8 Day Kenya Safari: Culture, Birding and Wildlife in Kenya

Safari Overview

Duration: 8 days / 7 nights

Route: Nairobi → Samburu → Lake Nakuru → Maasai Mara → Nairobi

Accommodation: Argyle Grand Hotel, Samburu Sopa Lodge or Samburu Simba Lodge or Samburu Ashnil Camp or Sarova Shaba Lodge, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge or Lake Nakuru Lodge or Sarova Lion Hill or Flamingo Hills Camp, Zebra Plains Mara Camp or Zebra River Camp or Little Zebra Camp or Zebra Royal Camp or Zebra Valley Camp or Lalashe Camp or Lalashe Ripoi Camp

Basis: Bed and breakfast in Nairobi. Full board on safari.

Pricing: The cost of this 8 Day Kenya Safari is determined by the number of persons, hotel or camp category, and travel season.

Why Choose This 8 Day Kenya Safari

This 8 Day Kenya Safari works well because each stop feels different. Nairobi introduces Kenya’s capital and culture. Samburu adds dry-country wildlife and strong birding. Lake Nakuru brings Rift Valley scenery and rich birdlife. Maasai Mara closes the journey with wide plains, predators, and strong game density.

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi

On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, a Campo East Africa Safaris representative will meet you and transfer you to Argyle Grand Hotel.

Nairobi sits at about 1,700 metres above sea level. It is Kenya’s capital and a strong starting point for safari travel. Wide avenues, flowering shrubs, museums, markets, galleries, curio shops, and city restaurants give it a lively feel. Places of interest include the Municipal Market, Jamia Mosque, the National Museum, and the Snake Park.

Dinner is on own arrangement. Overnight is at Argyle Grand Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 2: Nairobi to Samburu

Breakfast is at 0700 hrs. Departure is at 0730 hrs.

This 8 Day Kenya Safari then heads north through Kenya’s productive highlands. You pass coffee farms, fruit-growing areas, and rivers fed by Mount Kenya and the Aberdares. The road crosses the Tana River, Kenya’s longest river, before descending toward Laikipia and Nanyuki.

The landscape changes again near Isiolo, where northern trade routes meet. From here, you continue to Samburu National Reserve. Lunch is at the lodge. An afternoon game drive follows.

Samburu is dry and semi-desert, with the Ewaso Nyiro River bringing life to a narrow green belt. The reserve is known for species that are hard to see elsewhere in Kenya, including Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, and Somali ostrich. Dinner and overnight are at your lodge or camp.

Day 3: Full Day in Samburu

Coffee or tea is served at 0615 hrs. The morning game drive starts at 0630 hrs. Breakfast follows later at 0900 hrs.

This 8 Day Kenya Safari gives you a full day in Samburu for morning and afternoon game drives. Crocodiles lie along the riverbanks. Leopards may rest in the trees. Impalas, Grant’s gazelles, elephants, buffaloes, and many birds are also common. Samburu is excellent for birders, with more than 450 bird species recorded.

Lunch is at the lodge. An optional visit to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary Kenya can be added.

Dinner and overnight are at the lodge.

Day 4: Samburu to Lake Nakuru

After breakfast, depart for the Rift Valley and continue to Lake Nakuru National Park. Arrive in time for lunch at the lodge.

Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya’s strongest birding parks. It is famous for flamingos when lake conditions allow, but it also offers much more. Yellow acacia woodland, euphorbia forest, open grassland, and lake-edge habitat support over 450 bird species. Mammals include waterbuck, warthog, baboons, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, leopards, and rhinos.

Late afternoon is for game viewing and bird watching. Dinner and overnight are at the lodge.

Day 5: Lake Nakuru to Maasai Mara

Breakfast is at 0700 hrs. Departure is at 0730 hrs.

Your 8 Day Kenya Safari continues west past the volcanic forms of Longonot and Suswa. After Narok, you approach the Loita Plains, where circular Maasai manyattas appear along the route. You then continue into the greater Serengeti ecosystem and reach Maasai Mara Game Reserve.

Lunch is at the lodge or camp. In the evening, enjoy a nature walk and a visit to a cultural Maasai village.

Maasai Mara takes its name from the Mara River, a permanent water source that supports large numbers of herbivores. Zebra, wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, hartebeest, topi, buffalo, and elephant are common. That prey base supports lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and jackals.

Dinner and overnight are at the lodge or camp.

Day 6: Full Day in Maasai Mara

Coffee or tea is served at 0615 hrs. Breakfast is at 0600 hrs. Picnic lunch boxes are provided.

This 8 Day Kenya Safari includes a full day of game drives in the Mara. The early morning hours are the best for predator action because temperatures are lower and the light is softer. This is often the best time for photography.

You spend the day exploring the plains, following herds and scanning for the big cats. Meals and overnight are at the lodge or camp.

Day 7: Maasai Mara to Nairobi

Breakfast is at 0700 hrs. Departure is at 0730 hrs.

Leave the savannah behind and return to Nairobi. The grasslands give way to bushland and then greener country as you approach the city.

The rest of the day is at leisure. Lunch is on own arrangement. Dinner is at the famous Carnivore restaurant. Overnight is at Argyle Grand Hotel.

Day 8: Departure

Transfer to the international airport according to your flight schedule.

What Is Included in This 8 Day Kenya Safari

• Arrival and departure airport transfers as per the itinerary
• Bed and breakfast accommodation in Nairobi
• Lunch at Carnivore restaurant
• Full board accommodation in lodges or camps while on safari
• Transport in a 6-seater tour Land Cruiser
• Exclusive use of vehicle with guaranteed window seat
• Multi-lingual speaking driver-guide
• All park and reserve entrance fees
• Bottled water while on safari
• Nature walking safari and visit to a cultural Maasai village
• Flying Doctors evacuation cover
• Sundowner at Maasai Mara on the African savannah

What Is Not Included

• International flights
• Hot air balloon at US$450 per person
• Helicopter flight over Maasai Mara at US$700 per person
• Laundry and drinks
• Tips for waiters, porters, and safari guide
• Anything not mentioned in the itinerary