Skip to content
Budget Holiday SafarisBudget Holiday Safaris
Plan

Explore East Africa

Smartly planned from Nairobi.

Plan My SafariWhatsApp us

10 days · Kenya · Mid-range

10 Days Exciting Kenya Safari Holiday

Ten days on a private mid-range safari through almost every major Kenyan landscape: Amboseli, the Aberdare forest, Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha with Hell's Gate and the Maasai Mara.

  • 10 days
  • Kenya
  • Mid-range
  • Private
  • Starts Nairobi
  • Ends Nairobi
Elephant kilimanjaro amboseli

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
10 days
Country
Kenya
Destinations
Amboseli · Aberdare · Samburu · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha · Hell's Gate · Maasai Mara
Safari style
Mid-range
Trip type
Private
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Nairobi
Ends
Nairobi

Best for

  • Private travellers
  • Families
  • Travellers with more time
  • Photographers

The route

A round trip from Nairobi

  1. Stop 1Nairobi
  2. Stop 2Amboseli
  3. Stop 3Aberdare
  4. Stop 4Samburu
  5. Stop 5Lake Nakuru
  6. Stop 6Lake Naivasha
  7. Stop 7Maasai Mara
  8. Stop 8Nairobi

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Two nights in Amboseli beneath Kilimanjaro
  • The Aberdare highlands and two nights in Samburu
  • Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate
  • Two nights in the Maasai Mara

Day by day

Ten days, day by day.

The plan is a guide: timings may change with road and park conditions and your group's interests. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.

Kilimanjaro above clouds

Day 1

Nairobi → Amboseli

Elephants and Kilimanjaro views

Your private safari begins with a pick-up from your Nairobi hotel. After a short briefing, drive south to Amboseli National Park, one of the best places in Africa to see elephants against Mount Kilimanjaro. The road crosses open Maasai rangeland, and the mountain may appear on the horizon as you approach. Arrive in time for lunch, then set out on a first afternoon game drive before dinner at your lodge.

Overnight
Amboseli · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 2

Amboseli National Park

A full day of elephant country

After breakfast, leave with picnic lunch boxes and spend the day exploring Amboseli. The park is famous for its large elephant herds, open plains, wetlands and views of Kilimanjaro. Travelling privately allows you to linger at sightings — especially rewarding when elephants graze with the mountain behind them. Return to your lodge in the evening.

Overnight
Amboseli · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive · Picnic lunch

Day 3

Amboseli → Aberdare National Park

North to the forested highlands

Enjoy a final morning game drive in Amboseli before exiting the park, then drive north towards the Aberdare highlands, with a lunch stop in Thika. The route passes Nairobi and climbs into green, cultivated country as the altitude rises. Arrive in the afternoon and relax with views from your lodge. The cooler air and forest scenery make a striking contrast to the dry plains of the morning.

Overnight
Aberdare · lodge
Main activities
Morning game drive
Kilimanjaro lobelia mountain

Day 4

Aberdare → Samburu

Forest ravines to arid plains

After breakfast, leave the Aberdares — known for forested ravines, waterfalls and wildlife such as black rhino, leopard, spotted hyena, olive baboon, colobus monkey and, rarely, the mountain bongo — and drive north to Samburu National Reserve. The road descends from the cool highlands into hot, open country where the vegetation thins and the earth turns red. Arrive in the evening at your lodge, ready to explore Kenya's dry north.

Overnight
Samburu · lodge

Day 5

Samburu National Reserve

The Samburu special five

Spend the day exploring Samburu, a beautiful reserve in northern Kenya. It is known for species found only in the north — Grevy's zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Beisa oryx, together called the Samburu special five. Elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah and many bird species also live here, often near the Ewaso Ng'iro River.

Overnight
Samburu · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive

Day 6

Samburu → Lake Nakuru

Thomson's Falls and the Rift Valley

After breakfast, enjoy one last game drive in Samburu, then drive south to Lake Nakuru National Park, stopping at Thomson's Falls in Nyahururu, where the river drops into a wooded gorge. The route climbs back into the highlands before descending into the Rift Valley. Lake Nakuru is known for rhino, flamingos, buffalo, waterbuck, zebra, giraffe and rich birdlife, and you arrive in time for dinner.

