Vacation Overview
Tour Details
Kenya Safari With Maasai Mara And Zanzibar
Travel through Kenya and Zanzibar on a Small Group journey that combines the country’s best-known safari landscapes with time on the Indian Ocean coast. Track wildlife on game drives in Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Maasai Mara, meet Najin and Fatu, the world’s last two northern white rhinos, and head out on Lake Naivasha by boat. Then continue to Zanzibar for Stone Town, Swahili flavors and time by the sea.
Dining Summary
- 11 Dinner (D)
- 11 Breakfast (B)
- 8 Lunch (L)
Authentic Dining
- Nairobi: Meet your Driver Guide and fellow Small Group travelers for dinner in Nairobi on your first evening in Kenya.
- Nairobi: Enjoy lunch at Karen Blixen Garden and Cottages, set close to the former home of Karen Blixen, whose life in Kenya inspired Out of Africa. You’ll dine in the gardens and hear more about Blixen’s story, her coffee farm and the colonial history that shaped this part of Nairobi.
- Nairobi: Enjoy a three-course Farm-to-Table dinner at Shamba Cafe in Nairobi’s Loresho district. You’ll dine in the gardens of this working farm, where herbs, vegetables and flowers are grown on site on the edge of the capital.
- Lake Naivasha: Sit down to a Farm-To-Table lunch at Ranch House Bistro on the shores of Lake Naivasha, known for its papyrus-fringed edges and birdlife. You’ll enjoy dishes made with locally sourced ingredients, including produce from the property’s own farm, served beside the water in this quieter corner of the Rift Valley.
- Maasai Mara National Reserve: Enjoy a private bush barbecue dinner in the Maasai Mara, reserved for your Small Group. Seated in the open air after dark, you’ll dine out in the reserve itself, with the sounds of the Mara carrying through the evening and firelight adding to the atmosphere.
- Zanzibar: Join local women at Mama’s of Zanzibar for a hands-on cooking lesson centered on Swahili flavors and traditional cuisine. Using local ingredients and time-honored methods, you’ll help prepare the meal before sitting down together with your hosts to share lunch and a more personal side of Zanzibari hospitality.
Top Rated Highlights
- Nairobi National Park: Visit the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi National Park and watch orphaned elephants arrive for their midday milk feed and mud bath. As each elephant is introduced, you’ll hear its story and see one of Nairobi’s best-known wildlife conservation visits at close range.
- Ol Pejeta: Head into Ol Pejeta Conservancy in the late afternoon, when the softer light shifts across the plains and wildlife begins to stir. Your game drive follows the rhythms of the landscape, from acacia woodland to open grassland, before pausing for a sundowner in the bush, with time to take in the wide views and stillness of the conservancy.
- Ol Pejeta: Visit Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only place in Kenya where chimpanzees can be seen. Opened in 1993, it provides refuge for chimpanzees rescued from the illegal wildlife trade and reveals another side of Ol Pejeta’s conservation work, where long-term care, rehabilitation and protection remain at the center of the sanctuary’s mission.
- Lake Naivasha: Head out onto Lake Naivasha by boat, where calm freshwater, rich birdlife and resident hippos shape one of the Rift Valley’s most distinctive wildlife experiences. Watch the lake at close range as fish eagles circle overhead and hippos surface through the water, revealing a side of Kenya that feels very different from the open plains of safari.
- Maasai Mara National Reserve: Head into the Maasai Mara for an afternoon game drive across wide grasslands and riverine forest shaped by the Mara River. As the light begins to soften, this celebrated reserve reveals the scale and richness of one of Africa’s great wildlife landscapes, with the chance to look out for big cats, plains game and the Big Five.
- Maasai Mara National Reserve: Head out across the Maasai Mara on game drive, where wide grasslands, riverine forest and the Mara River shape one of Kenya’s best-known wildlife reserves. As you explore, look out for the Big Five and the rich concentration of species that makes the Mara such an important part of the country’s safari story.
