9 Days Vultures Safari
Aberdare, Lake Nakuru, Maasai Mara, Nairobi, Amboseli, and Taita Hills
Nine parks. Nine days. The full range.
The vulture occupies a position in the ecosystem that most animals cannot: it is the final stage of a food chain that begins with the hunt and ends with the bones. Without vultures, the savanna would be a different place entirely. They are also, in flight, extraordinary animals: broad-winged, effortless, capable of covering hundreds of kilometres in a single day on thermal currents above the plains.
This nine-day safari does not stay in one place long enough to become comfortable with it, and that is the point. It moves: from the highland forests of the Aberdare to the Rift Valley lakes, from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi, south to Amboseli under Kilimanjaro, and finally to the Taita Hills before returning to the coast. Nine parks and reserves across nine days. The full range of what Kenya’s wildlife landscape offers.
This is the most comprehensive itinerary in the Savanna Secrets Kenya portfolio. It is suited to first-time visitors who want to cover as much ground as possible, or experienced travellers who want to see parts of Kenya they have not reached before.
The itinerary.
Nairobi to Aberdare National Park
Arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and meet your driver-guide. Drive north to Nyeri and Mweiga, with lunch at Aberdares Country Club. Transfer to The Ark, a lodge built in the shape of Noah’s Ark, positioned above a waterhole and salt lick where animals come to drink around the clock.
The afternoon and evening are spent watching from the terraces and viewing decks as elephant, buffalo, black rhino, leopard, and a range of antelope move through the clearing below.
Aberdare National Park covers the higher areas of the Aberdare mountain range in central Kenya. The forest is home to giant forest hog, black rhino, elephant, lion, leopard, serval, African wild cat, African civet, bongo, and a remarkable variety of highland bird species.
Aberdare to Lake Nakuru National Park
Breakfast at The Ark, then transfer back to Aberdares Country Club where your driver-guide is waiting. Drive via Nyahururu and Thomson Falls to Lake Nakuru. Arrive for lunch and rest before an afternoon game drive around the lake.
Lake Nakuru sits at 1,754 metres above sea level, surrounded by woodland and grassland. The park is one of the most reliable in Kenya for rhino, and the flamingos that gather on the alkaline water are one of the Rift Valley’s great spectacles.
Lake Nakuru to Maasai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast, depart with a game drive en route to the park gate, then drive to the Maasai Mara, arriving in time for lunch. An afternoon game drive on the open plains.
Maasai Mara, Full Day
Collect picnic lunch boxes and spend a full day on the Mara plains, returning to camp in the late afternoon. The Maasai Mara supports over 95 species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, and more than 400 bird species. The annual migration brings over 1.5 million wildebeest across from the Serengeti between July and November.
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
After breakfast with a game drive en route to the gate, drive to Nairobi for lunch at the Carnivore Restaurant. Transfer to Osoita Lodge in the afternoon and spend the remainder of the day in the lodge garden.
Nairobi is one of Africa’s most significant capital cities and its safari capital. The Karen Blixen Museum, the Nairobi National Park, and the Giraffe Centre are all accessible from the city if you wish to explore.
Nairobi to Amboseli National Park
After breakfast, drive south to Amboseli National Park, entering with a game drive en route to arrive in time for lunch. In the afternoon, a game drive covers the swamps and the open plains. In clear weather, Kilimanjaro at 5,895 metres is visible above the treeline from inside the park.
Amboseli, Full Day
Collect picnic lunch boxes and spend a full day in Amboseli. Observation Hill offers a panoramic view of the park, the swamp systems, and the mountain. The elephant herds in Amboseli are among the most studied in the world and move in groups large enough to be genuinely impressive from any vantage point.
Amboseli to Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary
After breakfast, drive to the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, arriving for lunch and checking in to Salt Lick Lodge. The lodge is built on stilts above a waterhole and salt lick, positioned so that animals approaching the water can be watched from the terraces at any hour.
Taita Hills is a privately managed sanctuary of 110 square kilometres bordering Tsavo West, home to buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, cheetah, Masai giraffe, zebra, and impala. An afternoon game drive covers the sanctuary in the cooler hours before dinner.
Taita Hills to Mombasa
An early morning game drive through the sanctuary before returning to the lodge for a farewell breakfast. Depart with a game drive en route to the gate, then drive to Mombasa for a short city tour and a farewell lunch at Sentrim Castle Hotel. Transfer to Neptune Village or your Mombasa beach hotel.
Inclusions & exclusions.
- Return road transport in a private 7-seater safari vehicle with pop-up roof and guaranteed window seats
- Services of a professional multilingual driver-guide throughout
- All game drives as detailed in the itinerary
- Eight nights full-board accommodation
- All national park and sanctuary entrance fees
- 3 bottles of mineral water per person per day
- One safari hat and one safari bag per person
- Farewell lunch in Mombasa
- Short city tour of Mombasa
- Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
- All applicable government taxes
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
- Personal expenses including telephone calls, laundry, and similar
- Travel insurance
- International flights
- Optional activities in Nairobi not specified above
- Any items not specified above
Lodges shown reflect our standard arrangement for this route. Where we hold a fixed relationship, the named property is used; otherwise a lodge of equivalent standard is substituted.
What you will see.
Book this safari, or shape your own version of it.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will confirm availability and tailor the route, the pace, and the lodges to your group.