Join me on epic adventure in Kenya! 1st to 10th October 2024!

Last year I had the pleasure of joining Indy Escapes on an epic trip to Kenya. It was a small group tour specifically aimed at young professionals. We had a blast! So much so that I am returning again this year, but with a twist! Why should such an epic trip be reserved only for the under 40s? This year I will be co-hosting the trip as an open aged group tour! In this post I will share what it is we will do during this 10-day Kenya itinerary!

As I usually do, I also spent some additional time exploring on my own to make sure I didn’t miss anything! During the two weeks I spent in Kenya, I got a real sense of the country and its people, and I want you to get as much enjoyment out of it as I did! To help you do that, I have put together the perfect 10-day Kenya itinerary for you, taking the best of my trip with Indy Escapes and what I discovered on my own!

So, without further ado, let me share with you what I think would make a perfect 10-day Kenya itinerary!

Kenya 10-Day Itinerary

You will notice that my suggested 10-day itinerary mirrors what Indy Escapes offers. That is because I can’t fault the trip that Indy Escapes put together. They managed to get a great balance between culture and wildlife. As I share my suggested itinerary, you will see how well-rounded it is!

I hope you find the below 10-day itinerary helpful when planning your own trip to Kenya, regardless of whether you choose to travel as a group or on your own. If you you’d rather travel with company and love meeting like-minded people though, then I can’t recommend Lucas from Indy Escapes highly enough. He completely changed my perception of group tours! So much so that I joined him in the Maldives and I’m now hosting my own group tours!

Day 1 – Explore Nairobi – Start the trip as you mean to go on, with your eyes wide open!

Nai Nami

I usually start all of my trips with a food tour. This is because I like to get an initial deep dive into the culture of a location to set me up for the rest of my trip. I couldn’t find a decent food tour in Nairobi, so instead, I found something much better: Nai Nami! A tour of downtown Nairobi with a former Street Child.

My tour with Nai Nami was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my trip, and gave me a perspective of the challenges that children face far beyond the streets of Nairobi. Not only was it a very thought-provoking tour, but it also showed me a side to Nairobi that tourists don’t get to visit. Why? Because downtown Nairobi is off-limits!

There is a clear divide between the tidy and orderly business district and the chaotic, loud streets of downtown Nairobi. However, I did not feel unsafe at any point. After all, I had “King” as my tour guide, someone who in his former life, had ruled the streets of downtown by fear. His rule was slightly different now though. Instead of fear, he got respect since he was doing something great: giving those who have grown up on the streets a chance to leave the thug life behind and make an honest living.

I speak in detail about my Nai Nami Tour on the Nai Nami tour review blog post, but believe me when I say it is a truly eye-opening experience. And even better, it includes lunch!! So, I suppose I did have a kind of food tour after all!

Where did we stay?

We stayed at the Wildebeest Eco Lodge, in Karen. Karen is in Nairobi’s suburbs and much more relaxed than the hustle and bustle of Nairobi’s city centre. It has a great vibe with plenty of restaurants to choose from for dinner, as well as lively nightlife. There are also a couple of malls and several markets. I found everyone I bumped into incredibly friendly too.

Wildebeest Ecom Camp is about a mile out of town and sits in its own little quiet haven. You can choose between dorm-like tents, glamping tents (both share communal toilets and a shower block), ensuite tents, and small lodges. I stayed in both a glamping tent and an ensuite tent. They both had comfortable beds, bedside tables, and power sockets.

The lack of an ensuite didn’t bother me as the shower block and toilets were clean and close by. But I will admit that not having to worry about walking to the toilet in the middle of the night was a bonus in the ensuite tent!

Day 2 – Ruben Centre – Nairobi – Get ready to be inspired!

Most tourists fly into Nairobi with the sole purpose of jumping in a truck to go on safari. But once you are on safari, you don’t get to experience the real Kenya. Perhaps you will meet a Maasai tribe, but it will likely stop there. Yet, according to the UN (2019), 60% of the population lives in slums or informal settlements. So, not learning how most of the population lives leaves you learning very little about Kenya.

That is why in my 10-day Kenya itinerary, I include multiple days of connecting with different community projects, and today is all about the Ruben Centre, which sits in the heart of one of Nairobi’s largest and most dangerous slum: the Mukuru Slum. Home to 500,000 people in just a 300-acre area, it is crowded! Yet hidden in the centre of the rubbish-strewn dirt streets flanked by open sewers, lies a safe haven. An NGO-run school that opens its doors to over 3,000 children every day! The Ruben Centre.  

