ideally make the journey with Joel,
We finished our tour at Kobe Beads and Leather and we felt privileged to be able to watch the women at work creating such amazing pieces.
Joel dropped us back at our accommodation and I only wish we had been aware of him earlier on our holiday as we would have undoubtedly used his skills for other adventures. A highly recommended tour with a tremendous company and a fantastic guide, many thanks!…
eliasmO6086MU
It was an amazing experience ! The tour was very interesting. An activity to do again and again for every visit to Kenya.
Do not forget to buy some coffee on your way out! TheyIt was an amazing experience ! The tour was very interesting. An activity to do again and again for every visit to Kenya.
Do not forget to buy some coffee on your way out! They are delicious!…
Barbara Johnson
Kelvin Kaloki was simply the best guide we could have asked for, with our group of five women, who wanted to stop at every bird throughout Nairobi National Park. He's a fantasticKelvin Kaloki was simply the best guide we could have asked for, with our group of five women, who wanted to stop at every bird throughout Nairobi National Park. He's a fantastic spotter, really knows the birdlife (not every guide is so expert!) and was extremely knowledgeable about the park and environs. He even found us a two pairs of rhinos, one white and one black, at the same place-- a fantastic bit of luck. Then, when my hat blew off near the white rhinos, he coordinated with another vehicle to retrieve it safely! Kelvin has an infectious enthusiasm about wildlife, and clearly delights in sharing his expertise. With patience and humor, he let us pepper him nonstop with questions. After Nairobi NP, he skillfully navigated Nairobi rush hour to get us to the Giraffe Conservation Center, and the Kobi Tough Bead Center- both wonderful experiences. He truly gave us the best day possible-- A+++!…
W
WorcestershireJT
We wanted to be in a small group and wanted to do a half day tour to experience the amazing elephant orphanage in Nairobi National Park and the giraffes sanctuary. We also didn’tWe wanted to be in a small group and wanted to do a half day tour to experience the amazing elephant orphanage in Nairobi National Park and the giraffes sanctuary. We also didn’t want to have to go out too early having only just arrived. Kelvin of ‘Rustic Nature Tours’ delivered this all perfectly for us. A she took us to a community project supporting local women with making beautiful beads which was wonderful. He was very knowledgable and interesting and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him and this company. They also do all sorts of Safaris so we will contact him again when we return.
PS please note separate to any tour booking the guest must pay a park fee per person and it’s best to do this in advance via the National park website…
Embark on a captivating journey through Kenya's diverse landscapes, where nature's wonders unfold at every turn. From the bustling vibrancy of Nairobi to the untamed...
A Rift Valley lakes safari Kenya circuit through Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park, and Hell's Gate National Park is one of Kenya's most diverse...
A boutique lodge safari through Kenya's most rewarding parks is the ideal choice for travellers who value intimacy, authenticity, and wildlife encounters away from the...
The Kenya iconic circuit is the ultimate road safari through East Africa's most celebrated wildlife destinations, connecting four landmark experiences into a single unforgettable eight-day...
The full Kenya holiday is a nine-day journey through the country's most iconic landscapes, from the sweeping savannah of the Maasai Mara to the flamingo-fringed...
Write a Review