Luxury Private Tours in KENYA

The best time for wildlife and the Great Migration in the Masai Mara is July to October, when the wildebeest cross from Tanzania in their millions and predator activity is at its peak. January and February offer excellent game viewing with fewer visitors and lower rates. The long rains fall from April to June and the short rains from November to December, though many travellers find the green season beautiful and uncrowded. Kenya's coast is best from June to October and December to February when conditions are clearest and warmest.

The Masai Mara is the Kenyan extension of the same Serengeti-Mara ecosystem and offers access to the same Great Migration river crossings, particularly at the Mara River where the most dramatic crossings typically occur between July and October. The Mara also has outstanding resident wildlife year-round, with one of the highest densities of big cats in Africa. Private conservancies bordering the reserve offer night drives, walking safaris and off-road driving that are not permitted inside the national reserve itself, making a private conservancy stay one of the most exclusive safari experiences available anywhere in East Africa.

We recommend a minimum of eight to ten days for a Kenya safari combining the Masai Mara with one additional region such as Amboseli, Samburu or Laikipia. Those wanting to add the coast, a Maasai cultural encounter or a multi-country extension into Tanzania or Rwanda should plan for twelve days or more. Each of Kenya's safari regions has a completely distinct character and combining two or three delivers a far richer overall experience than spending the entire trip in a single area.

Kenya's diversity beyond the Mara is one of its greatest strengths. Amboseli offers unrivalled elephant viewing with Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop, creating some of the most iconic wildlife photography opportunities in Africa. Samburu in the north is home to species found nowhere else in Kenya, including the reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra and the Somali ostrich. Laikipia is one of Africa's most important private wildlife conservancies, offering rhino tracking, wild dog sightings and a community-centred approach to conservation that gives safaris here an additional dimension of meaning.

Kenya is one of the finest introductions to safari in the world. The infrastructure is excellent, the English is widely spoken, the wildlife is extraordinary and the private conservancy model means that first-time safari travellers can have an intimate, expertly guided experience without any of the logistical complexity of more remote destinations. The Masai Mara in particular delivers the full safari experience in a concentrated and accessible way that makes it the natural starting point for anyone new to African wildlife travel.

Kenya pairs naturally with Tanzania for a complete East Africa safari, with Rwanda for gorilla trekking in the Virunga Mountains, or with Zanzibar for a beach extension. We also design broader Africa journeys combining Kenya with South Africa or Namibia for those wanting to experience both East and southern Africa on a single trip. We design all multi-country itineraries as fully private and tailor-made.

The areas covered on a private luxury Kenya safari, including the Masai Mara and its private conservancies, Amboseli, Laikipia and the coast, are all well-established for international visitors. As with any destination we always brief our clients thoroughly before travel and our local guides and partners are present throughout every journey. The private safari model, where logistics and transfers are handled entirely by experienced professionals, removes the situations where independent travellers are most exposed.

Kenya has introduced an Electronic Travel Authorisation system that replaces the previous visa on arrival. Most international visitors including US and UK citizens must apply for an ETA online before travel. We assist all our clients with this process and always confirm the latest entry requirements well before departure.