NAIROBI, SAMBURU, LAKE NAKURU, MASAI MARA
Take a walk on the wild side with this small-group Kenya tour including airfare from the U.S.! Begin your adventure in Nairobi, before venturing out to explore captivating scenery and spot exotic animals. Visit the home of Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, and have the amazing opportunity to feed and admire giraffes. Then, witness exciting wildlife on safari in the Samburu National Reserve, Lake Nakuru, and Masai Mara National Reserve. Game drives flourish with animals, both fierce and docile—from noble lions and fleet-footed cheetahs to strong, but peaceful elephants. At Lake Nakuru National Park, you’ll also find a rhino sanctuary and pink flamingos huddling around the lake. Enjoy the chance to unwind with tranquil surroundings after adventurous game drives during the day.
Extend Your Trip! Enjoy our 17-day Kenya Wildlife Safari with Tanzania & the Serengeti tour which includes visits to three game reserves in Tanzania and two nights in Serengeti National Park.
Did you know you can make this tour private? Find out about pricing and options
for groups of 10 or more travelers.
Itinerary at
a Glance
2023 Tour Itinerary:
- 2 nights in Nairobi
- 2 nights Samburu – Buffalo Springs
- 2 nights in Lake Nakuru
- 3 nights in Masai Mara
Tour Highlights
- Giraffe Center (Nairobi)
- Samburu National Reserve
- Equator Crossing
- Lake Nakuru National Park
- Masai Mara
- Visit to Masai Village
- Opportunity to see The Big 5
Your Tour Includes
- Round-trip airfare from New York, JFK airport with direct flights to/from Nairobi (passengers may also book this tour without flights)
- Airfare taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges
- Accommodations at first class hotels & safari lodges
- 26 meals: 9 buffet breakfasts, 8 lunches, 9 dinners
- Comprehensive sightseeing tours and game-viewing drives
- Guaranteed window seat and access to pop-up roof hatch, 4 X 4 Vehicles, maximum 6 guests per safari vehicle
- Experienced English-speaking safari driver-guide/game spotter
Max Group Size: 17 travelers
Activity Level: Recreational
Expect most included touring to require walking and standing periods up to 3 hours at a time (up to 2 times per day) on easy terrain with some light stairs. Learn More
Pacing Level: Moderate
Expect full-day tours most days with some limited free time at specific sites, for meals, and/or in the evenings. You can expect several early mornings and/or long travel days by bus (don’t worry—there are always comfort stops!), and you may expect to stay in most accommodations for 2+ nights (with limited 1-night stays). Learn More
Additional Entry Requirements for U.S. Passport Holders
A valid passport is required for international tours. There are entry requirements for U.S. passport holders. Please visit our Passports & Visas page to learn more about any required actions, next steps, and additional costs.
Travel point to point in safari vehicles and on bumpy and uneven roads. Safari vehicles have high ground clearance and require agility to embark and disembark. As this is a driving program, the average safari drives are 4-5 hours long per day. Generally, the drives depart in the morning and arrive at the next destination for lunch, before continuing on the afternoon game drive. The Driver-Guides may suggest switching to full-day game drives to maximize game viewing.
For more detailed information about this tour and destination, visit
our Before You Depart section.
Passengers who purchase flights will depart the same day as the tour starts and return on the same day as the tour ends.
For flight details, see Before You Depart.
Your exciting adventure to Kenya begins as you depart on your overnight flight to Nairobi.
Arrive in Nairobi today, Kenya's vibrant capital. You'll be escorted to your hotel. Relax at your hotel this afternoon before attending a welcome dinner.
Accommodations: Ole Sereni or similar
Meals: Dinner
Today, morning visit to Afew Giraffe Centre where you’ll admire and feed the gentle and rare Rothschild’s giraffes. Next, lunch at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden followed by a visit to the home of Karen Blixen, a coffee farmer and famed author of “Out of Africa”. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.
