8 Days Premium Christmas and New Year Kenya Safari

A Festive Nairobi Departure

Our guide will collect you from JKIA, Wilson Airport or a confirmed Nairobi hotel between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. on 25 December. Travel 310–350 km through Thika, Karatina, Nanyuki and Isiolo in 5½–7 hours excluding lunch, holiday traffic and comfort stops. Some roadside businesses may operate reduced hours, so meals and stops will be planned beforehand.

Christmas Evening in Samburu

After check-in and lunch, depart at approximately 3:30 p.m. for a 2–2½-hour introductory game drive. Search for elephants, Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, gerenuks and Beisa oryx among riverine woodland and dry bush. Return around sunset for Christmas dinner and the lodge’s confirmed festive program. Decorations, entertainment and special menus vary and will only be included when stated in your booking.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Elephant Bedroom Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Ewaso Nyiro Safari

Breakfast begins at approximately 6:00 a.m. before departure between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. Explore the Ewaso Nyiro River, doum-palm groves and open scrub while searching for elephants, northern herbivores, predators and birds. Our guide will maintain responsible viewing distances even when several vehicles gather around a notable sighting.

Festive Rest and Evening Drive

Return for lunch between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. and enjoy a relaxed afternoon at your premium lodge. Depart again at approximately 3:30 p.m. for another wildlife drive through a different sector. Return between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. for dinner. Any Boxing Day music, children’s activity or cultural presentation depends entirely on the confirmed accommodation program.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Elephant Bedroom Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Farewell to Samburu

When the transfer schedule permits, enjoy a short wildlife drive at approximately 6:30 a.m. before returning for breakfast. Check out between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. after confirming that Christmas gifts, cameras, chargers and travel documents have been packed. Wildlife products and natural souvenirs should never be collected from protected areas.

A Scenic Festive Transfer

Travel 330–360 km through Isiolo, Nanyuki and the Nyahururu region, requiring 6–8 hours excluding lunch and holiday road delays. Observe the changing vegetation as semi-arid country gives way to agricultural highlands and Rift Valley scenery. Arrive at your premium Lake Nakuru property during the late afternoon or evening for check-in, dinner and preparation for the following morning’s national-park drive.

Destination:

SAMBURU NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Lake Nakuru Wildlife Morning

Enter Lake Nakuru National Park at approximately 6:30 a.m. for a 3–4-hour game drive. Search woodland, grassland and lakeshore habitat for rhinos, Rothschild’s giraffes, buffaloes, baboons and waterbirds. Flamingo numbers fluctuate with lake conditions and food availability. Holiday travel never changes park rules, so quiet, respectful viewing remains essential.

Premium Lakeside Relaxation

After breakfast or brunch, drive 75–100 km to Lake Naivasha in 1½–2½ hours. Check in and join a confirmed 60–90-minute boat excursion when weather and lake conditions are suitable. Properly fitted life jackets are compulsory. Fish eagles, pelicans, cormorants and hippos may be observed. Return before sunset for dinner and a relaxed festive evening beside the lake.

Destination:

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Great Rift Valley Lodge & Golf Resort

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Peaceful Lakeside Morning

Breakfast is served from approximately 6:30 a.m. Enjoy the approved lodge grounds or complete the boat trip if it was postponed on Day 4. Check out between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. Guests should ensure that festive packaging, ribbons and plastic are disposed of responsibly and never left near the lake.

First Maasai Mara Drive

Travel 220–260 km through Mai Mahiu and Narok, taking 4½–6½ hours excluding lunch and road conditions. After checking into your premium camp or lodge, depart at approximately 3:30 p.m. for an introductory game drive. Search for elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes and predators. Return around sunset for dinner and information about the confirmed New Year’s Eve arrangements.

Destination:

LAKE NAIVASHA NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Wildlife across the Mara Plains

Depart between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m. after breakfast or with packed meals. Explore open grassland, seasonal waterways and riverine woodland while searching for lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and grazing herds. Wildlife encounters remain natural and cannot be arranged for a particular holiday photograph. Patient observation often provides the most memorable experiences.

Premium Picnic and Golden-Light Drive

Lunch is served at approximately 1:00 p.m. at an authorized picnic site. Continue through another Mara sector during the afternoon, allowing time for photography and quieter landscape observation. Food wrappers and decorations must remain secured inside the vehicle. Return between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. for dinner and a comfortable night before the final day of the year.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

Final Safari of the Year

Leave at approximately 6:30 a.m. for a complete Maasai Mara wildlife experience. Our guide will choose the route according to animal movement, rainfall and road conditions. Possible sightings include elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, predators and birds of prey. No animal will be crowded or disturbed for celebration photographs.

Mara Sunset and New Year Celebration

Enjoy lunch between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. and continue exploring until approximately 5:30 p.m. Return to the premium property for its confirmed New Year’s Eve dinner, music or countdown. Fireworks should not be assumed in wildlife areas, while champagne and premium drinks may cost extra. Celebrate responsibly and prepare luggage before the following morning’s Nairobi transfer.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

❮ ❯

First Morning of the Year

When the transfer schedule permits, begin New Year’s Day with a short game drive at approximately 6:30 a.m. Return for breakfast and check out between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. Guests who stayed awake for the countdown should still follow the guide’s departure instructions and avoid delaying the long road journey.

New Year Return to Nairobi

Travel 255–300 km through Narok and the Great Rift Valley, requiring 5–6½ hours excluding lunch, holiday traffic and comfort stops. Reflect on eight days of wildlife, landscapes and festive moments before drop-off at JKIA, Wilson Airport or a confirmed Nairobi hotel. International departures should be booked for late evening. The journey concludes after celebrating both Christmas and New Year in Kenya.