Best of Kenya Wildlife Safari

Nairobi, Samburu, Mt. Kenya, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara & Amboseli
plus Dubai optional stopover

Savvy travelers and novices alike include Kenya on their list of dream destinations, and for very good reason. The country is blessed with an abundance of spectacular wildlife and lavishly gorgeous, incredibly photogenic landscapes. Everywhere you go, from the teeming cities to the plains of the Masai Mara, the people are friendly and welcoming. Tourist infrastructure is amazing, often offering white glove service where the basics of running water and electricity appear impossible to find. Game reserves are magnificent, filled with all manner of wildlife, beautiful lakes and beaches, and sweeping vistas that seem to go on forever.

On your safari, you'll explore Kenya's famous wildlife sanctuaries and discover the world-renowned biodiversity of East Africa. With more than 50 parks to choose from in Kenya, it's hard to decide where to go. But everyone agrees on the top three must-visit parks: Masai Mara, Samburu and Amboseli. Our all-new "Kenya Wildlife Safari" includes them all plus a lot more! And like all Friendly Planet tours, you'll enjoy the best of Kenya at prices that are as amazing as the country itself.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: USA/Kenya. Depart from JFK this morning on your overnight flight to Kenya, via Dubai, aboard award-winning Emirates Airlines.

Day 2: Nairobi, Kenya. Arrival this afternoon in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city and the starting point for your safari adventure. Meet your guide and take a city orientation tour en route to your deluxe, centrally located Nairobi hotel. An optional welcome dinner, including transfers, is available at the world-renowned Carnivore Restaurant, where you'll find all sorts of meat and game cooked to delicious perfection, carved tableside and served with a variety of sauces and salads ($40). Intercontinental Hotel Nairobi

Day 3: Samburu Game Reserve. Depart after breakfast and drive north via Nanyuki and Mt. Kenya to the remote Samburu. This is the homeland of the nomadic Samburu people, whose culture attaches great value to tending their livestock of cattle, sheep, goats and camels as their main economic activity.

Samburu is rich in species not seen in southern Kenya's more famous parks, such as Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, kudu and gerenuk. You'll also have a good chance at spotting lions, cheetahs and the elusive leopard. The semiarid landscape is dramatic, with the rugged outcrop of Mt. Ololokwe a prominent feature.

The Ewaso Ngiro River, which forms the southern boundary of the reserve, attracts many birds and is a popular watering hole for elephants. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch and some relaxation, then take an evening drive for more game viewing. Samburu Lodge Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 4: Samburu Game Reserve. Enjoy another day of game viewing drives in the Samburu Game Reserve during two safari drives, one in the morning and another in the early evening, in a safari vehicle with roof hatch access for perfect game viewing and photography. Enjoy searching for animals native to this fascinating and beautiful area guided by your expert driver, who will amaze you with his ability to spot game hidden in the bush. Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 5: Mt. Kenya National Park. After breakfast, enjoy the scenic drive to the sight of Kenya's highest mountain, Mt. Kenya. Here, on the slopes of Mt. Kenya and some 2000 meters high you will be surrounded by a dense rain forest and still view the breathtaking mountain panoramas. Here you will be able to experience game viewing from the lodge balconies and you may even be awoken by the trumpeting of elephants. Serena Mountain Lodge Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 6: Lake Nakuru National Park. Early this morning, you'll drive to via Nyahururu to Lake Nakuru National Park, known throughout the world for its two million flamingos as well as its other birds. The sight of the massed flamingos is quite spectacular, and when you look down on the lake from an overlook, it appears to be ringed in pink. Arrive at the park in time for lunch and a little time to rest.

Later this afternoon enjoy a game viewing drive with a stop at the shore of the lake to see the flamingos at close range as well as other animals that inhabit the park. This park is a rhino sanctuary, offering the rare opportunity to see these endangered animals. It's also home to rare Rothschild's giraffes as well as buffalo, leopards and lions, which are known to climb trees. Flamingo Hill Tented Camp Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 7: Masai Mara National Reserve. After breakfast, board your touring coach for the Masai Mara National Reserve, which borders Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. Every year, between June and September, millions of wildebeests and zebras migrate into the Mara in search of water. The timing of this phenomenon varies, depending on the rains, but they usually start heading back to the Serengeti in October.