The Ruben Centre is a faith-based charitable trust dedicated to empowering and promoting justice within the Mukuru community. They achieve this by providing education, health services, financial advice, and social services to children and families residing in the Mukuru slum.

They aim to improve the livelihoods of those in the community by providing them with the tools and skills they require to create a better life for themselves. Very similar, in fact, to what Street Child does but with a focus beyond education.

Ethical NGO tourism

We spent the whole day learning about their work, and I won’t lie, I was a little nervous about how ethical this visit would be. There is a lot of poverty tourism these days, and many NGOs open their doors using kids as “bait” to get donations. All this does is increase the power gap between Western and African communities. But the Ruben Centre was exemplary. In fact, it reminded me very much of our time in Kyangweli Refugee Camp in Uganda.

The highlight for me was when we joined the PE class. They were doing some kind of Zumba class which we were invited to join. It was so much more fun than the PE I remember!

I don’t want to give it all away, but suffice to say it was a heart warming, inspiring, and highly educational experience.  

Day 3: The Giraffe Centre, Orphan Elephants and Nairobi National Park

Giraffe Manor

One of the best things about Nairobi is that it genuinely is the gateway to African safaris! With wildlife right on the outskirts of the city, you don’t have to go far to have incredible encounters. Whether planning a 10-day Kenya itinerary, or just a quick stopover, I wouldn’t miss the wildlife activities you will find in and around Nairobi.

We started the day at the Giraffe Centre. Some of you might be familiar with the Giraffe Manor, a posh house where people spend $1000+ a night to be woken up by giraffes in the morning when they come to feed.

The giraffe centre is adjacent to this, also allows you to feed giraffes, and only costs $20! It is a giraffe sanctuary started by a Scottish-American couple when they heard that the Rothschild giraffe was being hunted after Kenya’s first President had given locals the rights to deforest an area in the west of the country to turn it into agricultural land.

The centre has a 100-acre conservation area where the giraffes live at night. In the morning, they come to the Manor for breakfast, and then after breakfast, they are brought to the grounds of the centre, where visitors can feed them pellets. They are very gentle so long as you keep feeding them! Pose too long for the gram though, and you’ll get headbutted!

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

If you love elephants as much as I do, then you won’t want to miss the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Globally recognised as the best and most successful elephant orphanage in the world, the centre has raised 320 orphan elephants, and 55 of those orphans have successfully bred after being reintroduced into the wild.

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust opens its doors just once a day for 20 minutes to allow tourists to meet some of the elephants. They rescue elephants, rhinos, and other animals, and raise them until they are ready to be rewilded. As part of the visit, you will get to hear some of the elephants’ stories while being in close proximity to them as they wander around a small enclosure eating some of their favourite food. If the elephants come close to you, you are allowed to touch them. A 2-year-old female baby decided to come and lean on me. Needless to say, it made my day!  

A visit to the Sheldrick Wildlife should definitely feature on any Kenya Itinerary!

Nairobi National Park

I didn’t have high hopes for Nairobi National Park. After all, it is a National Park that sits within the city limits. When seen from one of the many rooftop bars, it was not dissimilar to Central Park in New York, only instead of strolls, you get to go on wildlife game drives instead!

I figured we might see zebras and giraffes, maybe some warthogs too. What I didn’t expect to see was a white rhino and its baby walking along the tracks in front of us! I had been excited in Ngorongoro to see rhinos way in the distance with my binoculars. But to be able to capture them with my phone at such close proximity was simply incredible!

It’s the Black Rhino which is part of the Big 5 though, so imagine my surprise when we managed to spot one of those too! He was a little further away, but still close enough to capture with my phone!

I know the photo isn’t to Doug’s calibre, but I do love the wilderness of the rhino, one of the hardest animals to spot in the wild, with the cityscape in the background. In fact, it would have been in one of those buildings where I was progressively getting more and more tipsy later that night!

This brings me on to the final activity of the evening: dinner and cocktails while sitting by an infinity pool, watching the sun set over Nairobi National Park at the Ole Sereni Hotel. The Indy Escapes tours are by no means a party tour, but they are definitely a social tour for those who want to engage. What was nice though, was that there was no judgement of those who didn’t fancy being sociable all the time.

Day 4 – Edmund Rice Centre – Kibera Slum

This is the last of the project visits I recommend as part of my 10-day Kenya itinerary, but it is also the one that had the most profound impact on me. Because of my involvement with NGOs, I’ve visited a wide range of communities, including several shanty towns, but never have I ended up in the heart of a slum before.

