Kenya Safari Express

The perfect taste of Kenya: Nairobi, plus a boat safari on Lake Naivasha, a game drive in Hell's Gate & 3 game drives in Masai Mara

Overview

from$3249Tour + Flights from$2449Tour Only 7days

price per person, double occupancy,* based on Feb 12, 2025 departure from JFK

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Style	Small Group TourTravel with a small, intimate group of no more than 16 likeminded travelers (and often much fewer), escorted by an English speaking guide and/or tour manager for some or all of your journey. (Some exceptions, including special promotional packages, may accommodate up to 30.) More of these packages Dedicated tour escorts & guides throughout
Departures	February – December 2025	Group Size	16 travelers max
Themes	Active, Bucket List, Nature & Wildlife
Activity Level	Recreational
What to Expect	This fast-paced, partially escorted tour includes a reasonable amount of walking or hiking and requires an average level of physical fitness. This tour also includes long scenic drives between destinations, sometimes on bumpy unpaved roads and may have limited rest stops.
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Who wouldn't include Kenya on their "bucket list" of places to see? Our 7-day Kenya Safari Express is one you won't want to miss! Our package includes airfare, transfers, great hotel and lodge accommodations, daily breakfast, lunches, and dinners on safari, and plenty of touring. See orphan elephants at Daphne Sheldrick's Elephant Orphanage, embark on a thrilling boat safari on Lake Naivasha, experience fantastic game drives in the Masai Mara National Reserve, and more! And as always, in true Friendly Planet style, we've managed to package a dream vacation at an unbelievable price.

Package includes

Flights
Coach
Transfers
Hotel
Meals
Guides

Round trip airfare from New York City to Nairobi, including taxes & fees
5 nights superior hotel and safari lodges, plus day-use room on Day 7
All intra-Africa land transportation and transfers
14 Meals: 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners, including a special farewell lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant
Comprehensive sightseeing tours and game-viewing drives
All-wheel drive (4x4) safari vehicles with guaranteed window seat and access to roof hatch, maximum 6 guests per vehicle
Hell's Gate National Park, boat safari on Lake Naivasha and 3 game drives in the Masai Mara National Reserve
Experienced driver/guide
Comprehensive sightseeing tours in Nairobi by local English-speaking guide

Optional add-ons

Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari with champagne breakfast
Masai tribal village tour

Why you'll love it

Set out on three exciting game drives at the Masai Mara National Reserve and one at Hell’s Gate National Park.
Visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphans' Nursery, where young elephants are cared for until they are ready to be released back into the wild.
Help in reforestation by seed bombing, a technique of introducing vegetation to land by throwing or dropping seedballs.
Tour the Karen Blixen Museum, previously home to the author whose memoir inspired the Oscar-winning film, Out of Africa.
Hand-feed endangered giraffes at the Langata Giraffe Center.
Embark on a safari boat ride on Lake Naivasha, home to a wide variety of animals, including giant hippos.

Itinerary at a Glance

1 Depart USA
2 Arrive Nairobi
3 Nairobi & Lake Naivasha
4 Lake Naivasha National Park
5 Masai Mara National Reserve
6 Masai Mara Game Reserve
Optional Excursion: Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari with champagne breakfast, $465
Optional Excursion: Masai Village Tour (purchased locally), $25
7 Masai Mara & Nairobi/Depart Kenya

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Dates & Prices

Instant Savings: Get $400 – $600 off if you book by Jan. 2, 2025!

