Wildebeest herd running across the Maasai Mara with safari vehicles behind
The parks

No two parks are alike.

Five places most of our safaris are built around. Here is what each one is like, when to go and how long to stay.

Wildebeest herd running across the Maasai Mara with safari vehicles behind
National reserve

Maasai Mara

Open grassland as far as you can see, and more big cats per square kilometre than anywhere else in Kenya. From July the wildebeest arrive from the Serengeti and cross the Mara River in their thousands.

Best timeJuly to October for the migration; good all year
Known forLion, cheetah, leopard, the wildebeest river crossings
By roadAbout 5½ hrs from Nairobi
StayAt least 2 nights

Safaris that go here
Maasai Mara Group Safari · Maasai Mara Camping Safari · Maasai Mara Lodge Safari · Lake Nakuru and Maasai Mara

National park

Amboseli

A small park with a very big backdrop. Elephants walk in single file across the dusty plain to the swamps, and on a clear morning Kilimanjaro fills the sky behind them.

Best timeJune to October and January to February
Known forLarge elephant herds, views of Kilimanjaro, birdlife in the swamps
By roadAbout 4 hrs from Nairobi
Stay2 nights

Safaris that go here
Amboseli Camping Safari · Mara, Nakuru and Amboseli

Elephants walking along a track in Amboseli
Rhino grazing in tall grass at Lake Nakuru
National park

Lake Nakuru

A fenced park around a Rift Valley soda lake, and one of the most reliable places in Kenya to see rhino. Easy to pair with the Mara or Lake Naivasha.

Best timeAll year
Known forBlack and white rhino, Rothschild's giraffe, flamingos and pelicans
By roadAbout 3 hrs from Nairobi
Stay1 to 2 nights

Safaris that go here
Lake Nakuru and Maasai Mara · Maasai Mara and the Lakes · Mara, Nakuru and Amboseli

National reserve

Samburu

Hot, dry country north of Mount Kenya, cut by the Ewaso Nyiro river. The wildlife here is different from the south, and far fewer vehicles come this way.

Best timeJune to October and December to March
Known forGrevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Somali ostrich, beisa oryx
By roadAbout 6 hrs from Nairobi
Stay2 to 3 nights

Safaris that go here
Samburu Camping Safari

Reticulated giraffe among trees in Samburu
Elephant herd at a waterhole in Tsavo
Two national parks

Tsavo

Tsavo East and West together make Kenya's largest protected area. Come for space: red earth, baobabs and long views, with the Mombasa coast a few hours further on.

Best timeJune to October and January to February
Known forRed-dusted elephants, Mzima Springs, lava flows, big open country
By roadAbout 4 hrs from Nairobi
Stay2 nights

Safaris that go here
Tsavo East and West

Not sure which park?

Tell us the month and what you most want to see. We will suggest a route.

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