Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Kenya Walking & Wildlife Safari
Day 1 Arrive in Nairobi
Private transfer
Welcome to Kenya! You will be met and guided through immigration, customs, and luggage claim, after which you'll meet your MT Sobek representative and safari guide. Take a short drive to your boutique safari lodge on the banks of the Mbagathi River, the southern border of Nairobi National Park. Take in the breathtaking views and perhaps spot some wildlife before meeting your guide and other hikers for dinner and a briefing.
Accommodation: Ololo Safari Lodge
(D)
Day 2 Safari in Nairobi National Park
Private transfer
Game drives, 25-minute walk
Begin your adventure with a game drive in Nairobi National Park. Watch for black and white rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalo, zebras, and giraffes against a backdrop of savanna grasslands, forests, and rocky gorges. After savoring a farm to table lunch, walk up to the lodge's impressive organic farm to stroll along thriving vegetable gardens, collect freshly laid eggs, and meet the dairy cows. Visit the workshop where carpenters craft the wood furniture you see around the lodge. On the return walk, stop at Kitengela Hot Glass, a workshop where Kenyan artisans create impressive art pieces, tableware, beads, and more from recycled glass. Back at the lodge enjoy another delicious meal and swap stories with fellow hikers about the day's sightings.
Accommodation: Ololo Safari Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Hike Rugged Trails into the Mathews Range
1-hour flight, 2.5-hour private transfer
4 hours/6 miles hiking with 2,132' elevation gain and 2,624' elevation loss
After breakfast, check out of your lodge and head to the airstrip for your flight to Samburu, an arid region named after one of several tribes that call it home. A 4x4 transfer takes you through dramatic low country following dry riverbeds to meet your safari guides, crew, and camels. Choose to ride a camel or walk on an hour's journey through Samburu territory, where you'll encounter these semi-nomadic people herding their livestock. After a break for lunch, begin walking toward the mountains, climbing into the wilds of the Mathews Range. Enter the deep forest that drapes these mountains which rise from the desert floor, and arrive at a charming and nostalgic tented camp shaded by the canopy on the banks of the Ngeng River. Enjoy a sundowner and a shower before dinner and slip into bed under a cozy duvet with a hot water bottle in this cooler climate.
Accommodation: Kitich Forest Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Experience a Walking Safari in the Kitich Forest
Walking with optional fishing and swimming
Today you explore the dense Kitich Forest on the upper slopes of the Mathews Mountains guided by Samburu and Ndorobo people, who know these mountains and woodlands better than anyone. Walking through undulating hills and valley slopes past forest orchids and giant cycads you get an intimate look at the wilderness around you. Here are chances to see a myriad of bird and butterfly species as well as elephants, leopards, buffalo, wild dog, greater kudu, waterbuck, giant forest hog, and the rare De Brazza Monkey. Stop at burbling springs and crystal-clear rivers where you can take a refreshing swim or try your hand at fly fishing for barbel. Return to camp in the late afternoon for sundowners and dinner, listening to the chorus of tree frogs and perhaps the roar of a lion or trumpet of an elephant as you drift off to sleep in the wilderness.
Accommodation: Kitich Forest Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Explore Lush Kojos Valley
5 hours/6.2 miles hiking with 1,200' elevation gain
As effervescent light and gentle birdsong fills the valley, your wake-up call of steaming hot Kenyan tea or coffee arrives on your tent's veranda. Take time to absorb your surroundings over a leisurely breakfast in the dappled sunlight as the Ngeng River gently flows by. Today's hike takes you into the Kojos Valley, an otherworldly dell filled with giant cycads - ancient plants that have survived and evolved for millions of years. Enjoy a picnic lunch in a scenic spot along the trail. Refreshed and refueled, summit the spectacular escarpment of Murit Pass and take in the views. Descend and return to camp through shaded valleys studded with boulders and more prehistoric cycads.
