8 DAY EXPLORER SAFARI – SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE, LAKES NAKURU & NAIVASHA, AND MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
8 DAY EXPLORER SAFARI – SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE, LAKES NAKURU & NAIVASHA, AND MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
5 National Parks — “Kenya Explorer” — Private Safari Tour in Pop-Top Jeep
Overview
From the north to the south of Kenya, you’ll explore vast stretches of the country — great parks, scenic wonders, and fabulous wildlife. This complete 8-day African safari is well-paced for adventure and fun, taking you from the rugged terrain of Samburu National Reserve to the Great Rift Valley lakes of Nakuru and Naivasha and on to the wildlife-rich savannah of Masai Mara.
Travel & Vehicle
Enjoy this amazing safari in a customized pop-up roof Adventure In The Wild Safaris 4×4 Safari Jeep that includes: Portable fridge/Cooler Box, 4 Binoculars, long-range high-frequency radio, sand bags, 4G/LTE broadband Wi-Fi connectivity, Power Outlets AC 230V, First Aid Kit, Safari Guide Books. Baby seats and side steps available on request. Above all, a professional multi-lingual safari guide will ensure you have an unforgettable safari experience.
What to Expect
North of Nairobi lies Samburu National Reserve — northern Kenya’s most popular park — where lions, leopards and hundreds of elephants ply the plains and the life-sustaining Ewaso Ngiro River. You’ll pass snow-capped Mt. Kenya on the way to Samburu, home to the unusual oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich, and inhabited by Samburu tribespeople.
We’ll then head south to the Rift Valley lakes of Nakuru and Naivasha. Lake Nakuru is a versatile reserve with exotic birds and endangered rhinos. Lake Naivasha offers boat and walking safaris; Hell’s Gate lets you cycle and walk close to small game.
Finally, the Masai Mara National Reserve delivers world-class game viewing — an especially spectacular sight during the Great Migration.
All-Inclusive
All-Inclusive: Your 8-day Samburu / Lake Nakuru / Lake Naivasha / Masai Mara safari includes all transportation, park entrance fees, game drives, accommodations and meals.
Adventure In The Wild Safaris offers a wide choice of accommodation levels — economy, comfort or luxury lodges and tented camps — and flexible pricing depending on season and group size. Whatever the level you choose, your safari standards remain high.
Your Guide & Transport
For your 8-day Samburu → Lake Nakuru → Lake Naivasha → Masai journey, you’ll be guided, hosted and looked after by your own experienced driver/guide. Transportation and game viewing are in a private 4×4 Land Cruiser Jeep — the safari standard with higher seating and rugged all-wheel drive.
If you’d like to customize your safari or have special requests, please let us know — Adventure In The Wild Safaris will work to make them happen.
Tour Highlights
Samburu Game Reserve
- Local cultures, subsistence and commercial farming activities
- Snow-capped Mount Kenya views
- Different climatic and vegetation zones
- Oryx, gerenuk, Somali ostrich, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, elephant
- Samburu tribes & culture
Lake Nakuru National Park
- Hundreds of bird species including (seasonal) flamingos and pelicans
- Rhino sanctuary
- The Great Rift Valley escarpment — awesome scenery
Lake Naivasha
- Boat safari
- Guided walking safari at Crescent Island
- Bird watching (flamingos and others — season permitting)
- Hell’s Gate visit with bicycle ride
Masai Mara Game Reserve
- Unlimited game viewing drives
- Tree-studded savannah terrain and a multitude of wild species
- Colorful Maasai tribesmen and culture
Optional: Masai village visit — arrange with your driver/guide. Cost: $25 per person.
Optional: Hot air balloon ride at Masai Mara — enquire for booking. Cost: $480 per person.
Customize Your Holiday
If you’d like to customize your safari or have any special desires, please let us know. We’re here to make your safari wishes come true.
8 Day Samburu – Lake Nakuru – Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara Tour Itinerary
Overview
This 8-day safari explores northern and central Kenya’s most iconic parks: Samburu, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and the Masai Mara. Travel in a private 4×4 Land Cruiser Jeep with an experienced driver/guide, enjoy game drives, boat and walking safaris, cycling at Hell’s Gate and immersive wildlife experiences.
