14 Days Best of Kenya Self Drive Safari

The 2 weeks self-drive safari in Kenya offers the best experience to explore most of the best safari national parks in the country. The safari will start with hiring a 4×4 safari vehicle in Kenya before you think of flying into the country.

Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Nairobi National Park

On your arrival in Nairobi at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be welcomed by a representative from 4×4 Self Drive Kenya Ltd. who will brief you about the vehicle, You inspect the vehicle together and then you sign the paperwork. after everything is done, you will be set to start a 14-day self-drive safari in Kenya by driving to Nairobi National Park which is found a few minute drive from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. In spite of the fact that the park is near Nairobi city, it’s relatively small and hosts a variety of wildlife. The park is known as the most successful rhinoceros sanctuary in Kenya. Upon your arrival in the park, you will check in at the lodge and then get ready for a morning game drive where you will get a chance to see a variety of animals like African buffalo, lion, black rhinoceros, leopard, giraffe, spotted hyena, hippopotamus, blue wildebeest, Grant’s gazelle, cheetah, plains zebra, common eland, Thomson’s gazelle, impala, hartebeest, common warthog, waterbuck, black-backed jackal, olive baboon, Nile crocodile, common ostrich, and others. Later you will return to the lodge for late lunch and relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Transfer to Tsavo East National Park

On this day you will wake up for a heavy breakfast and get ready for a long drive to Tsavo East National Park which is found approximately 250km south of Nairobi in the semi-arid area formerly known as the Taru Desert. The park is well-known for being home to most of the big mammals, for example, large herds of elephants, buffalo, rhinos, leopards, lions, waterbucks, pods of hippos, crocodiles, and others. In addition, the park is also believed to be home to over 500 different bird species a factor which attracts thousands of bird lovers from different parts of the world to visit the park. you will reach the park a bit late and check in your lodge for a late lunch and relation as you wait for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Game Drive in Tsavo East National Park

On the third day, you will explore Tsavo East National Park the activities, you will enjoy in the park include game drives where you get a chance to spot different animals in the park and the big mammals, another activity in the park include birding because the park is home to over 500 different species of birds.

This day will start with an early breakfast at the lodge and then get ready for a morning game drive in the park to see a variety of animals found in the park after you will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will get ready for an evening game drive in the park and later you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Transfer to Tsavo West National Park

On this day, you will have breakfast at the lodge and then get ready for a 200km drive from Tsavo East National Park to Tsavo West National Park with an en-route game drive. The drive will take you something like 5 hours to reach Tsavo West meaning you will reach there in the afternoon and check in at your lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will have some hours to relax and then get ready to visit Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary in the evening. This sanctuary is found on the foot of Ngulia hills and is surrounded by an electric face to protect these endangered black rhinos from poachers. You will have to visit these animals at night because they are mostly nocturnal and browsers meaning they mostly feed at night and always hide in thickets. Then after this night of rhino tracking, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Full Day in Tsavo West National Park

This day will be reserved for exploring Tsavo West National Park and it will start with a morning game drive where you will get a chance to spot the Big 5 animals like lions, buffalos, rhinos, and elephants. In addition to the Big 5 animals, you will also spot a variety of animals like hippos, Nile crocodiles, antelopes, and others. After this amazing game drive in the park, you will return to the lodge for a late lunch. After lunch, you will visit the Mzima Springs the main water source of the park where the animals always gather during the wet season to drink water.
There are a variety of activities you can enjoy when you are on a safari in the park including bird watching, rock climbing, cultural tours, guided nature walks, Cave exploration, and many others.

Day 6: Transfer to Chyulu Hills National Park

On this day, you will wake up for a cup of tea and then get ready to transfer to Chyulu Hills National Park which is found in just a few hour’s drive from Tsavo. the park is part of the Tsavo Conservation Area and is home to a variety of wildlife like large mammals that include bushbucks, elands, elephants, buffalo, leopards, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, reedbucks, and giraffes. Here you will just enjoy horse riding around the park and have lunch, Later you will continue and transfer to Amboseli National Park where you will reach the afternoon and check in to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Explore Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park is a perfect destination for photographers on account of the rich wildlife, for example, cheetahs, lions, rhinos, and buffalo wandering under the shadows of the grand Mountain Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak. With its vast concentration of African elephants, the Park is the best choice for a really amazing camping safari, before the world’s best photographic setting.