- Stone Town: Explore Stone Town with your Local Expert, from the bustle of the market to the landmarks that trace Zanzibar’s history. See the House of Wonders, built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash and once the first building in East Africa with electricity and a lift, then visit the Sultan’s Palace Museum and the Old Arab Fort, built in 1699 and still known as the oldest building in Stone Town.
Make Travel Matter
- Ol Pejeta: Visit Najin and Fatu at Ol Pejeta Conservancy and come face to face with the last two northern white rhinos in the world. As a ranger shares their story, you’ll hear how they arrived in Kenya in 2009 and how science, protection and round-the-clock care now shape one of conservation’s most urgent efforts. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.
Insight Choice
- Lake Naivasha: Step onto Crescent Island for a guided walk among the wildlife that roams freely across its open grassland. With zebra, giraffe and antelope moving through the landscape, experience Kenya’s wildlife on foot and at eye level, with Lake Naivasha and the surrounding Rift Valley scenery never far from view.
- Naivasha: Join a guided birdwatching walk in the grounds of Naivasha Sopa Lodge, where acacia-dotted lawns and the lake environment attract a wide variety of birdlife. Look out for African fish eagles, pelicans, kingfishers, herons and cormorants as you explore on foot in one of Kenya’s best-known birding areas.
Insight Experiences
- Maasai Mara National Reserve:
Daily Itinerary
Insight Vacations: Kenya Safari with Maasai Mara and Zanzibar
Day 1 - Arrive Nairobi
Arrive in Nairobi, Kenya’s vibrant capital and the gateway to East Africa’s great safari landscapes. You’ll be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel before joining your Driver Guide and fellow small group travelers for dinner, a relaxed introduction to the journey ahead.
Accommodations: Hyatt Place Nairobi Westlands
Meals: Dinner
Day 2 - Nairobi Sightseeing
Today, Nairobi reveals its different sides, from wildlife and literary history to the landmarks at the center of the capital. Start with a game drive in Nairobi National Park, where grassland and acacia bush unfold just beyond the city skyline. Continue to the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage to see the orphaned elephants at their midday mud bath and milk feed. You’ll enjoy lunch in the gardens of Karen Blixen Cottages & Restaurant before visiting the Karen Blixen Museum, set in the former home of the author of Out of Africa. Later, take in Parliament Buildings, Kenyatta Avenue, Government Square, the Kenya International Convention Center, City Market and University Way. This evening, head to Shamba Cafe for a three-course Farm-to-Table dinner, where produce from the surrounding gardens shapes the menu.
Accommodations: Hyatt Place Nairobi Westlands
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 - Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Travel to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County, where open plains, acacia woodland and views towards Mount Kenya define one of Kenya’s leading conservation areas. Home to the Big Five, East Africa’s largest black rhino sanctuary and the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Ol Pejeta brings wildlife and conservation together in one remarkable landscape. On arrival, head to Maisha Sweetwaters Camp and settle into your waterhole-view tent. You’ll set out on an afternoon game drive in search of plains game, birdlife and some of the conservancy’s rarer species, stopping for a sundowner in the bush before returning to camp for dinner.
Accommodations: Maisha Sweetwaters Camp - Waterhole View
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Meet Rhinos in Ol Pejeta
Enjoy a Relaxed Start before your MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where you’ll visit Fatu and Najin, the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, and hear from a ranger about the protection and scientific work surrounding their future. Continue to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, opened in 1993 with the help of Dr. Jane Goodall and still the only place in Kenya where rescued chimpanzees can be seen. Later, return to camp for an afternoon at leisure. This evening, relax at Maisha Sweetwaters Camp or choose an Optional Experience and head back into the conservancy on a night game drive.
Accommodations: Maisha Sweetwaters Camp - Waterhole View
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Continue to Lake Naivasha
Set out by road this morning, traveling south towards the Rift Valley for a Farm-to-Table lunch at Ranch House Bistro. With papyrus-fringed edges and rich birdlife, this peaceful setting offers a quieter change of scene. Arrive at Naivasha Sopa Lodge, set in spacious grounds where giraffe, waterbuck and monkeys are often seen. The rest of your day is at leisure to settle in, sit by the pool and enjoy the lodge’s wildlife-rich setting, or choose an Optional Experience and head out on horseback through the grounds before dinner.