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Journey to Laikipia and Begin Your Mobile Safari
2 hours/1-3 miles hiking
2 hours/1-3 miles hiking
Begin your last morning at Kitich with a pre-dawn wake-up call and head out on a final walk, descending into a cool valley as the sun rises and the forest awakens with the chattering of birds and the odd elephant rumble. Explore the flora and fauna below the canopy before returning to camp for breakfast and heading to the airstrip for your charter flight to Laikipia. Meet your walking team for a short but scenic drive to camp for lunch. Begin your safari below Loseramoru kopje, hiking across large plains and through mixed bush crisscrossed with wildlife tracks, looking for herds of common and Grevy's zebra, oryx and Grant's gazelle, and the herds of reticulated giraffes that are found in large number here. Your walk culminates with a drink atop a kopje for a panoramic view of the area, and retiring to tonight's location of your mobile camp.
Accommodation: Nyarara Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Ride Camels or Walk in Laikipia
4-5 hours/6 miles hiking
Start the day with an early wake-up call and a hearty breakfast while the team takes down the camp and loads it onto pack camels, who will transport camp ahead of you while you walk. You can choose to ride camelback or just have the camels carry your day pack. Laikipia, nestled between Mount Kenya and the northern deserts, is renowned for wildlife conservation. Here you'll explore the high plains, home to diverse species including Grevy's zebras, lions, black rhinos, and elephants. Arrive at Paul's Rock, the site of your next camp at the edge of the Ewaso Nyiro River. After lunch, enjoy an afternoon walk, soaking in the rich scenery. Complete the day with a sundowner as the sun dips below the horizon, returning to camp to watch the river where elephants come to wallow in the mud and tawney and martial eagles nest in the trees.
Accommodation: Ewaso Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Take a Final Walk in Laikipia
3 hours/6 miles hiking
After breakfast, walk toward your final camp, enjoying the cooler morning temperatures. Rolling plains, acacia woodlands, and rugged hills form a picturesque backdrop for your exploration, and you may encounter a variety of wildlife. Arrive in time for lunch at the permanent base camp with such luxuries as a lap pool and cocktail bar. Settle into your tent, which has views of a bustling waterhole frequented by elephants, giraffes, oryx, zebras, and warthogs. In the afternoon, explore the surrounding area with your expert guide, catching glimpses of wildlife and immersing yourself in the scenery of the Laikipia Plateau. Climb a nearby kopje for sunset views.
Accommodation: Tumaren Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Travel to Masai Mara National Reserve
1.5-hour flight
Game drive and wildlife viewing
After breakfast, drive to the airstrip for your flight to the Masai Mara. A lodge representative will meet you upon arrival and drive you to the camp for a delicious lunch. This afternoon, head out for your first game drive in the Mara, one of Africa's most famous wildlife reserves. The image of acacia trees dotting endless grass plains and perhaps a Maasai warrior epitomizes Africa for many. The highlight is undoubtedly the annual wildebeest migration traversing the vast plains of the Serengeti National Park and the Masai Mara National Reserve. Large prides of lions and herds of elephants, as well as giraffes, gazelles, eland, and rhino can also be spotted in the reserve.
Accommodation: Speke’s Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Discover Wildlife Wonders of the Masai Mara
Game drive and 3 hours/7 miles walking
Today, you will explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Masai Mara on a captivating game drive. Immerse yourself in the natural wonders of the savanna, encountering iconic wildlife up close, from majestic lions to graceful giraffes. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided walk, gaining insights into the Maasai culture and their deep connection to the land as you experience more outstanding wildlife sightings on this unforgettable adventure.
Accommodation: Speke’s Camp
(B, L, D)
Day 11 Float Over the Masai Mara in a Hot-Air Balloon
Approximately 1-hour hot-air balloon ride (weather dependent)
Early this morning, depart on a special excursion—viewing the Mara from above on a hot-air balloon flight over the winding rivers, forests, and plains below. A beautiful champagne breakfast in the bush awaits upon landing. The rest of the day will be spent on game drives, as you soak in the last opportunity to see the awe-inspiring animals that reside in this world-famous game park.
(B, L, D)
Day 12 Say Farewell to Kenya & Depart
Private transfer
After breakfast, check out of camp and transfer to the airstrip for your flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival, you will be met by your representative and head to a farewell lunch. You'll have use of a day room to rest and freshen up before your departure flight (please book flights to depart after 8:00 pm).
(B, L)