Dates & Prices, with flights per person, double occupancy*, including Instant Savings discounts
2024 DEPARTURES
Dates	Regular Price	Instant Savings	Your Price
Departs U.S.: Wed, Nov 6, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Nov 12, 2024 Nov 6 – Nov 12	$3799	–	–	Departed
Departs U.S.: Wed, Nov 13, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Nov 19, 2024 Nov 13 – Nov 19	$3799	–	–	Departed
Departs U.S.: Wed, Nov 20, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Nov 26, 2024 Nov 20 – Nov 26	$3799	–	–	Departed
Departs U.S.: Wed, Nov 27, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Dec 3, 2024 Nov 27 – Dec 3	$3799	–	–	Sold Out
Departs U.S.: Wed, Dec 11, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Dec 17, 2024 Dec 11 – Dec 17	$4199	–	–	Sold Out
2025 DEPARTURES
Dates	Regular Price	Instant Savings	Your Price
Departs U.S.: Wed, Jan 15, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Jan 21, 2025 Jan 15 – Jan 21	$3849	–	–	Sold Out
Departs U.S.: Wed, Feb 12, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Feb 18, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Feb 12 – Feb 18	$3849	–$600	$3249	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Mar 26, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Apr 1, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Mar 26 – Apr 1	$3799	–$400	$3399	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Apr 9, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Apr 15, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Apr 9 – Apr 15	$3799	–$400	$3399	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, May 14, 2025 Finishes: Tue, May 20, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! May 14 – May 20	$3799	–$400	$3399	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Jun 11, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Jun 17, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Jun 11 – Jun 17	$4399	–$400	$3999	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Jul 23, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Jul 29, 2025 Jul 23 – Jul 29	$5099	–	–	Sold Out
Departs U.S.: Wed, Aug 13, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Aug 19, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Aug 13 – Aug 19	$5099	–$400	$4699	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Sep 17, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Sep 23, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Sep 17 – Sep 23	$4349	–$400	$3949	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Oct 8, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Oct 8 – Oct 14	$4199	–$400	$3799	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Nov 5, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Nov 11, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Nov 5 – Nov 11	$4199	–$400	$3799	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Nov 26, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Dec 2, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Nov 26 – Dec 2	$4199	–$400	$3799	Select
Departs U.S.: Wed, Dec 10, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Dec 16, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Dec 10 – Dec 16	$4749	–$400	$4349	Select

Dates & Prices, tour only per person, double occupancy*, including Instant Savings discounts
2024 DEPARTURES
Dates	Regular Price	Instant Savings	Your Price
Starts: Thu, Nov 7, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Nov 12, 2024 Nov 7 – Nov 12	$2999	–	–	Departed
Starts: Thu, Nov 14, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Nov 19, 2024 Nov 14 – Nov 19	$2999	–	–	Departed
Starts: Thu, Nov 21, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Nov 26, 2024 Nov 21 – Nov 26	$2999	–	–	Departed
Starts: Thu, Nov 28, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Dec 3, 2024 Nov 28 – Dec 3	$2999	–	–	Sold Out
Starts: Thu, Dec 12, 2024 Finishes: Tue, Dec 17, 2024 Dec 12 – Dec 17	$3399	–	–	Sold Out
2025 DEPARTURES
Dates	Regular Price	Instant Savings	Your Price
Starts: Thu, Jan 16, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Jan 21, 2025 Jan 16 – Jan 21	$3049	–	–	Sold Out
Starts: Thu, Feb 13, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Feb 18, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Feb 13 – Feb 18	$3049	–$600	$2449	Select
Starts: Thu, Mar 27, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Apr 1, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Mar 27 – Apr 1	$2999	–$400	$2599	Select
Starts: Thu, Apr 10, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Apr 15, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Apr 10 – Apr 15	$2999	–$400	$2599	Select
Starts: Thu, May 15, 2025 Finishes: Tue, May 20, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! May 15 – May 20	$2999	–$400	$2599	Select
Starts: Thu, Jun 12, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Jun 17, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Jun 12 – Jun 17	$3599	–$400	$3199	Select
Starts: Thu, Jul 24, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Jul 29, 2025 Jul 24 – Jul 29	$4299	–	–	Sold Out
Starts: Thu, Aug 14, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Aug 19, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Aug 14 – Aug 19	$4299	–$400	$3899	Select
Starts: Thu, Sep 18, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Sep 23, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Sep 18 – Sep 23	$3549	–$400	$3149	Select
Starts: Thu, Oct 9, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Oct 14, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Oct 9 – Oct 14	$3399	–$400	$2999	Select
Starts: Thu, Nov 6, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Nov 11, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Nov 6 – Nov 11	$3399	–$400	$2999	Select
Starts: Thu, Nov 27, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Dec 2, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Nov 27 – Dec 2	$3399	–$400	$2999	Select
Starts: Thu, Dec 11, 2025 Finishes: Tue, Dec 16, 2025 Book by Thu, Jan 2, 2025 (midnight ET) to get the Instant Savings! Dec 11 – Dec 16	$3949	–$400	$3549	Select

