Grand Tour of Kenya
Grand Tour of Kenya
Grand Tour of Kenya
12 Days Starting and ending in Nairobi, Kenya
Visiting: Nairobi, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, Lake Naivasha, Buffalo Springs National Reserve, Samburu National Reserve, United Kingdom
Tour operator:
Tour code:
KES
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
0 - 25
Physical rating:
Medium, Low
Age range:
18-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
From:
$6191 (USD) including Flights from the UKTour Overview
Discover the true safari experience; open grasslands dotted with wildebeest and antelopes, acacia trees providing shady retreats for leopards and vast lakes of wading flamingos - Kenya won't disappoint.
Explore Maasai Mara, home of Kenya's famous big cats; lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and jackals can all be sighted here. Then on to Buffalo Springs Reserve in search of the Samburu Special Five; reticulated giraffe, Grévy's zebra, Somali ostrich, gerenuk and beisa oryx.
And it's not just the wildlife that's fascinating, during our travels we'll visit the villages of local tribes to learn more about their culture and traditions. This holiday is designed to offer an authentic safari experience - ideal for wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers and travellers looking to see this diverse ecosystem up close.on this tour visit to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary and experience in the Namunyak wildlife conservancy.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive In Nairobi
Location: Nairobi
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: No Meals
Arriving in Nairobi in the evening, we will transfer to your four-star hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 2 : Lake Nakuru
Location: Lake Nakuru National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The safari adventure begins this morning as we meet our driver guide for the next eleven days. Travelling in 4x4 land cruisers, all six passengers have their own windows and seats that recline and adjust for leg room. The pop-up roof allows for 360-degree game viewing.Â
Our first stop will be an introduction to the world's largest species of giraffe, the endangered Rothschild's giraffe. Thanks to the work of the Giraffe Centre we visit, there are now over 300 in various Kenyan National Parks. There are three subspecies of the giraffe; the Rothschild's giraffe in Lake Nakuru National Park; the Masai Giraffe located south of the Equator; and the reticulated giraffe, also known as the Somali giraffe, native to North Kenya's Samburu region. Â
We'll arrive at our lodge in Lake Nakuru National Park in time for lunch and this afternoon, we'll enjoy our first game drive. Lake Nakuru National Park is home to a shallow lake. The lake is located within the Great Rift Valley of Kenya and was created by volcanic activity from nearby Mount Longonot. You may spot a flamboyance of flamingos grazing on the algae that grow here.Â
Designated a national park in 1972, we'll have a chance to spot different species in their natural habitat, including zebra, gazelle, buffalo, waterbuck, Rothschild's giraffe, rhinoceros, flamingo and a wealth of other birdlife.
In the evening, you'll be free to relax in the lodge, enjoy dinner and find out what's on the agenda tomorrow with a debrief from your tour manager and local guide.
Day 3 : Lake Nakuru National Park & Crescent Island Game Sanctuary
Location: Lake Nakuru National Park
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Today, you'll have the choice to explore the national park on a morning game drive. Experience the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats ranging from Lake Nakuru to the woodland and bushy grassland surrounding it. And spend the afternoon at leisure, enjoying lunch at the lodge and time to relax.
Signature Experience:
Enjoy an afternoon boat ride on Lake Naivasha with a guided nature walk at Crescent Island. You're likely to spot interesting species on your nature walk through Crescent Island, this privately owned game sanctuary boasts more animals per acre than any other Kenyan Park and the shores host abundant birdlife, including pelicans, cormorants and fish-eagles.
