Kenya safari tours · Private & tailor-made
Masai Mara. Amboseli. Laikipia. Samburu. Diani.
Your dates, your pace, your choice of reserve or conservancy: a private Kenya safari designed by a US-registered travel company with vetted local partners.
Safari finder
Answer six quick questions and we will suggest the sample journey that best fits your month, your party and the moments you care about, ready for you to reshape.
Why Kenya
Kenya packs more variety into short flights than almost anywhere in Africa. The Masai Mara’s big cats and migration herds, Amboseli’s elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, the rhino sanctuaries of Laikipia, Samburu’s northern species and the Indian Ocean coast are mostly within an hour or so of Nairobi’s Wilson Airport by light aircraft, so a ten-day trip can cover real contrast without long road days.
The decision that shapes a Kenya safari most is one few companies explain: national reserve or private conservancy. The reserve holds the main Mara River crossings and charges a ticket for every 12-hour day. The conservancies around it bundle their fees into camp rates and, in return, cap vehicles at sightings and allow walks, night drives and off-road tracking. Most of the journeys we plan use both, and the Masai Mara conservancies page explains why.
The practical side is simpler than it looks. A nonstop flight links New York and Nairobi, an online eTA replaces the old visa, and a first night in Karen smooths the connection to Wilson for the bush flights, where bags are limited to 15 kg in soft duffels. Flying into Kenya walks through each step.
Figures are widely published approximations.
Kenya safari itineraries
Seven sample routes, each traveled privately and reshaped around your dates, your pace and your preferred comfort level.
Nairobi · Samburu · Laikipia · Mara Conservancies
First-timers who want Kenya’s full range, and returning travelers who have seen the Mara alone
Nairobi · Mara Conservancies · Masai Mara Reserve
Migration-focused travelers and photographers with July–October dates and realistic expectations
Nairobi · Mara Conservancies
First-timers and travelers short on leave who want the Mara done properly in under a week
Nairobi · Laikipia · Mara Conservancies · Diani Beach
Newlyweds who want privacy, a few genuinely special moments and a beach, without road days
Nairobi · Amboseli · Tsavo West · Diani Beach
Families with school-age children who want wildlife and a proper beach in one trip, mostly by road and rail
Nairobi · Amboseli · Mara Conservancies
Enthusiast and serious amateur photographers who want time, angles and light rather than a checklist
Where to go
From the Mara’s grasslands to the dry north, the plains beneath Kilimanjaro and the coast, each region has its own season, wildlife and way of traveling.
Approximate locations — not for navigation.
More Kenya regions
Kenya’s most famous reserve: lion and cheetah country year-round, and the Mara River crossings from roughly July to October.
ExploreMaasai-owned wildlife land bordering the reserve, with low camp density, guided walks, night drives and strict limits at sightings.
Explore
Kenya’s elephant park: big tuskers and swamp-fed herds beneath Kilimanjaro, with the green volcanic Chyulu Hills next door.
Explore
Kenya’s private-conservancy highlands: black and white rhino, Grevy’s zebra, and walking, riding and camel treks beneath Mount Kenya.
ExploreNorthern Kenya’s arid reserves: the Samburu Special Five, river elephants, leopards and warrior-guided walks on community land.
Explore
Diani’s long white beach and Watamu’s marine park: the simplest way to end a Kenya safari on the Indian Ocean.
ExploreBeyond the game drive
The activities that set Kenya apart, most of them possible only in the conservancies and on private land.
In the air
Lift off over the Mara at sunrise, drift for about an hour above the river and the plains, then land for a champagne breakfast in the grass.
On foot
Walk the conservancies and northern ranches with Maasai or Samburu guides and an armed ranger, from dawn rambles to rhino tracking and camel-supported treks.
On horseback
Ride among zebra and giraffe in the Chyulu Hills, across Laikipia’s ranches or in Mara North, from a gentle hour for novices to a multi-day riding safari.
Culture
Meet Maasai and Samburu families on visits their own communities arrange, where conversation comes first and you know exactly where the fee goes.
In the air
Fly out from Laikipia over Mount Kenya’s peaks, the Mathews Range and the salt flats of the Suguta Valley, landing where no road reaches.
Where you’ll stay
Four comfort levels across nine areas. These are the stay styles we plan with; we match the specific camp or lodge to your dates and availability.
