9 Days Best of Kenya Wildlife Safari Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi and Welcome to Kenya

You arrive in Nairobi, Kenya’s vibrant capital city, where you are welcomed by your Verdant Safaris representative and transferred to your hotel. After checking in, you have time to relax and recover from your journey before beginning your safari adventure. Your guide gives you a detailed briefing about the itinerary, including the destinations you will visit, the expected driving times and the activities planned for the coming days. Depending on your arrival time, you may enjoy a short orientation around Nairobi or simply relax at the hotel. You can use the afternoon to organise your safari equipment, cameras and personal belongings before the journey begins. In the evening, you enjoy your first dinner in Kenya and spend a comfortable night in Nairobi.

Accommodation options in Nairobi:

• Eka Hotel
• Sarova Panafric
• Tamarind Tree Hotel

Meals: (Dinner)

Day 2: Nairobi to Amboseli National Park

After breakfast, you depart Nairobi and travel south towards Amboseli National Park, enjoying views of Kenya’s countryside and local communities along the way. The journey takes you towards the Amboseli ecosystem, famous for its open plains, wetlands, wildlife and spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro. After lunch, you enter the national park for your first game drive, exploring the different habitats in search of elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and other plains wildlife. Your guide explains the behaviour of the animals you encounter and helps you identify different species during the drive. The wetlands can attract large numbers of wildlife, creating excellent opportunities for observation and photography. You continue your afternoon game drive before proceeding to your accommodation for dinner and your first overnight stay in the Amboseli region.

Accommodation options in Amboseli:

• Amboseli Sopa Lodge
• Sentrim Amboseli Lodge
• Kibo Safari Camp

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3: Full-Day Amboseli Wildlife Safari

You begin the day with an early morning game drive through Amboseli National Park, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and increased wildlife activity. You explore open grasslands, woodland and wetland areas while searching for elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and various antelope species. The park is especially well known for its elephant herds, making this an excellent opportunity to observe these magnificent animals in their natural environment. On clear mornings, Mount Kilimanjaro creates an impressive backdrop, providing excellent opportunities for scenic photography. After returning to your accommodation for breakfast, you have time to relax before continuing with another wildlife excursion after lunch. You later return to your lodge or camp for dinner and an evening of relaxation surrounded by the atmosphere of the African wilderness.

Accommodation options in Amboseli:

• Amboseli Sopa Lodge
• Sentrim Amboseli Lodge
• Kibo Safari Camp

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4: Amboseli to Lake Nakuru National Park

After breakfast, you leave Amboseli and travel towards Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. The journey provides opportunities to observe changing landscapes, rural settlements and agricultural areas as you travel north-westwards. After lunch, you enter Lake Nakuru National Park for an afternoon game drive around the lake and its surrounding habitats. You search for black and white rhinoceroses, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, lions and other wildlife found within the park. Lake Nakuru also offers excellent birdwatching opportunities, with various waterbirds and other species inhabiting the lake and surrounding areas. Your guide explains the ecological importance of the park while helping you locate wildlife and suitable photography spots. After your afternoon exploration, you proceed to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay near Lake Nakuru.

Accommodation options in Lake Nakuru:

• Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge
• Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
• Flamingo Hill Tented Camp

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5: Lake Nakuru to Maasai Mara National Reserve

After breakfast, you leave Lake Nakuru and continue towards the spectacular Maasai Mara National Reserve. The journey takes you through the Great Rift Valley and the Kenyan countryside, with opportunities to see rural communities, farms and changing landscapes along the route. After lunch, you arrive in the Maasai Mara region and begin your first game drive, depending on your arrival time and park conditions. You explore the famous savannah plains in search of lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras and wildebeest. The Maasai Mara is recognised for year-round Big Five wildlife viewing and is also famous for the annual wildebeest migration. Your guide introduces you to the Mara ecosystem before you continue to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation options in Maasai Mara:

• Mara Sopa Lodge
• Sarova Mara Game Camp
• Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6: Full-Day Maasai Mara Wildlife Safari

Today is dedicated to a full-day wildlife safari in the Maasai Mara, allowing you plenty of time to explore its vast savannah plains. You set out early in the morning when temperatures are cooler and wildlife is often active, giving you opportunities to search for predators and large herbivores. Your guide looks for lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and other wildlife while explaining their behaviour and habitats. You may also encounter hippos around rivers and waterholes, as well as hyenas and numerous antelope species. You enjoy a picnic lunch at a designated location before continuing your afternoon game drive through another section of the reserve. In the late afternoon, you return to your accommodation for dinner and relaxation after a rewarding day of wildlife viewing.

Accommodation options in Maasai Mara:

• Mara Sopa Lodge
• Sarova Mara Game Camp
• Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7: Maasai Mara Wildlife and Maasai Cultural Experience

You begin the morning with another game drive through the Maasai Mara, exploring different areas of the reserve and looking for wildlife you may not have encountered during the previous day. The early morning provides excellent conditions for photography and wildlife observation as the savannah begins to come alive. After the morning game drive and breakfast, you participate in a cultural experience with a local Maasai community. You learn about traditional Maasai homes, livestock keeping, crafts, music, dance and other aspects of the community’s cultural heritage. The experience provides an opportunity to understand how local communities interact with the surrounding environment and maintain their traditions. You return to your accommodation in the afternoon for relaxation before enjoying dinner and your final overnight stay in the Maasai Mara.

Accommodation options in Maasai Mara:

• Mara Sopa Lodge
• Sarova Mara Game Camp
• Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8: Maasai Mara to Nairobi

After breakfast, you leave the Maasai Mara and begin your journey back to Nairobi. If time and park regulations permit, you may enjoy a short final game drive before exiting the reserve, providing one last opportunity to observe wildlife in the Mara ecosystem. You then continue through the Kenyan countryside, passing rural settlements, agricultural areas and sections of the Great Rift Valley. Lunch is taken en route before continuing towards Nairobi. Upon arrival, you check into your hotel and have time to rest after the journey. Depending on your arrival time, you may enjoy a short optional city experience or relax at the hotel. In the evening, you enjoy dinner and prepare for your departure from Kenya the following day.

Accommodation options in Nairobi:

• Eka Hotel
• Sarova Panafric
• Tamarind Tree Hotel

Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9: Departure

After breakfast, you check out of your Nairobi hotel and prepare for your journey home. Depending on your flight schedule, you may have some free time for relaxation, last-minute shopping or a final coffee before your airport transfer. Your Verdant Safaris representative transfers you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or another agreed departure point in Nairobi. You are advised to arrive at the airport in good time for check-in, immigration and security procedures. As you leave Kenya, you take with you memories of spectacular elephants in Amboseli, rhino encounters around Lake Nakuru and unforgettable wildlife experiences in the Maasai Mara. Your 9 Days Best of Kenya Wildlife Safari Tour officially ends at the airport.

Meals: (Breakfast)