Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Kenya: Ol Pejeta, Samburu and Laikipia
8 days from Nairobi: two nights at Ol Pejeta with its rhinos and a night drive, three nights on the river in Samburu, a walking morning in Laikipia and a flight back to Nairobi.
8 days · Round trip from Nairobi · up to 12 guests
Gerenuks browsing an acacia in Samburu Photo: Fabiola Leyton and Carlos Castillo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gerenuks_eating_-_Samburu,_Kenya_-_2014.JPG)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Nairobi
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Little walking until the last morning: short walks at the Ol Pejeta enclosures and the chimpanzee sanctuary, about an hour on foot in a Samburu village, and a 2 to 3 hour guided walk on flat, dusty ground in Laikipia, which you can swap for a drive. The effort is early starts, a late night drive, midday heat in Samburu (often over 30 C) and long hours seated on rough tracks. Ol Pejeta sits at about 1,800 m, so nights are cold. Any drive or walk can be skipped.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,270 (estimated price)
- Season
- January to February and July to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Black rhinos at Ol Pejeta, and the last two northern white rhinos in their guarded enclosure
- A night drive at Ol Pejeta, looking for the animals that only move after dark
- Three nights on the Ewaso Ng'iro in Samburu, time to find the special five: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich
- A morning in a Samburu village, with the people who live beside the reserve
- A walking morning in a Laikipia conservancy with a Samburu guide
- A window seat for everyone: at most 6 guests in each 4x4, with a pop-up roof
- A short flight back to Nairobi instead of a long road day
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,270 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Nairobi
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to your hotel in Nairobi
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Nairobi
- Drive about 1.5 h
Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) at any time of day. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you to the hotel; allow up to an hour, because Nairobi traffic can be slow. The city sits at about 1,700 m, so evenings are cool even this close to the equator. If you land early, rest after the long flight or take a taxi to the Nairobi National Museum on Museum Hill. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing on the week: how we seat the 4x4s so everyone has a window, what to pack for cold nights at Ol Pejeta and hot days in Samburu, and the 15 kg bag limit on the flight home.
Evening
Then we drive about half an hour into the city centre, past Uhuru Park and the office towers, for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant: nyama choma, Kenya's grilled meat, with kachumbari salad, sukuma wiki greens and ugali.
Included
- Pick-up at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner in central Nairobi, with transfers
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
North across the equator to Ol Pejeta
Nairobi to Thika, Karatina and Nyeri, then Nanyuki and Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Ol Pejeta
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
After breakfast at about 7.30 we leave Nairobi in our own 4x4s with your driver-guides, heading north on the highway past Thika and its pineapple and coffee farms. The road climbs through the green, crowded hills of the central highlands around Karatina and Nyeri, with tea and banana plots on every slope, and Mount Kenya, at 5,199 m the country's highest peak, shows ahead if the cloud lifts. We stop for coffee on the way and cross the equator near Nanyuki, about four hours and 220 km from Nairobi in all. Ol Pejeta Conservancy lies just beyond the town, between the Aberdares and Mount Kenya, on open plains at about 1,800 m.
Afternoon
Lunch is at our camp, then an hour free. In the late afternoon we go out on the first game drive, looking for elephants, buffalo, Jackson's hartebeest and our first rhinos as the light turns gold over the mountain.
Included
- Drive from Nairobi to Ol Pejeta with your guide and driver-guides
- Lunch and dinner at the camp
- Late-afternoon game drive in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, conservancy fee included
Free time: An hour free after lunch
Activity: About 4 hours on the road, on tarmac, broken by a coffee stop.
Ol Pejeta: rhinos by day, the bush by night
A full day in Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Ol Pejeta
Morning
We drive out at first light, when the plains are cold and the animals are moving, to look for black rhinos in the whistling-thorn scrub and white rhinos grazing in the open. Ol Pejeta is one of the largest black rhino sanctuaries in East Africa, and the conservancy's rangers guard every animal. Mid-morning we visit the Endangered Species Enclosure, where the last two northern white rhinos, both female, live under armed guard; a keeper explains the work to save the subspecies. Then we stop at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees, all rescued animals, from a raised walkway.
Afternoon
Lunch and the middle of the day are at camp.
