About this safari
See the breadth of Kenya’s safari landscapes on this 10 day grand family journey. Start at Ol Pejeta, continue to Samburu for two nights, cross to Lake Nakuru, then enjoy two nights in the Masai Mara. Lake Naivasha breaks the onward route before two final nights in Amboseli complete the safari with elephant country and possible Kilimanjaro views.
Each destination adds a different reason to look closely. Ol Pejeta introduces conservation landscapes, Samburu offers northern dryland wildlife, Nakuru brings rhino habitat and lake birds, and the Mara provides a full day among the savannah herds. Naivasha supplies a change of pace before Amboseli’s wetlands and open plains round out the journey.
This is an ambitious road safari rather than a low mileage holiday. Families should be comfortable with the long Samburu to Nakuru and Naivasha to Amboseli transfers, or request extra overnight stops. Lodge, hotel and permanent tented rooms are chosen during quotation. Explore Samburu, the Masai Mara and Amboseli, then plan your grand Kenya safari with Esperanza Tourism.
Why travellers choose this journey
- Nine nights across six Kenya safari destinations
- Two nights each in Samburu, Masai Mara and Amboseli
- Ol Pejeta conservation landscapes and Lake Nakuru wildlife
- A Lake Naivasha overnight to divide the southern journey
- Private vehicle travel with clearly described road distances
Follow your journey through Kenya
A clear look at where the safari begins, the destinations you visit and where the journey ends.
How this journey is designed
These categories describe the style of safari you are booking.
Your safari itinerary
Open each day to view the route, activities, meals, transport and accommodation details.
Begin your grand family safari with a morning collection in Nairobi. Drive toward Nanyuki through the central highlands, taking a comfort break and discussing the days ahead with your guide. If skies are clear, suitable points along the route may offer views toward Mount Kenya. Lunch is included at an agreed stop or at your selected accommodation.
An afternoon game drive introduces Ol Pejeta’s wildlife habitats when arrival permits. Your guide explains the conservancy setting while looking for rhinos, grazing animals and other wildlife. Specialist animal encounters are not included and must be requested separately. Stay overnight at a lodge or permanent tented property selected for your family, with dinner and time to rest before continuing north.
After breakfast, continue from the Ol Pejeta area toward Samburu. The journey shifts from highland scenery into warmer dry country, with your guide explaining how vegetation and water availability influence animal distribution. Comfort stops are included as needed, and lunch is arranged around the chosen accommodation and arrival schedule.
Settle in before a first game drive where time permits. Follow accessible tracks near the river corridor and surrounding habitats, looking for elephants and northern wildlife such as reticulated giraffes. The reserve is explored at a family pace, with space to learn rather than simply collect photographs. Dinner and overnight are at your Samburu lodge or permanent tented camp, where you stay for two nights.
Wake for an early wildlife outing in Samburu. Your guide will scan riverine vegetation and dry country for elephants, antelope and the northern species often grouped as the Samburu Special Five. This is an opportunity to observe how different body shapes and feeding styles help animals live in a landscape unlike the Mara or Amboseli.
Return to the property for lunch and a midday rest. An afternoon drive explores another area or follows promising wildlife activity from the morning, subject to conditions and reserve rules. Optional community visits are available only through separate arrangements. Enjoy dinner and another night at the same accommodation, giving the family a settled evening before the next day’s long transfer.
Set off early after breakfast for the substantial drive from Samburu to Nakuru. Today is reserved for travelling, with planned breaks and an included lunch stop instead of extra attractions added along the way. The landscape changes repeatedly as you cross toward the Rift Valley, and road conditions or traffic may extend the journey.
Reach your Nakuru area lodge and relax before dinner. An afternoon park drive is not promised after this transfer; the wildlife visit is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Keeping that distinction clear gives your family a more realistic day. If long drives are difficult for the children, the itinerary can be extended with an additional overnight between Samburu and Nakuru during the planning stage.
After an early breakfast, enjoy a focused wildlife drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. Your guide looks for rhinos, buffalo and giraffes in accessible areas while introducing the lake and woodland habitats. The visit is shorter than a full park day because the afternoon is needed for travelling to the Masai Mara.
Leave the Nakuru region with an included lunch arranged en route or as a packed meal. Continue through the Narok area, taking comfort stops before reaching your Mara accommodation later in the day. No additional Mara game drive is promised on arrival. Settle into your lodge or permanent tented room for two nights, enjoy dinner and prepare for tomorrow’s full day in the reserve.
With no road transfer today, leave after breakfast and explore the Masai Mara according to your guide’s assessment of animal activity. Look for big cats, elephant groups, buffalo and grazing herds while allowing time to stop and watch behaviour. Children may enjoy comparing tracks and identifying animals they first saw in other destinations.
Take packed lunch at a designated picnic area for a longer outing, or discuss a lodge lunch and afternoon drive if that better suits your family. During the migration season, herds can add excitement, although neither their location nor a river crossing is guaranteed. Optional balloon flights and cultural visits are outside the standard package. Return to your accommodation for dinner and a second Mara overnight.
Have breakfast and leave the Mara area for Lake Naivasha. Travel through the Narok region with comfort stops and an included lunch arrangement. After several wildlife destinations, this day is designed as a change of pace rather than another demanding programme of activities.
