Skip to content
A small Go East Africa Safaris wordmark beneath an Africa-shaped graphic.
A male lion resting in tall grass.

Wildlife safari · Kenya

9-Day Aberdare · Samburu · Mount Kenya · Lake Nakuru · Maasai Mara

Kenya beyond the Mara: a tree lodge in the Aberdares, two nights in arid Samburu on the Ewaso Nyiro River, the Mount Kenya foothills and Lake Nakuru, finishing with two full days in the Maasai Mara.

  • 9 days
  • Kenya
  • Wildlife safari
  • Quoted to your dates
Get a free quoteAsk on WhatsApp
4.9/5 from 31 traveller reviews on SafariBookings (opens in a new tab)

The journey

A closer look at your trip.

Kenya beyond the Mara: a tree lodge in the Aberdares, two nights in arid Samburu on the Ewaso Nyiro River, the Mount Kenya foothills and Lake Nakuru, finishing with two full days in the Maasai Mara.

Maasai MaraLake NakuruAberdareSamburuMount KenyaNairobi
Duration
9 days
Countries
Kenya
Trip style
Wildlife safari
Transport
4x4 Land Cruiser
Start
Nairobi
End
Nairobi
Price
On Request

Choose your safari style

The same route, at the level you want to travel.

This journey follows the same wildlife route whichever style you choose. What changes is where you sleep, the level of service and how the trip is quoted.

Choose your safari style

Budget: where you stay

Suggested accommodation

Suggested accommodation is subject to availability. A property of a similar standard may be proposed where necessary.

What this style means

  • Practical camps and lodges, and public campsites inside the Tanzanian parks. The wildlife itinerary, the guiding and the 4x4 Land Cruiser are the same as on the upgraded styles of this route.
Price
On Request
Catalogue reference
Product 12
Enquire about the budget option

Midrange: where you stay

Suggested accommodation

Suggested accommodation is subject to availability. A property of a similar standard may be proposed where necessary.

What this style means

  • Upgraded rooms, dining and a higher service level throughout, with a 4x4 Land Cruiser for game drives.
Price
On Request
Catalogue reference
Product 69
Enquire about the midrange option

Luxury: where you stay

Suggested accommodation

Suggested accommodation is subject to availability. A property of a similar standard may be proposed where necessary.

What this style means

  • Premium camps and lodges with elevated service, delivered in a private-style format with a 4x4 Land Cruiser.
Price
On Request
Catalogue reference
Product 100
Enquire about the luxury option

Trip highlights

The places that shape this journey.

  • 01

    Maasai Mara

  • 02

    Lake Nakuru

  • 03

    Aberdare

  • 04

    Samburu

  • 05

    Mount Kenya

  • 06

    Nairobi

Your route

Across Kenya.

Nairobi → Aberdare → Samburu → Mount Kenya → Lake Nakuru → Maasai Mara → Nairobi

We will confirm the day-by-day sequence and overnight stops in your detailed proposal.

KENYATANZANIANairobiAberdareSamburuMount KenyaLake NakuruMaasai Mara

Schematic route · See the day-by-day programme for travel details.

Day by day

9 days in East Africa.

  1. Day 1

    Nairobi – Aberdare National Park

    Depart Nairobi after breakfast and drive north through coffee and tea plantations to a country club on the slopes of Mweiga Hill for lunch. In the afternoon transfer to a tree lodge set in forest at about 7,000 feet in the Aberdare mountains. Game viewing here happens from the lodge itself, over a waterhole and salt lick, and includes animals rarely seen elsewhere such as giant forest hog, bush pig, tree hyrax, genet and, occasionally, bongo. Elephant herds come within a few metres, and staff can wake you in the night if a leopard or lion appears. Dinner and overnight at the tree lodge.

    Overnight
    KWS public campsite, AberdareThe Ark, AberdareThe Ark, Aberdare
    Meals
    Lunch and dinner
    Giraffes in grassland with a city skyline at sunset.
    Nairobi, where this journey begins and ends.