Evening
After an early dinner we go out again on a night drive with a spotlight, looking for the animals of the dark: hyenas, bat-eared foxes, genets, white-tailed mongooses and, with luck, a lion or leopard on the move.
Included
- Morning game drive in Ol Pejeta
- Endangered Species Enclosure and the northern white rhinos, with a keeper
- Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary
- Night game drive after dinner
- All meals at the camp
Easier option: Skip the night drive and stay by the fire at camp.
More active option: A morning walk with an armed conservancy ranger in place of the early drive, where the conservancy runs it (confirmed at booking).
Free time: Middle of the day free at camp
Activity: The night drive lasts about 2 hours and gets cold at this altitude; bring a fleece and a hat.
Down to the dry north and Samburu
Ol Pejeta to Nanyuki, Timau and Isiolo, then Archers Post and Samburu National Reserve
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Samburu
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A short drive at first light for a last look at the rhinos, then breakfast and we head north. Past Nanyuki and the wheat farms of Timau the road swings around the northern shoulder of Mount Kenya and drops away, mile after mile, to the hot, dry country around Isiolo, more than a thousand metres lower: the green highlands give way to thorn scrub, red earth and the first herders with camels. It is about three hours and 160 km, all tarmac, to Archers Post and the gate of Samburu National Reserve. Our camp is on the bank of the Ewaso Ng'iro, the brown river that is the only permanent water in the reserve, and the doum palms and acacias along it are where most animals come in the dry season.
Afternoon
Lunch is at camp, followed by a free early afternoon in the shade, then a late drive along the river as elephants walk down to drink and the hills turn pink.
Included
- Short early drive in Ol Pejeta
- Drive north to Samburu with your guide
- Lunch and dinner at the river camp
- Late-afternoon game drive along the Ewaso Ng'iro, reserve fee included
Easier option: Skip the early drive and have a slow breakfast at camp.
Free time: Early afternoon free at camp
Activity: About 3 hours on the road, on tarmac. Samburu is hot at midday, often over 30 C.
Samburu: looking for the special five
Samburu National Reserve and Buffalo Springs National Reserve
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Samburu
Morning
We leave camp at first light with coffee, because the cool hours after dawn are when Samburu's animals are most active. The aim is the special five, the northern species most safari-goers never see: Grevy's zebra, with its narrow stripes and white belly, now endangered; the reticulated giraffe, marked like a net; the beisa oryx; the gerenuk, which stands on its hind legs to browse; and the Somali ostrich, with its blue-grey legs. Elephants cross the river in family groups, and lions, leopards and cheetahs are possible, never promised. Breakfast is back at camp, then the hot middle of the day is yours: rest in the tent, read by the river or watch from the camp deck.
Afternoon
In the late afternoon we cross the Ewaso Ng'iro into Buffalo Springs National Reserve on the south bank, with its springs and open grassland, and stay out until the light goes.
Included
- Dawn game drive in Samburu National Reserve
- Late-afternoon game drive in Buffalo Springs National Reserve, reserve fees included
- All meals at the river camp
Easier option: Skip the dawn drive, sleep in and join the afternoon drive.
Free time: Middle of the day free at camp
Activity: Each drive is about 3 to 4 hours on rough tracks.
A Samburu village and a slow afternoon
Samburu National Reserve and a Samburu village near Archers Post
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Samburu
Morning
A dawn drive first, into the corners of the reserve we have not yet seen, perhaps towards the Koitogor hills, where leopards are sometimes seen in the rocks. After breakfast we drive a short way out of the reserve to a Samburu village, arranged with the community, for about an hour and a half. The Samburu are herders, related to the Maasai, and their name was given to the reserve that sits on their grazing land.
Evening
Villagers show us inside a house of sticks, mud and hides, explain how the cattle, goats and camels are kept in thorn enclosures at night, and talk about school, water and the rains; you can ask anything, and the fee goes to the community. Lunch is back at camp, then the afternoon is free: sleep, swim if the camp has a pool, or watch the river. The evening drive is optional, so if you want a quiet evening at camp, take it.
Included
- Dawn game drive in Samburu National Reserve
- Visit to a Samburu village, community fee included
- Late-afternoon game drive (optional to join)
- All meals at the river camp
Optional experiences
- Late-afternoon drive in Shaba National Reserve, east of Samburu (price confirmed at booking)
Easier option: Skip the evening drive and stay at camp.
