Fly-In & Tailor-Made
7 Days Samburu & Lewa Conservancy Safari
From $5,500
Two premier northern destinations, deep and unhurried
Picture a black rhino grazing in open grassland at dusk, your guide cutting the engine so the only sound is the animal itself — a sighting only a handful of private conservancies in Africa can genuinely offer. This itinerary stays entirely in Kenya’s north, giving Samburu and Lewa three full nights each rather than rushing through either.
7 Days Samburu & Lewa Conservancy Safari At a glance
| DETAIL | INFORMATION |
| Duration | 7 Days/6 nights |
| Destinations | Samburu, Lewa Conservancy |
| Start | Nairobi |
| Finish | Nairobi |
| Style | Private, Fly-In, Tailor-Made |
| Transport | Internal flights between safari regions, with some connections via Wilson Airport |
| Game Drives | Private |
| Accommodation Options | Premium, Signature or Ultra Luxury |
| Price From | $5,500 |
Itinerary at a Glance
How this itinerary actually moves
Designed to minimise long road transfers and maximise your time in camp and the bush.
Plan your safari now
Tell us about your dates, travellers and preferences and we’ll prepare the most suitable version of this journey for you.
Why Choose This Safari?
Kenya's north, given the time it actually deserves
Imagine a night drive through Lewa’s grassland, a spotlight catching the eyes of a genet or an aardvark — wildlife most safari-goers never see, because most reserves don’t permit driving after dark. Off-road access, night drives, and vastly fewer vehicles than a national reserve: this is what a private conservancy actually buys you, and this itinerary spends its whole week inside that privilege.
“Lewa is one of Africa’s most important rhino sanctuaries, and here you’re not watching from a queue of vehicles — you’re often the only one there.”
The honest trade-off: staying entirely in the north means you won’t see the Mara’s sheer density of predators on this trip — that’s a deliberate choice for privacy and access over volume. If you’d rather add the Mara to this northern introduction, our 6-Day Samburu & Masai Mara Fly-In Safari pairs the north with the south instead.
Why Northern Kenya?
You're not visiting two parks. You're exploring two sides of one region.
Samburu
- The Special Five species, found almost nowhere else
- Game drives along the Ewaso Nyiro River
- Genuinely dry, textured northern landscape
- An optional window into Samburu culture
Lewa
- One of Africa’s most important rhino conservation stories
- Private conservancy status, with off-road and night-drive access
- A different landscape — open grassland rather than riverine bush
- Walking and horseback possibilities the reserve doesn’t allow
- A genuine conservation experience, not just a game drive
Together they give you two distinct roles within the same region — wildlife discovery, then conservation depth — rather than one destination visited twice under different names.
Safari Highlights
What this itinerary actually delivers
Three full nights in Samburu, tracking the region’s rare Special Five species
Three full nights at Lewa, a UNESCO World Heritage rhino sanctuary
Off-road driving and night drives, unavailable in a national reserve
Significantly fewer vehicles than Kenya’s better-known parks
A private vehicle and dedicated guide throughout
What Makes This Safari Different?
Samburu + Lewa
Two distinct roles within Northern Kenya — open wildlife discovery, then conservation depth in a private rhino sanctuary.
Your 7 Days Samburu & Lewa Conservancy Safari Itinerary
Exactly how each day unfolds
The journey opens in the north, where Kenya looks and feels entirely different from its southern parks.
Fly from Wilson Airport, roughly 50 minutes.
Settle into camp, then a first game drive along the Ewaso Nyiro River.
What this day gives youAn immediate introduction to a Kenya few visitors ever see.
A full day to properly search for the Special Five in genuinely varied terrain.
A river drive for elephant and leopard territory.
Rest through the heat.
A drive onto open plains for gerenuk and Grevy’s zebra.
What this day gives youReal time with wildlife found almost nowhere else in Kenya.
A second full day, the north’s pace now properly settled in.
A further drive, following the previous day’s sightings.
An optional community visit, then a final sundowner.
What this day gives youDepth that a shorter Samburu stay simply can’t offer.
A short flight brings you to Lewa, a private conservancy built around one of the continent’s most important rhino conservation stories.
A final Samburu game drive, then transfer and a short flight to Lewa.
Arrive and head into a first game drive, your guide free to go off-road in search of rhino.
What this day gives youThe shift from a national reserve to a private conservancy, and everything that access actually means.
A full day exploring one of Africa’s most significant rhino sanctuaries, with the freedom a private conservancy actually allows.
