10-Day Private Kenya Safari with Kilimanjaro, Rhinos and Maasai Mara

1

Day 01

Nairobi to Amboseli Beneath Mount Kilimanjaro

• Meet: Your private safari driver-guide will meet you at your hotel, residence, or agreed pick-up location.
• Transfer: Settle into your customized 4x4 Land Cruiser and leave the city behind as you travel south through the Kenyan countryside.
• Arrive: As you approach Amboseli National Park, the landscape opens dramatically, revealing vast plains dominated by the magnificent presence of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain.
• Accommodation: Arrive at your lodge or luxury tented camp for check-in and lunch.
• Game drive: Later, venture into the park for your first game drive.
• Wildlife viewing: Your guide will also search for lions, cheetahs, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, and other wildlife.
• Return: Return to your lodge as the sun disappears behind the African landscape.
• Overnight: Amboseli
• Meals: Lunch & Dinner

2

Day 02

Amboseli's Wetlands and Observation Hill

• Morning: Wake to the sounds of the African wilderness and, weather permitting, beautiful early-morning views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
• Game viewing: After breakfast, spend the day exploring Amboseli at a relaxed pace.
• Visit: Visit the park's wildlife-rich wetlands, where underground water originating from Kilimanjaro supports elephants, buffaloes, hippos, and abundant birdlife throughout much of the year.
• Visit: Continue to Observation Hill, where you'll step out of your safari vehicle and enjoy sweeping views across the plains and marshlands below.
• Wildlife viewing: Your guide will continue searching for predators, including lions, cheetahs, and hyenas, while allowing plenty of time for photography and simply enjoying the landscape.
• Lunch/Relax: Return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation before another afternoon game drive.
• Evening: As evening approaches, enjoy your second African sunset before returning for dinner.
• Overnight: Amboseli
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

3

Day 03

From Amboseli's Plains to the Aberdare Forests

• Transfer: After breakfast, leave the open plains behind and journey toward Kenya's lush central highlands.
• Scenery: Dry savannah gradually gives way to fertile farmland, rolling hills, and cool mountain forest.
• Arrive: Arrive in the Aberdare region, where your accommodation provides a completely different safari atmosphere.
• Afternoon: Settle into your forest retreat and spend the afternoon enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
• Wildlife viewing: Depending on your selected lodge, wildlife may visit nearby waterholes and salt licks, allowing you to watch animals from the comfort of the property.
• Wildlife: Elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and other forest species may emerge quietly from the dense vegetation.
• Note: The wider Aberdare ecosystem is also home to the elusive bongo antelope, although sightings of this rare forest species are never guaranteed.
• Evening: Enjoy dinner and an atmospheric night surrounded by the sounds of the forest.
• Overnight: Aberdare Region
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

4

Day 04

Into Ol Pejeta's Conservation Heartland

• Transfer: Enjoy breakfast in the cool highland surroundings before continuing toward the Mount Kenya and Laikipia region.
• Scenery: The journey takes you through some of Kenya's most beautiful agricultural countryside, with views of farms, plantations, and Mount Kenya on clear days.
• Arrive: Arrive at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, one of East Africa's most celebrated conservation areas.
• Accommodation: After check-in and lunch, head out for an afternoon game drive.
• Wildlife viewing: Ol Pejeta is particularly renowned for rhino conservation and offers excellent opportunities to encounter both black and white rhinos.
• Wildlife: The conservancy also supports elephants, buffaloes, lions, giraffes, zebras, and numerous antelope species.
• Return: As the afternoon light softens, enjoy your first Ol Pejeta sunset before returning to your lodge or luxury camp.
• Overnight: Ol Pejeta
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

