Kenya Wildlife Safari
- 2019
- 2020
Nairobi, then 8 game drives in Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha & Masai Mara; Stay in superior Nairobi hotels & safari lodges, Post-tour extension to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
Overview
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| Style | Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of no more than 24 likeminded travelers (and often much fewer), escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. More of these packages
Dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout |
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| Departures | September – December 2019 | Group Size | 18 travelers max |
| Themes | Active, Nature & Wildlife | ||
| Activity Level | Recreational | ||
| What to Expect | This fast-paced, partially escorted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. This tour also includes long scenic drives between destinations, sometimes on bumpy unpaved roads and may have limited rest stops. | ||
| Already booked? | Find everything you need to know before you go, including information about passport & visa requirements, flights, luggage, and more. | ||
Package Includes
- Flights
- Coach
- Transfers
- Hotel
- Meals
- Guides
- Round trip airfare from New York to Nairobi, including fuel surcharges and taxes and fees
- All intra-Africa land transportation and transfers
- 8 nights' accommodations at superior Nairobi hotels and safari lodges plus day-use room on day 10
- 22 meals: 8 full buffet breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners, including a welcome dinner at the famous Carnivore Restaurant
- Comprehensive sightseeing tours and game-viewing drives by local English-speaking guides
- All-wheel drive (4x4) safari vehicles with guaranteed window seat and access to roof hatch, maximum 6 guests per vehicle
- Experienced driver/guide
Optional add-ons
- Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari & Champagne Breakfast
- Post-tour extension to the majestic Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
Why you'll love it
- Get a chance to see the big five and more on 8 game drives
- Learn about the efforts of the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphans' Nursery
- Discover how the Kazuri Bead Factory Store helps local women
- See the Karen Blixen Museum, home of the author of "Out of Africa"
- Stop by the Langata Giraffe Center
- Visit the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee Sanctuary
- Enjoy a boat ride on Lake Naivasha
- Dine at the famous Carnivore Restaurant
Savvy travelers and novices alike include Kenya on their list of dream destinations, and for very good reason. Kenya 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.
With more than 50 parks to choose from in Kenya alone, it's hard to decide where to go. But everyone agrees that the Masai Mara and Samburu parks are must-visit sites. Our Kenya Wildlife Safari includes them both 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. Want even more iconic Africa? Extend your stay with a post-tour to the majestic Victoria Falls.
To enhance your visit to Kenya and make it more complete and memorable, we offer exciting optional excursions. These are available through your guide or tour manager and must be purchased locally. See our detailed itinerary below for full descriptions of each excursion. More information, including updates on pricing and availability, will be included with your travel documents.
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Dates & Prices
Departure Dates & Prices
- 2019
- 2020
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Departures & Prices, with flights
per person, double occupancy*
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| 2019 DEPARTURES | |||||||
| Depart / Return | Price | Instant Savings |
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Departs: Fri, Jul 5, 2019 Returns: Mon, Jul 15, 2019 |
Jul 5 – Jul 15 | $5099 | – | – | – | Departed | |
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Departs: Fri, Aug 9, 2019 Returns: Mon, Aug 19, 2019 |
Aug 9 – Aug 19 | $5099 | – | – | – | Closed | |
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Departs: Fri, Aug 30, 2019 Returns: Mon, Sep 9, 2019 |
Aug 30 – Sep 9 | $5199 | – | – | – | Closed | |
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Departs: Fri, Sep 13, 2019 Returns: Mon, Sep 23, 2019 |
Sep 13 – Sep 23 | $4799 | – | – | – | Closed | |
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Departs: Fri, Sep 27, 2019 Returns: Mon, Oct 7, 2019 Book by Thu, Aug 22, 2019 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! |
Sep 27 – Oct 7 | $4799 | –$600 | Aug 22 | $4199 |
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Departs: Fri, Oct 11, 2019 Returns: Mon, Oct 21, 2019 |
Oct 11 – Oct 21 | $4799 | – | – | – | Closed | |
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Departs: Fri, Oct 18, 2019 Returns: Mon, Oct 28, 2019 Book by Thu, Aug 22, 2019 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! |
Oct 18 – Oct 28 | $4799 | –$400 | Aug 22 | $4399 | Select | |
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Departs: Fri, Nov 8, 2019 Returns: Mon, Nov 18, 2019 Book by Thu, Aug 22, 2019 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! |
Nov 8 – Nov 18 | $4099 | –$400 | Aug 22 | $3699 | Select | |
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Departs: Fri, Dec 6, 2019 Returns: Mon, Dec 16, 2019 Book by Thu, Aug 22, 2019 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! |
Dec 6 – Dec 16 | $4099 | –$400 | Aug 22 | $3699 | Select | |
If you want a few extra days to explore on your own, we may be able to arrange for you to stay later than the scheduled dates, including extra hotel nights and separate airport transfers, for an additional charge. Ask us about prices and availability when (or after) you reserve. More information Want to extend your trip?
