What is the Samburu Special Five

The Samburu Special Five are five rare species found only in northern Kenya: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx, and Somali ostrich. These animals are absent from Kenya's southern parks making Samburu uniquely rewarding.

Can I see the northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta

Yes, Najin and Fatu, the world's last two northern white rhinos, live at Ol Pejeta under 24-hour armed protection. A ranger guide provides a full briefing on conservation efforts to save the subspecies.

Why is Ol Pejeta considered the best rhino conservancy in Kenya

Ol Pejeta holds the largest black rhino population in East Africa and is the only facility in Kenya hosting northern white rhinos, making it the most important rhino conservation site on the continent.

Is Samburu more remote than the Maasai Mara

Samburu is located 340 kilometres north of Nairobi in Kenya's semi-arid northern frontier. It receives fewer visitors than the Mara, offering a more exclusive and intimate bush experience.

What conservation experiences are available at Ol Pejeta

Ol Pejeta offers northern white rhino enclosure visits, Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary tours, optional night game drives, and ranger-led conservation briefings covering the science behind rhino protection and breeding programmes.

5 Day Samburu Ol Pejeta Safari Rare Species and Rhino Haven

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Map

Review

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Map

Review

Overview

A Samburu and Ol Pejeta safari is the ideal five-day journey for wildlife enthusiasts who want to venture beyond Kenya’s famous southern parks and discover the remarkable rare species and conservation landmarks of the country’s north and central highlands. Samburu National Reserve, reached by a six-hour drive through Kenya’s magnificent highland scenery, rewards visitors with encounters that are simply impossible in the Maasai Mara or Amboseli. The Samburu Special Five, a collection of rare northern species unique to this ecosystem, includes the elegant Grevy’s zebra with its narrow prison-bar stripes, the extraordinary long-necked gerenuk that stands on hind legs to browse, the reticulated giraffe draped in a mosaic coat, the stately Beisa oryx, and the long-legged Somali ostrich. Together with lion prides, large elephant herds, and leopards along the Ewaso Nyiro River, Samburu delivers a deeply unique safari experience. Continuing to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, this Samburu and Ol Pejeta safari reaches its emotional apex at the world’s most important rhino sanctuary. Ol Pejeta is home to Africa’s largest black rhino population and, most poignantly, the planet’s last two northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu, guarded around the clock in an enclosure that represents both the tragedy of extinction and the hope of conservation science. A visit to Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary adds another extraordinary dimension to the conservancy experience. With expert guides, full board accommodation, and four productive game drives across two exceptional destinations, this safari reveals a side of Kenya that most visitors never see.

Trip Highlights

Track the exclusive Samburu Special Five found only in northern Kenya
Visit the world's last two northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta
Africa's largest black rhino population at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Large elephant herds and leopards along the Ewaso Nyiro River
Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ol Pejeta
Night game drive opportunity at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Dramatic semi-arid Samburu landscape of red earth and doum palms
Scenic highland drive through Mount Kenya's foothills

Day 01 :

Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve

Your Samburu and Ol Pejeta safari begins early with a departure from Nairobi heading north on the A2 highway. The scenic drive passes through the foothills of Mount Kenya and across the equator as the landscape gradually transitions from green highlands to the semi-arid plains of Samburu County. After approximately six hours, you arrive at Samburu National Reserve and check into your riverside camp, set on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River where elephants and crocodiles share the sandy banks. A welcome lunch is followed by your first afternoon game drive, focused on locating the famous Samburu Special Five. Your expert guide navigates the acacia-studded terrain where reticulated giraffe move gracefully across the red earth, gerenuk reach skyward on hind legs, and Grevy’s zebra gather near the riverine forest in the late afternoon light.

9 hours

Lunch + Dinner

Day 02 :

Full Day Samburu Game Drives

A full day dedicated to Samburu National Reserve offers morning and afternoon game drives through the reserve’s diverse semi-arid habitats. The early morning drive follows the Ewaso Nyiro River where large elephant families drink and play in the cool dawn light, and your guide searches the dense gallery forest for leopards that favour the shaded riverine canopy. The rust-red landscape of volcanic rock and scattered doum palms creates a stunning photographic backdrop as you track the remaining Special Five members: the Beisa oryx on the open plains and the Somali ostrich with its distinctive blue legs striding through the scrubland. The afternoon drive explores different areas of the reserve, watching for lion prides adapted to the arid conditions and the smaller predators such as wild dog and bat-eared fox that emerge as the afternoon heat softens.

12 hours

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner

Day 03 :

Samburu to Ol Pejeta Conservancy

After a hearty breakfast at camp, check out and drive south toward Laikipia County and the renowned Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The three to four hour drive retraces the route through the central highlands, passing through the fertile Laikipia plateau with views of Mount Kenya’s snow-capped peaks on clear mornings. You arrive at Ol Pejeta for lunch at your safari lodge. The afternoon is dedicated to Ol Pejeta’s most moving experience: a visit to the northern white rhino enclosure where Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, live under 24-hour protection. Your ranger guide shares the full story of their subspecies and the cutting-edge conservation science aimed at preserving their genetic legacy. The afternoon game drive continues through the conservancy’s highland grasslands in search of black rhinos, lions, and cheetah.

8 hours

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner

Day 04 :

Full Day Ol Pejeta Conservation Drives

Enjoy a full day at Ol Pejeta Conservancy with morning and afternoon game drives through its 90,000 acres of diverse highland wilderness. The morning begins with a visit to Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only facility in Kenya caring for orphaned and rescued chimpanzees, which offers a fascinating and uplifting insight into primate conservation. Your guide then leads a game drive targeting Ol Pejeta’s remarkable black rhino population, with patient tracking through the highland bush offering excellent photographic opportunities at close range. The afternoon drive explores the conservancy’s open grasslands where lion prides rest in the shade of acacia trees and cheetah scan the plains from elevated positions. An optional night game drive reveals the conservancy’s nocturnal world of aardvark, porcupine, and hunting leopard.

12 hours

Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner

Day 05 :

Ol Pejeta to Nairobi

Enjoy a final breakfast at the Ol Pejeta lodge with views of the highland plains before checking out for the drive back to Nairobi. The journey takes approximately two and a half to three hours through the Laikipia plateau and the rolling farmland of the central highlands, passing through Nanyuki and Nyeri before descending into Nairobi. Your driver arrives at your Nairobi hotel or the international airport by midday. You leave with extraordinary wildlife memories from one of Kenya’s most diverse and ecologically important northern safari itineraries.

5 hours

Breakfast