Accommodations: Ole Sereni Hotel or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Over the next week venture into Kenya's most captivating wildlife sanctuaries, set amid the beauty of the surrounding wilderness. This morning depart northward to the Central Highlands where you cross the Equator as you approach majestic Mt. Kenya, a dormant volcano with a glittering cap of snow and ice. After a stop for lunch, continue your drive to Samburu National Reserve - Buffalo Springs in Kenya's semi-desert, rugged northern frontier. En route to your lodge enjoy your first game-viewing drive. Settle into your comfortable lodge in the heart of the reserve in time for dinner. Later continue to Samburu, arriving late afternoon.
Accommodations: Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Set in an extraordinary region along the Ewaso Ngiro River, Samburu–Buffalo Springs is home to some of Africa's rarest game species. The river's permanent waters abound with crocodiles and hippo and attract plenty of wildlife including the Grevy's zebra, the long-necked gerenuk antelope, the shy oryx beisa, and the Somali ostrich. Leopard, cheetah, and lion are also found in the reserve. A full day of game viewing starts with an early morning safari. This is when the animals are most active. Keep your camera ready, your game spotter will lead you in search of the animals and you'll have plenty of opportunities to photograph your sightings. Return to the lodge for breakfast and relax by the pool. This afternoon, venture out on additional game viewing.
Accommodations: Samburu Sopa Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we'll travel southwest towards the central highlands. We'll stop for lunch before continuing to Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya's finest rhino sanctuaries. Here, we'll admire the flamingos and other abundant birds dancing along the lake's shoreline. We'll experience a short game drive en route to our lodge this afternoon.
Accommodations: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, we'll enjoy two game drives to explore Lake Nakuru National Park's extraordinary beauty and uniqueness. We may manage to spot some cape buffalo, African wild dogs, waterbuck, lions, and zebra along the way!
Accommodations: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today we'll drive to the fabled Masai Mara National Reserve, rich with wildlife, birds, natural flora, and stunning scenic beauty. The Masai Mara is the northern extension of Tanzania's famous Serengeti Plains and is Kenya's premier location for wildlife viewing as it's home to a thriving population of lion, cheetah, hippo, crocodile, zebra, giraffe, elephant, wildebeest, and impala. This afternoon we'll enjoy a thrilling game-viewing drive in this photographer's paradise.
Accommodations: Mara Sopa Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Early this morning, you may join an exhilarating optional hot-air balloon safari above the Masai Mara's plains. Included in today's program are additional morning and late afternoon safaris led by our game spotter who will take us in search of the Big Five: elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard, and the much rarer rhino. In between game drives, we can relax at our comfortable lodge, take a dip in the pool, and enjoy the delicious food served.
Accommodations: Mara Sopa Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today is our last full day to bask in our beautiful surroundings with two game drives plus a visit to a Masai village. One of the most iconic tribal groups in all of Africa, the Maasai are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Masai Mara. This nomadic warrior tribe once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya and still retains many of their traditions as they live largely untouched by modern-day civilizations in areas surrounding Masai Mara. This evening, we'll enjoy a farewell dinner together.
Accommodations: Mara Sopa Lodge or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After a final early morning safari, we'll drive back to Nairobi, arriving mid-afternoon. The balance of the day is free to explore Nairobi independently or pick up our last gifts and souvenirs. This evening, we'll transfer to the airport for our return flight.
†Note: Departures on Emirates flights will include a day room and dinner. The Kenya Airways flight schedule does not accommodate a day room and dinner and these services are forfeited.
Accommodations: Ole Sereni† or similar
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your memorable trip to Kenya ends as you arrive back in New York today.
Book by Mar. 31, 2023 to get the best price.
Prices listed as “with flights” below include
round-trip airfare from one or more airports
in the USA.
* Departures designated as "Guaranteed" may be canceled or rescheduled only
under Extraordinary Circumstances, for example in situations deemed to be unsafe
or nonviable due to local conditions. See Terms
& Conditions for full details.
Rates are per person based on double occupancy.
Single supplement applies when not sharing a room. Select a
date above to see the rates for that specific departure.
For more information on this tour, please
contact us here
or call us during business hours (Mon-Fri, 9:00am - 5:30pm EST)
at 1.800.337.7773.