We were visiting an NGO within the Kibera slum, one of the largest slums in Africa and the third largest in the world. It is believed that 1.5 million people live within the Kibera slum under these conditions.

Most Kibera slum residents live in extreme poverty, earning less than $2 a day. Unemployment rates are high, and crime is rampant. Muggings, robbery and gender base violence happen daily, and the slum cartel controls electricity and water. On top of this, residents need to pay to use the loo, which results in a high amount of “flying toilets”. By this, I mean they poop in a bag and fling it in the air!

Life in a slum is undeniably hard, there is no doubt about it, but visiting the Edmund Rice Centre gives a whole new meaning to how challenging it is for the most vulnerable children in the community: those with disabilities.

The Edmund Rice Centre is a community-based organisation that provides educational, vocational, and livelihood services to children and young adults with autism, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, and other forms of physical and cognitive disabilities. I have written a heartfelt account of my day with the Edmund Rice Centre, which I urge you to read. It is, without a doubt, the travel experience that has had the most significant impact on me in the last two decades!

Day 5 – Maasai Mara

No 10-day itinerary in Kenya would be complete without including the Maasai Mara, so it is time to wave goodbye to the city lights and head into the true wilderness!

The drive takes roughly 5 hours, so you have two options:

1. Take a leisurely drive down, stopping to enjoy the Great Rift Valley on the way, arriving in time for a Maasai Village experience.
2. Get up early to arrive at lunchtime so you can squeeze in an afternoon game drive. Please note this adds an extra day of park fees.

We opted for the first option. A chance for a leisurely start which meant we arrived at our lodge in time for a late lunch. We then chilled by the pool for the afternoon before heading off on a very different kind of cultural immersion. We joined the local Maasai Warriors on a bush walk!  

They talked us through the different plants that they use for medicinal purposes as well as sharing with us details about their daily lives and their traditions. For example, we learnt that boys are circumcised at the age of 15 as part of a village ceremony. To become a warrior, they must not flinch or even look away while it happens, despite having no anaesthetic or medicine!

We also had a go at throwing spears and shooting arrows before we were invited into their tiny huts to see for ourselves where and how they live. It isn’t my first time visiting a Maasai Tribe. I’ve been lucky enough to stay with them in Tanzania, but there is one thing I will never be bored of: their guttural chant as they dance into the sunset.

Where did we stay?

During our time in the Maasai Mara, we stayed at Enkorok Mara Camp. It is just outside the park, which provides a cost-saving without impacting the experience since it is only 5 minutes to the park gate. Despite being officially outside the park, there is no fencing, so wildlife still roams around the camp. We had hyenas outside our tent one night, and a lion apparently visited the village on a different night!

The tents at Enkorok Mara Camp were spacious, well-equipped, and tastefully decorated, offering an authentic safari experience. The camp is very eco-friendly and operates on a solar power system. Having said that though, the water is heated by burning wood, which is common when on safari.

What particularly impressed me about our stay at Enkorok was the food. The buffet always had plenty of choice, and there was always a station with a chef making dishes to order. I would certainly stay here again.

Day 6 – Full Day Game Drive in the Maasai Mara

Located in the south-west of Kenya, bordering the Serengeti National Park, the Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s most iconic safari destinations. The landscape is breathtaking, with vast open savannahs dotted with acacia trees and rolling hills in the distance. But the reason we were there was the animals. And as soon as we crossed the National Park gates we spotted our first herd of zebras.

I will never get bored of seeing wildlife in their natural habitat, and the Mara is a brilliant place to spot it! We saw a lion hunt, which is always emotional but an important part of the circle of life. The lion first chased after a mother impala, only to realise there was a baby in the grass, which made for an effortless snack. We saw a herd of Cape Buffalo, which was easily 1000-strong! We saw elephants, giraffes, more lions, cheetahs, and even a leopard in a tree. Ostriches with pink stockings ran across the distance, and hyenas walked awkwardly amongst prey.

There is a wildlife surprise around every corner, and even when there is not, it is nice to sit back and enjoy the scenery.

We stayed out for 3/4 of the day, returning in time to enjoy some pool time, which was very welcome.

Considerations of a group safari

If you go on a private safari, you will have complete control of how long you stay out. You might want to be out from dawn to dusk, or you might want a more chilled time since you are on holiday.

