Overview
Travel from Nairobi on an eight-day private road safari through the Aberdare area, Samburu National Reserve, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Maasai Mara, returning to Nairobi on day eight. The seven nights are divided into one Aberdare, two Samburu, two Ol Pejeta and two Mara nights. The programme combines the included Aberdare forest game drive, a full Samburu day, both included Ol Pejeta conservation visits and a full Mara day. Choose Budget, Mid-Range or Luxury accommodation and a private Land Cruiser 4×4 or Safari Minivan. The selected properties determine their facilities and the precise transfer arrangements; tree-hotel waterhole viewing is not available with every Aberdare option. Park and reserve fees and the meals listed each day are included. Day six is the longer Ol Pejeta-to-Mara road transfer, and day eight is the road return after breakfast. Wildlife sightings and arrival-drive opportunities depend on actual conditions.
Trip Highlights
- Seven nights: one Aberdare, two Samburu, two Ol Pejeta and two Maasai Mara
- Included guided forest game drive in the Aberdare
- Full Samburu day with morning and afternoon private game drives
- Included northern white rhino and Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary visits
- Full Maasai Mara day between two Mara-area nights
- Budget, Mid-Range and Luxury accommodation options
- Private Land Cruiser 4x4 or Safari Minivan; Nairobi road pick-up and drop-off
Itinerary
Your private safari begins with the morning journey from Nairobi to the Aberdare area in Kenya’s central highlands. A guided afternoon forest game drive explores the park’s permitted roads and forest habitats, with time to observe wildlife encountered along the route. The landscape introduces a different safari setting from the open-country destinations that follow. Waterhole viewing forms part of the stay only where the booked property provides that experience.
Your party leaves the Aberdare area and continues north through the central highlands and Mount Kenya region towards Samburu National Reserve. An afternoon game drive introduces the semi-arid landscape and riverine habitats after arrival. Your guide explores permitted reserve tracks, searching for resident wildlife and allowing time to observe animals encountered. This first Samburu outing establishes the setting before the full wildlife day that follows.
Morning and afternoon private game drives provide a full day in Samburu. Your guide explores riverine vegetation and open dry-country habitats, looking for Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, beisa oryx and Somali ostrich, alongside other resident wildlife. Time is allowed for patient observation of animals encountered, without promising all five northern species. A break separates the two outings before the afternoon drive continues the reserve exploration.
The safari continues south from Samburu to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The Ol Pejeta programme includes the northern white rhino experience, the standard Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary visit and game viewing. Reserved appointments determine how the conservation visits are arranged across this day and the following full day. Your guide coordinates the wildlife-viewing outings around those visits, introducing the conservancy’s grassland and woodland habitats while allowing time to observe resident animals encountered.
Morning and afternoon game drives explore Ol Pejeta’s permitted wildlife-viewing areas. Any included northern white rhino or chimpanzee sanctuary appointment scheduled for this day takes place at its reserved time, with the drives arranged around the conservation experiences. The full day provides time to explore further habitats and observe resident wildlife encountered. An Ol Pejeta night game drive remains an optional, separately charged activity, arranged under the conservancy’s current booking requirements outside the included daytime programme.
Your party leaves Ol Pejeta for the private journey through the Rift Valley and Narok area to the Maasai Mara. This stage connects the central highlands with the Mara’s wildlife landscape. A short arrival game drive takes place only when arrival and reserve entry allow; it is not a full wildlife day. The programme continues to the Mara base before the following day’s morning and afternoon game drives.
A full Mara day features morning and afternoon private game drives. Your guide explores suitable grassland and other accessible wildlife habitats within the agreed reserve viewing areas, following current animal movements and allowing time for patient observation. A break separates the two outings before further afternoon game viewing. Predators, migration crossings and particular species are not guaranteed. Balloon flights and Maasai village visits remain optional extras rather than included activities.
Your party checks out and leaves the Maasai Mara for the private road return to Nairobi. The return completes the eight-day journey through the Aberdare highlands, Samburu, Ol Pejeta and the Mara. There is no full Mara wildlife day before departure in this programme. The safari ends with the included agreed drop-off in Nairobi after seven nights across the four destinations.
Cost Details
What's Included
- Private road transport in your selected Land Cruiser 4x4 or Safari Minivan throughout the itinerary
- Nairobi pick-up and drop-off
- Game drives described in the itinerary, including the guided Aberdare forest drive; arrival drives remain subject to transfer timing and permitted access
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Seven nights in your selected Budget, Mid-Range or Luxury accommodation, with meals as listed each day
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy entry and conservation fees
- Northern white rhino enclosure visit
- Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary visit
- All applicable park and reserve entry fees
- Drinking water during game drives
- Complimentary binoculars for use during game drives
What's Not Included
- International flights
- Kenya entry authorisation or visa charges, where applicable
- Travel and medical insurance
- Hot air balloon safari in the Mara
- Optional Maasai village visit
- Optional Ol Pejeta night game drive, separately charged and subject to current arrangements and availability
- Tips and gratuities for guide and accommodation staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Personal expenses such as laundry and souvenirs
FAQs
The eight-day road itinerary has one Aberdare-area night, two Samburu-area nights, two Ol Pejeta nights and two Maasai Mara-area nights. It starts and finishes in Nairobi. The last day is the road return after breakfast, with no overnight stay included after arrival in Nairobi.
Budget, Mid-Range and Luxury accommodation options are available, with a private Land Cruiser 4×4 or Safari Minivan for your party. The booking identifies each property and its location, room arrangements and the selected vehicle. Different choices can have different prices; the existing package rate does not establish one price for every configuration.
The Aberdare property varies with the selected accommodation option. The day-one guided forest game drive is included. Tree-hotel facilities and waterhole viewing apply only where provided by the booked property; they are not a feature of every accommodation choice. Wildlife visits to a waterhole are not guaranteed.
The northern white rhino experience and standard Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary visit are both included for eligible participants, together with Ol Pejeta entry and scheduled game drives. Appointments determine their order across the two-night stay. Ol Pejeta does not offer northern white rhino visits on Tuesdays and does not admit children under five to that experience. The published sessions are 08:30-09:30, 11:00-12:00 and 15:00-16:30; the permitted appointment is confirmed for the booking. The optional night game drive remains separately charged and subject to current arrangements and availability.
The daily meal plan is lunch and dinner on day one; breakfast, lunch and dinner on days two to seven; and breakfast on day eight. Seven nights, the itinerary’s park and reserve entry fees and Ol Pejeta conservation fees are included. International flights, entry authorisation charges where applicable, insurance, gratuities, premium drinks and personal expenses are excluded. Balloon flights and Maasai village visits are optional extras.
Day six is the Ol Pejeta-to-Mara road transfer, with lunch included and a short arrival drive only where timing and permitted access allow. Day eight returns from the Mara to Nairobi after breakfast. Exact driving times depend on the booked properties, gates, traffic, road conditions and stops. No fixed early-afternoon Nairobi arrival or same-day flight connection is guaranteed.
No. The guide plans each drive around access and wildlife movements. The programme does not guarantee all Big Five, the Samburu Special Five, a particular predator or a migration river crossing. The included conservation visits follow their reserved access arrangements; ordinary game-drive sightings remain variable.
Safari Route Map
A sense of the journey
Your route, at a glance.
Nairobi → Aberdare → Samburu → Ol Pejeta Conservancy → Maasai Mara → Nairobi
Find your journey on the map.
Tap a stage below to explore the journey.
Location markers are approximate. Connections show the journey sequence, not roads, exact driving distances or live vehicle tracking. The itinerary sets out each stage.
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