About this safari
Go beyond the most familiar safari circuit on this 8 day Kenya family safari. The journey begins at Ol Pejeta, continues to Samburu for two nights, travels through Nakuru and Naivasha, then finishes with two nights near the Masai Mara. It connects central highland conservation, northern dry country, Rift Valley lakes and open savannah within one private road itinerary.
Samburu’s wildlife gives children and adults new animals to look for, including reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and gerenuk where sightings permit. Ol Pejeta adds an opportunity to discuss conservation while exploring its landscapes by vehicle. The lake stays provide changing scenery before the Mara’s full day of game viewing rounds out the holiday.
This route involves a long Samburu to Nakuru transfer and suits families comfortable with road travel. All stays use lodge, hotel or permanent tented rooms, with properties and child suitability confirmed before booking. Learn about Ol Pejeta, Samburu and the Masai Mara, or request a personalised version.
Why travellers choose this journey
- Northern Kenya landscapes with two nights in Samburu
- Ol Pejeta game viewing and conservation context
- Overnight stops at Nakuru and Naivasha
- A full day dedicated to the Masai Mara
- Seven nights in hotels, lodges or permanent tented rooms
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.
Depart Nairobi in the morning and travel toward the Nanyuki area, passing agricultural landscapes and the central highlands. Your driver includes a comfort stop, with a view of Mount Kenya possible only when weather and the road position allow. Lunch is organised at your accommodation or an agreed point on the route.
An afternoon vehicle safari in Ol Pejeta introduces the conservancy’s mix of grassland and woodland when arrival time permits. Look for rhinos and other wildlife while discussing how protected landscapes support animals alongside wider conservation work. Special encounters and behind the scenes visits are not included in the standard drive. Stay overnight at the lodge or permanent tented accommodation selected for your family, with dinner included.
After breakfast, leave the highland region and drive north toward Samburu. The change in vegetation and temperature becomes part of the journey, giving your guide an opportunity to explain how animals adapt to drier country. Stop for comfort breaks as needed and arrive for lunch according to your accommodation’s location.
Settle into your lodge or permanent tented room before an afternoon game drive if the schedule allows. Look along the river corridor and nearby scrub for elephants, reticulated giraffes and other northern species. The guide will explain that different habitats support different animals, so the goal is discovery rather than a fixed checklist. Return for dinner and the first of two nights in the Samburu area.
Head out in the cooler morning to explore Samburu National Reserve. Your guide searches varied habitats for the animals often called the Samburu Special Five, while making time for elephants, birds and any predator activity encountered. Sightings depend on where animals are moving, and patience can be more useful than covering a large distance.
Return to the accommodation for lunch and a break during the hotter part of the day. An afternoon drive focuses on a different route or a promising area from the morning. Family members can compare the appearance of northern giraffes and zebras with the species seen elsewhere in Kenya. Community visits are optional and require separate arrangements. Dinner and overnight are at the same property.
Leave Samburu early after breakfast for the long drive to the Nakuru region. The day crosses several landscapes and is deliberately kept free of extra scheduled attractions. Your guide plans rest breaks and an included lunch stop, with the driving estimate excluding traffic, road works and time spent out of the vehicle.
Reach your Nakuru area accommodation later in the day and settle in for dinner. No Lake Nakuru game drive is promised this afternoon because arrival time can vary significantly. The park visit is planned for tomorrow before continuing to Naivasha. Families who prefer shorter driving days should ask about dividing this transfer with an additional central Kenya overnight when the itinerary is quoted.
Enjoy breakfast and spend the morning exploring Lake Nakuru National Park. Your guide will focus on accessible habitats where rhinos, buffalo, giraffes and birds may be seen, keeping the route flexible around road conditions and wildlife activity. The lake itself is a changing ecosystem, with flamingo numbers influenced by conditions rather than a reliable year round spectacle.
Lunch is included at an agreed lodge or picnic stop before the short drive to Naivasha. Arrive at your hotel or lodge with time to relax after the park visit. Today’s included lake experience is the accommodation setting; boating is optional and priced separately. Follow the property’s advice about viewing areas and wildlife near the grounds. Dinner and overnight are at Naivasha.
Have breakfast beside Naivasha before driving toward the Masai Mara. The route passes through the Narok region with planned comfort breaks, and your guide arranges lunch according to the day’s progress. Keep binoculars and a light layer accessible as the journey moves from the Rift Valley toward the reserve area.
Your family checks into a lodge or permanent tented room for two nights. If arrival is early enough, take an introductory wildlife drive to recognise the Mara’s grazing herds and open habitats. A later arrival means a more relaxed check in, with the full following day reserved for game viewing. Dinner is included at the accommodation, giving you time to rest before your main Mara safari.
Set out after breakfast for an unhurried day in the Masai Mara. Your guide follows current wildlife activity, watching for predators, elephants and grazing herds while helping the family understand how the ecosystem fits together. With the vehicle reserved for your party, the timing of viewing stops can reflect the interests and patience of the children.
Packed lunch at a permitted picnic area allows a longer route. Alternatively, discuss a midday lodge break if its location and entry arrangements make that practical. Migration activity is seasonal, and no sighting or crossing is guaranteed. Extra experiences such as ballooning are separate bookings. Return to the same accommodation for dinner and your seventh safari overnight.
After breakfast, leave your accommodation and begin the drive back to Nairobi. The day includes comfort stops and a flexible return schedule based on traffic, without a promised morning reserve drive. Your guide can use the journey to revisit the differences between the northern landscapes, lake habitats and Mara plains your family has experienced.
The itinerary concludes at a Nairobi hotel or the agreed airport terminal. Breakfast is included; lunch and any onward accommodation are separate. Provide your departure details before confirmation, especially if connecting to an international flight. Where the road schedule leaves too little margin, Esperanza Tourism can arrange a separately quoted city overnight or adjust the final itinerary.
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.
- 7 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, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara National Reserve, 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.
