Kenya Birdwatching Safari Experience – 14 Days
Overview
This 14-day birdwatching and wildlife safari takes you through some of Kenya’s most rewarding conservation areas, combining dedicated birding experiences with classic game viewing and scenic landscapes.
Beginning in Nairobi, the journey continues to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Samburu National Reserve, Lake Naivasha, Lake Elementaita, Lake Nakuru National Park and the Masai Mara National Reserve. Each destination offers distinct habitats, from open savannah and acacia woodland to freshwater lakes, wetlands and riverine forests, creating opportunities to observe a wide variety of bird species and wildlife.
The itinerary balances early-morning and afternoon birdwatching drives with guided walks, a boat excursion and time to enjoy the surrounding landscapes. It also includes opportunities to learn about Kenya’s natural and cultural heritage, with visits to Nairobi National Museum and the communities around Samburu.
The safari also offers a rewarding perspective on Kenya’s remarkable ecological diversity, with each region revealing a different landscape and range of species. From the dry-country habitats of Samburu and the freshwater ecosystems of the Rift Valley lakes to the expansive grasslands of the Masai Mara, the journey provides time to observe, photograph and learn about birdlife in its natural habitats. Accompanied by experienced safari guides, guests can build their bird lists while enjoying the wider wildlife encounters and conservation experiences that make each destination distinctive.
Main Highlights
- Nairobi National Park: Morning birdwatching in a unique wilderness setting against Nairobi’s city skyline, with opportunities to spot Secretary birds, Kori Bustards, Grey Crowned Cranes and numerous other species.
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy: Dedicated birdwatching across varied habitats, alongside opportunities to see black and white rhinos, elephants, buffaloes and other wildlife, with Mount Kenya providing a scenic backdrop.
- Samburu National Reserve: Explore northern Kenya’s distinctive birdlife, with over 450 recorded bird species, alongside the Samburu Special Five – Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Beisa oryx.
- Lake Naivasha: Enjoy a boat ride to observe waterbirds, followed by a guided walking experience on Crescent Island among its wildlife and birdlife.
- Soysambu Conservancy and Lake Elementaita: Guided birding along the lake’s shorelines, with opportunities to observe lesser and greater flamingos, great white pelicans and pied avocets.
- Lake Nakuru National Park: Explore an important wetland and wildlife sanctuary, home to nearly 450 recorded bird species, including flamingos, pelicans, storks and African Fish Eagles, as well as black and white rhinos.
- Masai Mara National Reserve: Spend three days exploring the Mara’s diverse habitats, with over 470 recorded bird species and opportunities to observe raptors, vultures, Secretary birds, bustards and a wide range of wildlife.
- Optional hot-air balloon safari: Experience an early-morning flight over the vast Masai Mara plains.
Itinerary - Daily Safari Information
Day 1: Arrive Nairobi
Arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Nairobi where you will be met by our Safari representative and transferred to your Nairobi hotel. Check in and pre-safari briefing.
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast
Accommodation: Safari Park hotel / similar
Day 2: Nairobi
After breakfast, depart the hotel at 7:00 am and proceed to Nairobi National Park for a morning birdwatching drive. The park hosts a wide variety of wildlife and birdlife, making it both a rewarding safari destination and a true birdwatchers’ paradise. Its open plains, riverine habitats and dramatic skyline views create striking natural stages for visual storytelling and filmmaking, offering rare contrasts between urban life and untamed wilderness.
During the birdwatching drive, keep an eye out for Secretary bird, Kori Bustard, Masai Ostrich, Grey Crowned Crane, African Fish Eagle, vultures, storks, herons, egrets, rollers, bee-eaters and various species of weavers. The early part of the day provides good opportunities to observe birds when they are most active, while also allowing for sightings of the park’s diverse wildlife.
At 12:00 noon, exit the park and drive towards Karen area for lunch. Later proceed to the Nairobi National Museum where you will spend time exploring Kenya’s rich natural and cultural history. The museum offers an excellent introduction to the country’s diverse wildlife and ecosystems, with its natural history collections providing an opportunity to learn more about Kenya’s birdlife and other fascinating species.
Start heading back to the hotel at around 4:00 pm for your overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast
Accommodation: Safari Park hotel/ similar
Day 3: Nairobi – Ol Pejeta
Depart Nairobi at 7:00 am after breakfast for Ol Pejeta Conservancy which is about 4 hours away. The drive takes you through the changing landscapes of central Kenya, with views of the agricultural highlands and, weather permitting, Mount Kenya. Arrive in time for hot lunch at Sweet Waters Camp.
After lunch, begin your afternoon birdwatching experience within Ol Pejeta Conservancy at 3:00 pm. The conservancy’s combination of open grasslands, acacia woodland, riverine vegetation and waterholes provides a variety of habitats for birdlife.
As you explore the conservancy, look out for raptors, vultures, bustards, hornbills, starlings, weavers, bee-eaters and other savannah species. The open plains also provide opportunities to see the conservancy’s famous wildlife, including black and white rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes and various antelopes.