Check into your lakeside hotel or lodge and enjoy the remaining afternoon at leisure within the property’s rules. Watch birds from suitable viewing areas and follow staff advice about wildlife near the grounds. A boat outing may be requested separately, subject to suitable conditions, life jackets and the ages of the children. The standard itinerary includes the overnight lake setting and dinner, leaving your family free to rest before the southern journey.
Depart Naivasha after an early breakfast and drive toward Amboseli through the wider Nairobi corridor. This is another substantial travelling day, with the estimate excluding stops and possible traffic delays. Your guide plans breaks and an included lunch stop, keeping the family informed about progress along the route.
On arrival, settle into your Amboseli lodge or permanent tented accommodation for two nights. An additional park drive is not promised today because road conditions can affect arrival time. Enjoy dinner and take time to rest, ready for a full wildlife day tomorrow. If you prefer shorter road sections, ask about adding a Nairobi overnight or redesigning this part of the journey before confirming the safari.
Head into Amboseli early, when the air is cooler and clear skies may reveal Mount Kilimanjaro. Your guide focuses on elephant groups and other wildlife around the plains and wetlands, helping the family observe feeding, movement and interactions without disturbing the animals. Mountain visibility depends entirely on weather.
Return for lunch and a restful midday break before an afternoon outing. This final full safari day offers time to compare Amboseli’s habitats with the northern dry country and Mara grasslands visited earlier. Wildlife sightings remain natural and cannot be guaranteed. Dinner and the final overnight are at the same accommodation, with your guide confirming the following morning’s departure for Nairobi.
Enjoy breakfast and check out before the drive back to Nairobi. Your guide includes a comfort stop and monitors traffic toward the city, with the day centred on a practical return rather than a promised extra morning park visit. Use the journey to share favourite sightings and questions from the different landscapes explored over the past ten days.
The safari ends at your Nairobi hotel or the agreed airport terminal. Breakfast is included; lunch, dinner and any additional accommodation are separate arrangements. Confirm all onward travel details before booking so the final departure time can be planned sensibly. For an early international flight, an extra Nairobi night can be quoted instead of relying on a tight same day road connection.
Know before you go
Accommodation and family rooms
Accommodation uses hotels, lodges or permanent tented rooms with beds and private bathroom facilities. You do not pitch tents or carry camping equipment. Properties, room types and their child policies are confirmed in your written quotation, subject to availability. Family rooms, connecting rooms, swimming pools and childcare are not guaranteed unless specifically confirmed.
Road travel and daily timing
Driving estimates exclude comfort stops, wildlife viewing, traffic and weather delays. Safari tracks can be rough. Your guide adjusts the schedule within park opening times and confirmed entry arrangements. Tell us about motion sickness, mobility requirements and preferred rest intervals before booking.
Children and activities
Provide each child’s age at the time of travel so accommodation and entry arrangements can be checked. Children remain under their accompanying adult’s supervision. Specialist walks, boating and balloon flights require separate suitability checks. Tell us about any child seat requirement before confirmation.
Meals and dietary requests
Lunch and dinner are included on the first day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on intermediate days. Breakfast is included on the final day. Lunch can be a packed meal or a scheduled stop. Please share dietary requirements before booking so the selected properties can confirm what they can provide.
Wildlife and seasons
Animal sightings, migration herds, river crossings, flamingo numbers and mountain views depend on natural conditions. No particular sighting is guaranteed. Discuss your travel dates with us so the itinerary can be matched to current conditions and your priorities.
Arrival and departure
The road itinerary starts with a morning collection in Nairobi. Travellers arriving later may need a separately arranged Nairobi overnight. The return drop off is at an agreed Nairobi hotel or airport. Send flight details before confirmation so sufficient road travel time can be planned.
What is included
- A private road safari vehicle with a viewing roof for your party during the itinerary, with fuel and the services of an English speaking driver guide.
- 9 nights in the lodge, hotel or permanent tented room accommodation confirmed in your written quotation.
- Meals as listed for each day, including lunch and dinner on day one, all three meals on intermediate days and breakfast on the final day.
- Standard entry fees for the scheduled visits to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Samburu National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Lake Naivasha, Amboseli National Park, based on the ages and residency details supplied for the quotation.
- Game drives and road transfers described in the daily programme, within park opening times and the confirmed access arrangements.
- Morning collection from an agreed Nairobi hotel or airport point and the return drop off at an agreed Nairobi hotel or airport terminal.
- Drinking water carried in the safari vehicle during transfers and game drives.
- An included lunch arrangement on transfer days, with packed meals or suitable meal stops organised around the route.
- Accommodation reservations and safari coordination for the itinerary confirmed with Esperanza Tourism.
What is excluded
- International flights and any domestic flights not expressly added to the written quotation.
- Entry authorisation or visa charges, passports and personal travel documentation.
- Travel insurance, personal medical expenses and any emergency service not expressly included in the written quotation.
- Nairobi accommodation before or after the safari, early check in and late check out.
- Breakfast before the first day’s collection, and lunch or dinner on the final day.
- Alcohol, soft drinks and other beverages apart from drinking water carried in the safari vehicle.
- Tips, gratuities, laundry, souvenirs and personal shopping.
- Balloon flights, cultural visits, lake boating, guided walks and other optional activities.
- Special conservancy encounters, private conservancy access and activities beyond the standard game drives described.
- Accommodation upgrades, additional nights and transfers outside the agreed itinerary unless added to the quotation.