Itinerary
Day 1: Depart USA
- Depart the USA on your overnight flight to Nairobi, Kenya
Day 2: Arrive Nairobi
Accommodations: 2 nights Tamarind Tree Hotel, Nairobi. Included meals: Dinner.
- Upon arrival in Nairobi, following customs and immigration formalities, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel.
- This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at the famous Carnivore Restaurant.
Day 3: Nairobi
Included meals: Breakfast.
- Visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
- Discover how local women make handmade beads at the Kazuri workshop
- Visit the Karen Blixen Museum
- See the endangered Rothschild's giraffe at the Langata Giraffe Center
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphans' Nursery, where young orphaned elephant babies are hand-raised until they are released back to their natural habitat in the Tsavo National Park. Here they are able to mingle freely with the wild community.
After lunch on your own, continue to the Kazuri Bead Factory Store, where the guide will explain the hand-making process. Founded in 1975 by Lady Susan Wood, the factory started as a tiny workshop experimenting in making handmade beads, only employing two Kenyan women and today has grown to employ many other women, most of them single mothers. Then, visit the Karen Blixen Museum, which is the former home of "Out of Africa" author Karen Blixen and served as the farm house for her 4500 acre farm from 1917-1931.
Later, visit The Langata Giraffe Center, established to protect the endangered Rothschild's giraffe. There are also several warthogs which roam freely with the giraffes. Guests may feed the giraffes from a raised feeding platform. Return to the hotel for remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 4: Samburu Game Reserve
Accommodations: 2 nights Samburu Intrepids Tented Camp. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Travel north to the remote Samburu Reserve arriving at the lodge for lunch
- Enjoy an afternoon game drive and dinner at the lodge
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, travel north to the remote Samburu Reserve. 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. The Samburu people dress is dramatic with bright reds, braided hair and skin daubed in red ochre.
Samburu is rich in species not seen in southern Kenya's more famous parks, such as Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx and gerenuk. You'll also have a good chance of spotting lions, cheetahs and the elusive leopard. The semiarid landscape is dramatic, with the rugged outcrop known as Mt. Ololokwe a prominent feature. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. This afternoon, depart on a game drive returning to the camp as the sun sets.
Day 5: Samburu Game Reserve
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Morning game drive
- Lunch, followed by some free time to relax
- Early evening game drive
Full Day Itinerary: 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. Guided by your expert driver, enjoy searching for animals native to this fascinating and beautiful area.
Day 6: Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Accommodations: 1 night Sweetwaters Tented Camp, Ol Pejeta. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Depart for Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- Upon arrival, enjoy lunch at your camp
- In the afternoon, visit the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee sanctuary followed by a game drive
- This evening, sit by the lit waterhole to view the animals
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, depart for the 90,000 acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The conservancy is situated on the equator, in Kenya’s Laikipia District, between the foothills of the Aberdares and the snow-capped Mount Kenya. The conservancy hosts a large variety of animals, including Grevy’s zebra, Jackson’s hartebeest, cheetah and chimpanzee. Enjoy lunch at your camp. In the afternoon, visit the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee sanctuary followed by a game drive. In the evening sit by the lit waterhole to view the animals.
