Big Five Grand Circuit

Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transfer to the Nairobi Serena Hotel, an oasis of calm in the heart of the city. After settling in, your guide joins you for a welcome briefing and dinner at the hotel's restaurant, where you discuss the week ahead and any specific wildlife interests you may have.

A short morning flight from Nairobi's Wilson Airport delivers you to the Maasai Mara. Transfer to Mara Engai Lodge, a luxury property perched on a ridge with sweeping views of the Mara plains. After lunch and a rest, your first game drive explores the Mara Triangle, where prides of lions patrol the grasslands and herds of wildebeest graze on the fresh short grass.

Spend the entire day exploring different sectors of the Maasai Mara. Morning game drives focus on predator activity, while the afternoon covers riverine habitats where hippos, crocodiles, and elephants gather. Your guide will take you to remote areas of the reserve where few tourists venture, increasing your chances of rare sightings including serval cats, caracals, and the elusive black rhino.

Begin with a final morning game drive in the Mara, then fly to Nakuru. Lake Nakuru National Park is a rhino sanctuary and home to millions of flamingos that turn the lake pink. Your guide drives you along the lakeshore, stopping at viewpoints where you can photograph the massive flocks. Nakuru also hosts lions, leopards, buffalo, and the endangered Rothschild giraffe.

A morning game drive in Nakuru focuses on the Baboon Cliff area, where troops of olive baboons and vervet monkeys entertain. After breakfast, fly south to Amboseli. The aerial views of the Rift Valley escarpment are spectacular. Arrive at Amboseli Kilima Camp in time for lunch, with Kilimanjaro looming large on the horizon. The afternoon game drive introduces you to Amboseli's famous elephant herds and the park's unique wetland ecosystems.

Two game drives in Amboseli, with the morning session starting at dawn when Kilimanjaro is most clearly visible. Amboseli's elephants are among the most studied in Africa, and you may recognize individuals from their ear patterns and tusks. Visit Observation Hill for a panoramic view of the entire park, including the dried-up Lake Amboseli. The afternoon drive explores the Sinet Delta, where swamps provide year-round water and attract large concentrations of wildlife.

Drive from Amboseli to Tsavo East via the Emali gate, crossing through the vast Tsavo ecosystem. The red-dust plains of Tsavo are home to enormous elephant herds, many with impressive tusks. Stop for a bush lunch en route. Arrive at Tarhis Guest House in time for an afternoon game drive along the Galana River, where crocodiles bask on the banks and yellow-baboons chatter in the riverine forest.

An early morning game drive in Tsavo East focuses on the Mudanda Rock area, a favorite gathering spot for elephants. After breakfast, begin the scenic drive back to Nairobi, arriving in the early afternoon. You will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight, or to your Nairobi hotel.