Day 1 — Nairobi → Samburu (320 km – Approx. 6 hrs drive)
Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner
0730hrs: Your driver/guide will pick you up from your Nairobi area hotel, Nairobi airport or Nairobi residence. We’ll head north in our private 4×4 Jeep for Samburu National Reserve. Along the way we’ll see the country’s tallest peak, snow-capped Mt. Kenya.
Day 2 — Samburu Game Reserve (Full day)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
We’ll arise early to watch dawn spread across the plains and hear the first bird calls. Your day will be filled with as many game drives as you wish — tell your driver/guide how you’d like the day planned.
Alongside the park’s big game we’ll search for unusual species found here such as Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and beisa oryx. We’ll also take drives to nearby Shaba and Buffalo Springs, greener oases with forests, woodlands and volcanic formations.
Samburu hosts over 450 bird species including kingfisher, vulture, guinea fowl, falcon and eagle. Despite its arid appearance, Samburu offers many surprises for curious safari-goers.
Day 3 — Samburu → Lake Nakuru (250 km – Approx. 5 hrs)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
We’ll leave Samburu after a morning game drive, hoping to spot elephants or buffaloes heading to watering holes. En route to Lake Nakuru we’ll stop at Nyahururu to view the towering cascade of Thompson’s Falls.
Lake Nakuru National Park is a lovely reserve of waterfalls, acacia forest and alkaline blue waters. You’ll find flamingoes (seasonal) along with pelicans, kingfishers, ostriches, herons and eagles. Lake Nakuru also gives sanctuary to large populations of black and white rhinos, making the reserve special for its variety of form, color and species.
Day 4 — Lake Nakuru → Lake Naivasha (70 km – Approx. 1 hr 30 min)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Begin with an early morning safari through Lake Nakuru Park, then drive to nearby Lake Naivasha. Today’s activities are varied: a bicycle ride into Hell’s Gate National Park to hike dramatic gorges and spot antelope, gazelle and zebra, followed by a relaxing boat safari on Lake Naivasha to view hippos and birdlife.
Finish with a guided walking tour of Crescent Island Game Sanctuary, where impala, gazelle, zebra and waterbuck graze freely — a wonderful close-up wildlife experience by foot, boat, bike and jeep.
Day 5 — Lake Naivasha → Masai Mara (285 km – Approx. 5–6 hrs)
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
After an optional early morning game drive around Naivasha, we depart for the legendary Masai Mara National Reserve. Arrive mid-afternoon and embark on your first Mara game drive — the beginning of a classic safari experience with excellent chances to see Africa’s Big Five.
Day 6 — Full day in Masai Mara
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Today is dedicated to extensive game viewing across the Mara’s rolling hills and acacia-dotted plains. The Mara hosts the highest concentration of wildlife in the region — expect to see the Big Five, gazelle, topi, eland and abundant birdlife including raptors.
If you visit during the Great Migration (July–October), witness vast hordes of wildebeest and zebra and dramatic river crossings. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch near the Mara River while watching hippos and crocodiles.
Day 7 — Second full day in Masai Mara
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
An additional full day of game drives gives you time to revisit favorite areas or follow up specific sightings — just tell your driver/guide. Optional activities include a visit to a Masai village (meet the tribespeople and learn about their culture) and a pre-dawn hot air balloon safari over the reserve — ask your guide to arrange these.
Day 8 — Masai Mara → Nairobi (265 km – Approx. 5 hrs)
Meal plan: Breakfast.
After a leisurely breakfast your driver/guide will assist with checkout and depart for Nairobi. En route your guide will point out the Longonot extinct stratovolcano southeast of Lake Naivasha — thought to have last erupted in the 1860s. The Maasai name Oloonong’ot means “mountains of many spurs” or “steep ridges”.
You may opt for a detour via Naivasha for lunch/excursions (extra cost), stop at Kiambethu Farm for a tea farm tour with a three-course buffet lunch (extra cost), or continue straight to Nairobi for transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight.
Operated by Adventure In The Wild Safaris
All transport and game viewing are by private 4×4 Land Cruiser Jeep with an experienced, multi-lingual driver/guide. Accommodation, park fees and meals are typically included — please confirm specific inclusions at booking. If you have special requests or would like to customize your safari, Adventure In The Wild Safaris will be happy to assist.