Day 4 : Journey To Maasai Mara
Location: Masai Mara National Reserve
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Journeying through the Great Rift Valley to Maasai Mara Game Reserve, you'll have the opportunity to see more of Kenya's stunning countryside. Â
We arrive at the award-winning Maasai Mara Game Reserve, where we’ll stay for three nights, in time for lunch.Â
In the afternoon, we commence our game drive of Maasai Mara, home to the 'Big Five': African elephant, lion, leopard, rhinoceros and African buffalo. You may also spot African wild dog and cheetah, completing Africa’s super seven.Â
Maasai Mara is one of Africa's best wildlife reserves and one of the most well-known. The Maasai Mara and the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania form Africa's most diverse ecosystem hosting over 95 animal species. On our game drive, we'll look out for herds of elephant, giraffe, gazelle and buffalo meandering through the savannah plains, hippos and crocodiles cooling off in the brown rivers of the Mara and blue and red-tail monkeys playing in the forest. An abundance of herbivores makes the Maasai Mara an ideal hunting ground for predators, so look out for lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and jackals on our game drive. Â
If you visit from late July to October, you may witness The Great Wildebeest Migration sighting in which more than 1.5 million wildebeest migrate to Masia Mara in search of water and pasture.
Day 5
Maasai Mara
Enjoy your choice of activities with a free day in Maasai Mara.Â
Explore this vast reserve at your own pace with full-day, morning or afternoon game drives. Or relax in the lounge and bar or take a dip in the pool. Situated in the heart of Maasai Mara, there's plenty of wildlife to see at the lodge so look out for the monkeys that wander the grounds or the hippos bathing in the river nearby.Â
There will also be an included optional visit to the village of the Maasai, a nomadic tribe that populates vast areas of Southern Kenya. They live largely untouched by modern civilisation, and this is a chance to interact with the Maasai. get a glimpse into their culture and see some of their customs and traditions first-hand.Â
Upgrade your holiday: Consider personalising your holiday with one night stay in a luxury tented safari camp as well as taking a game drive. See the 'Personalise your Holiday' section, and speak to a team member for more information.
Included experience:
Game rides through Maasai Mara, including an optional visit to the village of the Maasai tribe.
Signature experience:
At the end of the afternoon game drive, we park in a poignant location within the reserve and enjoy drinks and nibbles as the sun sets.
Day 6
Maasai Mara
Today is your second day spent at leisure on the stunning Maasai Mara reserve. Explore this vast reserve at your own pace with full-day, morning or afternoon game drives. Or relax in the lounge and bar or take a dip in the pool. Â
There will also be an included optional visit to the village of the Maasai, a nomadic tribe that populates vast areas of Southern Kenya. They live largely untouched by modern civilisation, and this is a chance to interact with the Maasai. get a glimpse into their culture and see some of their customs and traditions first-hand.Â
Day 7 : Journey To Lake Naivasha
Location: Lake Naivasha
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, we'll journey towards Lake Naivasha, arriving for lunch. Spend this afternoon at leisure in the Lake Naivasha Country Club, our hotel for the night. The lake is a bird watchers' paradise, home to over 400 bird species. However, Lake Naivasha is most famous for its high population of flamingos and hippos; you are almost guaranteed to see one.Â
There’s also plenty to explore in the local area at your leisure, including a flower farm or vineyard, depending on the season. Our expert Tour Manager is on hand to advise you on the best local attractions.
Day 8 : Journey To Buffalo Springs Reserve
Location: Buffalo Springs National Reserve
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This morning will be an early start as we begin our journey north to Buffalo Springs Reserve. Our route takes us through rugged areas of the Samburu region, a beautiful natural landscape reminiscent of ancient Kenya. We cross the equator in search of the Special Five; the reticulated giraffe, grévy zebra, somali ostrich, gerenuk and beisa oryx.Â
Arriving in time for lunch, we start exploring Buffalo Springs Reserve in the afternoon. The reserve is located between the lush highlands of southern Kenya and the arid deserts in the north. Buffalo Springs Reserve and Samburu Reserve are divided by the Ewaso Ngiri river, fringed with trees such as giant acacias, figs, and doum palms that slice across the scorched land, creating a dramatic contrast with rare wildlife, diverse birdlife and stunning natural landscapes.