Free time: Afternoon free at camp
Activity: About an hour on foot in the village, on dusty ground; bring a hat.
Back up to Laikipia
Samburu to Archers Post and Isiolo, then a conservancy in northern Laikipia
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Laikipia
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
A short last drive along the river at first light, then breakfast and we leave Samburu, climbing back towards the Laikipia plateau, about three and a half hours and 150 km depending on the conservancy, with a stop to stretch our legs.
Evening
Laikipia is a patchwork of ranches and community conservancies between Mount Kenya and the Rift Valley, much of it unfenced, where elephants, wild dogs and Grevy's zebra move freely and the rules allow walking and night drives. Our camp is in a conservancy in the north, on the edge of Samburu grazing land, and you get a different feel from the parks: few other vehicles, wide views, and kopjes, the granite outcrops that rise from the bush. Lunch is at camp, then the afternoon is free until about 4 pm, when we go out on a drive with the conservancy's guides and stop on a ridge for a sundowner before dinner.
Included
- Short early drive in Samburu
- Drive to northern Laikipia with your guide
- Lunch and dinner at the camp
- Afternoon game drive and sundowner, conservancy fee included
Optional experiences
- Camel walk with a Samburu herder, where the conservancy offers it (price confirmed at booking)
- Night drive, where the conservancy runs one (price confirmed at booking)
Free time: Early afternoon free at camp
Activity: About 3.5 hours on the road, the last part on gravel.
On foot in Laikipia, then fly to Nairobi
A walk in the conservancy, then Nanyuki airstrip by light aircraft to Wilson Airport, Nairobi, and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 2 h
At about 6.30 am, with coffee and a biscuit, we set out on foot with a Samburu guide and, as conservancy rules require, an armed ranger. For two to three hours we walk at an easy pace across the plain, reading tracks in the dust, learning which plants are food, medicine or toothbrush, and seeing giraffe, zebra or elephant from the ground, which feels very different from a vehicle. Walks go out only in a group, and you can swap for a short drive instead. Back at camp there is a full brunch, then we pack and drive about an hour to Nanyuki airstrip. Here we say goodbye to our driver-guides, who drive back to Nairobi with any luggage over the flight limit.
Afternoon
The scheduled light aircraft takes about 45 minutes to Wilson Airport in Nairobi, and your guide sees you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) by mid-afternoon and checks your flight before saying goodbye.
Included
- Guided walk with a Samburu guide and a ranger
- Brunch at the camp
- Scheduled flight, Nanyuki to Wilson Airport, Nairobi
- Drop-off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
Easier option: Take a short morning drive instead of the walk, or sleep in.
Activity: The walk is 2 to 3 hours on flat, dusty ground; wear closed shoes. Book a flight home leaving after about 7 pm.
- Nairobi1 night
- Ol Pejeta2 nights
- Samburu3 nights
- Laikipia1 night
- Nairobiend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: July to October is the long dry season: cool mornings at Ol Pejeta, hot days in Samburu, and animals gathered along the Ewaso Ng'iro, the only permanent water in the reserve. January and February are hotter and also dry, with clear views of Mount Kenya. March to May brings the long rains and November and December the short rains, when tracks turn to mud and the river can flood, so we run then only as private trips.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have done the Masai Mara, or want a quieter Kenya safari away from it
- Rhino and wildlife lovers who want to see species found only in the north
- People who would rather fly back than sit through a long road day
- Solo travellers who want company on safari without a crowd
- Anyone curious to walk in the bush with a local guide
Not for you if you want
- Anyone set on the Masai Mara or the wildebeest migration: see our Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara trip instead
- Travellers who dislike early starts, a late night drive or hours seated on rough tracks
- Those who struggle in heat: Samburu middays are often over 30 C
- Anyone wanting a beach finish: see our Amboseli, Tsavo and Diani trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Nairobi1 night
- Ol Pejeta2 nights
- Samburu3 nights
- Laikipia1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Nairobi, 2 at a camp or lodge in Ol Pejeta Conservancy, 3 at a river camp in or beside Samburu National Reserve, 1 at a camp in a northern Laikipia conservancy
- Tents and rooms with their own bathroom and hot water; no camping
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
- Our own 4x4 safari vehicles with a pop-up roof, at most 6 guests each, with licensed Kenyan driver-guides, from Nairobi to Nanyuki airstrip
- Scheduled light-aircraft flight, Nanyuki to Wilson Airport, Nairobi
