Private & Tailor-Made
9 Days Grand Kenya Safari
From $6,450
Five ecosystems. One grand private circuit.
Samburu’s northern landscapes, Lake Nakuru’s rhino habitat, the Masai Mara’s classic wildlife density, Lake Naivasha’s waterside calm, and Amboseli’s elephants beneath Kilimanjaro — the most complete overland journey in our entire portfolio, in one continuous private itinerary.
9 Days Grand Kenya Safari At a glance
| DETAIL | INFORMATION |
| Duration | 9 Days/8 nights |
| Destinations |
|
| Start | Nairobi |
| Finish | Nairobi |
| Style | Private, Tailor-Made |
| Vehicle | Private 4×4 Land cruiser safari Jeep |
| Game Drives | Private |
| Accommodation Options | Premium, Signature or Ultra Luxury |
| Price From | $6,450 |
Itinerary at a Glance
The shape of the trip, before the detail
Day 1. Nairobi-Samburu
Day 2. Sambur full day game drive
Day 3. Samburu-Lake Nakuru
Day 4. Lake Nakuru-Masai Mara
Day 5. Masai Mara full day
Day 6. Masai Mara-Lake Naivasha
Day 7. Lake Naivasha-Amboseli
Day 8. Amboseli full day
Day 9. Amboseli-Nairobi
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?
The most complete overland journey in our entire portfolio
This is the itinerary for travellers who want to see Kenya properly, not selectively. Samburu opens the journey in the dry, dramatic north; Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha add two genuinely different Rift Valley experiences; the Masai Mara delivers the classic safari two full nights deserve; Amboseli closes with elephants beneath Kilimanjaro.
“We don’t recommend this itinerary to everyone. It’s built for travellers with genuine time to give — a full week and more — who’d rather see five ecosystems properly than rush through them.”
The honest trade-off: this is the longest, most demanding itinerary in our portfolio, with real road time between destinations most days. It’s genuinely road-based throughout, since Samburu, Naivasha and Nakuru have no consistent scheduled air links connecting them to each other. This suits repeat Kenya visitors, honeymooners with time to spare, and first-time visitors who’ve decided Kenya deserves more than a single trip’s worth of attention. If nine days feels like too much, our 7-Day Kenya Classics Safari covers four of these five ecosystems in less time
Safari Highlights
What this itinerary actually delivers
Five distinct Kenyan ecosystems in one continuous private journey
Two full nights in Samburu, tracking the region’s “Special Five” species
Two full nights in the Masai Mara
A Lake Naivasha boat ride, with Hell’s Gate nearby
Rhino and flamingo viewing at Lake Nakuru
Elephants beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, to close the journey
A private vehicle and dedicated guide throughout
Choose your preferred accommodation level at every stop
Your 9 Days Grand Kenya Safari Itinerary
Exactly how each day unfolds — 8 nights across five destinations
The Grand Kenya Safari begins in the north, where Kenya is drier, redder and more remote than the picture most people carry. Samburu is a reserve on the Ewaso Ng’iro river, and getting there is part of the change.
Leave Nairobi and head north through the central highlands, past the slopes of Mount Kenya, and through Nanyuki, where a sign marks the crossing of the equator. Farmland gives way to drier country.
Lunch is taken on the way. Beyond Isiolo the road descends into semi-arid scrub, and camels, goats and Samburu herders become a common sight.
Arrive with time to settle in, then take a first game drive along the river, where elephants, crocodiles and a variety of birds gather at the water.
What this day gives you You arrive in a landscape unlike anything else on the route, and begin seeing wildlife found only in the north.
Samburu has a group of species you will not see elsewhere on this route: the Special Five. Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich are all northern species adapted to dry country. A full day gives you time to look for them properly.
Go out early along the river, where doum palms and riverine forest make a green ribbon through dry country. Leopard favour this habitat, and elephants use the river throughout the day.
Rest at camp through the heat. Some camps can arrange a respectful visit to a Samburu community, which we can add (optional).
Drive the open plains to look for gerenuk standing on their hind legs to browse, and for Grevy’s zebra with their narrow stripes and large rounded ears.
What this day gives youWildlife that belongs to the north, and a sense of Kenya that most short safaris skip.
This is a long travel day, one of the longest on the trip, and the route is part of the value. You leave the dry north, cross the highlands and come down to the Rift Valley, and the landscape changes at each stage: scrub, plateau, forest, then the valley.
Depart early. The road heads south through Isiolo and Nanyuki and then across the Laikipia plateau towards Nyahururu.
Nyahururu is one of Kenya’s highest towns, and Thomson’s Falls there is a good place to stop for lunch and a short walk.
Descend into the Rift Valley and reach Lake Nakuru National Park. Timing permitting, there is a late game drive to introduce the park’s rhino and woodland.
What this day gives youA travel day that doubles as a cross-section of Kenya’s geography, ending in rhino country.
Yesterday was a long road. Today is shorter, and it takes you to the destination most people picture when they think of a Kenyan safari.
If you wish, a short early game drive at Nakuru before breakfast, when the park is at its quietest and rhino are often visible on the open grass.
Leave the Rift Valley and drive south-west for about four hours, out of the highlands and into Maasai country. Lunch is on the way or on arrival.
Arrive in the Mara and take a first game drive. The change from woodland and lake to open savannah is striking.