  2. Day 2

    Tree Lodge — Samburu Game Reserve

    This morning the road leads north across the equator to Kenya's northern frontier. Samburu National Reserve is wild and rugged, its arid savanna cut by the Ewaso Nyiro River, and it is home to species found only north of the equator: reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx and gerenuk. Arrive at the lodge and, after lunch, take an afternoon game drive in the 4x4 Land Cruiser along the river, where elephant come to drink. Return after the afternoon game drive for dinner and the night.

    Overnight
    Umoja Camp, SamburuAshnil Samburu CampElephant Bedroom Camp, Samburu
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  3. Day 3

    Samburu National Reserve

    After breakfast, a full day in Samburu: either a single long drive with picnic lunches or morning and afternoon drives around a return to the lodge, whichever you prefer. The reserve's doum palms, river woodland and dry hills hold leopard, lion and cheetah as well as the northern specialities, and the birdlife is exceptional, from vulturine guineafowl to Somali ostrich and the hornbills that follow dwarf mongoose troops. The day ends with dinner and time to unwind.

    Overnight
    Umoja Camp, SamburuAshnil Samburu CampElephant Bedroom Camp, Samburu
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  4. Day 4

    Samburu — Mount Kenya Safari Club

    After breakfast, a final game drive in Samburu, then depart south across the equator to the foothills of Mount Kenya and a well-known club on the mountain's slopes. The property has a glamorous past and offers horse riding, golf, trout streams, tennis and a sauna, with the peaks of Mount Kenya in view when the cloud lifts in the early morning or evening. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the grounds. Dinner and overnight at the club.

    Overnight
    Mount Kenya clubMount Kenya clubMount Kenya club
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    Hikers crossing highland vegetation beneath jagged mountain peaks.
    The upper slopes of Mount Kenya on this stage of the climb.

  5. Day 5

    Mount Kenya Safari Club — Lake Nakuru

    After breakfast, leave the Mount Kenya region and drive west across the highlands, with a stop at Thomson's Falls in Nyahururu, before descending into the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park in time for lunch. The afternoon game drive circles the alkaline lake and its wooded slopes, where rhino, buffalo, waterbuck and Rothschild's giraffe are found and flamingos gather in varying numbers. Return for dinner and settle in for the evening.

    Overnight
    Buraha Zenoni, Lake NakuruLake Nakuru Sopa LodgeThe Cliff Nakuru
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  6. Day 6

    Lake Nakuru — Maasai Mara National Reserve

    After breakfast, a game drive on the way out of Lake Nakuru, then travel through the Great Rift Valley to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The Mara is the northern extension of the Serengeti plains, known for the great wildebeest migration and home to the Big Five. Lunch at the lodge and time to relax before the afternoon game drive, where Maasai giraffe, buffalo, eland and thousands of impala, zebra, topi and gazelle are easy to see. Come back for dinner and a quiet evening.

    Overnight
    Miti Mingi Camp, Maasai MaraZebra Plains Mara CampGovernors' Camp, Maasai Mara
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  7. Day 7

    Maasai Mara full day

    The search for the great predators, and perhaps cubs, continues today with extensive morning and afternoon game drives in the 4x4 Land Cruiser. The plains carry enormous herds of grazing animals, while cheetah use the termite mounds as lookouts and leopard rest among the acacia boughs along the river lines. Your guide plans the routes around recent sightings. Lunch and dinner are included, with the evening free before the night.

    Overnight
    Miti Mingi Camp, Maasai MaraZebra Plains Mara CampGovernors' Camp, Maasai Mara
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner

  8. Day 8

    Maasai Mara full day

    A second full day in the Maasai Mara, giving time to reach the further corners of the reserve and to return to any sighting worth a longer watch. During the stay there is an optional opportunity to visit a Maasai village to see the singing and dancing that are part of daily life and ritual, and to get a glimpse of the homes and social structure of the community. Game drives morning and afternoon. Return after the day's game viewing for dinner and your overnight stay.

    Overnight
    Miti Mingi Camp, Maasai MaraZebra Plains Mara CampGovernors' Camp, Maasai Mara
    Meals
    Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    A male lion and lioness resting in grass at sunset.
    The Maasai Mara — the heart of this journey.