Reservations and Payments
Reservations can be made online or by phone
(1.800.337.7773)
and will be confirmed upon receipt of your non-refundable,
non-transferable deposit, which must be received at the
time of reservation.
Deposits are $300 per person.
Full payment is due 125 days prior to departure.
Space and prices subject to availability.
Please see the
smarTours Terms and Conditions for complete
booking information.
Optional Tours
Customize your trip with these optional tours.
Enhance your trip with our recommended optional tours.
Indicated optional tours are available to pre-book
when you reserve your trip and can be added to your
reservation up to final payment. This is the best option
to guarantee your spot on your preferred optional tour!
Optional tours require a minimum number of participants.
Optional tours are non-refundable unless they do not operate.
Some optional tours can be purchased in-destination and
may cost extra. The payment methods and currency
information to purchase tours in-destination will be
provided on final documentation.
Take to the sky over herds of wildlife in the Masai Mara game reserve, flying in a hot air balloon. The balloon can soar over the most inaccessible and undisturbed parts of the reserve and offers a bird’s eye view of the plains below. At the conclusion of your incredible flight, you’ll be treated to a champagne breakfast in the bush. Before returning to your lodge, your balloon pilot will present you with a Balloon Flight Certificate. This is certain to become a once-in-a-lifetime experience you will remember long after returning from Kenya! (Please be advised that flight may not operate if weather conditions are not suitable for balloon flying).
Note: Participants must be of reasonable fitness and not appropriate for women who are pregnant or people with osteoporosis, etc. You must be at least 4'6' in height and passengers over 265 lbs must book 2 seats.
AVAILABLE TO PRE-BOOK!
Featured Accommodations
P. O Box 18187 – 00500,
Nairobi, Kenya
Website
Samburu National ReserveKenya
Website
Lake Nakuru National Park. 165 Km from Nairobi.
Website
C14, Keekorok, Oloolaimutia Valley
Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Website
James P
Fantastic trip! I just did not care for The Ark, because my room smelled bad and the bed was too small.
K. B
SmarTours is a great company to use for international travel. The accommodations are four star. The tour directors are extremely informative and the sites chosen are wonderful.
Laurie H
Excellent value for the cost of the trip! Our guide, Abi, has to be the best game guide in all of Kenya! We saw every animal (and more) than expected. The hotels were wonderful, especially in Masai Mara which was the highlight of the trip. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.. I would do it again in a minute! Our group was 7 people.. a perfect number, as we were not crowed in the jeeps, and were treated so well. Unforgettable!
CM H
Oh my goodness, What a fabulous trip. We enjoyed the diversity of areas visited and the numbers and close proximity of the wildlife viewed. Our guides were fantastic, accommodations good especially considering that we were out in the middle of nowhere, the lodges beautiful and when you consider the cost vs what we received it was an excellent value. This trip was not for someone who grows weary of driving as there is a lot of that, but because we traveled to 4 different preserves/areas all across Kenya, driving is a part of it. I feel like we saw more, did more and experienced a greater variety of wildlife than we would have with a trip that only features 1 or 2 areas. The added experiences of visiting the Samburu and Masai tribes and the amazing hot air balloon ride were valuable and not to be missed. I will cherish this trip forever.
Marc
Just returned from my Kenyan Safari; a 'once-in-a-lifetime' must. Special thanks, and compliments, to both Ferdinand and Francis- both excellent, professional and personable guides- for their help in making this trip so informative and memorable.
RG f
I just returned from my Kenyan Safari.
The experience exceeded my expectations.
Our guide Ferdinand was amazing. He was a true professional, knowledgeable and accommodating. Considering you will be traveling several days with your guide having the right personality is very important.
Most important he shielded us and advised us on how to work with the Kenyans especially when shopping.
He actively pursued a refund when we were over charged by a local hot air baloon company. He brought us our refunds personally to insure our satisfaction
I will definitely request him next time.
Hotels were located inside the game reserve. Very clean and comfortable.
Food was above average considering you are in the middle of the savannah
We saw all the favorite animals and more.
Another great expietence checked off my bucket list.
Gong to be hard to top this trip.