5

Day 05

Rhinos, Chimpanzees and Conservation at Ol Pejeta

• Game drive: After breakfast, set out with your private guide for an extensive game drive.
• Wildlife viewing: Search for rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, lions, and other wildlife while enjoying the conservancy's beautiful open landscapes.
• Visit: You'll also visit the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, established as a refuge for rescued chimpanzees.
• Guide: Your guide will share insights into Ol Pejeta's conservation efforts while ensuring plenty of time for wildlife encounters and photography.
• Lunch/Relax: Between activities, return to your lodge or camp for lunch and relaxation before heading back into the conservancy later in the afternoon.
• Evening: Return for dinner and your second night in this remarkable conservation landscape.
• Overnight: Ol Pejeta
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

6

Day 06

Great Rift Valley, Thomson's Falls and Lake Naivasha

• Transfer: After breakfast, leave the Mount Kenya region and travel toward the magnificent Great Rift Valley.
• Stop: Along the way, make a scenic stop at Thomson's Falls in Nyahururu, where water plunges approximately 74 metres into the gorge below.
• Arrive: Continue to Lake Naivasha, a beautiful freshwater lake surrounded by lush vegetation and prolific birdlife.
• Boat safari: After arrival, take to the water for a relaxing boat safari.
• Wildlife viewing: Glide across the lake while watching hippos in the shallows and looking out for African fish eagles, kingfishers, pelicans, and other birds.
• Walking safari: Continue toward Crescent Island, where you'll leave the boat behind for a guided walking safari.
• Wildlife viewing: Walk through open grasslands among giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, wildebeest, and antelopes - a wonderfully intimate contrast to traditional vehicle-based game viewing.
• Evening: Later, retreat to your lodge for dinner and relaxation.
• Overnight: Lake Naivasha
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

7

Day 07

Into the Great Savannah of the Maasai Mara

• Transfer: After breakfast, continue through the Great Rift Valley and Maasai countryside toward the legendary Maasai Mara National Reserve.
• Accommodation: Arrive at your luxury lodge or tented camp and settle in for a three-night stay.
• Activity: Depending on your arrival time, relax at the property or enjoy an introductory game drive before returning for dinner.
• Overnight: Maasai Mara
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

8

Day 08

Big Five Game Viewing on the Golden Plains

• Game viewing: After breakfast, set out across the vast plains for a full day of game viewing.
• Wildlife viewing: Search for lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos, alongside cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, hyenas, and numerous antelope species.
• Guide: Your private guide will plan the day's route around wildlife movements and recent sightings, giving you the freedom to spend more time at particularly rewarding encounters.
• Lunch: Enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by the wilderness or return to your lodge depending on your preferred safari style.
• Afternoon: Continue exploring into the afternoon before returning as the sun sets over the golden plains.
• Overnight: Maasai Mara
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

9

Day 09

An Unhurried Day in the Maasai Mara

• Game viewing: Today is yours to experience the Maasai Mara at a slower, more immersive pace.
• Explore: Venture deeper into the reserve, perhaps travelling toward the Mara River, where hippos and enormous Nile crocodiles inhabit the waterways.
• Seasonal: During the Great Wildebeest Migration season, generally between July and October, vast herds of wildebeest and zebras move through the wider Maasai Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.
• Note: Their exact movements and the timing of river crossings are determined entirely by nature, but witnessing the migration season remains one of Africa's most remarkable wildlife experiences.
• Evening: Return to your lodge or camp for your final evening beneath the African sky.
• Overnight: Maasai Mara
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

10

Day 10

Return from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi

• Morning: Wake up to your final morning in the African wilderness and enjoy breakfast overlooking the savannah.
• Check-out: Take in the landscape one last time before checking out and beginning your journey back to Nairobi.
• Transfer: Travel through Maasai country and the Great Rift Valley, with scenic and comfort stops along the way.
• Arrive: Arrive in Nairobi during the afternoon or early evening, where your private safari guide will transfer you to your hotel, residence, or agreed drop-off location.
• End: Your 10-Day Kenya Safari Beyond Luxury - An Extraordinary Escape into the Wild comes to an end, leaving behind ten days of remarkable wildlife encounters, beautiful landscapes, and memories that will stay with you long after you've left Africa.