9-Day Aberdare, Samburu, Mount Kenya, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara Safari

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to Aberdare

   Depart Nairobi and travel toward the Aberdare region. Check in and enjoy game viewing or lodge-based wildlife observation according to the operating plan. This part of the journey takes in high montane forest, bamboo belt and moorland cut by streams and waterfalls. There is the possibility of seeing elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog, bushbuck and, with patience, rarely seen forest species, though sightings are never guaranteed. The Aberdare lodges are built overlooking floodlit waterholes, so wildlife is watched from the building itself rather than from a vehicle. Your safari vehicle and guide are used by your party alone. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Aberdare.

2. Day 2

   Aberdare to Samburu

   Leave the Aberdare region and travel north toward Samburu. Arrive and head out for an afternoon game drive where timing allows. The setting is semi-arid northern rangeland of doum palms and riverine forest along the Ewaso Ng'iro river. Wildlife commonly associated with the area includes elephant, lion, leopard and the dry-country species often called the Samburu Special Five. Northern Kenya holds species rarely seen further south, including Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Samburu.

3. Day 3

   Samburu — Full-Day Safari

   Spend a full day exploring Samburu for elephants, predators and northern Kenya specialist wildlife. This part of the journey takes in semi-arid northern rangeland of doum palms and riverine forest along the Ewaso Ng'iro river. There is the possibility of seeing elephant, lion, leopard and the dry-country species often called the Samburu Special Five, though sightings are never guaranteed. Northern Kenya holds species rarely seen further south, including Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Samburu.

4. Day 4

   Samburu to Mount Kenya Region

   Travel from Samburu toward the Mount Kenya region. Settle into the confirmed accommodation and enjoy the mountain setting. No climbing activity should be implied unless specifically included. The setting is the forested lower slopes and farmland around Mount Kenya, Africa's second-highest mountain. There is the possibility of seeing black-and-white colobus, Sykes's monkey and montane forest birds, though sightings are never guaranteed. A stay in the Mount Kenya region is about the forest and highland setting; it is not a summit climb unless trekking is specifically booked. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Mount Kenya Region.

5. Day 5

   Mount Kenya Region to Lake Nakuru

   Leave the Mount Kenya area and continue toward Lake Nakuru National Park. Enter the park for game viewing where timing permits. The setting is a Rift Valley soda lake ringed by yellow-barked acacia woodland and steep escarpment viewpoints. Wildlife commonly associated with the area includes black and white rhino, Rothschild's giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck and dense birdlife. The park operates as a sanctuary and is one of Kenya's more reliable places to look for rhino; flamingo numbers on the lake rise and fall with water levels. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Lake Nakuru.

6. Day 6

   Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara

   Enjoy final Nakuru game viewing, then travel toward the Masai Mara. Arrive and take an afternoon drive where time allows. The setting is open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem. Wildlife commonly associated with the area includes lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game. The reserve is best known for its big cat densities, and between roughly July and October the wildebeest migration commonly moves through the ecosystem. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Masai Mara.

7. Day 7

   Masai Mara — Full-Day Safari

   Spend the day exploring the Mara’s plains and riverine areas for predators and plains wildlife. The setting is open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem. Wildlife commonly associated with the area includes lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game. The reserve is best known for its big cat densities, and between roughly July and October the wildebeest migration commonly moves through the ecosystem. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Masai Mara.

8. Day 8

   Masai Mara — Second Full Safari Day

   Use the additional day for a different part of the ecosystem, photography or patient wildlife observation. The setting is open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem. There is the possibility of seeing lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game, though sightings are never guaranteed. The reserve is best known for its big cat densities, and between roughly July and October the wildebeest migration commonly moves through the ecosystem. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Masai Mara.

9. Day 9

   Masai Mara to Nairobi

   Enjoy the final morning in the Mara before travelling back to Nairobi. This part of the journey takes in Kenya's highland capital and the usual start and end point for road safaris. Nairobi is the arrival and departure hub for most Kenyan safari itineraries. Your Land Rail arrangements end with the drop-off at your Nairobi hotel or the airport.