If you want a few extra days to explore on your own, we may be able to arrange for you to stay later than the scheduled dates, including extra hotel nights and separate airport transfers, for an additional charge. Ask us about prices and availability when (or after) you book. More information Want to extend your trip?

Options & Fees

Kenya Safari Express
Rooming Selection
Double Occupancy	included
Single Occupancy
Apr 9, 2025; May 14, 2025	$379
Mar 26, 2025; Jun 11, 2025	$399
Jan 15, 2025; Feb 12, 2025	$419
Nov 6, 2024; Nov 13, 2024; Nov 20, 2024; Nov 27, 2024; Dec 11, 2024	$439
Sep 17, 2025; Oct 8, 2025; Nov 5, 2025; Nov 26, 2025; Dec 10, 2025	$479
Jul 23, 2025; Aug 13, 2025	$589
Triple Occupancy	included
Optional Excursions
Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari with champagne breakfast¹	$465

1. Operation subject to weather conditions.

Transfers for Passengers Booking Tour Only
Optional Airport Transfers
Arrival Transfer: Nairobi airport to Eka Hotel.¹	$57
Departure Transfer: Nairobi Eka hotel to airport.²	$57

1. Price based on two passengers. Transfer is via a private car with a maximum of two passengers.

2. Price based on two passengers. Transfer is via a private car with a maximum of two passengers.

Separately Paid Fees
Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)¹ (paid separately)	$30

1. All visitors to Kenya must obtain ETA before departure. This price is approximate, based on Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system.

So that we can offer you the best deals, our packages are, like most hotels and cruises, priced based on double occupancy rooms or cabins. We charge solo travelers an extra fee to cover the extra costs of single occupancy rooms or cabins. (Consider: if you booked a $200/night hotel room solo, you would pay the $200 yourself; but if a couple booked the same room, each one would pay only $100.) But you only pay extra for the rooms or cabins, nothing else, including meals, sightseeing, tips, etc. Why are single rooms more?

Flights & Departure Cities

Departure Airports
New York Kennedy (JFK)	included

This package includes round-trip flights from the city listed above. Please review the flight schedule, especially if you're booking connecting flights.

Want to fly from another city? Unfortunately, we don't offer flights from other cities, but you can book your own.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Depart USA

Depart the USA on your overnight flight to Kenya

Day 2 Arrive Nairobi

Upon arrival in Nairobi, Kenya following customs and immigration formalities, meet our representative and transfer to your hotel

EKA Hotel Nairobi or similar

Day 3 Nairobi & Lake Naivasha

Visit the Karen Blixen Museum
Visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Depart Nairobi for the Great Rift Valley
After lunch and check-in, enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure

Lake Naivasha Country Club or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Full Day Itinerary

After breakfast and check-out, proceed to visit the Karen Blixen Museum. "Out of Africa" author Karen Blixen formally owned the house and surrounding 4500-acre farm from 1917 until 1931, before becoming a museum in 1991.

Next, visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, where young orphaned elephant babies are hand-raised until they are returned to their natural habitat in the Tsavo National Park. Here, they can mingle freely with the wild community.

Later, depart Nairobi and travel west through Kenya's fertile farmlands and into the Great Rift Valley. Arrive at your lodge, set amidst acacia trees and overlooking Lake Naivasha. After lunch, check in and spend the remainder of the day leisurely. Tonight, enjoy dinner at the lodge.