On your drive through the reserve, your driver guide is on hand with specialist knowledge of the wildlife that makes up the vast ecosystem here. You might see the maneless lion (native to this region), leopard, cheetah and elephants that all inhabit the reserve and there are over 350 species of birds to spot, including grey-headed kingfisher, cobalt blue breasted vulturine guineafowl, lilac-breasted roller, red-billed hornbill, secretary bird, Verreaux’s eagle, Egyptian vulture and the endangered Abyssinian ground hornbill.Â
Ask your driver guide for the story of the famous lioness Kamunyak, who became renowned for adopting oryx calves!Â
Day 9
Buffalo Springs Reserve
Enjoy a full-day game drive with a picnic lunch or half-days with lunch at the lodge and time to relax or swim in the lodge pool with a day at leisure on the reserve. Â
There will also be the included option to learn more about Africa’s first community-owned elephant sanctuary with a visit to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, followed by a picnic bush breakfast experience in the Namunyak wildlife conservancy, which we also drive through.Â
Visit the Samburu reserve, home to the Samburu people, cousins of the nomadic Maasai. A visit to the village, near the reserve, offers a fascinating insight into their cultures and traditions. Samburu society is traditionally organised around cattle, used not only for food but also for dowries, fines and ceremonies. The communities also keep camels, using camel milk as a nutritional source as well as a source of living. This included optional visit may be available on days 8, 9 or 10.
Included experience:
Full and half-day game drives and visits to a local Samburu village, the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.
Day 10
Buffalo Springs Reserve
Enjoy another day at leisure in this stunning reserve. Today you may choose a full-day game drive with a picnic lunch or a half-day with lunch at the lodge and time to relax or swim in the lodge pool. Â
 Visit the Samburu reserve, home to the Samburu people, cousins of the nomadic Maasai. A visit to the village, near the reserve, offers a fascinating insight into their cultures and traditions. Samburu society is traditionally organised around cattle, used not only for food but also for dowries, fines and ceremonies. The communities also keep camels, using camel milk as a nutritional source as well as a source of living. This included optional visit may be available on days 8, 9 or 10.Â
Day 11 : Return Flight
Location: Samburu National Reserve, Nairobi
Accommodation: Final day of tour - no accommodation included
Meals Included: Lunch or dinner depending on flight times
We take a flight from the Samburu reserve to Nairobi. We'll take lunch or dinner at a local restaurant before taking our overnight flight home.
Day 12 : Arrive Home
Location: United Kingdom
Meals Included: No Meals
Arrive home.
What's Included
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Accommodation
10 nights in 3 to 4-star accommodation
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Airport Transfers at Destination
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Fully Guided
The services of a Riviera Travel tour manager & driver guides
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International Travel
Return flights
Check out our Q&As
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Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?
Yes
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Are all the relevant entry visa’s included in the price of the tour?
No
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?
Yes
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
Yes
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
No, 18 years and above only
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What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?
As detailed in the itinerary
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Are flights included in this tour?
Return flights
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Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?
As detailed in the itinerary
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How long has the tour company been trading?
For almost 40 years
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I have reduced mobility; can I still travel?
We want to ensure you make the correct choice before you book your holiday with us. If you have any concerns regarding the suitability of the holiday due to reduced mobility we would encourage you to contact us to discuss these concerns
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Do I require travel insurance?
It is a condition of booking that you carry suitable travel insurance.
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What is my luggage allowance?
You will receive details of your luggage allowance with your final travel documents, which are sent approximately 10 days prior to your date of departure.
Reviews of this Operator
Dates & Availability
Thursday - Monday
Feb 06, 2025 - Feb 17, 2025Friday - Tuesday
Jun 13, 2025 - Jun 24, 2025Friday - Tuesday
Nov 07, 2025 - Nov 18, 2025Book with Confidence
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Low Deposit
Riviera Travel requires a minimum deposit of 500 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of riviera travel charges.
Up to 75 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 74 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions