Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Kenya: Amboseli, Tsavo and the Diani Coast
8 days from Nairobi to Mombasa: two nights under Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, a night each in Tsavo West and Tsavo East, the Madaraka Express to the coast and two nights on Diani Beach.
8 days · Nairobi to Mombasa · up to 12 guests
Elephants crossing a red-earth road in Tsavo East Photo: CT Cooper, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dirt_road_towards_the_east_and_Ashnil_Aruba_Lodge_in_Tsavo_East_National_Park,_Kenya_2.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Nairobi to Mombasa
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Little walking: an optional 1.5 hour guided walk on community land near Amboseli, short walks at Mzima Springs and the Shetani lava flow, a 1 to 1.5 hour walk in the Kaya Kinondo forest and about 2 hours on foot in Mombasa Old Town, mostly flat but hot and humid on the coast. The effort is early starts on game-drive days and long hours seated on dusty tracks. Two train rides of about 2 hours each replace the longest road legs. Any walk or dawn drive can be skipped.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 840 (estimated price)
- Season
- January to March and June to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Elephant herds crossing the Amboseli swamps with Kilimanjaro behind them at first light
- A window seat for everyone: at most 6 guests in each 4x4, with a pop-up roof to stand and watch
- Hippos and crocodiles from the underwater hide at Mzima Springs in Tsavo West
- The red elephants and red earth of Tsavo East, from Mudanda Rock to the Aruba Dam
- The Madaraka Express twice, through the Tsavo plains instead of two long road days
- Two nights on Diani Beach, with a walk in the Kaya Kinondo sacred forest
- Fort Jesus and the lanes of Mombasa Old Town on the way to your flight
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 840 (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 the train legs work, how we seat the 4x4s so everyone has a window, what to wear in Mombasa Old Town, and why tomorrow starts early.
Evening
Then we drive about half an hour into the city centre, past the matatu minibuses and office towers, for a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, a first taste of nyama choma, Kenya's grilled meat, with kachumbari salad, sukuma wiki greens and ugali. Pack tonight with the morning train in mind.
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
By train to Emali, then Amboseli
Nairobi Terminus by the Madaraka Express to Emali, then Kimana and Amboseli National Park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Amboseli
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
An early breakfast at about 6 am, then a short transfer to Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau for the 8 am Inter-County train on the Madaraka Express, the standard gauge line to the coast; this is the one start before 8 am that is not for wildlife. About an hour and a half later we step off at Emali, on the plains south-east of the city, where our own 4x4s and driver-guides are waiting; they drove down empty so you do not have to sit through the Mombasa Road traffic. From Emali it is about two hours south past Maasai grazing land and the farms around Kimana to Amboseli, with Kilimanjaro rising ahead if the cloud allows.
Afternoon
Lunch is at our lodge. Amboseli is a small park, about 392 sq km, built around swamps fed by underground water from Kilimanjaro's snowmelt, and its elephants have been studied by researchers since the 1970s, so many families here are known by name. In the late afternoon, when the heat goes out of the day, we drive out to the swamps for the first game drive until the light fades.
Included
- Madaraka Express, Nairobi to Emali, first class
- Lunch and dinner at the lodge
- Late-afternoon game drive in Amboseli National Park, park fee included
Free time: Early afternoon free at the lodge
Activity: We leave the hotel at about 6.45 am for the 8 am train. If the timetable does not suit your date, we drive the whole way from Nairobi instead, about 4.5 hours with a stop, leaving after 8 am.
A full day under Kilimanjaro
A full day in Amboseli National Park
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Amboseli
Morning
We leave the lodge at first light with coffee and a packed breakfast, because Kilimanjaro, just over the border in Tanzania, is usually clearest at dawn and often hides in cloud by late morning. The plan is to be by the swamps as the elephant families walk in from the dry plains to drink and feed, with the mountain behind them. Buffalo, hippos, zebras, wildebeest and many water birds share the swamps; lions, cheetahs and hyenas are possible, never promised.
