Skip to content
A herd of elephants coming down to drink, with Mount Kenya in the distance

Sample journey · 10–13 days

Kenya, from the highlands to the sea

The Laikipia plateau, the Maasai Mara conservancies and Lamu or Diani

Photo: Leon Pauleikhoff / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Kenya is the home of the classic safari, yet it is far more varied than the Maasai Mara's plains alone. On the Laikipia plateau, at the foot of Mount Kenya, community and private conservancies protect rhino and the rare Grevy's zebra, and safari here happens not only by vehicle but on foot, on horseback or with camels. The Mara opens onto wide plains with big cats and, in the second half of the year, often the migrating herds.

This sample route pairs two very different safari areas with a slow ending by the sea. Light aircraft link them, so there are almost no days on the road. It suits a first safari just as well as a family: camps can be chosen with family tents, and on the coast you can choose between the quiet Lamu archipelago and the long beach at Diani.

The route

The journey

  1. Nairobi
  2. Laikipia
  3. Maasai Mara
  4. Lamu or Diani
  1. The wide Laikipia plain near Lamuria, with Mount Kenya on the horizon

    01Days 1–2 · Nairobi & Laikipia

    Beneath Mount Kenya

    After a night in Nairobi, a short flight north to the Laikipia plateau. The air is cooler here, the spaces immense, and on a clear morning the peaks of Mount Kenya rise on the horizon. The first afternoon brings a slow drive through the conservancy and dinner in camp, where it's quiet enough to hear zebra calling far away.

  2. A rhino mother and her calf on a grassy plain, Kenya

    02Days 3–4 · Laikipia

    Rhino, tracks and camels

    Laikipia's conservancies are known for rhino protection, so with a guide you can often watch them at close range. Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and other dry-country species live here too. Beyond the drives there are walks with local guides, horseback rides or an unhurried camel walk, which children especially love.

  3. Elephants grazing at sunrise in the Maasai Mara, with hot-air balloons in the distance

    03Days 5–7 · Maasai Mara

    The quiet of the conservancies

    A flight south-west to the Mara. We'd suggest staying in one of the conservancies around the national reserve, run by Maasai landowners in partnership with the camps. There are few vehicles at sightings, and walks and night drives are often allowed. Mornings begin before sunrise, while the lions are still active, and midday is spent in the shade of camp.

  4. Zebra and wildebeest in tall grass, with two hot-air balloons above the plains, Maasai Mara

    04Days 8–9 · Maasai Mara

    The plains and the river

    One long day could go to the national reserve and the Mara River. Roughly from July to October the migrating wildebeest and zebra are often here, though their movements follow the rain, so no one can promise a river crossing. For those who'd like it, an early balloon flight over the plains and breakfast in the grass.

  5. The Lamu Town waterfront with white houses and boats, Kenya

    05Days 10–13 · Lamu or Diani

    The slow rhythm of the Swahili coast

    To finish, the Indian Ocean. In the Lamu archipelago time slows down: the old town has almost no cars, donkeys walk the narrow lanes, and in the evening dhows sail towards the dunes at Shela. Families often find Diani, south of Mombasa, a better fit: a long white beach, warm shallow water and more room to play. The flight home is via Nairobi or Mombasa.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Rhino in Laikipia

    Conservancies where, with a guide, rhino can often be watched at close range.

  2. 02

    Safari on foot and on horseback

    In Laikipia, wildlife isn't only seen from a vehicle, a completely different way of being in the landscape.

  3. 03

    The Mara conservancies

    Fewer vehicles, night drives and walks with Maasai guides.

  4. 04

    Lamu's old town

    Coral-stone houses, donkeys in the lanes and dhows under sail: the Swahili coast without hurry.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With children

    Camps with family tents, camel walks in Laikipia and Diani's beach at the end; some camps set age limits for walks.

  • Further north

    Add the dry country of Samburu, with reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx and gerenuk.

  • Beneath Kilimanjaro

    Swap Laikipia for Amboseli, where on a clear morning Kilimanjaro rises above the elephants.

  • A honeymoon

    A private villa in a Mara conservancy and a house with a rooftop terrace in the Lamu archipelago turn this into a journey for two.

Practical considerations

  • The dry seasons, roughly June to October and December to February, are usually best for safari; migration timing varies each year.
  • Luggage on light aircraft is limited, often to around 15 kg in a soft bag.
  • Rules differ between conservancies (night drives, walks, children's ages), so camps are best chosen around who is travelling.
  • Parts of the route lie in a malaria area; it's worth speaking to a doctor or travel clinic well ahead about prevention.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

Keep exploring

Destinations

Ways to travel

Related articles

More journey inspiration

Plan your journey

Shape a journey like this

Dreaming of a safari as a family or for two? Tell us who's travelling and how you'd like the journey to feel, and we'll explore the possibilities together.

Shape a journey like this

This journey becomes the starting point of your enquiry — you can change or remove it.

All journey inspiration