8 Days Premium Birdwatching Tour in Kenya

Birding along the Route

Depart from a confirmed Nairobi hotel or JKIA between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. Travel 255–300 km through the Great Rift Valley and Narok, taking 5½–7 hours excluding lunch, traffic and approved observation stops. Raptors, storks and open-country birds may be encountered along the route without stopping in unsafe roadside areas.

First Mara Bird Drive

After lunch and check-in, begin a game drive around 3:30 p.m. Search grasslands and scattered woodland for rollers, shrikes, lapwings, larks, bustards, secretarybirds and birds of prey. Mammal sightings add variety to the experience. Return around sunset for dinner, field-list updates and your premium Maasai Mara overnight.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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Early Savannah Birding

Breakfast begins around 6:00 a.m., followed by departure between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. Explore grasslands, seasonal waterways and riverine vegetation. Our guide will help identify birds by plumage, calls, flight patterns and habitat while ensuring the vehicle remains on authorized tracks.

Raptors and Open-Country Species

Enjoy a picnic lunch at an approved location between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. Continue searching for vultures, eagles, harriers, falcons and smaller savannah species. Playback, baiting and disturbance of nesting birds are avoided. Return between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. to compare observations and prepare for a different Mara sector the following day.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Varied Mara Habitats

Leave around 6:30 a.m. with breakfast arrangements confirmed by the lodge. The day’s route follows habitat conditions and recent observations rather than a fixed species checklist. Explore wooded areas, open plains and accessible river habitats for kingfishers, hornbills, woodpeckers, turacos, waterbirds and raptors.

Patient Bird Observation

Lunch is served around 1:00 p.m. at an authorized picnic site. Continue the afternoon drive while observing feeding, courtship and territorial behaviour from a respectful distance. Seasonal migrants may increase diversity at certain times of year, but individual species cannot be guaranteed. Return before 6:00 p.m. for dinner and final Mara list updates.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Final Mara Birding

A short game drive may begin around 6:30 a.m. when the transfer schedule permits. Focus on any common species not yet recorded and enjoy the cooler morning activity. Return for breakfast and check out between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.

Journey to Lake Nakuru

Travel 230–270 km through Narok and Mau Narok, taking 5–6½ hours excluding lunch and road conditions. The changing journey introduces agricultural highlands and Rift Valley scenery. Arrive during the late afternoon and settle into your premium accommodation. Birding within approved lodge grounds may reveal sunbirds, weavers and other local species before dinner.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Lake Nakuru Birding Drive

Enter the park around 6:30 a.m. and examine woodland, grassland, rocky slopes and lakeshore habitats. Possible birds include pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets, flamingos and birds of prey. Flamingo numbers change according to water chemistry, feeding conditions and movement between regional lakes.

Freshwater Naivasha

After breakfast or brunch, travel 75–100 km to Lake Naivasha, requiring 1½–2½ hours. Check into your premium accommodation and join an optional 60–90-minute boat excursion when conditions are safe. Search for African fish eagles, kingfishers, jacanas, pelicans, cormorants and herons while respecting hippo zones and nesting areas.

Destination:

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Great Rift Valley Lodge & Golf Resort

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Naivasha Morning Activity

Start around 6:30 a.m. with birding from designated lodge areas or an approved boat activity. The freshwater vegetation attracts waterbirds and woodland-edge species. Life jackets are mandatory on boats, and the operator may cancel departures when wind or water conditions are unsafe.

Transfer to Amboseli

Travel 310–360 km through Mai Mahiu, Nairobi’s outskirts and Emali, taking 6–8 hours excluding lunch, traffic and stops. Arrive at your premium Amboseli accommodation during the late afternoon. Birders may explore approved lodge grounds before dinner, but guests must follow staff instructions in unfenced properties.

Destination:

LAKE NAIVASHA NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Satao Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Kilimanjaro Morning Birding

Depart between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m. following an early breakfast. Clear weather may reveal Kilimanjaro, although cloud cover is unpredictable. Search open plains, woodland and wetlands for bustards, sandgrouse, raptors, egrets, herons, storks, pelicans and other water-associated species.

Amboseli’s Contrasting Habitats

Lunch is served between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. Continue through permitted areas while examining how permanent water influences bird distribution across a dry landscape. Elephants, buffaloes, zebras and antelopes may provide additional sightings. Return between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. for dinner and completion of the tour checklist.

Destination:

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Satao Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Last Wetland Observations

A final drive may begin around 6:30 a.m. when the Nairobi schedule allows. Revisit productive habitat and search for species missed the previous day without chasing or disturbing birds. Return for breakfast and check out between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.

Nairobi Journey

Drive 200–240 km through Emali, taking 4–5½ hours excluding lunch and traffic. Drop-off is provided at JKIA, Wilson Airport or a confirmed Nairobi hotel. Guests extending their birding journey can request additional destinations before booking.