The classic first-time visitor's circuit from Nairobi: giraffes and elephant orphans on the city's edge, the Great Rift Valley lakes with hippos and flamingos, rhinos at Lake Nakuru, and finally several days in the Masai Mara.
11 Days / 10 Nights
July to October (Migration), January and February
5 stops
Why This Route?
The route connects over short distances the three landscapes Kenya is known for: Highlands, Rift Valley, and Savannah. It's ideal for a first visit because travel legs remain manageable, and in ten days you'll see rhinos, hippos, big cats, and with some luck, the Great Migration.
Hidden Gems
Crescent Island on Lake Naivasha can be explored on foot among giraffes and zebras
Elsamere, Joy Adamson's former home on Lake Naivasha, serves afternoon tea
In the Mara Conservancies, walking safaris and night drives are permitted, which are not allowed in the National Reserve.
Getting there and back
Round trip, returning to where you started
Arrival
Flight · Nairobi (NBO)From the German-speaking area, mostly with a connection, e.g., via Amsterdam, Doha, Dubai or Addis Ababa. Check current flight schedule.
Departure
Flight · Nairobi (NBO)
Itinerary
Stop 1 • 2 Nights
Nairobi
City
routes.tagDescriptions.stadt. routes.tagDescriptions.museen and Rich in culture and history.
Kenya's capital lies in the highlands and is the start and end point for almost every safari. Nairobi is a loud, rapidly growing metropolis with skyscrapers in the centre, green villa districts, and a national park directly on the southern city limits.Besides the National Museum on Museum Hill and the KICC's observation deck, Karura Forest and the cultural performances at Bomas of Kenya are worth visiting. In the evenings, life shifts to the bars and clubs of Westlands.
Acclimatize at 1,700 m, Giraffe Centre and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Karen and Nairobi National Park.
3 Sights
3 Restaurants
Culture & History
Museums and MemoryThe Nairobi National Museum traces its origins to the East African Natural History Society and, in 1930, moved into its building on Museum Hill as the Coryndon Museum. Its permanent exhibitions cover human prehistory up to Kenya's recent history; a snake park is located next door.Green CityKarura Forest in the north was preserved from development thanks to public protest by Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and later Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Today, it is one of the city's most popular recreational spots.Diversity of Ethnic GroupsAt the Bomas of Kenya, recreated homesteads demonstrate the building styles of the country's diverse ethnic groups, accompanied by daily dance performances.
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Naivasha is located approximately 93 road kilometers northwest of Nairobi on the freshwater lake of the same name. Hippos, over 400 bird species, and its proximity to Hell's Gate and Mount Longonot make the lake a popular weekend destination and the first leg of many safaris through the Rift Valley.The town itself is a bustling agricultural center, with accommodations and restaurants primarily lining Moi South Lake Road on the southern shore.
Boat trip on Lake Naivasha, walking safari on Crescent Island, bike tour through Hell's Gate National Park.
2 Sights
3 Restaurants
Culture and History
A Name from the MaaThe name derives from the Maasai word ɛnaɨpɔ́sha, "that which undulates," a term for large waters with wind-driven waves. Naivasha is its British pronunciation.Happy Valley and Born FreeOn the shore stands the Oserian estate, known as the "Djinn Palace," a meeting place for the notorious Happy Valley society during the interwar period. In the 1960s, Joy Adamson, author of "Born Free," lived by the lake. Her former house, Elsamere, is now a small museum.Flowers for EuropeThe most important economic sector is flower cultivation in large greenhouses around the lake. Irrigation with lake water is considered one of the region's central environmental problems.
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Lake Nakuru National Park directly borders the city of Nakuru, about 160 km northwest of Nairobi, and is considered one of East Africa's most successful rhino sanctuaries, home to both white and black rhinos. The fenced park surrounding the soda lake also protects Rothschild's giraffes, lions, and leopards, as well as hundreds of bird species.The once famous flamingo flocks have become rarer and more unpredictable since rising water levels have diluted the lake.
Safari game drive to White and Black Rhinos, with a view from Baboon Cliff.
2 Sights
1 Restaurant
Park, World Heritage and Shift
Rhino SanctuaryThe park was established in 1961, later expanded, and declared Kenya's first rhino sanctuary in the 1980s. The fence primarily aims to deter poachers. Rothschild's giraffes were translocated here from West Kenya starting in 1977.UNESCO World Heritage SiteLake Nakuru is a Ramsar Wetland and since 2011 part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley," along with Lake Elmenteita and Lake Bogoria.Rising Lake, Fewer FlamingosBetween 2009 and 2022, the lake's surface area grew by around 91 percent. The water became less alkaline, and the algae, which lesser flamingos feed on, significantly declined. Many birds are migrating to Lake Elmenteita, Lake Bogoria, or Lake Natron in Tanzania. The high water also flooded parts of the park's infrastructure, including the former main entrance.
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The Masai Mara National Reserve in southwestern Kenya is the country's most renowned wildlife sanctuary and the northern continuation of the Serengeti. Grassy savannas, acacias, and the Mara River form the backdrop for the Great Migration, as large herds of wildebeest and zebras arrive from Tanzania starting in July.Even outside the Migration, many animals remain year-round by the river and in the swamps. The Reserve is managed by Narok County, not the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Full-day game drive, July-October Wildebeest Migration at Mara River; or accommodation in a Mara Conservancy.
4 Sights
Landscapes & Regions
Mara TriangleThe western part of the reserve is situated between the Mara River to the east, the approximately 400-meter-high Oloololo Escarpment to the west, and the Tanzanian border to the south. Access points include the Oloololo Gate and the Purungat Bridge over the Mara River.The North around MusiaraTo the north, gallery forest, marshland, and grassland characterize the area around Musiara Marsh, home to the Governors' Camp, founded in 1972. The diverse habitats allow for sightings of many different bird species during a drive.River CrossingsWell-known crossings include Paradise Crossing in the central part, Lookout Hill in the south, and the confluence of the Talek and Mara rivers. In the Narok Sector, the numbered Crossing Points 1 to 4 attract the most vehicles. There is no guarantee of a crossing at any bank.
routes.tagDescriptions.stadt. routes.tagDescriptions.museen and Rich in culture and history.
Kenya's capital lies in the highlands and is the start and end point for almost every safari. Nairobi is a loud, rapidly growing metropolis with skyscrapers in the centre, green villa districts, and a national park directly on the southern city limits.Besides the National Museum on Museum Hill and the KICC's observation deck, Karura Forest and the cultural performances at Bomas of Kenya are worth visiting. In the evenings, life shifts to the bars and clubs of Westlands.
Return flight from Nairobi; from the Mara also by light aircraft to Wilson Airport.
3 Sights
3 Restaurants
Culture & History
Museums and MemoryThe Nairobi National Museum traces its origins to the East African Natural History Society and, in 1930, moved into its building on Museum Hill as the Coryndon Museum. Its permanent exhibitions cover human prehistory up to Kenya's recent history; a snake park is located next door.Green CityKarura Forest in the north was preserved from development thanks to public protest by Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and later Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Today, it is one of the city's most popular recreational spots.Diversity of Ethnic GroupsAt the Bomas of Kenya, recreated homesteads demonstrate the building styles of the country's diverse ethnic groups, accompanied by daily dance performances.
