Visit a Maasai village near the Mara to meet community members and learn about traditions they share with visitors. The encounter offers an opportunity to ask questions and hear local perspectives on life in this part of Kenya.

Maasai communities have longstanding connections to the region’s landscapes and pastoral heritage. A village visit brings a human dimension to time spent in the reserve. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit Mirror of Hope in Nairobi’s Kibera neighbourhood to meet the team and learn about its work with local women and children. Hear directly about the initiatives they lead and the needs they address.

This community-led encounter offers a more personal perspective on Nairobi than its wildlife parks and city landmarks. The focus is on the people doing the work and the stories they choose to share.

Explore the Maasai Mara’s grassy plains and rolling hills on an extended game drive, watching for lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and other wildlife. A picnic lunch in the reserve gives you time to take in the open savannah between sightings.

The Mara forms part of a wider ecosystem shared with Tanzania’s Serengeti. During the right season, the Great Migration may bring vast herds of wildebeest and zebra through the area, though sightings depend on nature.

Search for wildlife across Amboseli’s open plains, where elephants are among the park’s best-known residents. Keep your camera ready for a possible view of Mount Kilimanjaro behind the herds, when the weather clears.

Amboseli is known for its long-studied elephant populations, including some exceptionally large-tusked individuals. Its sparse vegetation and broad horizons make wildlife easier to spot, while the mountain’s snow-capped summit creates a distinctive backdrop across the border in Tanzania.

Head into Amboseli National Park in the early morning for a final search for elephants and other wildlife. Watch the plains as the day begins, with the chance to see animals moving through the cooler morning air.

The park’s wetlands draw wildlife even when the surrounding landscape is dry. On clear mornings, Kilimanjaro rising above the plains adds a striking sense of scale to the safari; wildlife and mountain views remain subject to conditions.

Choose a game drive through Nairobi National Park aboard an overland truck, scanning grassland and waterholes for wildlife. The park’s unusual setting puts open savannah within sight of Nairobi’s skyline.

Established in 1946, it was Kenya’s first national park. That meeting of cityscape and wild habitat makes it a distinctive introduction to safari country. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour; sightings vary.

Visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s elephant nursery in Nairobi to watch young elephants play and, when conditions allow, bathe. Hear about their individual stories and the care involved in preparing orphaned elephants for a return to the wild.

The nursery is part of a long-running Kenyan conservation programme. Seeing the calves at close range gives the work a tangible human and animal dimension. This optional visit is at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Opt for another game drive in the Maasai Mara to spend more time searching its grasslands for big cats, elephants and grazing herds. The extra outing offers a fresh chance to observe animals whose movements can change from hour to hour.

The reserve’s mix of open plains and riverine habitat supports varied wildlife. Each drive is shaped by the conditions and sightings of the moment. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take on white-water rafting in Sagana, where river-based adventures trade safari viewing for an active challenge. Paddle with your group through moving water, following your activity guide’s instructions as you navigate the route.

Sagana’s rivers and green surroundings make it a popular base for outdoor pursuits in central Kenya. River conditions can affect the experience and the route used. This optional activity is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Try rock climbing in Sagana for a hands-on challenge among central Kenya’s riverside scenery. Test your balance, choose your holds and work your way upward during an organised activity.

Climbing offers a different way to engage with the landscape: close attention to the rock, each movement and the view from your route. The experience depends on local operating conditions and guidance. It is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Practise archery at the Sagana adventure base, taking aim and testing your accuracy in an organised activity. It is a change of pace from the area’s river and climbing pursuits, with the focus on a steady stance and a considered shot.

Sagana’s outdoor setting makes this a sociable way to try a skill alongside fellow travellers. Whether you are new to archery or keen to improve, this optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Try zip-lining in Sagana for a fast-moving perspective on the area’s outdoor setting. Clip in under the activity operator’s guidance and travel along the line, taking in the surroundings as you go.

Set amid central Kenya’s green river country, Sagana offers active pursuits that contrast with the tour’s wildlife drives. Zip-lining combines a brief rush of speed with a view from above. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• 3 Lunch (L)
• 4 Dinner (D)
• 5 Breakfast (B)
• 1 Picnic Lunch (PL)

• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Hot air balloon rides may be available in the Maasai Marai through independent local operators. While floating over the savannah sounds pretty iconic, this isn’t an activity Contiki promotes, sells or books, as local provider insurance does not meet our required standards. If you’d like to take a hot air balloon ride, you’re free to arrange and pay directly with a local operator while on tour. This is completely independent of Contiki and follows the operator’s own terms, safety standards and insurance cover.
• Amboseli: Premium camping is classic camping, levelled up. Our road crew will set up these tents for you – all with premium facilities like chill-out zones, communal bathrooms and all the creature comforts.
• Amboseli: Nope, you’re all good! All equipment (tents, sleeping bags, etc) will be provided for you.
• Amboseli: You don’t have to. Your road crew will set up camp, cook meals, and clean up afterwards – but you’re always welcome to help!
• Amboseli: You’ll have access to proper bathrooms with real toilets, hot showers and everything you need – just shared with the crew.

• Nairobi: Meet the dedicated team and see for yourself the work being done to help the women and children who live here in the Kibera slum.
   
• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Known for its grassy plains and rolling hills, home to lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and hippos, the Maasai Mara is a jewel in Africa’s wildlife crown, so don’t miss your chance to explore it from sunrise to the afternoon, with a picnic lunch in the wild. 
• Amboseli: Get that iconic wildlife shot with the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. 
   
• Amboseli: Get up early in search of the famous elephants in this iconic Kenyan National Park.