Destinations
Kenya, one park at a time.
From the open plains of the Mara to the reef off Diani, each destination has its own season, character, and reason to visit — we help you choose the right combination, not all of them at once.
Destinations
From the open plains of the Mara to the reef off Diani, each destination has its own season, character, and reason to visit — we help you choose the right combination, not all of them at once.
01°25'S 35°00'E — MAASAI MARA
Kenya's most famous reserve, and for good reason — open grassland stretching to the Tanzanian border, exceptional predator density year-round, and the Great Migration crossing the Mara River from July through October.
02°39'S 37°15'E — AMBOSELI
Home to some of Africa's last great tuskers, set against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro across the border in Tanzania. Swamps fed by underground rivers from the mountain keep wildlife concentrated and visible.
00°35'N 37°32'E — SAMBURU
Arid, dramatic, and home to species found almost nowhere else in Kenya — Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk. The Ewaso Nyiro river cuts through red earth and doum palms, sustaining wildlife through the dry season.
00°22'S 36°05'E — LAKE NAKURU & NAIVASHA
Two Rift Valley lakes within easy reach of Nairobi. Nakuru is a fenced rhino sanctuary and, in the right season, still edged with flamingos; Naivasha offers relaxed boat safaris past hippo pods and fish eagles.
02°59'S 38°28'E — TSAVO
Kenya's largest protected area, known for red-dust elephants that bathe in the volcanic soil, the Galana River, and dramatic lava flows and springs in Tsavo West. Wilder and less visited than the Mara circuit.
04°18'S 39°35'E — DIANI & THE COAST
Powder-white sand, an offshore reef sheltering calm water year-round, and a slower pace to close a safari. Dhow sailing, deep-sea fishing, and Swahili coastal cuisine round out the days at the beach.
00°55'S 36°27'E — MOUNT LONGONOT
A dormant volcano rising straight out of the Rift Valley floor, close enough to Nairobi for a day trip. The trail climbs to the crater rim in a couple of hours, then circles the entire crater — forested inside, with views across Lake Naivasha and the valley floor from the top.
00°54'S 36°19'E — HELL'S GATE
Towering cliffs and a narrow sandstone gorge, right next to Longonot near Naivasha — and one of the only parks in Kenya without resident predators, so you're free to walk or cycle through it rather than staying in a vehicle. The gorge was part of the inspiration for Disney's The Lion King.
00°09'S 37°18'E — MOUNT KENYA
Africa's second-highest peak, and a genuine multi-day trek rather than a walk — moorland, glacial valleys, and rock spires give way to Point Lenana's summit views over the Rift Valley. No technical climbing needed for Lenana, but altitude and cold nights make it a different kind of Kenya entirely.
01°22'S 36°51'E — NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK
The only national park bordering a capital city anywhere in the world — lions, giraffes, and rhino grazing with the Nairobi skyline behind them. Perfect for a first or last morning, especially if your flight times leave a gap to fill.
04°04'S 39°40'E — FORT JESUS & MOMBASA OLD TOWN
A UNESCO World Heritage 16th-century Portuguese fort overlooking the harbour, and the narrow, carved-door streets of Old Town around it — a different Kenya entirely, built on Swahili, Arab, and Portuguese trading history. A natural half-day add-on before or after Diani.
02°16'S 40°54'E — LAMU ISLAND
Kenya's oldest continuously inhabited Swahili settlement, and car-free — donkeys and dhows do the work instead. Quieter and more historic than Diani, with carved coral-stone architecture that's changed little in centuries. Best reached by light aircraft from Nairobi or the Mara.
Not sure where to start?
Most journeys combine two or three of these destinations. Tell us how much time you have and we'll suggest the route that makes the most of it.
Plan your journey →