When booking a group tour, it is important you check that the itinerary suits your style. For example, on my Bea Adventurous safari tours, it is usually a 6 am start so we can catch the sunrise, and we will make the most of the day by staying out until dusk. With Indy Escapes, the pace is more relaxed with later starts and earlier finishes. Neither is right or wrong, but if you pick the wrong style for you, you could end up disappointed!

Day 7 – Hot Air Balloon over the Maasai Mara

I’m not often happy when my alarm goes off at 4 am, but it was 100% worth it! Without a doubt, this is the highlight of my 10-day Kenya itinerary! Soaring high above the Maasai Mara in a hot air balloon while the sun rises over the horizon is an experience like no other. I was lucky enough to do it while on safari in Tanzania in 2022, and I reckon I could do it 100 more times and never get bored of it.

After the flight, we drove to a banquet-style breakfast in the middle of the bush. Nothing but wilderness for miles! Chefs were on hand making fresh omelettes, and we all sat around our table in the middle of nowhere high with excitement following our flight. I don’t know why, but I found this flight particularly emotional. Maybe it was because I’d found “my” people. I can’t emphasise enough how much I enjoyed travelling with my newfound friends. Each one left a little imprint on my heart that I will forever carry with me.

After breakfast, we headed out on another game drive and a reminder of why no two days will ever be the same on safari. We came across a carcass surrounded by hyenas, jackals, vultures, and marabou storks. It was quite the scene, considering most of those animals are usually solitary, but they were all gathered around for their own banquet.

Day 8 – Nakuru National Park

After breakfast, it was time to wave goodbye to the Maasai Mara and embark on the next adventure of our 10-day Kenya itinerary. This time, Nakuru National Park. It’s roughly a 5-hour drive to Nakuru, and we arrived in time for lunch.

Nakuru National Park is located in the Rift Valley region and is another excellent place for spotting rhinos. The lake inside the park is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to hundreds of thousands of flamingos and pelicans, which is a sight to behold.

We explored the park on an evening game drive and spotted several rhinos in the distance. We also spotted a randy herd of cape buffalo! However, the best spot of the day was a Serval cat, which are not the easiest animals to spot.

We also watched another hunt. We thought the lions were after a warthog, and all watched in tenterhooks as the warthog ran towards them! Pumbas are known for having very short memories, so they will often forget they are being chased. In this case, it had started running away, only to turn around and run straight back towards them. Thankfully for the warthog, they fancied something different for dinner!

Where did we stay?

Our stay at Lake Nakuru Lodge was a real treat. We stayed in cabin-like lodges that overlooked the lake, only 5 metres from the fence dividing us from the wildlife. Baboons walked the perimeter as if they were our guards, sneaking onto balconies to steal any snacks left behind by unsuspecting visitors. We also woke up to buffalo grazing nearby.

This was my favourite stay of the week, right in the heart of the National Park, making it perfect for evening game drives.

Day 8: Menengai Crater Hike

After a leisurely breakfast, we drove to the highest point of the Menengai Crater, one of the largest calderas in the world. Menengai is a dormant volcano that towers over the landscape, reaching a height of 2,278 meters above sea level. The panoramic views from up there were incredible and there are some brilliant hikes to be done around the crater rim! It was great to get out and stretch our legs after spending several days on safari, and nothing ever beats spending time in nature, especially when the views were as good as these!

After the hike, we visited the Menengai Sacred Caves, which are shrouded in mystery and legend. Many locals believe that ancient warriors used the caves as a hiding place during times of war. Others believe that the spirits of their ancestors reside in the caves, making them a sacred and spiritual place. While we were there, a number of spiritual ceremonies were taking place. We didn’t watch, interrupt, or even take photos out of courtesy, but there was certainly a vibe surrounding these caves.  

We returned to Lake Nakuru Lodge for lunch and some chill time by the pool ahead of our final evening game drive.

Day 9: Bike Safari

Hells Gate National Park

Nothing is more liberating than experiencing a wildlife safari on a bike or on foot. None of the confines of a truck. Just you, thin air, and the animals. And in Hells Gate National Park, Naivasha, you can rent bikes and explore the park on two wheels.

It’s a relatively straightforward 16-km ride along gravel paths, with only the final section classed as a little technical, since you need to navigate a few rocks and avoid the naturally formed drainage ditches. I would liken it to a Blue route for anyone familiar with mountain biking.

As we pedalled through the park, we passed zebras, gazelles, and warthogs grazing by the side of the gravel lane. The cape buffalos, luckily, were further in the distance, but the guides had no concerns about our safety, which meant I spent large chunks of the ride entirely on my own. At peace and enjoying nature.