Afternoon
Mid-morning we climb Observation Hill for the view across the swamps and the dry lake bed, then return to the lodge for lunch and a free middle of the day. Those who want to stretch their legs can walk for about an hour and a half on community land outside the park with a Maasai guide, learning how herders and elephants share the grazing.
Evening
In the late afternoon we drive out again, back by dark for dinner.
Included
- Dawn game drive in Amboseli
- Observation Hill viewpoint
- Late-afternoon game drive
- Guided walk on community land with a Maasai guide
- All meals at the lodge
Optional experiences
- Hot-air balloon flight at sunrise (price confirmed at booking)
Easier option: Skip the dawn drive, sleep in and join the afternoon drive.
More active option: Add the guided community walk at midday.
Free time: Middle of the day free at the lodge
Activity: The walk is about 1.5 hours on flat, dusty ground; the drives are about 4 hours each.
Lava and springs in Tsavo West
Amboseli to Kimana and the Chyulu gate, then the Shetani lava flow and Mzima Springs in Tsavo West
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tsavo West
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
After a last short drive by the swamps and breakfast, we head east past Kimana and enter Tsavo West National Park at the Chyulu gate, about three and a half hours of mostly gravel road with game viewing on the way. Tsavo West is rougher and greener than Amboseli, with volcanic cones and lava fields below the Chyulu Hills. We stop at the Shetani lava flow, a black field of jagged rock left by an eruption a few centuries ago, and walk a short way onto it with the guide. Late in the morning we reach Mzima Springs, where water filtered underground from the Chyulu Hills rises into clear pools. A path leads along the bank to an underwater hide where, with luck, you watch hippos and fish through the glass; crocodiles bask on the far side, so a ranger walks with us.
Evening
Lunch is at our lodge, then the afternoon is free until a sunset drive near the lodge.
Included
- Short morning drive in Amboseli
- Shetani lava flow
- Mzima Springs and the underwater hide, with a ranger
- Lunch and dinner at the lodge
- Sunset game drive in Tsavo West, park fee included
Easier option: Stay in the vehicle at the lava flow.
Free time: Early afternoon free at the lodge
Activity: About 3.5 hours on the road, mostly gravel. The Mzima path is about 1 km, uneven in places.
Across the line to Tsavo East
Tsavo West to the Tsavo River gate and Manyani, then Mudanda Rock in Tsavo East
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Tsavo East
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
We drive out of Tsavo West after breakfast towards the Tsavo River, where the old railway bridge stands near the spot where two lions killed railway workers in 1898, a story your guide tells on the way. We cross the Mombasa Road and the railway at Manyani and enter Tsavo East, about four hours in all including game viewing, broken by a coffee stop. Tsavo East is flat, open and dry, and its elephants are often coated red from dust-bathing in the red earth. We stop at Mudanda Rock, a long ridge of rock above a natural water hole where elephants come to drink in the dry season, and stretch our legs on top.
Afternoon
Lunch is at our lodge, a free hour by the pool, then the late-afternoon drive takes us towards the Aruba Dam, where the reservoir draws buffalo, elephants and antelope, and where lions and cheetahs are possible.
Evening
Dinner is at the lodge.
Included
- Tsavo River and the railway bridge
- Mudanda Rock
- Lunch and dinner at the lodge
- Late-afternoon game drive to the Aruba Dam, park fee included
Easier option: Stay at the lodge pool and skip the afternoon drive.
Free time: An hour free after lunch
Activity: About 4 hours on the road, broken by a coffee stop and Mudanda Rock.
First light in Tsavo, then the train to the coast
Tsavo East to Voi station, the Madaraka Express to Mombasa Terminus, then Diani Beach
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Diani Beach
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
A last drive in Tsavo East at first light, when animals are moving and the air is cool, then breakfast back at the lodge and a short drive to Voi station.
Afternoon
Here we say goodbye to our 4x4 driver-guides and board the Inter-County train on the Madaraka Express that stops at Voi around midday, about two to two and a half hours across the bush and down to the coastal plain, with a packed lunch in the carriage. Watch from the window as the dry scrub turns to coconut palms and green farms. At Mombasa Terminus in Miritini a minibus meets us for the drive south on the Dongo Kundu bypass to Diani Beach, about an hour and a half, arriving at about 4.30 to 5 pm. Diani runs for about 17 km of white sand on the Indian Ocean, sheltered by a coral reef.
