Masai Mara and the Rift Valley

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow
Arrive in Nairobi this evening and transfer to the Norfolk Hotel for 1 night.

Day 2 Nairobi to Samburu
This morning you’ll depart north to the Samburu Game Reserve, through misty African plains across the Equator past Mount Kenya, with a stop for lunch. This afternoon you’ll enjoy your first game drive, where you’ll see a variety of African game, perhaps elephant, giraffe, eagles or even big cats. Stay at the Ashnil Samburu Camp for 2 nights.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 3 Samburu
You’ll have a full day in the Samburu today with morning and afternoon game drives, as well as a visit to a local village. The Samburu National Reserve’s sun baked landscape is breathtaking with surrounding mountains that shimmer on the horizon as temperatures rise. Frequent animal sightings include herds of elephant, lion, cheetah, Grevy’s zebra, giraffe and gazelles. There are over 350 varieties of birds including the Somali ostrich and the reserve is also the home of the Samburu tribe; cousins of the Masai, who share the same nomadic, cattle-herding existence and an even stricter adherence to their age-old rites and customs.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 4 Samburu to Sweetwaters
An early morning game drive will reveal wildlife at its most active. Later in the morning you’ll travel back towards Mount Kenya to the Sweet waters Tented Camp for 1 night. This afternoon you’ll visit the black rhino sanctuary, to see these magnificent animals that are now critically endangered. The sanctuary is also home to rescued chimpanzees from other parts of Africa. This evening you can relax in Streetwaters luxurious surroundings, located overlooking a water hole.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 5 Sweetwaters to Lake Naivasha
Today you’ll travel to the incredible Great Rift Valley. After lunch you’ll enter Lake Nakuru National Park, home to thousands of brilliant pink flamingos. In the evening drive down to the floor of the Rift Valley for a 1 night stay at the Sleeping Warrior Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 6 Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara
After a bush breakfast, you’ll head south to the famous Masai Mara, arriving in time for lunch at Ashnil Mara Camp where you’ll stay for 2 nights. In the afternoon there will be an introductory game drive in the reserve. Travelling between July and October you’ll witness the great migration, where some 2.5 million plains game migrate from the Serengeti through the Masai Mara in possibly nature’s greatest spectacle. (Please note the date of the highest extent of the migration changes from year to year depending on climate.)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 7 Masai Mara
Spend the entire day in the Masai Mara game reserve with morning and afternoon game drives. Masai Mara is a magnificent landscape of open plains bisected by the Mara River and its tributaries, with incredibly dense populations of wildlife. The reserve is home to all the “big five” and it is also possible to observe baboon, ostrich, jackal and the rivers abound with hippos and crocodiles.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 8 Masai Mara to Nairobi depart Nairobi
An early morning game drive offers the chance to see the landscape in the beautiful morning light. You’ll then drive to Nairobi in time for dinner, before transferring to the airport for your return flight.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Day 9 Arrive London Heathrow
Morning arrival into London.

Tour includes:

Return flights to and from the UK including all UK taxes
All game drives and sightseeing as specified
Local naturalist guides who’ll share their knowledge of the country, its history and culture
7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
First class game lodges chosen for their style and location in differing landscape and wildlife areas
Travel from July to October to experience the great migration

On a Journey of Distinction, you are not merely a bystander. They believe that the wonders, customs and cultures you experience will live on in the core of your being. They even go so far as to say that one of their holidays will change your life forever.

Their combination of Tour Managers and Local Guides is what makes Journey of Distinction so distinctive. When you’re embarking on a voyage of discovery, it’s reassuring to know that a seasoned traveller is with you every step of the way; planning, organising, checking details and offering their advice and support. Their groups all depart from the UK, and no one joins us along the way, so you have the reassuring constancy of always knowing your travelling companions.

Our Opinion
“Limited to just 25 travellers per departure, every Journeys of Distinction escorted tour has an intimate, personal feel that makes for a more enjoyable experience.”