The ride takes you to Pride Rock, the inspiration for the Lion King! Of course, we tried to replicate a Lion King moment, even though it was more Dirty Dancing than Lion King!

My only advice would be to plan to arrive early to avoid cycling in the heat of the midday sun, a mistake that we made!

Lake Naivasha

After lunch, we headed to Lake Naivasha, where we were meant to head out onto the lake. Sadly, the weather had other ideas, and we had to cancel it. However, I hear Lake Naivasha is the perfect place to get up close to hippos from the boat’s safety. The boat ride also includes a stop on Cresent Island, where you can explore the Nature Reserve by foot, giving you yet another opportunity to get up close and personal with animals such as zebra and giraffe without the confines of a truck.

As I said, I haven’t been able to experience Lake Naivasha, but it is part of the Indy Escapes itinerary for next year, and I know it is something I would very much have enjoyed! I have done a walking safari in Arusha National Park and ridden down the Nile River in Uganda, and both were experiences I would repeat! I can only imagine Lake Naivasha is a great combination of the two.

Day 9 marked our final night in our 10-day Kenya Itinerary. It was time to return to Nairobi, to the Wildebeest Eco Camp. As we sat around the table for our final farewell dinner, it was hard to believe that these amazing humans I’d just spent the last 10 days with had been complete strangers just a few days ago. Yet here we were, sharing stories as if we’d known each other for years. I take my hat to Lucas from Indy Escapes for organising such an incredible trip and for hand-picking such a brilliant group of travellers to take on the journey with him.

If you like the sound of this trip and would like to experience it with like-minded individuals, please check out Lucas’ website for his upcoming trips.

Day 10 – Farewell

How much you do on day ten depends on your onward travels, but I would hazard a guess that you will likely want to do a final bit of souvenir shopping! If that is the case, I recommend visiting Kazuri Beads, an NGO-run project that provides work to single mothers making beautiful clay beads. Unlike the usual “stop and buy our goods” kind of workshop, this one felt like it was adding value not only to the workers but also to the visitors.

As part of the visit, you will learn how they make the beads, and if you are lucky, you might even get a chance to make some yourself. We spent about half an hour meeting everyone in the workshop and watching how they masterfully created what I can only describe as works of art. The tour finishes in the shop, but unlike so many “arts and crafts shops” I’ve been to, there was no harassment for us to buy anything. Probably because what they create is so beautiful that no pressure is needed to help you part with your money!

Beyond the 10-day Kenya Itinerary

I wouldn’t change anything about the above itinerary. I feel it is a well-rounded overview of Kenya, its people, its culture, and its wildlife. It is worth noting that the Nai Nami Tour I recommend on Day 1 isn’t included in the Indy Escapes Tour, so you would need to arrive early or stay an extra day at the end.  

It is also worth noting that if you are on a private tour, I am unsure how easy it will be to visit NGOs, as they are not a tourist attraction. Lucas has connections with both of them and has helped raise a considerable amount of money, which is why they open their doors for him and his clients.

Whether you explore Kenya on a group tour or on your own, I know you will have a wonderful experience.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at bea@bea-adventurous.com. I am always happy to talk about all things related to travel! I’d also urge you to check out the Indy Escapes website for more information on their Kenya trip and the other destinations they operate in.

My final thoughts

Actions speak louder than words. I enjoyed my 10-day Kenya trip with Indy Escapes so much that I have booked a second trip with them. This time to the Maldives! If that doesn’t tell you how much I enjoyed it, then I’m not sure what else will!

Want to travel with me to Kenya?

If you love the idea of that itinerary then I have some exciting news! I’m co-hosting this years tour! Basically you get two for the price of 1! Both me and Lucas on this epic 10 day Kenya itinerary. And what’s even best, is that this tour is open to all ages. The only requirement is a sense of adventure, an open mind and a kind soul! Does that sound like you? Sign up while there are still spaced left!!

Have you sorted your travel insurance?

Looking for a private safari?

Of course I’d love to see you on tour, but if you are looking to travel on different dates or do not want to book into a group tour, then I’d recommend contacting Malaki from Migration Tanzania Safaris to arranged the itinerary for you. I’ve travelled with him 3 times now and I’m about to book my 4th!

Alternatively, you can compare many tour operators on Safari Bookings. I will give you one piece of advice though, make sure you request multiple quotes, and don’t just look at the price, pay attention to the quality of their responses!