Note: Visiting Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage requires advanced booking with limited tickets available per day and has become increasingly difficult to secure advanced tickets. A visit to Nairobi Animal Orphanage, located just outside the Nairobi National Park, will be substituted should Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage be unavailable.

Day 4 Lake Naivasha National Park

After breakfast, take a game drive in Hell's Gate National Park
Return to the lodge for lunch
Embark on a safari boat ride on Lake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha Country Club or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Full Day Itinerary

After breakfast, discover Hell's Gate National Park, named for the intense geothermal activity within its boundaries. It is a remarkable quarter of the Great Rift Valley. The spectacular scenery, including the towering cliffs, water-gouged gorges, stark rock towers, scrub-clad volcanoes, and belching plumes of geothermal steam, make it one of Africa's most atmospheric parks. You may see African buffalo, zebra, eland, hartebeest, Thomson's gazelle, baboons, klipspringer antelope, and Chandler's mountain reedbuck. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, embark on a safari boat ride on Lake Naivasha.

Day 5 Masai Mara National Reserve

After breakfast, depart for the Masai Mara
Arrive at the lodge and enjoy lunch
Take your first game drive this afternoon

Keekorok Lodge, Zebra Plains Mara Camp or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Full Day Itinerary

After breakfast, depart for the Masai Mara National Reserve. This park offers terrific scenery and plenty of game viewing. In addition, it is perhaps the only region remaining in Kenya where visitors can see animals in the same abundance and variety as they existed a century ago. You'll find lions, cheetahs, buffalo, and abundant bird life, such as ostriches, cranes, and storks, among the grassy plains and lush landscape.

Every year, between June and September, millions of wildebeests and zebras migrate into the Mara in search of water. The timing of this phenomenon varies, depending on the rains, but they usually start heading back to the Serengeti in October. Whether you see the migration or not, the Mara almost guarantees you'll enjoy a magnificent time in Kenya. Enjoy lunch at your lodge, then relax until later this afternoon, when you'll take your first game drive through this haven of wildlife, lasting until sunset.

Note: 2025 departures will stay at Zebra Plains Mara Camp.

Day 6 Masai Mara Game Reserve

Enjoy a morning game drive, or take an optional hot air balloon safari
Have lunch at the lodge, followed by some free time to relax
Embark on a late afternoon game drive

Keekorok Lodge, Zebra Plains Mara Camp or similar Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Full Day Itinerary

Continue your discovery of the many species of wildlife in the park today on two game drives, one this morning and another later in the afternoon. You can replace the morning drive with an optional balloon safari, which provides an exciting opportunity to soar high over the plain for animal viewing from above. Whether you go by air or land, you will enjoy searching for animals native to this fascinating and beautiful area guided by your expert driver, who will amaze you with his ability to spot game hidden in the bush. You may see a variety of antelope, including wildebeest and Thomsons and Grant gazelles. The "Big Five" are all found in the Masai Mara, as well as cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, and other varieties of wildlife.

After lunch, enjoy some leisure time at the lodge.

Note: 2025 departures will stay at Zebra Plains Mara Camp.

Optional Excursion: Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari with champagne breakfast, $465

Enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a balloon ride across the Masai Mara. Weather permitting, your flight begins in the pre-dawn hours, when the view over the park is most magnificent. Toward the end of your adventure, you'll rise to 1,500 feet for a panoramic view of the twisting Mara River and the savannah below. After an hour in the air, your safari finishes with a champagne breakfast in the bush, cooked on the balloon's burners. Flight may not operate if weather conditions are not suitable.

Note: $490 July - September, 2024.

Optional Excursion: Masai Village Tour (purchased locally), $25

This afternoon, get an in-depth look at these colorful and pastoral people in their natural settings. Experience the Masai tribal life as you walk through a traditional village compound. You'll be greeted by the village chief and be escorted around the village by a local host who will explain the history, culture, and practices of the Masai. Before departing the village, enjoy a cultural performance by the young men of the tribe, the famed warrior "morans."