A drive focused on Lewa’s black and white rhino populations and the endangered Grevy’s zebra.
Rest at camp.
A night drive, spotlighting nocturnal species a national reserve wouldn’t permit you to see.
What this day gives youWildlife access most Kenyan safaris simply can’t offer.
A second full day at Lewa, with time to explore further and perhaps meet the conservancy’s community and conservation teams.
A further game drive, off-road where wildlife activity suggests.
An optional visit to Lewa’s conservation education centre, then a final sundowner.
What this day gives youA genuine understanding of what conservancy tourism actually funds, not just a game drive.
A final morning activity before the flight home closes a week spent entirely in Kenya’s private, conservancy-led north.
A final game drive or walk.
Breakfast, then transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Wilson Airport.
What this day gives youA week of genuine access and privacy that a national-reserve-only itinerary can’t replicate.
Why These Two Destinations?
A complete northern conservancy experience
Samburu — The Dry North's Rarest Wildlife
Samburu's dry, rugged landscape along the Ewaso Nyiro River supports wildlife found almost nowhere else in Kenya, including Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and the gerenuk antelope. It opens this journey with genuine, textured discovery.
Lewa Conservancy — A Rhino Sanctuary, Privately Explored
Lewa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa's most important rhino sanctuaries, home to significant black and white rhino populations alongside the endangered Grevy's zebra. As a private conservancy, it permits off-road driving and night drives unavailable in a national reserve, with proceeds funding conservation and community programmes directly.
Accommodation & Your Preferred Level
Three accommodation levels, so the safari can be designed around your style and budget
Premium Luxury
Comfortable, well-appointed safari accommodation with strong locations, good service and a relaxed atmosphere.
Signature Luxury
More intimate accommodation with distinctive character, enhanced privacy and a stronger connection with the surrounding environment.
Ultra-Luxury
Exceptional safari accommodation with highly personalised service, refined hospitality and an elevated level of privacy.
Specific properties are selected according to availability, location, season and your preferred style of travel. Your final quotation will identify the recommended properties for your dates.
Inclusions and exclusions on the quote
Your final quotation will clearly specify all inclusions
What is Included on the price
- Six nights’ accommodation across two conservancies
- Meals according to the selected accommodation plan
- All scheduled flights, including the Wilson Airport connection
- Private vehicle and dedicated guide at each destination
- Private game drives, including night drives at Lewa
- Applicable conservancy fees
- Airstrip transfers, drinking water, safari planning and pre-travel assistance
What is not Included on the price
Unless specifically included in your quotation:
- International flights
- Kenya entry requirements / eTA
- Travel insurance
- Optional activities (community visits, conservation centre tours)
- Tips and gratuities
Make This Safari Yours
Seven days is the foundation. The journey can be adapted around you.
Add the Masai Mara
Extend south for classic savannah after your northern conservancy stay.
Rebalance the Nights
Prefer more time at Lewa than Samburu, or the reverse.
Add Laikipia
A third northern conservancy for an even deeper regional stay.
Extend to the Coast
Close the trip with several days on the Indian Ocean.
Our Approach to Responsible Travel
Part of how a safari is designed, not an afterthought
We aim to work thoughtfully with wildlife areas, local communities and accommodation partners, while encouraging respectful behaviour in Kenya’s natural environments.
Looking for Something Different?
If your priorities are different, consider:
6-Day Samburu & Masai Mara Fly-In Safari
- Samburu + Mara
- From $4,000
The north paired with classic Big Five country.
10-Day Samburu, Laikipia & Masai Mara Safari
- Samburu + Laikipia + Mara
- From $7,500
Deeper conservancy time plus a Mara finish.
7-Day Masai Mara Conservancy Photography Safari
- Private Conservancy
- From $7,500
The same conservancy-access idea, built for photographers.
Frequently Asked Questions
7-Day Kenya Classics Safari — common questions, answered directly
Both sit in Northern Kenya but play different roles — Samburu for open wildlife discovery along the river, Lewa for conservation depth in a private rhino sanctuary. Together they give a fuller picture of the region than either alone.
Lower visitor numbers, drier and more textured landscapes, species found nowhere else in Kenya, and — at Lewa specifically — off-road and night-drive access a national reserve doesn't allow.
By a short scheduled flight, typically around 30 minutes, without needing to connect via Wilson Airport for this particular leg.
Three nights at each is our standard recommendation, giving genuine depth at both without either feeling rushed.
Yes, adding the Mara after Lewa is a straightforward extension; ask us about a hybrid itinerary combining all three.