8 Days Premium New Year Celebration Safari in Kenya

Premium Nairobi Departure

Meet our professional guide between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. at JKIA or a confirmed Nairobi hotel. Travel 270–300 km through the central highlands, Nakuru and Marigat, taking 5–6½ hours excluding lunch, year-end traffic and comfort stops. Our guide will explain the route and confirm where the main New Year program will occur.

Bogoria’s Dramatic Landscape

Arrive during the early afternoon, enjoy lunch and check into your premium accommodation. Explore accessible sections of Lake Bogoria around 3:30 p.m., discovering geothermal features, escarpment scenery and seasonal waterbirds. Flamingo numbers depend on feeding and lake conditions. Remain on permitted ground around hot springs and follow safety directions. Return before darkness for dinner and a relaxed first evening of the celebration journey.

Destination:

LAKE BOGORIA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Lake Bogoria Spa Resort

  luxury 4 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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Morning Geothermal Experience

Breakfast begins around 6:00 a.m., followed by an optional early lake visit. Morning light and rising geothermal steam can create rewarding landscape photography conditions. Search for seasonal waterbirds and dry-country wildlife without expecting guaranteed sightings. Return to the accommodation and check out around 9:00 a.m.

Premium Lake Nakuru Safari

Drive 110–130 km through Marigat, requiring 2½–3½ hours excluding lunch and year-end road conditions. Check into your premium lodge and rest before beginning the afternoon game drive around 3:30 p.m. Search woodland, lake and grassland habitats for rhinos, buffaloes, giraffes, antelopes, baboons and birds. Return near sunset for dinner. Any countdown rehearsal, entertainment or special menu depends entirely on the lodge’s confirmed program.

Destination:

LAKE BOGORIA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Final Nakuru Wildlife

Depart around 6:30 a.m. for a cooler-hour wildlife drive. Explore open clearings, forest edges and lake viewpoints while watching for active animals and birds. Water levels and wildlife movement affect the route. Return for breakfast and check out between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m.

New Year Mara Arrival

Travel 230–270 km through Mau Narok or another suitable route, taking 5–6½ hours excluding lunch, traffic and road conditions. Arrive in Maasai Mara during the afternoon and settle into your premium lodge or camp. A short introductory game drive may begin around 4:00 p.m. when daylight permits. Return near sunset for dinner and confirmation of any planned New Year activities.

Destination:

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Mara Serena Safari Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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First Safari of the Year

Enjoy breakfast around 6:00 a.m. before leaving between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. Welcome the morning among the Mara’s grasslands, waterways and riverine habitats. Search for lions, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, hyenas, antelopes and birds. The first wildlife sighting of the year remains entirely natural and cannot be arranged or guaranteed.

Savannah Celebration

A picnic lunch is served between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. at an authorized site. Continue exploring during the afternoon, enjoying photography and patient observation rather than chasing sightings. If this day coincides with New Year’s Eve, the game drive may finish earlier to allow preparation for a confirmed lodge celebration. Fireworks may be prohibited or unavailable in wildlife areas, and quieter celebrations are often more appropriate. Dinner follows at the lodge.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Serena Safari Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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New Year Mara Morning

A short game drive may begin around 6:30 a.m. when lodge and entry arrangements permit. Enjoy peaceful morning light and another opportunity to observe the savannah. Return for breakfast and check out between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. Guests celebrating the previous evening should still be ready for the scheduled road departure.

Naivasha Relaxation

Drive 220–250 km through Narok and Mai Mahiu, taking 4½–6 hours excluding lunch, year-end traffic and comfort stops. Arrive at Lake Naivasha during the afternoon and settle into your premium lakeside accommodation. Enjoy a restful evening within designated lodge grounds. Do not approach the shoreline after dark because hippos may move through unfenced properties. Dinner is normally served around 7:30 p.m.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp

  mid rage 3 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Celebratory Boat Excursion

After breakfast around 6:30 a.m., join an optional 60–90-minute boat excursion with an approved operator. Life jackets are compulsory, and wind and water conditions determine whether departure is safe. Possible observations include fish eagles, kingfishers, pelicans, cormorants, herons and hippos. The activity offers a calm contrast to the road journey ahead.

Transfer to Amboseli

Check out and travel 330–370 km through Mai Mahiu, Nairobi’s outskirts and Emali, requiring 6–8 hours excluding lunch, traffic and comfort stops. Arrive during the late afternoon and check into your premium lodge or tented camp. If daylight and entry arrangements permit, enjoy a short introductory drive. Otherwise, have dinner and prepare cameras for the first full Amboseli safari of the new year.

Destination:

LAKE NAIVASHA NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Satao Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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New-Year Sunrise Safari

Depart between 6:15 and 6:30 a.m. after an early breakfast arrangement. Clear weather may reveal Mount Kilimanjaro, creating a remarkable setting for the new year, although cloud cover cannot be controlled. Search wetlands, woodland and open plains for elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes, predators and abundant birdlife.

Premium Celebration Finale

Lunch is served between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. at the lodge or an authorized picnic location. Continue exploring during the afternoon while observing elephant behaviour and the relationship between wildlife and spring-fed wetlands. No particular sighting is promised. Return between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. for a final dinner, a private toast or a confirmed celebratory arrangement. Alcoholic drinks are provided only where included or purchased separately.

Destination:

AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK

Overnight:

Satao Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Final Wildlife Morning

A short game drive may begin around 6:30 a.m. when the return schedule allows. Enjoy final views of Amboseli’s plains, wetlands and wildlife before returning for breakfast. Alternatively, choose a relaxed lodge morning. Complete check-out between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m., ensuring all celebration gifts, cameras and travel documents are packed.

New-Year Nairobi Return

Travel 200–240 km through Emali to Nairobi, taking 4–5½ hours excluding lunch, holiday traffic and comfort stops. Drop-off is available at JKIA, Wilson Airport or a confirmed Nairobi hotel. New Year traffic can extend the journey, so a late-evening departure or additional Nairobi overnight is recommended. Your guide will complete the service at the agreed drop-off point after checking that every item of luggage has been unloaded.