Pamela
Not quite clear in description of Kenya Safari. I was not aware of the arduous ride daily in a ATV for many hours. It was quite uncomfortable. The staff was great, the hotels and food were amazing, and the schedule was OK. A bit coerced into visiting the Maasai , price varied from tour to tour as we discussed with others. Great size of group , we had 11. Good thongs to say, just need more info on the difficulty of the terrain. Animals were fantastic! trip of a lifetime!
Patricia
Kenya/Tanzania tour was great. We saw lots of amazing wildlife and our jeep drivers/ guides were knowledgeable and experienced. Accommodation was varied and some was above expectations. All were unique. Food was very good.
janet k
First time with smartours ,Had an amazing trip best vacation ever ! I truly think that the guide makes the safari we had a fantastic one (Henry) very intelligent and knowledgeable everything we mentioned he found it ! Spoke with many other groups at the lodges and they didnt see as much as we did .Not sure if you are able to request guides .
Ann r
Just back from the most wonderful and exciting time of my life. All went very well. It was more than I could have imagined. Every lodge was wonderful as was the staff. Food was excellent. Our guide ,Alex,was the best .wish I had done it years ago. Thanks again smartours it was a pleasure
Jennifer H
We did the Kenya Safari Tour (No Extension) July 2017. Words don't fully express how this trip went beyond all our expectations. The hotels were all gorgeous and the food varied and plentiful. Our driver Benson was incredible. Your driver/guide is with you the whole time so they can really personalize the experience to what you are looking for. I am no professional photographer but we got so close that I came home and got some of the pictures blown up on canvas to remember it by.
Elizabeth
I went on this trip with the Tanzania extension in Aug 2016. What an incredible experience. Our Kenya guide, Johnson, was the absolute best! He could point out animals when all we saw was grass! He was so knowledgeable about the wildlife and really worked with our group to make each and every day magical. The hotels were fantastic (little blips here and there but that's to be expected) and met all of our needs. The Tanzania extension is a must! Again the guides were knowledgeable and fantastic, the hotels were superb, and the animals were plentiful. We were fortunate enough to see the Big 5 and then some! We saw both black and white rhinos! I would take this trip again and again!
Dean
This is a trip not to be missed! We took this journey in July 2016. Our group totaled only 6 and we had a wonderful time traveling together. Our guide, Abraham was wonderful and took excellent care of us. The wildlife was abundant and our guide knew just when and where to spot the animals. The accommodations on this trip were very good to excellent. The meals were mostly buffet and had good variety. Each of the hotels/lodges we stayed at had something special or unique about the location or building. This was our second SmarTours trip and it lived up to the expectations set after the first one! We were so pleased with our experience that we are looking at another SmarTours trip to a different region of Africa for next year.
Steven B
It was a wonderful trip due to the excellence of the Driver/Guide Abraham (Ibrahim?). His knowledge, work ethic and desire to have a fulfilling vacation experience made it a superior experience. The hotels were all good as far as the accommodations were concerned. The food was generally well presented and a wide variety but the taste and meat quality was mediocre. Better food was provided at Serena Mountain Lodge and the Safari Park. Food at the Sopa chain was just ok. Service throughout was terrific. The game drives were exciting, thorough and great experiences. The condition of the truck was just OK; e.g., the tires were marginal.
The American Air flight, JFK to CDG was good while the Paris to Nairobi flight on Kenya Air was of lower quality.
We will be looking at othe smarTours in the future mostly because of our terrific experience and the wonderful guide was had.
Helena
Just come back from our amazing African safari adventure. The hotels and lodges are excellent, rooms are very comfortable and food is great. There are many opportunities to view animals and great scenery.
Photos from this trip:
http://www.webgraphic.us/photography/kenya/
http://www.webgraphic.us/photography/tanzania/
In Kenya - minibuses not comfortable for more than 4-5 people. Speed and pass ability of minibuses concedes to jeeps. When arrival to Nairobi - discuss with the company representative about transportation, provided for a safari. No more than 4 people can photograph from one minibus.
In Tanzania – new comfortable Toyota jeeps were provided.
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