PremiumMara conservancies · Mara North, Naboisho, Olare Motorogi
Tented camp
LuxuryMasai Mara Reserve · river-crossing country
Seasonal mobile camp · Typically open July–October
Ultra-LuxuryLaikipia · private conservancy
Lodge
LuxurySamburu · community conservancies (Kalama, Namunyak, Sera)
Lodge
ComfortAmboseli · inside the national park
Lodge
Diani Beach · quieter southern stretch
Boutique hotel
Travel your way
Best time to visit
Kenya has two dry seasons, late June to October and January to February, separated by the long rains of March to May and the shorter rains of November. The migration herds are usually in the Mara from about late July to October, and the coast is at its best from December to March.
| Experience | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masai Mara · migration herds | Limited or closed | Limited or closed | Limited or closed | Limited or closed | Limited or closed | Fair | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair | Limited or closed |
| Masai Mara & conservancies · resident game | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Amboseli & Chyulu | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Laikipia & Samburu | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Fair | Good |
| Tsavo | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Fair | Good |
| Rift Valley lakes · birding | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Coast · Diani & Watamu | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Fair | Limited or closed | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Rainfall | Mostly dry | Mostly dry | Showers | Rainy season | Rainy season | Mostly dry | Mostly dry | Mostly dry | Mostly dry | Showers | Rainy season | Showers |
| Travel season | High season | High season | Shoulder | Green season | Green season | Shoulder | Peak season | Peak season | Peak season | High season | Shoulder | High season |
General guidance only. Kenya has two rainy seasons (long rains roughly March–May, short rains roughly late October–December) and conditions vary by year and region: the north is drier, the coast is best December–March and wettest in May, and the migration herds follow rain, not calendars. The Mara reserve's higher non-resident fee applies July–December.
Why African Safari Reserve
Traveler reviews
We only publish genuine, verified reviews. Read what past travelers have written about us on TripAdvisor.
Kenya travel guide
Timing, costs, entry rules, flights and safety, written for travelers planning a private Kenya safari and dated so you know how current they are.
When to Go
Kenya’s two dry seasons, two rainy seasons and its fee calendar, explained month by month, with where to go in each and when the coast is at its best.
Kenya Planning
What drives the price of a private Kenya safari, the park and conservancy fees you cannot avoid, and what each comfort level buys.
The Great Migration
The Kenyan chapter of the migration: typical timing, the Mara River crossing areas, reserve versus conservancy nights and how to handle the crowds.
Kenya Travel Guide
Who needs a Kenya eTA, how to apply on the official portal, fees and timing at the time of writing, and the plastic-bag, drone and yellow fever rules to know before you land.
Kenya Travel Guide
How to route from the US to Nairobi, get from JKIA to Wilson, fly to the Mara, Laikipia or Samburu on light aircraft, pack for 15 kg, and reach the coast.
Kenya Travel Guide
A dated, plain-English reading of US, UK and Canadian advice for Kenya, the areas it names, how safari routes stay clear of them, and the risks that matter day to day.
Good to know
Very much so. Kenya combines excellent big-cat viewing in the Mara with short internal flights, widely spoken English and a long-established safari industry. A first trip of seven to ten days can cover the Mara and one contrasting region without feeling rushed.
Lion, elephant and buffalo are widespread, with the Mara, Amboseli, Laikipia and Tsavo all strong. Leopard is most often found along the Mara’s rivers and in Samburu. Rhino is the hardest: it is rare in the Mara, so a Big Five trip usually adds Ol Pejeta or Lewa in Laikipia, Lake Nakuru or Nairobi National Park.
Five days is enough for a focused Mara fly-in. Eight to ten days lets you pair the Mara with Laikipia, Samburu or Amboseli, and twelve to fourteen adds a beach stay at Diani or Watamu. Three nights per region is a good rule of thumb.
The national reserve is public land that charges a ticket per 12-hour day and holds the main river crossings, but it does not allow walking, night drives or off-road driving. The private conservancies around it are leased from Maasai landowners, cap vehicles at sightings and permit all three. Many itineraries combine both.
African Safari Reserve designs your journey and books it through vetted local partners. On the ground you travel with a professional guide in a private vehicle and stay in camps and lodges chosen for your dates. We do not own camps, aircraft or vehicles; we select and coordinate them for you.
Most travelers fly into Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, either nonstop from New York or via a European or Middle Eastern hub. We usually plan a first night in Nairobi, then scheduled light aircraft from Wilson Airport to the bush the next morning.
Yes. Nairobi connects easily with northern Tanzania, Zanzibar, Rwanda and Uganda, so a Mara safari pairs naturally with the Serengeti, an island beach or a gorilla trek. Allow at least three nights for each added country.
When we last checked (23 September 2026), the US State Department rated Kenya at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, with Level 4 Do Not Travel warnings for specific areas including Lamu County, parts of the north and north-east, the coast north of Malindi and two Nairobi neighborhoods. The Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo National Park and Diani lie outside those areas. Our Is Kenya Safe guide explains the detail, and travel.state.gov carries the current advisory.
Tell us when you can travel, who is coming and what you most want from Kenya. A safari specialist will design a private route around you, and nothing is booked until you approve it.
Plan My Kenya Safari