Continue with a late afternoon birdwatching and wildlife drive before returning to camp for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Sweetwaters Serena Camp/ Similar
Day 4: Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Spend the full day exploring Ol Pejeta Conservancy, with a particular focus on birdwatching. Begin your day early at Sweet waters Camp, waking up to views of the bustling waterhole directly in front of the lodge – a natural magnet for elephants, buffalo, antelopes, and sometimes even rhinos stopping by for a morning drink.
After a hearty breakfast, depart at around 7:00am for your morning birdwatching drive when temperatures are cooler and bird activity is at its peak. Explore different habitats within the conservancy, including open plains, acacia woodland, wetlands and areas around water sources.
The morning provides excellent opportunities to observe birds of prey, grassland species and other savannah birds. Your guide will help identify species by their calls, behaviors, plumage and habitat, while allowing time for photography and maintaining a bird list. Expect to return to camp around noon for lunch, followed by time to relax on your tent’s veranda or in the main lounge while watching wildlife continuously come and go at the waterhole.
At 3:00 pm, head out again for another birdwatching and wildlife drive. This gives you another opportunity to explore the conservancy and spot birds you may have missed earlier in the day. Ol Pejeta is also renowned for its conservation work and impressive wildlife population, so the afternoon drive provides an opportunity to combine birdwatching with animal sightings.
Enjoy the golden light as animals become active again, against the backdrop of Mount Kenya.
Return to the camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Sweetwaters Serena Camp / Similar
Day 5: Ol Pejeta – Samburu
After breakfast, depart at 7:00 am for Samburu National Reserve. The journey takes you north through Kenya’s changing landscapes, gradually moving from the greener central highlands into the drier and more rugged scenery of northern savannah ecosystem.
The change in habitat also brings a significant change in birdlife, making the journey to Samburu an important part of the birdwatching experience.
You will arrive in time for lunch and later have your first birdwatching/ game drive at 4:00pm in Samburu National Reserve. Explore the areas around the Ewaso Nyiro River, as well as the surrounding dry acacia woodland and open plains.
Birdlife is abundant, with over 450 recorded species, making Samburu an excellent destination for birdwatching. The reserve is particularly rewarding for its variety of northern Kenya species, while the riverine vegetation and surrounding dry-country habitats provide excellent opportunities for birdwatching. As the sun begins to lower, temperatures cool and wildlife become more active, offering ideal conditions for both sightings and photography.
Return to camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Ashnil Samburu Camp
Day 6: Samburu National Reserve
Spend the full day in Samburu with morning and afternoon game viewing drive included. During the hot day you can choose to visit the local communities living adjacent to this game reserve or relax by the swimming pool.
Samburu National Reserve is one of the lesser-known national parks, but is nevertheless teeming with life. Situated alongside the Ewaso Nyiro River, there is plenty to attract wildlife from the surrounding wooded savannah plains. The reserve is rich in wildlife with an abundance of rare northern specialist species such as the Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and the Beisa Oryx (also referred to as Samburu Special Five).
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Ashnil Samburu Camp
Day 7: Samburu National Reserve
Enjoy another full day of birdwatching in Samburu National Reserve, with morning and afternoon game drives.
The morning session provides another opportunity to explore the reserve at its most active time. Focus on different habitats and areas from the previous days, giving you the chance to expand your bird list and photograph species you may have missed earlier.
The afternoon game drive offers a final opportunity to explore Samburu’s riverine woodland and dry-country habitats. Birdlife is abundant, and the combination of different habitats means there is always the possibility of adding new species to your sightings.
Return to the Camp in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Ashnil Samburu Camp
Day 8: Samburu – Lake Naivasha
After early breakfast, depart Samburu at 7:00 am and drive south towards Lake Naivasha, travelling through the dramatic landscapes of the central highlands and the Great Rift Valley. Arrive at Lake Naivasha Country Club in time for check in followed by lunch.
In the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride on Lake Naivasha, providing an excellent opportunity to observe waterbirds from the lake itself. The freshwater lake and its shoreline support numerous species, including herons, egrets, kingfishers, cormorants, darters, pelicans and other water-associated birds.
Continue to Crescent Island for a guided walking experience. The island is surrounded by the waters of Lake Naivasha and provides an opportunity to enjoy birdwatching on foot in a peaceful setting. The absence of large predators allows you to walk among wildlife while focusing on the birdlife and varied habitats.
Return to the hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Lake Naivasha country club
Day 9: Lake Naivasha – Lake Elementaita
Your day begins at 7:00 am, departing Lake Naivasha Country Club with your packed lunch boxes for a scenic one-hour drive north. Arrive at the beautiful, private Soysambu Conservancy and head straight down to its exclusive shorelines for an immersive guided birding walk. This peaceful area offers an incredible vantage point to get up close to massive, undisturbed flocks of lesser and greater flamingos, great white pelicans, and unique waders like the pied avocets.