Accommodations: Naivasha Sopa Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 - Explore the Wildlife of Lake Naivasha
Ease into the day on Lake Naivasha, a shallow freshwater lake in the Great Rift Valley, ringed by acacia woodland and known for its rich birdlife and resident hippos. A boat safari brings you close to this lakeside world, with the chance to spot hippos in the water and fish eagles overhead. Back on land, explore further with Insight Choice. Join a guided walk on Crescent Island, where zebra, giraffe and antelope roam freely across the open grassland, or return to the lodge for a birdwatching walk through its acacia-dotted grounds. The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the setting, or choose an Optional Experience to Hell’s Gate National Park, known for its dramatic cliffs, volcanic formations and walking and cycling trails.
Accommodations: Naivasha Sopa Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 - Onto Maasai Mara National Reserve
Set out for the Maasai Mara National Reserve, where wide grasslands and riverine forest mark one of Kenya’s most celebrated wildlife landscapes, home to the Big Five and shaped by the Mara River. Later, head into the reserve for an afternoon game drive as the light begins to soften across the plains. This evening, settle in at Mara Maisha Camp and dine on the open terrace, with the sounds of the Mara carrying through camp after dark.
Accommodations: Mara Maisha Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 - Explore the Famous Maasai Mara
Spend the day in the Maasai Mara with morning and afternoon game drives through one of Africa’s most iconic safari landscapes, where wide grasslands, riverine forest and the Mara River support an exceptional concentration of wildlife, including the Big Five. Between drives, return to camp and take in the setting. This evening, head out into the reserve for a private bush barbecue dinner, served in the open air on your last evening in Kenya.
Accommodations: Mara Maisha Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 - From Kenya’s Maasai Mara to Zanzibar
Transfer to Nairobi Airport and bid farewell to your Driver Guide before your flight to Zanzibar. On arrival, meet your Local Host and transfer to your hotel, where the rest of the afternoon is yours to settle in and enjoy the slower pace of this Indian Ocean island, long shaped by Swahili, Arab and trading influences. This evening, come together for dinner at the hotel and ease into the next part of your journey.
Accommodations: Blue Bay Hotel - Deluxe Sea View Room
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - See the Sights of Stone Town
Discover Stone Town with your Local Expert on a morning city tour through the UNESCO-listed heart of Zanzibar, where market streets, seafront landmarks and centuries of Swahili, Arab, Indian and European influence sit side by side. Visit the local market, the House of Wonders, the Sultan’s Palace Museum and the Old Arab Fort, then head to a herb and spice farm for a closer look at the island’s long trade in cloves, cardamom and other spices. At Mama’s of Zanzibar, join local women for a hands-on cooking lesson centered on Swahili flavors and traditional cuisine before sitting down together to share the dishes you have prepared. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax at the hotel, return to Stone Town for more time in its winding lanes and carved doorways, or head out on a sunset show cruise.
Accommodations: Blue Bay Hotel - Deluxe Sea View Room
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 11 - Zanzibar Your Way
Enjoy a full day at leisure in Zanzibar to settle into the island’s coastal rhythm. Swim in the Indian Ocean, stretch out by the pool, wander the beach or simply pause and take in the setting, with clear warm waters and coral reefs just offshore. If you prefer to be out on the water, there is an Optional Experience to sail by traditional dhow and snorkel along the coast, where Zanzibar’s marine life and reef-fringed shoreline reveal a different side of the island. This evening, come together for a final dinner at the hotel as your time in Zanzibar draws to a close.
Accommodations: Blue Bay Hotel - Deluxe Sea View Room
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12 - Farewell Zanzibar
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your onward flight. As your journey comes to a close, say goodbye to your Driver Guide and fellow travelers, taking with you the memories, wildlife encounters and landscapes that have shaped your time in Zanzibar.
Meals: Breakfast