13-Day Upeo Safari – Horizons of Kenya’s Wild

Welcome to Kenya! Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where your friendly Pita Safaris driver-guide will greet you with a warm karibu sana—Swahili for “you’re very welcome.” Transfer to the Sarova Panafric Hotel, a stylish Nairobi retreat with ensuite rooms, lush gardens, and a poolside bar.

Depending on your arrival time, you may relax after your flight or optionally explore Nairobi’s highlights like the Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, or vibrant craft markets. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at the hotel’s Flame Tree Restaurant overlooking the city skyline.

Travel Tip: Ask your guide about Nairobi’s hidden art galleries or taste Kenya’s rich coffee culture.
- Ready to begin your Kenya safari adventure? Rest well—the wilderness awaits tomorrow.

Distance: ~18 km | Drive Time: ~30–45 minutes

After breakfast, drive north through rolling tea and coffee plantations (~180 km | ~3.5 hours) to Aberdare National Park. Stop for lunch at Aberdare Country Club before transferring to The Ark Lodge, uniquely designed to overlook a floodlit waterhole where elephants, buffalos, and bushbuck gather by night.

Spend the evening in the lodge’s viewing decks and lounges, watching nocturnal visitors arrive under the misty Aberdare forest canopy.

Travel Tip: Bring binoculars—the dense forest hides rare species like giant forest hog and bongo antelope.
- Safari Moment: Sip hot tea while an elephant family approaches the glowing waterhole.

Distance: ~180 km | Drive Time: ~3.5 hours

Descend from the cool highlands and travel north (~220 km | ~5 hours) to Samburu National Reserve, a semi-arid wilderness along the Ewaso Nyiro River. Check in at Samburu Sopa Lodge, surrounded by rugged hills and sweeping savannah views.

In the afternoon, enjoy your first Samburu game drive in search of the “Samburu Special Five”—Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, Beisa oryx, and gerenuk—species unique to northern Kenya.

Travel Tip: Samburu’s ochre hills glow at sunset—keep your camera ready.
- Safari Moment: Watching elephants bathe in the river as crocodiles bask nearby.

Distance: ~220 km | Drive Time: ~5 hours

Spend the day exploring Samburu on morning and afternoon game drives. Along the riverbanks, spot lions, leopards, and herds of elephants, while the open plains reveal cheetahs and rare antelopes. Midday, relax at the lodge before heading out again.

Optional: Visit a Samburu village to experience traditional beadwork, dances, and cultural storytelling.

Travel Tip: Early mornings are best for predator sightings—set out before sunrise.
- Safari Moment: Standing face to face with a tall reticulated giraffe in golden light.

Travel south (~150 km | ~3.5 hours) to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a renowned wildlife and conservation haven on the equator. Check in at Sweetwaters Serena Camp, overlooking a waterhole that attracts elephants and zebras.

In the afternoon, visit the rhino sanctuary, home to the last two northern white rhinos, and the chimpanzee sanctuary. Game drives reveal lions, elephants, and abundant plains wildlife.

Travel Tip: Ask your guide about optional night game drives for unique nocturnal encounters.
- Safari Moment: Watching a browsing black rhino just meters away.

Distance: ~150 km | Drive Time: ~3.5 hours

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in Ol Pejeta’s rich habitats. Track endangered black rhinos, spot wild dogs if lucky, and watch elephants in the savannah. In the evening, opt for a thrilling night game drive, when aardvarks, porcupines, and hyenas roam.

Travel Tip: A light jacket is essential—the highlands cool quickly at night.
- Safari Moment: Hearing hyenas call as stars light the conservancy sky.

After breakfast, drive southwest (~180 km | ~4 hours) into the Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru National Park. Check in at Lake Nakuru Lodge, with sweeping lake views.

Afternoon game drives reveal both white and black rhinos, Rothschild’s giraffes, lions, and—when conditions are right—thousands of flamingos lining the lake’s shores.

Travel Tip: Nakuru is a birdwatcher’s paradise—don’t forget binoculars.
- Safari Moment: Watching a fish eagle swoop low across the shimmering lake.

Distance: ~180 km | Drive Time: ~4 hours

Travel (~280 km | ~5–6 hours) across rolling hills and Maasai villages to reach Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s most famous safari destination. Settle into Mara Sopa Lodge, located near the reserve’s eastern gate.

In the afternoon, begin your Big Five safari adventure—lions, elephants, buffalos, and with luck, leopards or rhinos.

Travel Tip: The Mara’s wide horizons are perfect for spotting distant wildlife—keep binoculars close.
- Safari Moment: Seeing a pride of lions gather as the sun dips below the savannah.

Distance: ~280 km | Drive Time: ~5–6 hours

Spend a full day on safari in the Mara with morning and afternoon game drives. Depending on the season, witness the Great Wildebeest Migration or focus on resident predators—cheetahs on the hunt, lions with cubs, and hyenas patrolling.

Optional: Take a sunrise hot air balloon safari for breathtaking aerial views, followed by a champagne breakfast.

Travel Tip: Sunrise game drives offer the best chance to see predators in action.
- Safari Moment: Watching a cheetah sprint across the plains in full chase.

Drive northeast (~240 km | ~5 hours) to Lake Naivasha, a serene freshwater lake surrounded by acacia forests. Check in at Muthu Lake Naivasha Country Club, a colonial-style lodge with tranquil gardens.

Optional activities include a boat ride to spot hippos and waterbirds or a guided walk on Crescent Island among giraffes and zebras.

Travel Tip: A wide-brimmed hat keeps you cool and shaded during lake excursions.
- Safari Moment: Drifting silently as a kingfisher dives beside your boat.

Distance: ~240 km | Drive Time: ~5 hours

Travel southeast (~320 km | ~6 hours) to Amboseli National Park, famed for large-tusked elephants and Mount Kilimanjaro views. Check in at Amboseli Sopa Lodge, then enjoy an afternoon game drive with elephants grazing against Africa’s highest mountain backdrop.

Travel Tip: Kilimanjaro’s peak is clearest in early mornings and late afternoons.
- Safari Moment: Photographing elephants framed by Kilimanjaro at sunset.

Distance: ~320 km | Drive Time: ~6 hours

Spend the day exploring Amboseli’s swamps, woodlands, and open plains. Large elephant herds dominate the park, while lions, giraffes, and over 400 bird species add to the spectacle. Optional cultural visits to Maasai villages provide deeper cultural insight.

Travel Tip: Use a polarizing filter for dramatic skies and reflections.
- Safari Moment: Watching a matriarch guide her herd through shimmering wetlands.

Enjoy a final morning game drive before breakfast, soaking in the last sights of Amboseli’s landscapes. Then drive back to Nairobi (~250 km | ~5 hours), with a picnic lunch en route.

Your guide will drop you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home or at your Nairobi hotel for an extra night stay.

Safari Reflection: From misty forests to sweeping savannahs and iconic Kilimanjaro views—you’ve experienced the true heart of Kenya.
- Inspired to explore more? Book your next East Africa safari adventure with Pita Safaris.

Distance: ~250 km | Drive Time: ~5 hours