Whether you see the migration or not, the Mara almost guarantees you'll enjoy a magnificent time in Kenya. Here among the grassy plains and lush landscape, you'll find a huge variety of game, the largest in Kenya, including lions, cheetahs, buffalo and abundant bird life such as ostriches, cranes and storks. Enjoy lunch at your lodge, then relax until later this afternoon when you'll take your first game drive through this haven of wildlife.

This afternoon you'll have an optional opportunity to visit to a Masai Village for an in-depth look at this colorful and pastoral people in their natural setting ($25). Keekorok Lodge or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 8: Masai Mara National Reserve. Today you will take two safari drives, one in the morning and another in the early evening, in a safari vehicle with roof hatch access for perfect game viewing and photography. You will have the option of replacing one safari drive with an optional balloon safari ($459) which provides a unique and thrilling opportunity to soar high over the busy plain for animal viewing from above.

Whether you go by air or land, you will enjoy searching for animals native to this fascinating and beautiful area guided by your expert driver, who will amaze you with his ability to spot game hidden in the bush. Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 9: Amboseli National Park. This morning after breakfast, transfer to the airport for a short flight to Nairobi. After lunch, you will drive to Amboseli, which lies in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The combination of salt flat and marshland provides one of the most dramatic settings in Kenya, and the mountain makes an amazing background for photographing animals. Enjoy lunch en route at Toona Tree Restaurant, then continue to Amboseli, with opportunities for animal viewing en route to your lodge. Ol Tukai Lodge Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 10: Amboseli National Park. Waking up for an early morning game viewing drive you return to your lodge for breakfast. From your lodge you enjoy unrivalled views of Mt Kilimanjaro and Meru which can be clearly seen in the morning, particularly before 10 am. The rest of the morning is spent at leisure perhaps enjoying the panoramic views of the park, particularly atop Observation Hill, where you'll also find young Masai ready to have their pictures taken (for a fee).

In the evening you undertake another game viewing drive to appreciate the abundance of wildlife that thrives here. Amboseli is known for its elephant herds, amazing to watch as they and buffalo stand in the marshes to keep cool, drink water and munch on vegetation. Other animals, such as zebras and wildebeests and even lions are also found here. This park, like others you visit, is a bird-watcher's paradise. Breakfast, lunch & dinner provided.

Day 11: Nairobi/Departure. Return to Nairobi by coach and proceed to the airport to check in for your overnight return flight to the USA. Breakfast provided.

Day 12: Arrive in USA. Your magnificent adventure in Kenya ends as you arrive at JFK International Airport this morning.

Kenya Wildlife Safari Optional Tours

To enhance your visit to Kenya and make it more complete and memorable, here are some optional tours that will be available to you through your guide or tour manager. More information, including updates on pricing and availability, will be included with your travel documents.

Masai Mara: Masai Village Tour
This is an opportunity to experience what the Masai tribal life is like as you walk through a traditional village compound. You'll be greeted by the village chief and be escorted around the village by a local host who will explain the history, culture and practices of the Masai. Before departing the village, enjoy a cultural performance by the young men of the tribe, the famed warrior "morans". $25 per person, credit card not accepted for this tour.

Masai Mara: Hot Air Balloon Safari & Champagne Breakfast
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). $459 per person.

Optional Dubai Stopover

Whether you travel with us to Kenya only or you add Tanzania to your tour, we invite you to take advantage of a special stopover package in Dubai on your way back to the USA from Africa. Dubai is one of the hottest new destinations around, and it has been extensively featured in such prestigious travel publications as Conde Nast Traveler, Travel & Leisure and others.

You'll find some of the world's most lavish and luxurious hotels and resorts in Dubai, and for duty-free shopping, it's pretty much in a class by itself. Our 3-night stop-over package includes 3 nights at the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers or the Radisson SAS Dubai Deira Creek, buffet breakfast daily and transfers.Take advantage of optional tours, spend your time shopping or indulge in both! At these prices, this is one special opportunity you definitely won't want to miss!

Creating a Friendlier Planet

For every passenger who travels to Kenya in 2008, Friendly Planet will make a donation to relief efforts in Kenya by Doctors without Borders. Learn more.

Destination FAQs

For quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Kenya, click here.

For quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Dubai, click here.