What this day gives you A morning in one park and an evening in another, with the trip’s biggest change of scale in between.
With a full day and no packing, the Mara is yours. Two nights here means today can be shaped entirely by what you most want to see.
Head out at first light, when predators are most active and the grass is lit low and gold.
You choose the rhythm. Some guests take a full-day drive with a picnic lunch, staying out to follow a good sighting; others prefer to return to camp for lunch and rest.
The evening drive follows the wildlife as it wakes: cheetah hunting from termite mounds, lion prides stirring, elephants moving through the thickets. Then dinner at camp.
What this day gives youA day devoted to the Mara at your own pace, in the middle of a nine-day journey.
The journey now turns east through the Rift Valley, and the pace slows. After five days of game drives, Naivasha offers something different: water, birds and the chance to walk.
A final Mara game drive if you wish, then breakfast and departure.
The road climbs out of the Mara through Narok and back to the Rift Valley, with lunch on the way.
Arrive at Lake Naivasha for a boat ride among hippo and fish eagles, with an optional walk on Crescent Island among giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.
What this day gives youA day of wildlife on water and on foot after a run of vehicle drives, and a soft landing before the final destination.
This is a long stretch of driving, and it crosses Nairobi. But it ends in a good place: Amboseli, with Kilimanjaro behind it, as the closing chapter of the circuit.
Leave after breakfast, over the escarpment and around the greater Nairobi area, then south.
Lunch on the way. As the road runs south, the highland green gives way to dry plains.
Arrive at Amboseli and take a first game drive. Kilimanjaro comes into view as you approach, and elephants are often already at the swamps.
What this day gives youYou reach the landscape most associated with Kenya, with two nights to enjoy it.
Amboseli brings the circuit to a close. After the wide plains of the Mara and the dry north of Samburu, its open swamps and the mountain behind them make a fitting last chapter.
Leave early for the clearest views of the mountain, with elephant families moving towards the water.
Rest and lunch at camp through the heat.
A longer afternoon drive, perhaps to the swamps and Observation Hill for a view across the park, with a sundowner as the light goes gold.
What this day gives youA last full day given to elephants and mountain views, after eight days of very different landscapes.
Nine days ago the trip began in Nairobi, and it ends there. This last morning is short, and worth using.
A final game drive in the cool light, one more look at the elephants and the mountain.
Breakfast, packing and departure for Nairobi.
The drive takes about four hours. We plan the timing around your flight so the end of the journey is comfortable.
What this day gives youFive ecosystems seen, and a return timed to your plans.
Why These Five Destinations, in This Order?
A genuine circuit, honestly explained
This route runs north first (Samburu), down through the Rift Valley (Nakuru, then the Mara), back up through Naivasha, and finally south to Amboseli before returning to Nairobi. It isn’t a perfect circle — the Mara-to-Naivasha and Naivasha-to-Amboseli legs both involve genuine driving, since Amboseli sits south of Nairobi while the other four destinations sit north and west of it. We say so plainly rather than pretend the geography is tidier than it is: this is the price of seeing five ecosystems in one trip, and we think it’s a fair one.
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
- Eight nights’ accommodation across five destinations
- Meals according to the selected accommodation plan
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle
- Professional safari guide
- Private game drives and the Naivasha boat ride
- Applicable park/conservancy fees where included in the quotation
- Fuel, driver/guide costs, bottled 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
- Personal purchases, laundry, spa treatments
- Optional activities (hot-air balloon, cultural visits)
- Tips and gratuities
Make This Safari Yours
Two days is the foundation. The journey can be adapted around you.
Stay Longer in the Mara
Add nights at whichever destination matters most to you.
Upgrade Your Accommodation
Choose Premium, Signature or Ultra-Luxury.
Add Diani
Close the journey with several days on the Indian Ocean coast.
Fly a Section
Selected legs can be flown instead of driven where it genuinely improves the journey.
Hot-Air Balloon Safari
A dawn flight over the Mara, typically followed by a champagne bush breakfast.
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?
This is our most complete itinerary — if it's more than you need, consider:
If your priorities are different, consider:
5 days Amboseli, Nakuru, Mara safari
- Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara
- From $3,100
A broader introduction to Kenya across three destinations.
10 Days grand Kenya Fly-in Safari
- Samburu, Mara, Amboseli
- From $8,000
A complete Kenya journey, comparable ecosystems connected by air
7 Days classic Kenya safari
- Amboseli, L. Naivasha, L. Nakuru, Masai Mara
- From $5,380
Rugged, beaten ecosystem with a rewarding experience
Frequently Asked Questions
9-Day Grand Kenya Safari — common questions, answered directly
Nine days and eight nights, covering five destinations: Samburu, Lake Nakuru, the Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli.
Samburu, Lake Nakuru, the Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli — five distinct Kenyan ecosystems in one continuous circuit.
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast
Yes, particularly for couples who want to see the full breadth of Kenya; those wanting a slower, more intimate pace may prefer our dedicated Honeymoon Safari instead.
Yes, selected legs can be flown where it genuinely improves the journey — ask us about a hybrid routing when you enquire.
This is a fully road-based circuit; most days involve 4-6 hours of driving, honestly stated day by day in the itinerary above.
Yes, our 7-Day Kenya Classics Safari covers four of the five destinations in less time.
Yes, the two nights in Samburu are dedicated to seeking out Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx and Somali ostrich, alongside the region's predators.