  9. Day 9

    Maasai Mara – Nairobi

    After a leisurely breakfast, drive back to Nairobi, climbing out of the Mara through Narok and up the Rift Valley escarpment to arrive in the afternoon. Depending on your flight time there may be a chance to visit the city's shopping areas, revisit a favourite spot or simply relax before the transfer to the airport. Tell us your departure details when booking so the timing of the drive from the Mara can be arranged to suit them.

    Meals
    Breakfast

What is included

Your written quotation itemises every one of these for your dates, so you can compare it line by line with any other:

  • Park, reserve and conservancy entry fees
  • Accommodation for each night, named
  • Meals on each day
  • Game drives in the 4x4 Land Cruiser, with its seating
  • Driver-guide and fuel
  • Airport or hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Whether the vehicle is private or shared

What to allow for

Most travellers also budget separately for the items below. Your quotation confirms which apply to this trip.

  • International flights
  • Kenya eTA and any Tanzania visa
  • Travel and medical insurance (Tanzania now requires inbound cover)
  • Optional activities such as a balloon flight
  • Drinks and tips for guides and camp staff
How safari prices and park fees work →

When to travel

Seasonal considerations.

Game viewing across Kenya is at its most reliable in the dry months, roughly June to October and again in January and February, when the grass is shorter and animals concentrate around permanent water. The long rains fall around April and May and the short rains in November; both bring green country, fewer vehicles and lower rates, at the cost of some unpredictability on the roads. There is no month in which this journey cannot run.

Read the full season guide →

Who it suits

Is this the right journey?

  • Travellers with time to spend and a wish to see the region properly rather than in outline.
  • Travellers at different budgets — this route is sold as Budget, Midrange, Luxury, with the same wildlife itinerary throughout.
  • Parties who want the vehicle and the pace to themselves; this journey is arranged privately.

Pricing

Plan with the details in view.

On Request

Published catalogue reference rate. Confirm availability and the final quotation for your travel dates.

This itinerary can also be arranged privately in a 4x4 Land Cruiser on request. A private departure is quoted separately and confirmed with your dates and group size.

Request a quotation

Free quotation

Get a quote for this trip.

Tell us when and how many. We will reply with a written quotation for the 9-Day Aberdare · Samburu · Mount Kenya · Lake Nakuru · Maasai Mara in the style you selected above, and adjust the pace, parks or accommodation if you would like something different.

4.9/5 from 31 traveller reviews on SafariBookings (opens in a new tab)
  1. 01

    Tell us your dates

    Send the quick form or a WhatsApp message. It is free and commits you to nothing.

  2. 02

    Get a written quotation

    Our Nairobi team checks availability and sends a quotation stating the route, accommodation and exactly what is and is not included.

  3. 03

    Adjust it until it fits

    Change the pace, the style of accommodation or the parks. Ask anything before you decide.

  4. 04

    Book when you are ready

    Nothing is reserved or charged until you accept the quotation in writing.

Rather talk it through? Ask on WhatsApp

Free and without obligation. Nothing is booked or charged until you accept a written quotation.

Your questions, answered.

How do I request a quotation?

Send your travel dates, party size and accommodation preferences. We will confirm availability and send a written quotation before you book.

Can I customise this trip?

Ask our team about adjustments to the itinerary, accommodation and pace. We will explain what is practical for your dates and confirm any price changes.

What is the published price for this 9-day trip?

On Request. Ask us to confirm the quotation for your dates and group size.

What vehicle is used for game drives?

Safari game drives use a 4x4 Land Cruiser. Your quotation will confirm whether your trip is private or shared and specify any separate transfer arrangements.

Before you choose

Understand the places, stays and practical details.

Read the destination guides alongside this itinerary to compare access, wildlife habitat and accommodation position. The named comfort option and written quotation confirm the actual overnight stays, meals and activities.

Places on this route

Useful preparation

Keep exploring

Related journeys.

Get a free quote · no obligation
WhatsApp