Evening
There is time for a swim before dinner at the hotel, and the evening is free to walk the beach.
Included
- Early game drive in Tsavo East
- Madaraka Express, Voi to Mombasa, first class
- Transfer to Diani Beach
- Dinner at the hotel
Easier option: Skip the early drive and have a slow breakfast at the lodge.
Free time: Evening free on the beach
Activity: We take the Inter-County service that leaves Nairobi at 8 am and reaches Voi around midday; the afternoon express would get us to Diani after dark. Times are set by Kenya Railways and confirmed with your final itinerary.
Diani: the kaya forest and the beach
Diani Beach and the Kaya Kinondo forest
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Diani Beach
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
Early in the morning, before the heat, a guide from the local Digo community walks us through Kaya Kinondo, one of the Mijikenda kaya forests, a community-run site on this coast. For about an hour and a half we follow narrow paths under the trees, hear how the kaya was a fortified village and is still a place of prayer, and learn which plants are used as medicine. Visitors wear a cloth wrap, lent at the gate, and the elders' rules are explained before we enter. Then the day is yours. Swim inside the reef, read in the shade, or choose an option: a half day in Shimba Hills National Reserve, the only place in Kenya with sable antelope, with a walk to Sheldrick Falls; a dhow and snorkelling day at Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park; or the Colobus Conservation centre in Diani.
Afternoon
Lunch is on your own.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Guided walk in the Kaya Kinondo sacred forest
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Shimba Hills National Reserve half day with the Sheldrick Falls walk (price confirmed at booking)
- Dhow and snorkelling day at Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park (price confirmed at booking)
- Colobus Conservation visit, Diani
Easier option: Skip the forest walk and stay at the beach.
More active option: Take the Shimba Hills half day and walk down to Sheldrick Falls and back, about 2 hours with a ranger.
Free time: Late morning and afternoon free
Activity: The kaya walk is about 1.5 hours on flat forest paths; shoulders and knees covered.
Mombasa Old Town and home
Diani Beach by the Likoni ferry to Mombasa Old Town, then Moi International Airport
- Breakfast and lunch
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
After breakfast we check out and drive north to the Likoni ferry, the short crossing onto Mombasa Island, and on to Fort Jesus, about an hour and a half in all. The fort was built by the Portuguese in the 1590s, fought over by Omani Arabs and later used by the British as a prison, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We go in near opening time with a local guide, before the tour buses, then walk into the Old Town for about two hours: carved Swahili doors, the old harbour where dhows once tied up, the Mandhry Mosque and the spice and fruit stalls near the market.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a Swahili restaurant in the Old Town, with biryani, coconut fish or pilau. Then your guide sees you to Moi International Airport (MBA), about 30 minutes away, and checks your flight before saying goodbye. Book a flight leaving after about 4 pm; for an earlier flight we go straight to the airport.
Included
- Fort Jesus, entry included, with a local guide
- Guided walk in Mombasa Old Town
- Lunch in the Old Town
- Drop-off at Moi International Airport (MBA)
Easier option: Visit Fort Jesus only and wait in a café while the group walks the Old Town.
Activity: Book a flight out of Mombasa leaving after about 4 pm to see the Old Town.