At 12:00 pm, you will head to a scenic picnic site nestled inside the conservancy to enjoy your hotel-packed lunch boxes under the cool shade of ancient acacia trees. After lunch you embark on a leisurely drive back to Naivasha for your overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Lake Naivasha country club
Day 10: Lake Naivasha – Lake Nakuru
Breakfast is served early, depart the hotel at 7:00am for a smooth 2-hour drive north to Lake Nakuru National Park.
Lake Nakuru is a UNESCO World Heritage Site gazetted as Wetland. It is an alkaline lake that hosts a variety of water and terrestrial birds numbering nearly 450 species. It doubles as a natural game park and a Rhino sanctuary for both Black and White Rhinos. The ecosystem also provides for different species of mammals including buffaloes, Zebras, Rothschild Giraffe, a variety of antelopes and the big cats.
Spend the morning exploring the lake and surrounding habitats, watching for flamingos, pelicans, African Fish Eagles, storks, herons, egrets, grebes and numerous other water-associated species. The park’s acacia woodland and open grasslands provide a different birding environment away from the lake shore, with opportunities to observe raptors, woodland species and grassland birds.
In the afternoon, you will stop for hot lunch at one of the lodges inside the park. You will leave the park at 3:00pm and drive back to Naivasha. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Lake Naivasha country club
Day 11: Lake Naivasha – Masai Mara National Reserve
Early breakfast and depart at 7:30am heading for the Masai Mara. We drive through Masai land with a stopover at the Masai town of Narok for refueling and bathroom breaks. Continue towards the Masai Mara arriving in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive.
The reserve’s extensive grasslands, riverine woodland, acacia areas and seasonal wetlands provide a variety and perfect habitats for birdlife and game watching.
Keep your binoculars ready for raptors soaring above the plains, colourful grassland species, ground birds and species associated with the Mara and Talek rivers.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Basecamp Masai Mara
Day 12: Masai Mara National Reserve
Enjoy a full day of bird and game watching in Masai Mara, with morning and afternoon drives exploring the reserve’s diverse habitats. With over 470 bird species recorded, the Mara offers excellent opportunities to observe raptors, grassland birds, woodland species and water-associated birds. The open plains, riverine vegetation and the Mara River provide varied habitats, while the reserve’s abundant wildlife adds to the overall safari experience. The Mara River cuts through the Mara and Serengeti Eco-system giving life to both reserves and finally pouring out into Lake Victoria Basin.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Basecamp Masai Mara
Day 13: Masai Mara National Reserve
Today we experience a sunrise morning birdwatching and game viewing drive through the Masai Mara. The morning drive offers an opportunity to explore different sections of the reserve while temperatures are still comfortable. Particular attention can be given to raptors, vultures, Secretary birds, bustards, hornbills, rollers, bee-eaters and other savannah species. The Mara is particularly notable for its birds of prey, with more than 50 raptor species recorded.
Return to the hotel around midmorning for lunch and some time to relax.
In the afternoon, head out again for a more leisurely drive. The focus can be on following up interesting sightings from the morning and exploring areas where bird activity is particularly good. The Mara River and surrounding vegetation can provide opportunities for water-associated species, while the open plains remain productive for raptors and grassland birds.
Return to the camp in the evening for dinner and overnight.
OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES: You may also book an optional early morning hot air balloon flight start from over the vast Masai Mara plains.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Accommodation: Basecamp Masai Mara
Day 14: Masai Mara – Nairobi
After breakfast and check out, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your 11:00 am flight to Wilson Airport, where on arrival you will have a chance to tour a few places of interest and last minute shopping. Lunch will be on own arrangements. Later transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your home bound flight.
End of service by African Savannah Holidays.
- Meet and Greet, Airport transfers on private basis
- Bed and Breakfast accommodation in city hotels
- Full board accommodation (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) while on safari
- PRIVATE transportation on safari using a 4x4WD safari vehicle
- Game drives in a safari customized Land Cruiser
- Park entrance and conservancy fees to all quoted Game Reserves
- Services of a professional English-speaking safari driver guide
- Applicable Government taxes
- Purified drinking water provided inside the safari jeeps
- Free enrolment on the AMREF Flying Doctor Emergency Medical Evacuation Cover for guests with valid travel insurance
- International flights
- Additional sightseeing or deviation from the itinerary
- Visa Fees
- Inoculations
- Items of a personal nature such as; laundry, phone calls
- Tip for driver guides and porters
- Drinks/beverages during meals, laundry etc.
Our Client Testimonials
Beautiful Samburu, our African Savannah Adventure - We have travelled previously on safari with African Savannah Holidays and this year we chose to visit the semi arid Samburu Region in northern Kenya. We stayed at Ashnil Samburu... read more
SafariwildmanSeptember 22, 2024
End to End Excellence with Heart - I went on my lifelong dream trip to Africa with my brother and four friends in October 2024. I was introduced to Paul at the Travel and Adventure Show... read more
Navigate611824November 17, 2024
Nairobi National Park - Wonderful experience! We went for a safari in Nairobi National Park. Professional and friendly driver, nothing was too much trouble for him. We were picked up from our accommodation, spent... read more
chorostowskiSeptember 12, 2024
