Kenya is a holiday destination that offers incredible natural beauty, soul-stirring cultural encounters, sensational game viewing and, of course, the thrills and spills of the Wildebeest Migration. No wonder it’s the birthplace of safari travel!
From seeing the wildebeest mega-herds move into the Masai Mara and Amboseli’s legendary elephant herds against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro to the majestic leopards of Samburu, Kenya will not disappoint. Plus, you can effortlessly combine your Kenya safari with a gorilla-trekking adventure in Uganda or Rwanda, or even a tropical beach holiday overlooking the turquoise waters and fluttering palm trees of the warm Indian Ocean.
Here are our Top 10 Kenya safari tours:
1. Authentic safari camping in Amboseli and the Masai Mara
Duration: 7 days | Destinations: 3 | Accommodation: luxury tented camps
Experience nature up close on this wildlife-focused safari, while staying at award-winning eco-camps that are perfectly located for observing game. Generous hospitality and personal attention come standard at these intimate camps, which are ideal for couples and honeymooners.
This safari’s focus is on reconnecting with nature and enjoying phenomenal game viewing.
Tour highlights:
- Private concessions away from the crowds
- Intimate and award-winning eco-camps
- Personal attention from friendly staff
- Day and night game drives
- Nature walks with Maasai guides
Best for these traveller types:
Couples, honeymooners, families and small groups
2. Fly-in safari to Amboseli, Meru and the Masai Mara
Duration: 8 days | Destinations: 4 | Accommodation: luxury hotel, tented camps and a private lodge
Flying in a light aircraft from one destination to the next allows you to experience a large area in a relatively short space of time. It also means you’re able to spend more time in each reserve and totally immerse yourself in the best that Amboseli, Meru and the Mara have to offer. Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives; a walking safari and a bush breakfast in Amboseli National Park; sundowner drinks in Meru; and dinner under the stars in the Masai Mara.
Elsa’s Kopje is an award-winning lodge named after the famous lioness of the book and film, Born Free.
Tour highlights:
- Fly-in safari to three of Kenya’s premier parks
- Walking safari in Amboseli
- Massage at Elsa’s Kopje in Meru National Park
- Full-day game drive in the Masai Mara
Best for these traveller types:
Couples, honeymooners, families and groups
3. Fly-in safari to Amboseli, Samburu and the Masai Mara
Duration: 9 days | Destinations: 4 | Accommodation: luxury tented camps
Kick off your East African adventure with a couple of days in one of the only national parks in the world that borders a capital city, Nairobi National Park. Spend the rest of your week under the expert guidance of Maasai and Samburu rangers as you learn about their culture, encounter the great elephant herds of Amboseli, savour relaxing massages, and see vast herds of plains game and ravenous predators.
Enjoy easy game viewing in Nairobi National Park, situated on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital.
Tour highlights:
- Cultural tours to Samburu and Maasai villages
- Visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi
- Encounters with giraffe at Nairobi’s Giraffe Centre
- Optional spa treatments, helicopter flips and hot-air balloon rides
Best for these traveller types:
Couples, honeymooners, families and groups
ALSO SEE: What to expect in Amboseli
4. Family safari in Masai Mara and Laikipia
Duration: 9 days | Destinations: 3 | Accommodation: boutique hotel, private farmhouse and a safari villa
Enjoy the freedom to determine your family’s preferred schedule which could include activities like game drives, guided nature walks, helicopter flights and a memorable trout-fishing excursion on Mount Meru. Laikipia may not be as well-known as the Masai Mara but it is a very rewarding destination if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path while still offering superb game viewing and comfortable accommodation.
Go on guided bush walks in the pristine wilderness of the Laikipia Plateau.
Tour highlights:
- See the Wildebeest Migration in season (between about July and October)
- Trout-fishing excursion on Mount Kenya accessed on a scenic helicopter flight
- Convenient fly-in transfers
- Exclusive-use accommodation in the Mara and Laikipia
Best for these traveller types:
Families and groups
5. Private family safari in Samburu and the Masai Mara
Duration: 7 days | Destinations: 2 | Accommodation: luxury safari villas
Let your family be whisked away to the middle of the bush, without sacrificing on creature comforts. Luxurious safari villas offer superb privacy, space and a wonderful home-from-home environment. Hike up a sacred Samburu mountain, watch elephants search for fresh grazing in the Kalama Corridor, follow the Wildebeest Migration, and have fun with the kids on the Warriors Academy – an interactive learning programme.
Saruni Samburu Lodge is nestled within an unspoilt natural environment, far away from the tourist crowds.
Tour highlights:
- Perfect for parents, children and teens – great combination of fun, adventure, wildlife and culture
- Stay in luxury private villas
- Unwind in the Samburu and Maasai Wellbeing Spaces
- Nature walks and fascinating cave paintings
- Learn more on the Warriors Academy – an interactive programme for families with children
- Optional hot-air balloon rides and biplane flips
Best for these traveller types:
Families and groups
6. Family adventure to Laikipia, Samburu and the Masai Mara
Duration: 10 days | Destinations: 4 | Accommodation: luxury guesthouse, lodge and tented camps
Have breakfast with endangered Rothschild’s giraffes at The Giraffe Manor in Nairobi. Board a short-haul flight to one of Kenya’s first-ever private rhino conservancies, followed by another fly-in to Samburu National Reserve. Go on camelback safaris and fly-camping while you discover the Samburu Special 5. Cap off your family adventure with front-row seats to the Wildebeest Migration between about June and September.