You will spend this full day enjoying Africa at its best with a picnic lunch with animals in the wild – a lot of wildlife encounters through open plains spotted in the flat-topped acacia trees. Before returning to the lodge, stop at a traditional Masai village “Manyatta” for a discretionary visit to learn more about the local Masai culture. In some parts of Maasailand, Amboseli National Park is in this manner the home of the Masai people, those tall, proud nomads whose legendary prowess in a fight and single-handed acts of valiance in battles with wild animals have spread over the world. After this amazing adventure in Africa’s wilderness, you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Nairobi and then Masai Mara

Today, you will have to wake up early enough for a cup of coffee and get ready for a long drive from Amboseli National Park through Nairobi to Masia Mara National Reserve. The day will start with a morning breakfast and then hit the road transfer to Nairobi where you will have a stopover for lunch after lunch you will have to continue with your journey to Masai Mara National Reserve where you will reach late afternoon and check in at your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Full Day Explore Masai Mara Game Reserve

On this day you will have breakfast and then go for an afternoon game drive in the park in search of wild animals like lions for which the park is famous, cheetahs, leopards, wildebeest, buffalo, zebra, grants gazelle are very normal, even the rare rhino may come out of shrubbery for you, there is also a lot of hyenas continue to the hippo point where a variety of hippo submerge on the approach of vehicles just to surface seconds after the fact to shot and gamble their dismay as the crocodiles sunbathe on the river banks mouths agape. There is also an optional visit to Maasai villages to learn more about their culture if you wish. Dinners and overnight at the camp in Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Day 9: Masai Maasai Mara to Naivasha National Park

On this day, you will wake up early in the morning and embark on a short morning game drive in the park and later you will return to the lodge for check out and get ready for a 5-hour drive from Masai Mara to Naivasha National Park. You will arrive at the park later afternoon, check into the lodge or campsite if you going on a camping safari, and then get ready for an afternoon boat ride to Crescent Island where you will enjoy an amazing nature walk close to animals like antelopes, wildebeest, giraffes, zebras, and many others plus a variety of bird species can be spotted on the nature walk. After this amazing experience, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 10: Game Drive and Transfer to the Hell’s Gate National Park

On the 10th day of your two-week self-drive safari in Kenya, you will wake up early in the morning for breakfast and get ready for a morning game drive in the park where you will get a chance to see a variety of animals in the park like Warthog, giraffe, and others. The game drive will take you to Lake Naivasha where Hippos are frequently accompanied by the vibrant presence of both lesser and greater flamingo species. In the evening you will have lunch and then transfer to Hell’s Gate National Park which is found in just 1 hour drive.

Day 11: Explore Hell’s Gate National Park

Begin your day with a hearty breakfast at the lodge before embarking on an engaging 2-hour guided bike tour. During the tour, be on the lookout for various wildlife in the park such as; herds of Thompson’s gazelle, eland, zebra, hartebeest, and many others as you ride along. Don’t forget to also keep an attentive eye on the sky, as Hell’s Gate National Park boasts an impressive array of over 100 bird species, including majestic Verreaux’s eagles, augur buzzards, vultures, and swifts.

Transitioning from wheels to feet, you’ll continue your exploration on foot as you delve into the park’s unique gorges. These narrow passages and caves, carved into sedimentary rock, offer an amazing landscape to explore. Following an enriching 1-hour hike, you’ll have the opportunity to visit a local Maasai community. Here, you can gain insights into their traditional way of life and learn about customs within the context of the Great Rift Valley.

Concluding your adventure in Hell’s Gate National Park, make your way to the lodge where you can relax and reflect on the incredible experiences of the day and you wait for dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Transfer to Aberdare National Park

Today you will leave Hell’s Gate National Park early in the morning after breakfast and then transfer to Aberdare National Park which is found in approximately 110km from Hell’s Gate National Park. You will arrive at the park in the afternoon, check in to the park, and continue on the game drive where you will get a chance to observe a variety of animals like black rhinos, leopards, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, and sykes monkey. After you will return to the lodge for a late lunch and wait for the evening game drive.

Day 13: Transfer to Samburu National Park

Following a hearty breakfast at the lodge, you set out on a scenic 5-hour drive from Aberdare National Park to Samburu National Park. On a clear day, you can catch breathtaking views of Mt. Kenya right from the comfort of your car. Upon your arrival at Samburu National Park in the afternoon, your thrilling game drive adventure begins immediately as you pass through the main gate. Afterward, you proceed to the lodge for a delicious lunch, energizing you for the afternoon ahead.

Samburu National Park is renowned for its rich wildlife diversity, particularly its fame for hosting rare northern specialist species, including the majestic Grevy Zebra, elegant Somali Ostrich, striking Reticulated Giraffe, graceful Gerenuk, and the unique Beisa Oryx, often referred to as the “Samburu Special.” The park is also home to a minimum of 900 elephants, and you can expect amazing encounters with large predators like Lions, Leopards, and Cheetahs. Notably, Kamunyak, the Miracle Lioness known for adopting a baby Oryx, resides within the park. If you’re lucky, you may even spot wild dogs, making your visit to this protected area even more memorable. Bird lovers will enjoy their visit to Samburu National Park since the park is blessed with over 450 species of birds. After this amazing drive in the park, you will return to the lodge for relaxation as you wait for dinner and overnight.

Day 14: Transfer back to Nairobi

Have breakfast at the lodge and ready to leave Samburu National Park with a brief game drive as you head to the park gate.