12-Day North to South Kenya Safari Itinerary

You’re met on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transferred to the Hilton Garden Inn, Nairobi, where you’re booked for two nights on a bed & breakfast basis — a comfortable base for the Nairobi day ahead before the long drive north begins.

A full day exploring Nairobi’s most storied landmarks. The morning takes you to the Giraffe Centre Sanctuary — one of the city’s most beloved conservation projects, where you can hand-feed the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe — followed by the Karen Blixen Museum, the preserved home of the author of Out of Africa, set in the green suburb that still carries her name. Lunch is at the Utamaduni Cultural Centre before returning to the Hilton Garden Inn for dinner and overnight, bed & breakfast.

After breakfast, you depart driving north past one of the world’s largest pineapple plantations and into Kenya’s agriculturally rich central highlands, where vast farms of arabica coffee unfold beneath the Aberdare range. The road continues north past the Equator and along the scenic slopes of Mount Kenya before descending into Samburu National Reserve, arriving at Soroi Samburu Lodge for lunch and check-in, booked for three nights full board.

Samburu spans 165 km² along the Ewaso Ng’iro River — most famous for the Samburu Special Five: the Grevy’s zebra, the reticulated giraffe, the Somali ostrich, the Gerenuk, and the Beisa oryx. These five species are found nowhere else in Kenya. Samburu is also home to over 900 elephants and 450 recorded bird species. An afternoon game drive follows. Dinner and overnight at Soroi Samburu Lodge, full board.

A full day given over to Samburu — morning and afternoon game drives in pursuit of the Special Five and the broader wildlife of the northern reserve. All meals and overnight at Soroi Samburu Lodge, full board.

Another full day of game drives within Samburu National Reserve — the extra time allows for deeper exploration of the reserve’s varied terrain and the possibility of encounters that shorter stays rarely afford. All meals and overnight at Soroi Samburu Lodge, full board.

After breakfast in Samburu, you depart heading south-west to Sweetwaters Tented Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy — situated directly on the geographical Equator — arriving in time for lunch. An afternoon game drive follows before returning to camp for dinner.

Ol Pejeta holds the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa — over 100 individuals — and the world’s only two surviving northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu. It’s also home to a chimpanzee sanctuary established by Jane Goodall, whose numbers have since doubled. Ol Pejeta gained global recognition as home to Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, who passed away in 2018. Dinner and overnight at Sweetwaters Tented Camp, full board.

A full day in Ol Pejeta — morning and afternoon game drives that include visits to the chimpanzee sanctuary and the rhino sanctuaries, two of the conservancy’s most significant and moving conservation projects. All meals and overnight at Sweetwaters Tented Camp, full board.

A further full day of game viewing within the conservancy — the additional time allows for extended exploration and the possibility of a second visit to the chimp and rhino sanctuaries for those who want to go deeper. All meals and overnight at Sweetwaters Tented Camp, full board.

After breakfast at Sweetwaters, you drive south into Nairobi for lunch at the Hilton Garden Inn, then continue south through the afternoon toward Amboseli National Park, where you’re booked for three nights at Tulia Camp — arriving as Kilimanjaro begins to dominate the horizon.

Amboseli covers 392 km² of semi-arid scrubland sustained by natural swamps fed by underground rivers flowing from Kilimanjaro itself. Recognised by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, it is nicknamed the “Home of the African Elephant” for its exceptionally large herds. Visitors often see dozens of elephants at once, making this one of the best places in Africa for close-up elephant photography.

A full day in Amboseli — morning and afternoon game drives with Kilimanjaro rising on the horizon throughout. All meals and overnight at Tulia Camp, full board.

A further full day of game viewing in Amboseli — the additional night allows for early morning drives in the golden light that makes this park one of the most photographed in Africa, with elephant silhouettes set against Kilimanjaro at dawn. All meals and overnight at Tulia Camp, full board.

After a leisurely breakfast, you depart Amboseli mid-morning and drive back to Nairobi, JKIA, for your homebound flight.