Overnight
Lake Nakuru · lodge
Main activities
Game drive · Thomson's Falls
Hippo water seen during an East African safari

Day 7

Lake Nakuru → Lake Naivasha

Rhino sanctuary and a lakeside afternoon

Enjoy a final game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park, a sanctuary for endangered species including the white rhino and Rothschild's giraffe, with buffalo and waterbuck often grazing along the shore. After lunch, continue the short drive south to Lake Naivasha and spend a relaxed afternoon at leisure by the lake. After several full days on the road, this unhurried stop gives the journey a welcome pause before the Mara.

Overnight
Lake Naivasha · lodge
Main activities
Game drive

Day 8

Lake Naivasha → Hell's Gate → Maasai Mara

Cliffs, gorges and the Rift Valley

After an early breakfast, visit Hell's Gate National Park to enjoy its dramatic cliffs and open plains, where animals graze beneath the rock walls. Later, drive across the Great Rift Valley to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive in one of Kenya's most celebrated wildlife areas, known for its high concentration of big cats.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Hell's Gate visit · Afternoon game drive

Day 9

Maasai Mara National Reserve

A full private day in the Mara

After breakfast, head out with picnic lunch boxes for a full-day game drive across the reserve. You may see lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, zebra and many other animals, and a private vehicle lets you linger wherever the wildlife is most rewarding. Depending on the season, wildebeest may be gathering around the Mara River. Continue game viewing until sunset before returning to your lodge.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive · Picnic lunch
Kilimanjaro acacia savannah

Day 10

Maasai Mara → Nairobi

Culture and the drive back

After breakfast, you may visit a local Maasai village for a cultural experience (extra cost), learning how the community lives alongside the wildlife of the Mara. Then drive back to Nairobi, leaving the reserve through Narok and climbing the Rift Valley escarpment with views across the valley floor. Your private safari ends with drop-off at your hotel or the airport, after ten days that covered Kenya from Amboseli to the Mara.

Recommended accommodation

Where you stay.

Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Amboseli · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Aberdare · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Samburu · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Lake Nakuru · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Lake Naivasha · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Maasai Mara · 2 nights

What’s included

Clear from the start.

  • Transport in a safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
  • Airport pick-up and transfer
  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • All meals on safari on a full-board basis
  • Services of a professional driver-guide
  • All park entrance fees
  • Scheduled game drives
  • Statutory taxes

What’s not included

No hidden assumptions.

  • Travel and personal insurance
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Optional activities
  • Visa fees
  • Tips and gratuities

Your written quotation confirms the exact inclusions for your dates.

Flexible pricing

A clear quote for your journey.

The final price depends on when and how you travel: season, group size, accommodation level and private or shared transport.

Pricing

Price subject upon request

We quote this journey individually because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change it significantly.

What affects the final price?

  • Travel dates and season
  • Group size
  • Accommodation availability
  • Private or shared vehicle
Request Exact Quote Ask on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)

Made around you

Make this safari yours.

Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.

  • Travel dates and pace
  • Adding or removing nights where the route allows
  • Accommodation choices, subject to availability
  • Combining with another destination
Customise This Safari

Optional experiences

Add a different perspective.

Availability, location, age limits and extra costs are confirmed for your final itinerary.

Hot-air balloon safari over the Maasai Mara

Optional · extra cost · pre-arrangement required

Maasai village visit

Optional · extra cost

Boat ride on Lake Naivasha

Optional · extra cost

Verified guest voices

Proof, connected to its source.

We only show traveller stories that link directly to the published review.

External review source

SafariBookings

Read independent traveller feedback at its original source. Ratings and review totals remain on SafariBookings, where they stay current.

Read our reviews on SafariBookings

External review source

Tripadvisor

Read independent traveller feedback at its original source. Ratings and review totals remain on Tripadvisor, where they stay current.

Read our reviews on Tripadvisor

Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 10 Days Exciting Kenya Safari Holiday cost?

The 10 Days Exciting Kenya Safari Holiday is quoted individually (price subject upon request), because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change the cost. Share your dates and a planner will send an exact quotation.

Where does this safari start and finish?

It starts and finishes in Nairobi. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.

Where will I stay?

Nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Keep exploring

You may also like

Similar routes compared with the same practical details.

Destinations on this route

Travel planning

Start planning with a local expert

Your safari starts with a conversation.

Tell us your dates, travel style and what matters most. A Nairobi-based planner can shape the details with you.

Plan My Safari WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)
PricingPrice subject upon request
Request Safari