You’ll find The Giraffe Manor’s friendly residents in the most unsuspecting places, like the breakfast table or your room window.
Tour highlights:
- Have breakfast with Rothschild’s giraffes in Nairobi
- Stay in a rhino sanctuary in Laikipia
- Horse riding and mountain biking with Maasai near Mount Kenya
- Optional helicopter flights around Mount Kenya
- Visit a Samburu manyatta (a traditional village)
- Camelback safari and fly camping in Samburu
- Spectacular Great Migration viewing in season (from about July to September)
Best for these traveller types:
Families, groups and couples
7. Photographic workshop safari in the Masai Mara
Duration: 6 days | Destinations: 1 | Accommodation: tented camp
Hone your camera skills in a sensational wildlife destination with the help of an expert photographic guide. Learn the basics of animals’ behaviour so you can set up the perfect shot and enjoy one-on-one tuition on editing your photos. Go on daily game drives and spot-lit night drives in a custom-built 4×4. You’ll also have the option to shoot the Masai Mara’s landscape and the Wildebeest Migration from a bird’s eye view on a hot-air balloon safari.
The Masai Mara National Reserve offers excellent year-round big game viewing.
Tour highlights:
- Tailor-made experience for avid amateur nature and wildlife photographers
- Small-group day and night game drives with expert photographic guides
- Excellent camera equipment and editing assistance
- Stay in a sublime Mara concession
- Ideal for the seasonal Wildebeest Migration (from about July to October)
Best for these traveller types:
Amateur photographers, groups and couples
8. Family safari with pre-teens (9-12) in Samburu and Masai Mara
Duration: 8 days | Destinations: 3 | Accommodation: luxury lodge and tented camps
This well-paced safari is perfect for families with pre-teens of nine to 12 years old. You’ll spend enough time in each major destination, enjoying Samburu’s diverse wildlife and of course, the Wildebeest Migration in the Masai Mara. Mara Intrepids Camp is situated in the best position for the Migration’s dramatic river crossings from about July to October, but the Mara is still a fantastic big game destination year-round. The lodges and camps welcome older children, offering dedicated adventure clubs featuring safari activities with local guides.
The Mara’s ubiquitous lion prides deliver heart-stopping predator action, especially during the Migration.
Tour highlights:
- See three of Kenya’s major reserves
- Fly-in safari – no long drives!
- Family-friendly accommodation
- Fantastic wildlife viewing throughout
- Age-appropriate children’s activity clubs
- Swimming pools, spa treatments and Wi-Fi access
- Interactive and fascinating cultural experiences for young and old
Best for these traveller types:
Families and groups
9. Ultra-luxury bush-to-beach safari: Masai Mara and Diani
Duration: 9 days | Destinations: 2 | Accommodation: ultra-luxe lodge and beach villa
Start this sensational tour at one of Kenya’s most exclusive safari lodges, nestled in the hills of the Mara Triangle escarpment. This is the location of Robert Redford and Meryl Streep’s famous picnic scene in the movie, Out of Africa. Everything about Angama Mara exudes elegance and sophistication – from the professional photography studio to the outstanding décor in your glass-fronted suite. After witnessing the thrills of the big herds and lots predator action, unwind at an exclusive-use luxury villa on the palm-fringed shores of the magnificent Indian Ocean.
Angama Mara is one of East Africa’s most magnificent lodges, perched on the edge of the Mara Triangle escarpment.
Tour highlights:
- Incredible and romantic setting high above the Masai Mara
- Game drives and guided nature walks
- Cultural interactions with the Maasai people
- Lavish tented suites at Angama Mara
- Elevated beachside accommodation outside Diani, overlooking the Indian Ocean
- Exclusive-use beach villa with dedicated staff
- Fresh-off-the-boat seafood at Alfajiri Beach Villa
- Wi-Fi Internet access throughout
Best for these traveller types:
Couples and honeymooners
10. Great-value bush-to-beach safari: Masai Mara and Diani
Duration: 9 days | Destinations: 3 | Accommodation: luxury tented camp, lodge and beach resort
Ideal for couples or honeymooners looking for great value, this fly-in tour begins in a beautiful private corner in the Masai Mara with splendid and exclusive animal sightings. The Mara is a wonderful year-round game viewing destination, although Kichwa Tembo is also ideally located close to the croc-infested Mara River – providing the scene of heart-stopping river crossings during the Migration. Then it’s off to Kenya’s world-famous Diani Beach for some R&R on its powder-soft sand and crystal-clear water.
Get whisked away to Diani Beach’s postcard-perfect white sand and turquoise waters…
Tour highlights:
- A rewarding beach-to-bush itinerary
- Stay in a private concession in the Masai Mara
- Game drives, guided walks and cultural tours
- Excellent for the Migration river crossings (about August to November)
- Superb en suite accommodation and family units
- Experience the Swahili Coast at Diani Beach
- Explore Nairobi’s sights and shops
Best for these traveller types:
Couples, honeymooners, families and groups
