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8 days · Kenya · Mid-range

8 Days Kenya Safari Vacation: Samburu, Mt Kenya, Lake Nakuru & Mara

An eight-day lodge safari through Samburu's arid plains, the forested Mount Kenya region, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha with Hell's Gate, ending on the Maasai Mara.

  • 8 days
  • Kenya
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Nairobi
  • Ends Nairobi
Wildebeest zebra fight

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
8 days
Country
Kenya
Destinations
Samburu · Mount Kenya · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha · Hell's Gate · Maasai Mara
Safari style
Mid-range
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Nairobi
Ends
Nairobi

Best for

  • Travellers wanting variety
  • Couples
  • Photographers

The route

A round trip from Nairobi

  1. Stop 1Nairobi
  2. Stop 2Samburu
  3. Stop 3Mount Kenya
  4. Stop 4Lake Nakuru
  5. Stop 5Lake Naivasha
  6. Stop 6Maasai Mara
  7. Stop 7Nairobi

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Samburu's rare dry-country wildlife
  • A forest lodge night near Mount Kenya
  • Lake Nakuru and Hell's Gate
  • A full day in the Maasai Mara

Day by day

Eight 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.

Elephants on red earth

Day 1

Nairobi → Samburu

From highlands to dry country

The drive from Nairobi crosses Kenya's central highlands, with their farms and forest, before the landscape turns arid on the approach to the northern circuit and Samburu National Reserve. The change in scenery is part of the journey, and the reserve's red earth and doum palms feel a world away from the city. Arrive in the afternoon for a game drive across the plains, then return to your lodge for dinner and a good night's sleep.

Overnight
Samburu · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 2

Samburu National Reserve

Exploring the Samburu plains

After breakfast, head into the bush as the sun rises. Giraffes wander among the trees and elephants romp in the shallows of the Ewaso Ng'iro River, the lifeline of this dry reserve. With luck you may see Samburu's special species — Somali ostrich, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Grevy's zebra — which are rarely found further south. After a picnic lunch, game viewing continues into the evening, when the light warms over the hills.

Overnight
Samburu · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive · Picnic lunch
Mount kenya mountain valley

Day 3

Samburu → Mount Kenya region

Crossing the equator to the forest

Take a last short game drive in Samburu for anything you missed, then head back south to the Mount Kenya region, stopping at the equator line for photographs. Your forest lodge overlooks a waterhole, and from its viewing areas you may see elephant, buffalo and other animals coming to drink in the cool of the evening.

Overnight
Mount Kenya · lodge
Main activities
Short game drive · Equator stop

Day 4

Mount Kenya → Lake Nakuru

A nature walk and the Rift Valley

After breakfast, take a nature walk to caves where Kenya's independence fighters once sheltered. Then leave the mountain region for Lake Nakuru, enjoying the scenery on the way. The park is known for its birdlife and as a rhino sanctuary, home to black and white rhino and Rothschild's giraffe amid euphorbia forest and yellow acacia woodland.

Overnight
Buraha Zenoni, Lake Nakuru
Main activities
Nature walk

Day 5

Lake Nakuru → Lake Naivasha

Birds, rhinos and a freshwater lake

Your guide collects you after breakfast for an extensive game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. More than 400 bird species have been recorded here, and flamingos may line the shore beside grazing zebras. White and black rhino wander past, and lions are sometimes found in the trees. Exit the park and continue to Lake Naivasha for lunch and the evening.

Overnight
Lake Naivasha · lodge
Main activities
Game drive
Elephants at a waterhole

Day 6

Lake Naivasha → Maasai Mara

Hell's Gate and the road west

Early breakfast, then visit Hell's Gate National Park, where you can cycle along zebra trails, walk through the gorges or try rock climbing. Add a boat ride on Lake Naivasha to see hippos if you like; these activities are optional. Afterwards, drive to the Maasai Mara with lunch on the way, crossing the Rift Valley and Maasai country before the land opens into grassland. Arrive at your lodge for dinner, ready for the Mara.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Hell's Gate visit · Optional boat ride

Day 7

Maasai Mara National Reserve

A full day on the plains

Start the day with an optional hot-air balloon safari (extra cost, by pre-arrangement), then leave the lodge with picnic lunches for a full day on the Mara's stunning plains. The reserve's tracks allow close encounters: hyenas scavenge, zebras stay close together, elephants cross open ground and a leopard may be resting in a tree. Game viewing continues until evening.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive · Picnic lunch
Elephant herd savannah

Day 8

Maasai Mara → Nairobi

A last game drive and home

After breakfast, check out and take a short game drive for a final chance to spot wildlife on the Mara's plains, where lion, elephant and herds of zebra and topi are often part of the morning scene. Leave the Mara via Narok and climb out of the Rift Valley, arriving in Nairobi in the evening for drop-off at your hotel or the airport. The journey closes an eight-day loop from Samburu to the Mara.

Main activities
Short game drive

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 · Samburu · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Mount Kenya · 1 night

Package accommodation

Buraha Zenoni

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
  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • All meals while on safari (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Services of a professional driver-guide
  • All park entrance fees
  • All game drives
  • Statutory taxes

What’s not included

No hidden assumptions.

  • Personal insurance
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Mineral water
  • Optional activities

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

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External review source

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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 8 Days Kenya Safari Vacation: Samburu, Mt Kenya, Lake Nakuru & Mara cost?

The 8 Days Kenya Safari Vacation: Samburu, Mt Kenya, Lake Nakuru & Mara 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?

The package uses Buraha Zenoni. Other nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

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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.

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PricingPrice subject upon request
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