- Extra luggage carried back to Nairobi by road
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, with Kenyan driver-guides, conservancy guides and keepers at Ol Pejeta, a guide from the Samburu village, and a Samburu guide and an armed ranger on the Laikipia walk
Activities
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy: three game drives, a night drive, the Endangered Species Enclosure and the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, conservancy fees included
- Samburu National Reserve: dawn and evening game drives over three nights, reserve fees included
- Buffalo Springs National Reserve: an afternoon game drive, reserve fees included
- A visit to a Samburu village near Archers Post
- Northern Laikipia: a game drive with a sundowner and a guided walking safari, conservancy fees included
Meals
- 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners
- Welcome dinner in Nairobi
- Full board at the camps from day 2 to day 7, and brunch on day 8
- Drinking water in the vehicles
Not included
- International flights into and out of Nairobi
- Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)
- Travel insurance, which should include medical evacuation
- Vaccinations and malaria tablets
- Drinks, except water in the vehicles
- Tips for driver-guides, camp staff, rangers and local guides
- Optional activities: Shaba National Reserve drive, Laikipia camel walk and night drive
- Laundry and personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,270 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights: one in Nairobi, two at Ol Pejeta, three in Samburu and one in Laikipia; 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners; airport transfers; our own 4x4s with driver-guides; the flight from Nanyuki to Nairobi; your See Sight Tours guide; every park and conservancy fee; the night drive, the rhino enclosure, the chimpanzee sanctuary, the village visit and the Laikipia walk.
How many people are in the group, and will I get a window seat?
Yes, every guest gets a window. The small group runs with 7 to 12 guests, and we put at most 6 in each 4x4, so a full group uses two vehicles. Each has a pop-up roof, so you can stand to watch and photograph at every sighting.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the first evening in Nairobi to the airport on the last day. Licensed Kenyan driver-guides drive our 4x4s, keepers and conservancy guides lead the Ol Pejeta visits, and a Samburu guide with an armed ranger leads the walk in Laikipia.
What are the Samburu special five?
Five animals of Kenya's dry north that you rarely see in the Mara: Grevy's zebra, the reticulated giraffe, the beisa oryx, the gerenuk and the Somali ostrich. With three nights and five drives in Samburu and Buffalo Springs, most groups see all five, but sightings are never guaranteed.
Will we see the northern white rhinos?
Yes, if they are still there when you travel. Ol Pejeta keeps the last two northern white rhinos, both female, in a guarded enclosure, and our day 3 visit with a keeper is included. They are old animals, so we confirm the visit when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Most of the trip is spent in the vehicle, with short walks at Ol Pejeta and in the Samburu village. The Laikipia walk is 2 to 3 hours on flat ground at an easy pace, and you can swap it for a drive. The effort is early starts and Samburu's midday heat.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room or tent of your own is from CAD 1,270 more than the shared price, shown before you book with no surprise later. Solo travellers are seated, fed and guided exactly like everyone else, and the window-seat rule applies to you too.
When is the best time to go?
July to October and January to February, the two dry seasons, when animals gather along the Ewaso Ng'iro in Samburu and the tracks are firm. We do not run group departures in the long rains from March to May or the short rains in November and December.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and send a request to book; we confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken when you request. The small group starts from CAD 7,475 per person sharing, taxes included. Prices are indicative until we confirm your dates.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 13,455 per person sharing. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same camps, flight and driver-guides.
Does this trip include the Masai Mara?
No. This trip goes north instead, to Ol Pejeta, Samburu and Laikipia, where the crowds are thinner and the species differ. If the Mara and the migration matter most to you, see our Kenya trip with Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara.
Do I need a visa for Kenya?
Most visitors, including Canadians, need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), applied for online before you fly at etakenya.go.ke. It replaced the old visa on arrival. Apply in good time, and ask a travel clinic about yellow fever and malaria advice for Samburu.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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