6-Day Samburu Laikipia & Ol Pejeta Conservation Safari

Your Samburu Laikipia Ol Pejeta conservation safari begins with an early departure from Nairobi, driving north through the fertile central highlands on the approximately five-hour journey to Samburu National Reserve. As you cross the equator and descend into the semi-arid lowlands, the landscape transforms dramatically from green farmland to the rust-red earth and doum palm scenery of Kenya’s northern frontier. Upon arrival at your riverside camp within the reserve, you enjoy lunch overlooking the Ewaso Nyiro River before an afternoon game drive along the riverine corridors. Your guide introduces you to the Samburu Special Five species, starting with the elegant reticulated giraffe and the gravity-defying gerenuk browsing on hind legs, while elephants splash in the river shallows and crocodiles sun on the sandy banks.

Dedicate a full day to exploring Samburu National Reserve on morning and afternoon game drives covering diverse habitats. The dawn drive follows the river where elephant families gather to drink, martial eagles survey from tall trees, and your guide tracks lion prides adapted to the arid environment. The volcanic rock formations and rust-coloured soil create stunning photographic backdrops as you search for Grevy’s zebra, Beisa oryx on the open plains, and Somali ostrich striding through the scrubland. After a relaxing midday break at camp, the afternoon drive targets different sectors of the reserve including areas known for leopard sightings in the dense gallery forest. The late afternoon golden light transforms the Samburu landscape into a photographer’s paradise as herds move toward water and predators begin their evening patrols.

After breakfast, you depart Samburu and drive approximately three hours south and uphill to a private conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau. The transition from semi-arid lowlands to the rolling highland grasslands is remarkable, and you arrive at your conservancy lodge in time for lunch with views across the vast open landscape. The afternoon game drive introduces you to the exclusive privileges of private conservancy safari, with off-road access that allows your guide to follow wildlife closely. The focus is on tracking the resident African wild dog pack, one of East Africa’s most endangered and thrilling predators. Your guide also searches for rhinos, big cats, and large herds of buffalo and eland that thrive on the protected ranch lands. An optional night drive after dinner reveals Laikipia’s nocturnal wildlife including serval, aardvark, and bush babies.

A full day on the Laikipia conservancy allows you to experience the complete range of exclusive safari activities. The morning begins with a pre-dawn game drive targeting the wild dog pack at their den site as they prepare for a hunt, followed by tracking across the grasslands for rhinos and big cat sightings. After brunch at the lodge, an afternoon guided bush walk takes you into the wilderness on foot with an armed naturalist guide. Walking through the African bush transforms your understanding of the ecosystem as you learn to read animal tracks, identify medicinal plants, and appreciate the smaller creatures that are invisible from a vehicle. The afternoon game drive continues through different sectors of the conservancy, and the day concludes with sundowners overlooking the plateau before dinner at the lodge.

Depart the Laikipia conservancy after breakfast for the short drive to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. This 90,000-acre sanctuary sits in the shadow of Mount Kenya and represents one of Africa’s greatest conservation success stories. After checking in and enjoying lunch, your afternoon begins with a visit to the northern white rhino enclosure where Najin and Fatu, the last two of their subspecies, live under 24-hour armed guard. This deeply moving experience brings the global extinction crisis into personal focus as rangers share the extraordinary efforts underway to save the species through assisted reproduction. Continue to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary before an evening game drive across the conservancy where black rhinos emerge to feed, lions patrol the grasslands, and the setting sun paints Mount Kenya in spectacular colours.

Rise early for a final morning game drive through Ol Pejeta Conservancy as the sunrise illuminates Mount Kenya’s glacial peaks. Your guide tracks black rhinos and the resident lion pride while herds of zebra and eland graze across the open plains. The highland morning is crisp and clear, perfect for photography and birdwatching with raptors, hornbills, and vibrant sunbirds abundant throughout the conservancy. After a hearty breakfast, you check out and drive approximately three hours back to Nairobi through Nanyuki and the central highlands, arriving by early afternoon with six days of extraordinary memories spanning rare wildlife, exclusive safari experiences, and deeply inspiring conservation encounters across northern Kenya’s finest destinations.