What is special about the Aberdare tree lodge experience

Aberdare ark-style lodges are built over floodlit waterholes in the montane forest, allowing guests to watch wildlife arriving to drink through the night from the comfort of heated viewing decks, a uniquely atmospheric safari experience.

Can I see black rhinos in the Aberdares

Yes, the Aberdare National Park is a protected sanctuary for the endangered black rhino. Sightings are unpredictable but possible, particularly at night when rhinos visit the floodlit waterhole.

Is the drive from the Aberdares to the Mara very long

The drive takes approximately five to six hours but passes through beautiful highland scenery and Rift Valley escarpment country, making it a scenic and enjoyable road journey rather than a burden.

What wildlife is unique to Samburu compared to the Mara

Samburu's Special Five species, including Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, and gerenuk, are not found in the Maasai Mara, making the northern reserve an essential addition for wildlife enthusiasts.

Is this safari suitable for children

Yes, children aged 6 and above are welcome. The variety of destinations and the novelty of the Aberdare night waterhole experience make this safari particularly engaging for young wildlife enthusiasts.

6 Day Samburu Aberdare Maasai Mara Classic Kenya Route Safari

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Map

Overview

Itinerary

Cost

FAQs

Map

Overview

The classic Kenya safari route through Samburu, the Aberdares, and the Maasai Mara is a time-honoured journey through three of East Africa’s most distinct and captivating wilderness environments. This six-day circuit begins in the semi-arid northern frontier, where Samburu National Reserve’s rust-red landscape along the Ewaso Nyiro River shelters the rare Special Five species unique to Kenya’s north. The route then crosses the equatorial highlands to the Aberdare National Park, a montane forest and moorland ecosystem draped in morning mist where elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog, and the endangered black rhino roam dense bamboo thickets and open moorland. The journey culminates in the legendary Maasai Mara National Reserve, where the endless golden savannah supports the world’s greatest concentration of predators and Africa’s most spectacular annual wildlife event, the Great Wildebeest Migration. This classic Kenya route safari is the definitive East African adventure for travellers who want to experience the full ecological range of Kenya’s wildlife, from dry northern acacia scrub to highland montane forest and open savannah grassland, in a single coherent journey. The contrast between destinations is part of the magic: the cool mountain air and night game viewing of the Aberdares follows the hot, sun-drenched game drives of Samburu, and both are entirely different from the wide-open theatre of the Maasai Mara. Traditional Treetop or ark-style lodges in the Aberdares, where floodlit waterholes attract wildlife through the night, add a uniquely atmospheric dimension to this classic Kenya safari. Throughout the journey, expert guides and comfortable road logistics ensure every day delivers new discoveries and extraordinary wildlife encounters across Kenya’s most celebrated landscapes.

Trip Highlights

Track the Samburu Special Five along the Ewaso Nyiro River
Unique Aberdare treetop or ark-style lodge with floodlit waterhole night viewing
Black rhino, elephant, and giant forest hog in the Aberdare highlands
Big Five game drives in the iconic Maasai Mara National Reserve
Three completely different ecosystems in six days
Scenic equatorial highland drive between Samburu and the Aberdares
Lion, cheetah, and leopard sightings in the Mara grasslands
Birding across semi-arid, montane forest, and savannah habitats

Day 01 :

Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve

Your classic Kenya safari departs Nairobi early morning, driving north through the Rift Valley and central highlands, passing Nyeri and the equatorial highlands before descending into the semi-arid northern frontier. The approximately four-hour drive to Samburu National Reserve offers increasingly dramatic landscape changes as the lush highlands give way to rust-red earth, thorn scrub, and doum palm country. Arriving at the reserve in the early afternoon, you check into your riverside camp and enjoy lunch overlooking the Ewaso Nyiro River before an afternoon game drive. The landscape rewards you immediately with reticulated giraffe crossing a dry riverbed, gerenuk browsing in tall acacia trees, and an elephant herd wading through the river shallows as crocodiles maintain a watchful distance.

Day 02 :

Full Day Samburu Game Drives

A full day exploring Samburu National Reserve on morning and afternoon game drives covers the reserve's most productive wildlife corridors. The early morning drive follows the Ewaso Nyiro River where wildlife gathers at first light: massive elephant families drink and play in the shallows, Nile crocodiles ease into the water, and martial eagles perch in tall riverside trees. Your guide searches for the fifth member of the Special Five, the blue-legged Somali ostrich, striding through open bush, and targets areas known for leopard activity in the dense riverine forest. Lions adapted to Samburu's arid conditions are regulars along the river, and with luck you may encounter them resting beneath doum palms as the day heats up. The afternoon drive explores drier sectors of the reserve where Beisa oryx stand sentinel on rocky outcrops and the light creates dramatic photography opportunities.

Day 03 :

Samburu to Aberdare National Park

After an early morning game drive and breakfast, you depart Samburu and drive south through the equatorial highlands toward the Aberdare National Park, a journey of approximately three hours through mountain smallholder farmlands and fragrant cedar forests. Arriving at the Aberdares in the early afternoon, you check into your treetop or ark-style lodge perched above a floodlit waterhole in the montane forest. The rest of the afternoon is spent on the lodge's viewing decks, watching elephants, buffalo, and giant forest hog arrive to drink and wallow below. As darkness falls, the waterhole becomes a theatre of nocturnal wildlife activity, with bushbuck, hyena, and occasionally black rhino visiting through the night, all visible from the warmth of your lodge veranda.

Day 04 :

Aberdare National Park to Maasai Mara

After a memorable morning watching the Aberdare waterhole activity and enjoying a full breakfast, you check out and begin the long but scenic drive to the Maasai Mara, covering approximately five to six hours through the highlands and Great Rift Valley. The route offers spectacular escarpment viewpoints and passes through Maasai pastoral lands as the landscape opens up toward the Mara plains. Arriving in the early afternoon, you check into your camp and head out on an afternoon game drive that wastes no time in delivering the Mara's legendary wildlife. The contrast with the cool Aberdare forest is immediate: vast open grasslands, enormous herds of wildebeest and zebra, and the savannah's top predators going about their daily business.

Day 05 :

Full Day Maasai Mara Game Drives

Dedicate a full day to the Maasai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives exploring different sectors of the reserve. The early morning is perfect for big cat activity: cheetah families are most active at dawn, lions can be found on hunts near the Mara River, and leopards may be spotted draped in riverine fig trees before retreating to shade. Your guide navigates the vast Mara Triangle and eastern plains, seeking out the reserve's highlights at each time of day. The afternoon drive covers different ground, exploring the Mara River banks where hippo pods and crocodiles congregate, and the open corridors used by the wildebeest herds during migration season.

Day 06 :

Maasai Mara to Nairobi

Enjoy a peaceful final morning at the Mara camp, watching the bush come alive from your tent or lodge veranda before a hearty breakfast. After checking out, you depart the Maasai Mara and drive northeast back to Nairobi, a journey of approximately five hours through the Rift Valley highlands. The return route offers a final farewell to the Mara ecosystem and the sweeping Rift Valley panoramas before you arrive in Nairobi in the late afternoon, completing a remarkable six-day classic Kenya safari circuit.