Day 7: Lake Nakuru & Lake Naivasha
Accommodations: 1 night Naivasha Sopa Lodge, Lake Naivasha. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Early this morning, travel to Lake Nakuru National Park
- Stop for a picnic lunch, continue to Lake Naivasha arriving at your lodge
- Enjoy an afternoon boat ride on Lake Naivasha, dinner and overnight
Full Day Itinerary: Early this morning, travel to Lake Nakuru National Park. Travel south through the town of Naromoru and then head west via Nyahururu (still known to many as Thompsons Falls). This park is a rhino sanctuary, offering the rare opportunity to see these endangered animals. It's also home to rare Rothschild's giraffes, buffalo, leopards and lions. Stop for a picnic lunch. Drive to Lake Naivasha arriving at your lodge. Check in and then enjoy an afternoon boat ride, dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Masai Mara National Reserve
Accommodations: 2 nights Mara Intrepids Tented Camp, Masai Mara Reserve. Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- After breakfast, head out for the Masai Mara National Reserve
- Enjoy lunch at your lodge, then relax
- Later this afternoon, take your first game drive in the Masai Mara
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, head out for the Masai Mara National Reserve, which borders Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. Every year, between July 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 grassy plains and lush landscape offer a huge variety of game 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.
Day 9: Masai Mara National Reserve
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner.
- Morning game drive, or take an optional hot air balloon safari
- Lunch at the lodge, followed by some free time to relax
- Late afternoon game drive
Full Day Itinerary: 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'll have the choice for an early morning Hot Air Balloon safari, which provides a thrilling opportunity to soar high over the plains 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 accompanied by your expert guide, who will amaze you with his ability to spot game hidden in the bush.
Optional Excursion: Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari and Champagne Breakfast $450 per person (if purchased locally, $430 if pre-booked).
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. After an hour or so in the air, your safari finishes with a champagne breakfast in the bush. This is certain to become a once in a lifetime experience you will remember long after returning from Kenya! Flight may not operate if weather conditions are not suitable.
Day 10: Masai Mara & Nairobi/Depart Kenya
Accommodations: Crowne Plaza Hotel, or similar, Nairobi (day-use room). Included meals: Breakfast & lunch.
- Depart the Masai Mara for Nairobi
- Enjoy a farewell lunch at a local restaurant
- Transfer to the airport for your overnight return flight
- If continuing on the Victoria Falls extension, overnight in Nairobi
Full Day Itinerary: After breakfast, depart the Masai Mara for Nairobi and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Then, transfer to your day-use room to relax and freshen up before your return flight. Finally, bid farewell to Kenya as you transfer to the airport for your return flight.
If continuing on the optional Victoria Falls post-tour extension, you will overnight in Nairobi and continue on the extension itinerary below.
Day 11: Arrive USA
- Arrive in the USA today
Victoria Falls Post-Tour Optional Extension
Why not take advantage of your already-included international airfare to visit Victoria Falls, one of the world's most spectacular natural wonders. You'll return to the U.S. 4 days after the return dates shown.
Day 11: Nairobi & Victoria Falls
Accommodations: 3 nights A'Zambezi River Lodge or Elephant Hills Resort or similar.
- Transfer to the airport for your flight to Victoria Falls
- Remainder of the day at leisure
Full Day Itinerary: This morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Victoria Falls. You'll soon discover why this UNESCO World Heritage Site is considered one of the greatest natural wonders—and the largest curtain of falling water in the world! Located at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, Victoria Falls consists of numerous falls separated by islands in the river below. The Zambezi River spills more than 2 million gallons per second over the Bakota Gorge, casting multiple rainbows and resulting in an awe-inspiring display of raw power unrivaled by other natural wonders. The tremendous roar of the water and the ever-present cloud of spray give the falls their local moniker, "Smoke that Thunders."
