06 Days Karibu Kenya Luxury Tour

Ideally get up early today and enjoy the sunrise — Kilimanjaro is often clearest at daybreak, before the clouds build around the peak. One of the most classic images of Africa is a large herd of elephants in the middle of the savannah with the mountain glowing in the background. You are now in exactly the right place to witness it.

Amboseli's elephants are the reason the park is so famous — you'd be hard-pressed to find bigger elephants with bigger tusks anywhere else in Africa. The sparse vegetation makes it easier to spot animals here than almost anywhere in Kenya. You have a packed lunch with you today, allowing a full day in the park. Lunch is usually eaten on top of a small mound — affording a phenomenal panoramic view across the swampy and bone-dry areas of Amboseli. Dinner and overnight at Kibo Safari Camp.

A new day of experiences awaits. From the flat openness of Amboseli, you now head north through the hilly landscape of the Great Rift Valley towards Lake Naivasha. Along the way there will be a lunch stop, and the opportunity to photograph the extraordinary panoramic views from the Great Rift Valley escarpment — one of the most dramatic geological formations on earth.

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake at 1,890 metres above sea level — the highest point of the Rift Valley. A boat trip on the lake is one of the main highlights here, drifting past hippo pods, giant fish eagles and hundreds of migratory and resident bird species. The surrounding acacia forests are home to giraffe, waterbuck and vervet monkeys. Dinner and overnight at Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge.

After breakfast, the drive to Maasai Mara awaits. Most of the day is spent on the road — sit back, enjoy your favourite snack, and watch Kenya unfold outside. You will pass the old Longonot volcano, then head west into Maasai country, where men dressed in bright red shukas herd cattle between giraffes and zebras. The Maasai have no tradition of cultivating the soil — their world and the wildlife world overlap seamlessly.

Drive through local villages and trading posts, then through the Maasai capital of Narok before continuing to the reserve. As the villages thin out, the wild animals increase. You also have the option of visiting a Maasai village — arranged with your guide on the day, at USD 25 per person paid directly to the Maasai people. Arrive in the Mara in time for dinner and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge.

Today, a full day game drive in the Maasai Mara — the Kenyan part of the vast Serengeti ecosystem and home to probably the world's largest concentration of wildlife in the rainy season. On the mighty plains, you will encounter large herds of elephants, wildebeest, zebras, hippos, giraffes, gazelles and the hunting lions, hyenas, leopards and cheetahs that stalk them.

You get right up close to a host of animals from the safety of your Land Cruiser. From July to October, you can witness the famous migration of over one million wildebeest along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and Thompson's gazelles — many falling victim to the huge Nile crocodiles when crossing the Mara River. Why not also experience the savannah as the sun rises — from a hot air balloon? (Optional, at extra cost.) Dinner and overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge.

After breakfast, bid farewell to the Mara's extraordinary wildlife and drive back to Nairobi — a scenic journey through the Great Rift Valley via the town of Narok. After lunch, continue to the airport for your onward journey home, with a stopover en route if needed.

You also have the option to add two extra nights in Nairobi with a full day excursion — experiencing highlights such as the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Karen Blixen Museum, the former home of the celebrated Danish author. Just let your guide know and we'll arrange everything.