- Nairobi1 night
- Amboseli2 nights
- Tsavo West1 night
- Tsavo East1 night
- Diani Beach2 nights
- Mombasaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June to October is the long dry season inland: cool mornings, thin grass and elephants concentrated around the Amboseli swamps and Tsavo's waterholes, with the coast warm and breezy. January to March is hotter and dry, with clear Kilimanjaro mornings more likely and the sea calm for snorkelling. April and May bring the long rains inland and the coast stays wet into June, so we do not run then.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want a Kenya safari and a beach finish in one week
- Elephant lovers: Amboseli and Tsavo are two of the best places in Kenya to watch them
- People who prefer a train to a long road day
- Solo travellers who want company on safari without a crowd
Not for you if you want
- Anyone set on the Masai Mara or the wildebeest migration: see our Mara trips instead
- Travellers who dislike early starts or hours seated on dusty tracks
- Those who want a resort week: the beach part is two nights
- Anyone who needs a guaranteed view of Kilimanjaro: it is often in cloud
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Nairobi1 night
- Amboseli2 nights
- Tsavo West1 night
- Tsavo East1 night
- Diani Beach2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Nairobi, 2 at a lodge or permanent tented camp in Amboseli, 1 at a lodge in Tsavo West, 1 at a lodge in Tsavo East, 2 at a beachfront hotel on Diani Beach
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and drop-off at Moi International Airport, Mombasa (MBA)
- Madaraka Express train, first class: Nairobi to Emali, and Voi to Mombasa
- Our own 4x4 safari vehicles with a pop-up roof, at most 6 guests each, with licensed Kenyan driver-guides, from Emali to Voi
- Air-conditioned minibus with a driver on the coast
- Likoni ferry crossing
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, with Kenyan driver-guides in the parks, a Maasai guide on the Amboseli walk, a ranger at Mzima Springs, a Digo community guide in Kaya Kinondo and a local guide at Fort Jesus
Activities
- Amboseli National Park: three game drives, including a dawn drive, Observation Hill and a guided walk on community land, park fees included
- Tsavo West National Park: Shetani lava flow, Mzima Springs and the underwater hide, sunset drive, park fees included
- Tsavo East National Park: Mudanda Rock, the Aruba Dam and two game drives, park fees included
- Kaya Kinondo sacred forest walk, Diani
- Fort Jesus and a guided Old Town walk, Mombasa
Meals
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners
- Welcome dinner in Nairobi and farewell dinner in Diani
- Full board in Amboseli and Tsavo
- Drinking water in the vehicles
Not included
- International flights into Nairobi and out of Mombasa
- Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)
- Travel insurance, which should include medical evacuation
- Vaccinations and malaria tablets
- Lunch on day 7
- Drinks, except water in the vehicles
- Tips for driver-guides, lodge staff and local guides
- Optional activities: Amboseli balloon flight, Shimba Hills, Kisite-Mpunguti dhow and snorkelling day, Colobus Conservation
- Laundry and personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 840 (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 in Amboseli, one each in Tsavo West and Tsavo East, two on Diani Beach; 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners; both airport transfers; two first-class train legs; our own 4x4s with driver-guides; your See Sight Tours guide; and every park fee, plus Mzima Springs, Kaya Kinondo and Fort Jesus.
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 in Mombasa. Licensed Kenyan driver-guides drive our 4x4s in the parks, and local guides lead the Amboseli walk, Mzima Springs, the Kaya Kinondo forest and Fort Jesus.
Will I see Kilimanjaro from Amboseli?
Probably, but not certainly. The mountain stands just over the border in Tanzania and is usually clearest at dawn and sometimes again at sunset, so our dawn drive on day 3 gives you the best chance. By late morning it is often hidden in cloud, and some days it never shows.
Why take the train instead of driving?
It saves two long road days. The Madaraka Express runs Nairobi to Emali in about an hour and a half and Voi to Mombasa in about two to two and a half hours, while our 4x4s drive the empty legs. The trade-off is one early start: the 8 am train on day 2.
Does this trip include the Masai Mara?
No. This trip trades the Mara for Amboseli, Tsavo and the coast, and ends on the beach. If the Mara and the migration matter most to you, see our Kenya trip with Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara, or our Kenya and Tanzania trip with the Serengeti and Ngorongoro.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Walks are short and flat: an optional community walk at Amboseli, short paths at the lava flow and Mzima Springs, the kaya forest and two hours in Mombasa Old Town. The effort is early starts on game-drive days and heat on the coast. You can skip any walk or dawn drive.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 840 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?
June to October is the long dry season, with elephants gathered at water and a breezy coast. January to March is hotter and dry, with clearer Kilimanjaro mornings and a calm sea. We do not run in April and May, the long rains, when the coast also stays wet into June.
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 4,945 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 8,900 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 lodges, trains and driver-guides.
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 Tsavo and the coast.
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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