Note: Credit cards not accepted for this excursion.

Day 7 Masai Mara & Nairobi/Depart Kenya

After breakfast, depart the Masai Mara for Nairobi
Enjoy a farewell lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant
Next, stop at the Langata Giraffe Center
Enjoy time to relax in your day-use room
Transfer to the airport for your overnight return flight back to the USA

Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport or similar Breakfast & lunch

Full Day Itinerary

After breakfast, depart the Masai Mara for Nairobi. Upon arrival, enjoy an "all you can eat" farewell lunch at the famous Carnivore Restaurant. After your meal, visit The Langata Giraffe Center, which protects the endangered Rothschild's giraffe. Several warthogs roam freely with the giraffes. Guests may feed the giraffes from a raised feeding platform. Later, visit the Utamaduni craft center. Then, transfer to your day-use room to relax and freshen up.

Bid farewell to Kenya as you transfer to the airport for your overnight return flight. Arrive in the USA the following day.

Hotels

EKA Hotel Nairobi

First Class

EKA Hotel is conveniently located along Mombasa Road in Nairobi, near the city's many attractions including Nairobi National Park, the Karen Blixen Museum, the National Museum, Bomas of Kenya, and the Giraffe Centre. It is also near the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the Wilson Airport, the bustling central business district and entertainment venues.

More information

Lake Naivasha Country Club

First Class

First opened in the 1930's as a staging post for Imperial Airways flying boat service from Durban to Dublin, Lake Naivasha Country Club has since transformed into a sprawling 55-acre property with a variety of accommodations and guest facilities. It is located just an hour drive from Nairobi and overlooks the lake. Perfect for both the active and leisure traveler, Lake Naivasha Country Club offers an abundance of activities to please all tastes.

More information

Keekorok Lodge

First Class

Amid the vast sweeping savanna plains stands Keekorok Lodge, Masai Mara's first game lodge. Against the backdrop of Kenya's most magnificent scenery, the lodge offers a unique and luxurious safari experience, blending contemporary African style with the magic and charm of the region. Enjoy the sunset as you watch hippos, birds and other animals from the walkway, all without even leaving the lodge.After a day of game-spotting, take a dip in the outdoor swimming swimming pool or relax in one of the lounge chairs. The lodge also has a gift shop that stocks every conceivable item for a comfortable safari as well as hand-crafted gifts, paintings and sculptures.

More information

Zebra Plains Mara Camp

First Class

Nestled within the breathtaking expanse of Kenya's iconic Maasai Mara National Reserve, Zebra Plains Mara Camp is a tranquil oasis amidst the wild beauty of Africa. The camp is located below Oldonyo Oloip Ridge and is frequented by impalas, giraffes, topis, zebras, and buffalos.

More information

Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport

First Class

The Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport is a 175 room hotel with a convenient location close to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The hotel features complimentary Wi-Fi, a 24 hour business center, a heated rooftop swimming pool, fitness center, complimentary self-operated laundry.

More information

In the unlikely event that a particular hotel is not available, a similar or better hotel may be substituted.

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Trip Details

What should I know before I go? We've compiled a comprehensive checklist, including information on how to pay your balance due, flights & transfers, packing & luggage, and more.
Do I need a visa or other documents? Are there any entry requirements? Travel visas are required for this package. Please review the visa & entry requirements.
Can I make changes to my trip? Want to upgrade your seats? Stay a few extra days? Something else? Just ask!
Can I bring my kids? Are there any age restrictions? To book this package, you must be 18 or older. Your traveling companions must be 12 or older at time of travel.
Should I purchase travel insurance? Yes! We recommend you purchase travel insurance to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer a plan provided by Travelex Insurance Services.
What's the fine print? Review the terms & conditions for this package.
What should I know about Kenya? Check out our guide for practical travel tips, the best time to go, videos, and more.