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A group of flamingos wading in shallow water in Lake Nakuru National Park

Sample journey · 7–9 days

Lakes of the Rift: hippos, flamingos and Hell's Gate

Naivasha, Hell's Gate, Nakuru, Bogoria & Baringo

Photo: Brian Kungu / Unsplash

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

The Great Rift Valley cuts through Kenya from north to south, and along its floor lie lakes like beads on a string, each with its own character. Naivasha is fresh water, with hippos and papyrus shores; Nakuru and Bogoria are alkaline, so flamingos often gather there; Baringo is fresh again, ringed by cliffs and villages and famous for its birds. This journey links them all and lets you meet the wildlife not only through a vehicle window: in Hell's Gate National Park you can cycle among zebra and buffalo, and on Crescent Island you walk among giraffe, because there are no predators.

It suits families with children and active travellers who love birds, water and moving under their own steam. Drives are short, usually two or three hours, stays are simple and welcoming, from a cottage on a lakeshore to a small camp among the acacias, and there's plenty of wildlife, even though this isn't a classic big-cat safari. Rhino live in Lake Nakuru National Park too, so children usually come home with more than one 'first'.

The route

The journey

  1. Nairobi
  2. Lake Naivasha
  3. Crescent Island
  4. Hell's Gate National Park
  5. Lake Nakuru
  6. Lake Bogoria
  7. Lake Baringo
  8. Nairobi
  1. Two hippos swimming in Lake Naivasha

    01Days 1–3 · Nairobi & Lake Naivasha

    Down the escarpment

    The first night is in Nairobi, to rest after the flight. The next morning it's about two and a half hours north-west; soon after the city the road reaches the edge of the Rift Valley escarpment, and below you a wide plain dotted with extinct volcanoes suddenly opens up. Three nights by Lake Naivasha, on a shore among yellow-barked acacias, where zebra often graze on the lawns and hippos sometimes come up at night. On the first afternoon, a boat on the lake: from a safe distance you see hippo families, herons and terns in the papyrus beds, and a fish eagle diving into the water right in front of the boat. For children the eagle's dive and the hippos' yawns are usually what they remember. In the evening, a fire and the journey's first stories.

  2. Two giraffes among the trees by Lake Naivasha

    02Days 3–5 · Crescent Island & Hell's Gate

    On foot and by bike among giraffe

    On day three, a short boat ride to Crescent Island, where with a local guide you walk among giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and waterbuck. There are no predators here, so you can watch the animals from a few dozen metres, a rare feeling even for seasoned travellers. On day four, Hell's Gate National Park, one of the few Kenyan parks where cycling is allowed. The track runs between red cliffs past the volcanic plug of Fischer's Tower, with zebra, buffalo and hartebeest grazing calmly around you. At the far end is a narrow gorge, entered only with a local guide: hot springs sometimes seep through it, and in rain it may be closed because of flash floods. There's a shorter route for younger children, and for tired legs a vehicle with a guide follows close by.

  3. Two white rhino standing in the grass in Lake Nakuru National Park

    03Days 5–7 · Lake Nakuru

    Rhino beside a soda lake

    On day five it's only an hour and a half to Lake Nakuru National Park, and two nights nearby. The park is fenced and protects both white and black rhino, so you're more likely to see them here than in many other Kenyan parks. In the mornings buffalo graze the lakeshore meadows, rare Rothschild's giraffe browse among the acacias and, with luck, lions or a leopard rest in the branches. Flamingo numbers here depend heavily on the water level: in recent years, as the lake has spread, there have often been fewer than before, though pelicans, cormorants and other birds are plentiful. In the afternoon it's worth driving up to Baboon Cliff, where the whole lake and the walls of the Rift lie spread out below. The second evening can stay free for rest or the pool.

  4. A flock of flamingos flying over Lake Bogoria

    04Days 7–9 · Lakes Bogoria & Baringo

    Steaming shores and birding mornings

    On day seven it's about two hours north to Lake Bogoria, where hot springs boil and small geysers spout along the shore. Lesser flamingos often gather in the shallow alkaline water, sometimes in their thousands, though numbers vary from year to year. We approach the springs only on paths with a guide: the water is boiling. Then about an hour more to Baringo, a freshwater lake among cliffs, for the last two nights. Baringo is one of Kenya's finest corners for birds: at dawn, with a local guide, you walk to the cliffs where owls and birds hard to find elsewhere often roost, and a boat on the lake passes hippos, crocodiles and fish eagles. With local guides, and on their terms, you can also visit an Il Chamus fishing village. On the last day it's about five hours by road back to Nairobi.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Crescent Island on foot

    A guided walk among giraffe and zebra, with no predators about.

  2. 02

    Cycling Hell's Gate

    Red cliffs, Fischer's Tower and zebra beside the track.

  3. 03

    Nakuru's rhino

    A fenced park where white and black rhino are often seen.

  4. 04

    Bogoria's springs and Baringo's birds

    Geysers, flamingos and a dawn birding walk with a local guide.

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

Make it your own

  • With young children

    You could drop Baringo and return to Nairobi from Nakuru, shortening the trip to a week with only short drives.

  • With the Maasai Mara

    The Mara is a few hundred kilometres from Naivasha; add three nights and a classic big-cat safari joins the lakes.

  • More active

    A climb to the crater rim of Mount Longonot above Naivasha: a half-day hike with a fine view over the Rift.

  • For birders

    An extra night on Baringo and a morning with a bird guide can add a few dozen more species to your list.

Practical considerations

  • The Rift Valley can be visited all year, but the drier months, roughly June to October and January to February, are usually the most comfortable. During the rains the Hell's Gate gorge may be closed.
  • Lake levels have risen sharply in recent years: some shores and places to stay have been flooded, and flamingo numbers at Nakuru and Bogoria vary a great deal. We check stays and sights before every trip.
  • Bikes at Hell's Gate are hired at the gate; it's worth children bringing their own helmets, and we ride slowly with a guide, keeping our distance from buffalo.
  • The journey is planned with a driver-guide: roads between the lakes are mostly good, but the final stretches can be potholed. We check current travel requirements and advice before you go.

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

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