8-Day Kenya Big Five Safari | Samburu, Ol Pejeta & Maasai Mara

About This 8-Day Kenya Big Five Safari

Grassland Plains & Plateau is a private 8-day Kenya big five safari that takes you through four very different landscapes:

• Samburu, in Kenya’s semi-arid north, home to the “Samburu Special Five” found almost nowhere else in Kenya
• Ol Pejeta Conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau, East Africa’s largest black rhino sanctuary and the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees
• Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, where you take a boat ride and walk among giraffes and zebras on Crescent Island
• The Maasai Mara, Kenya’s best-known reserve, for lions, cheetahs and the wildebeest migration in season

With rhinos at Ol Pejeta and big cats in the Mara, this is one of the best itineraries in Kenya for seeing all of the Big Five. It suits travellers who want more than one park, especially those on a second Kenya safari or anyone who wants to see the north. The Out Of Africa Experience is a Nairobi-based safari operator that has run private safaris since 2005, and we can adjust this itinerary to your dates and interests.

8-Day Kenya Big Five Safari Itinerary: Day by Day

Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi and Stay at Tamarind Tree Hotel

Our driver meets you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and takes you to Tamarind Tree Hotel for the night.
Overnight: Tamarind Tree Hotel

Day 2: Drive from Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve and Take an Evening Game Drive

Leave Nairobi at 7:30 am and drive north to Samburu, which takes about 5–6 hours. The landscape changes along the way, from green highlands past Mount Kenya to dry northern bushland. Arrive in time for lunch. In the evening, take a game drive along the Ewaso Ng’iro River, which runs through acacia woodland and doum palms and draws wildlife from across the region.
Dinner and overnight: Samburu Intrepids Camp

About Samburu National Reserve: Samburu and the neighbouring Buffalo Springs Reserve are home to the “Samburu Special Five”: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk and beisa oryx. These species are adapted to Kenya’s dry north and are rarely seen in the southern parks. Samburu also has large elephant herds, leopards and lions.

Day 3: Spend a Full Day on Game Drives in Samburu

Go out on a morning game drive, then return to camp for breakfast. Relax through the heat of the day, then take a late-afternoon game drive to look for the Special Five, elephants and big cats.
All meals and overnight: Samburu Intrepids Camp

Day 4: Drive to Ol Pejeta Conservancy to See Rhinos and Chimpanzees

After breakfast, drive south across the Laikipia Plateau to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which sits on the equator below Mount Kenya. Check in at Serena Sweetwaters Camp in time for lunch. In the afternoon, take a game drive to look for black and white rhinos, lions, elephants, buffalo and, with luck, leopards. Then visit the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, which is supported by the Jane Goodall Institute.
All meals and overnight: Serena Sweetwaters Camp

About Ol Pejeta Conservancy: Ol Pejeta is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. It is also home to Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos in the world. Its chimpanzee sanctuary cares for rescued chimpanzees and is the only place in Kenya where you can see them.

Day 5: Drive to Lake Naivasha for a Boat Ride and Walking Safari on Crescent Island

After breakfast, drive to Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, which takes about 3 hours, and arrive in time for lunch. In the afternoon, take a boat ride to see hippos and birdlife. Then go on a guided walking safari on Crescent Island, where you can walk among giraffes, zebras, waterbucks and wildebeest. There are no big predators on the island, so you can explore on foot.
All meals and overnight: lakeside resort, Lake Naivasha

About Lake Naivasha: Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, with more than 400 bird species recorded. Cormorants breed here all year. Pelicans and spoonbills perch on dead acacia trees along the shore, and you will almost certainly see the African fish eagle.

Day 6: Drive from Lake Naivasha to the Maasai Mara Through Narok

After breakfast, drive to the Maasai Mara, which takes about 5 hours. The green farmland of the Rift Valley gives way to the drier savannah of Maasailand. After passing through Narok, the region’s busy main town, you’ll often see Maasai herders with their cattle and goats along the road. Arrive at your lodge or tented camp for lunch. In the afternoon, take a game drive to look for lions, cheetahs and other predators.
All meals and overnight: Maasai Mara lodge or tented camp

Day 7: Spend a Full Day in the Maasai Mara or Take an Optional Balloon Flight

Spend a full day on game drives with a picnic lunch on the plains. If you’re lucky, you may see a hunt. From July to October, you may also see the wildebeest migration and dramatic river crossings.

Optional (extra cost): Get up before dawn for a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Maasai Mara, followed by a champagne bush breakfast. You then return to camp for lunch and take an afternoon game drive.
All meals and overnight: Maasai Mara lodge or tented camp

Day 8: Drive from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi and Have Lunch at Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens

After breakfast, drive back to Nairobi, which takes about 5–6 hours. On arrival, there’s time for last-minute shopping, then lunch at Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens. Afterwards, we take you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home. You can also extend your trip to Diani Beach, Zanzibar, Uganda, Rwanda or Tanzania; your safari planner can arrange this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Big Five on this Kenya safari?
Yes. This is one of the best Kenya itineraries for the Big Five. Ol Pejeta has high densities of black and white rhinos, which are rare in the Maasai Mara. Lions, leopards, elephants and buffalo are found throughout the route.

What are the Samburu Special Five?
The Samburu Special Five are Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk and beisa oryx. These species live in Kenya’s dry north and are rarely seen in the Maasai Mara or Amboseli.

Can you see chimpanzees in Kenya?
Only at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which cares for chimpanzees rescued from across Africa. Chimpanzees are not native to Kenya. To see them in the wild, you can add a Uganda extension.

Is 8 days a good length for a Kenya safari?
Yes. Eight days lets you combine northern and southern Kenya, so you see four different ecosystems without rushing. It works well for travellers who want more variety than a standard Amboseli and Maasai Mara trip.

When is the best time for this safari?
The dry seasons, from June to October and January to March, are best. July to October also brings the wildebeest migration to the Maasai Mara. The safari runs all year.

Book Your Grassland Plains & Plateau Safari

Contact our Nairobi team or use the Plan My Trip form. We reply within 24 hours, and every itinerary can be adjusted to your dates, group size and budget.