Check into your award-winning safari lodge, located high on a plateau bordering the Zambezi National Park. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure at one of the hotel swimming pools or game-viewing platforms. Elephants, buffalo and other wild animals often graze on hotel lawns.
Day 12: Victoria Falls
Included meals: Breakfast.
- Guided tour of Victoria Falls
- Sunset cruise on the Zambezi River
Full Day Itinerary: Your exploration of the falls begins with a guided tour of the Zimbabwe side.
Later today, experience the glorious falls from an up-close vantage point as you set sail on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. Be on the lookout for hippos, monkeys, elephants, and crocodiles that frequent the waters and the surrounding areas.
Day 13: Victoria Falls
Included meals: Breakfast.
- Day at leisure or partake in an optional full day excursion to Chobe National Park
Full Day Itinerary: Enjoy a full day at leisure to explore this magnificent natural wonder on your own on the well-marked trails through the rain forest that wind up to and around the falls. The trails allow for excellent picture-taking from a variety of vantage points (be sure to protect your camera if it's not waterproof). There are a wide range of optional excursions available locally on request basis including game drives, walking safaris, bungee jumping, and more. We recommend the full day tour of Chobe National Park in Botswana.
Optional Excursion: Chobe National Park, Botswana, $195 per person Take advantage of an optional full day excursion to the Chobe National Park in Botswana, renowned for its large elephant population. Begin the day with a safari boat cruise on the Chobe River. Afterwards, enjoy lunch at the Chobe Game Lodge and end the day with an afternoon game drive in an open vehicle. This excursion requires a passport and double or multiple entry Zimbabwe visa.
Day 14: Depart Victoria Falls
Included meals: Breakfast.
- Transfer to the airport for your flight to Nairobi, Kenya
- Check into your overnight return flight home
Day 15: Arrive USA
- Your memorable African adventure ends as you touch down this morning in New York
Hotels
Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport
First Class
Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport is the only official hotel located at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, designed to offer a luxurious and elegant experience with unmatched security within the most protected zone in Nairobi. With its convenient location, less than 3 minutes from the terminals, the hotel caters to transiting passengers adding tranquility and comfort to their travel experience.
Elephant Hills Resort
First Class
Elephant Hills Resort is situated on a small hill overlooking the Zambezi River, 2.5 miles upstream from the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. In this prime wilderness location, you can relax in total comfort and luxury while still experiencing the African wildlife.
Tamarind Tree Hotel, Nairobi
First Class
Tamarind Tree Hotel is ideally located in southwest Nairobi, and located in the same grounds as the iconic Carnivore Restaurant. The hotel offers easy access to all parts of the city and its national park. The nearby Langata and Karen suburbs are among the liveliest and most popular in Nairobi with world-class shopping malls and excellent restaurants.
In the unlikely event that a particular hotel is not available, a similar or better hotel may be substituted.
Reviews
Trip Details
- What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
- I'm traveling solo. Can you help me find a roommate? Yes, you can connect with other travelers to share a room and avoid single occupancy rates.
- Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
- Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 12 or older at time of travel.
- Do I need a visa or any other documents? Travel visas are required for this package. Please review the requirements.
- Should I purchase travel protection? Yes! Protect your travel investment with our travel protection plan, available to U.S. and Canadian residents (excluding overseas territories).
- What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
- What should I know about Kenya? Check out our guide for travel tips, the best time to go, blog posts, videos, and more.
- What should I know about Zimbabwe? Check out our guide for travel tips, the best time to go, blog posts, videos, and more.
- What should I know about Botswana? Check out our guide for travel tips, the best time to go, blog posts, videos, and more.
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