Kenya: A Self-Launched Classic Safari
10 days · Kenya
Globus charges £4,890
No-markup version: ~£1,920 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day self-launched version of Globus's "Kenya: A Classic Safari with Nairobi" — same loop, same parks, same wildlife, built independently. Start with Nairobi's elephants and giraffes, then head north to Shaba/Samburu for dry-country species (Grévy's zebra, reticulated giraffe), Ol Pejeta for rhinos and chimps, Lake Nakuru for flamingos and tree-climbing lions, and finish with three nights in the Maasai Mara. Instead of a fully guided coach tour, you join small-group shared game drives run by budget safari operators or arrange private day drives locally, use Kenya's domestic flights and matatus/shuttles between towns, and sleep in hostel dorms, bandas and tented camps. Costs are approximate per person and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Nairobi
Nairobi
Land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and take a Bolt/Uber or the airport shuttle bus into the city (~£4-10; ignore the taxi touts quoting £35+). Check into a hostel in Westlands or Kilimani. Get a Safaricom SIM/eSIM at the airport (M-Pesa is used everywhere — load it up), then spend the evening at a hostel bar or grab a cheap nyama choma dinner. Arrange your Nairobi National Park day drive for tomorrow through your hostel or GetYourGuide.
🚌Bolt/Uber or airport shuttle from JKIA, ~£4-10
🛏Hostel dorm in Westlands/Kilimani (e.g. Kenya Comfort Suites area or similar budget hostel), ~£12-15
- →Airport transfer to hostel
- →Buy Safaricom SIM and activate M-Pesa
- →Evening neighbourhood walk / hostel dinner
Nairobi National Park, Sheldrick, Giraffe Centre & Karen Blixen
Nairobi
Do the classic Nairobi day independently. Book a shared/small-group Nairobi National Park game drive online (GetYourGuide/Klook ~£70-90 including park fees) with a dawn start — you'll see rhino, lion and buffalo against the skyline. Then: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust public 11am elephant-feeding visit (book online in advance, ~£15 donation/fee), lunch at a local cafe near Karen (~£6), Karen Blixen Museum entry (~£10), and finish at the Giraffe Centre (~£12) for the feeding platform. A shared day tour bundles all four for roughly £110-130; a DIY mix with Bolt between stops is similar.
🚌Shared safari van for the game drive + Bolt between Karen-area attractions (~£12 total)
🛏Hostel dorm in Nairobi, ~£12-15
- →Morning game drive in Nairobi National Park
- →11am elephant calf feeding at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
- →Karen Blixen Museum visit
- →Giraffe Centre feeding experience
Nairobi to Shaba National Reserve
Shaba National Reserve
Take the morning flight or a shared shuttle north. Cheapest practical route: Nairobi to Nanyuki/Isiolo by shared shuttle or matatu (~£8-12, 3-4 hrs), then a local transfer into Shaba with your camp. Budget alternative: book a 2-night Shaba/Samburu camping package with an Isiolo-based operator that includes pickup. Arrive early afternoon, settle into a banda or tented camp, then head out for an afternoon game drive in Shaba — quieter than Samburu proper and famous for its river gorge scenery.
🚌Shared shuttle/matatu Nairobi–Isiolo ~£10, plus local transfer ~£15 shared
🛏Budget tented camp/banda near Shaba, ~£30 per person (rock-bottom options exist around £18 if camping with your own tent)
- →Travel north from Nairobi
- →Afternoon game drive in Shaba National Reserve
Shaba: full day of game drives & Samburu village
Shaba National Reserve
Morning and afternoon game drives along the Ewaso Ng'iro River looking for the 'Samburu Special Five' — reticulated giraffe, Grévy's zebra, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. In the middle of the day, arrange a visit to a Samburu village through your camp (community fee ~£10-15; agree the price upfront and buy crafts directly rather than through a middleman). Drives can be shared in your camp's vehicle or via a local guide found through the camp.
🚌Camp game-drive vehicle (shared, park fees ~£45/day)
🛏Budget tented camp/banda near Shaba, ~£30
- →Morning game drive in Shaba National Reserve
- →Afternoon game drive
- →Samburu village cultural visit
Shaba to Ol Pejeta Conservancy via Nanyuki
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Drive south to Nanyuki (~2 hrs) and stop at the Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers cooperative — free to browse, buy directly from the weavers. Continue into Ol Pejeta Conservancy: visit Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary (entry combined with conservancy fees, ~£25-30) and do an afternoon game drive for black rhino, lion and Mt Kenya views. Stay at a budget camp or guesthouse just outside the conservancy in Nanyuki — much cheaper than in-park lodging.
🚌Shared 4WD transfer Shaba–Nanyuki–Ol Pejeta, ~£25 shared; conservancy entry + sanctuary ~£65
🛏Budget guesthouse or camp in Nanyuki, ~£18
- →Nanyuki Spinners and Weavers visit
- →Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary
- →Afternoon game drive in Ol Pejeta
Ol Pejeta morning drive to Lake Nakuru via Nyahururu Falls
Lake Nakuru National Park
Early morning game drive in Ol Pejeta, then travel south. Take a matatu/shared shuttle Nanyuki to Nyahururu (~£5, 2 hrs) and stop at Thomson's Falls (Nyahururu Falls) — free to view, with a short walk down to the viewpoint (~£2 tip for a local guide). Then continue by matatu to Nakuru town (~£4). Base yourself in Nakuru town and book a morning park drive for tomorrow through your guesthouse or a local operator.
🚌Matatus Nanyuki–Nyahururu–Nakuru, ~£10 total; Ol Pejeta drive ~£40 shared
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Nakuru town, ~£15
- →Morning game drive in Ol Pejeta
- →Thomson's Falls (Nyahururu Falls) stop
Lake Nakuru game drives with Baboon Cliffs breakfast
Lake Nakuru National Park
Join a shared day drive into Lake Nakuru National Park (~£55-75 including park fees): flamingos, white rhino, Rothschild's giraffe and the park's famous tree-climbing lions. Pack your own picnic and eat it at Baboon Cliffs viewpoint over the lake instead of paying for a catered bush breakfast — same view, a fraction of the price. Optional afternoon second drive or rest in Nakuru town and explore the local market.
🚌Shared safari van, ~£60 including park entry
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Nakuru town, ~£15
- →Morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park
- →Picnic breakfast at Baboon Cliffs viewpoint
- →Optional afternoon game drive
- →Nakuru town market wander
Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Travel to the Mara. Best value option is the daily shuttle bus Nakuru–Narok–Mara gate (~£15-20, 5-6 hrs) — or a budget 2-night Mara camping package booked online that includes the transfer from Nakuru. Enter the reserve mid-afternoon and do your first game drive en route to camp on the eastern edge. Budget camping in or near the reserve (e.g. Talek or Sekenani gate areas) rather than mid-range lodges keeps this affordable.
🚌Shared shuttle Nakuru–Mara, ~£18; park entry ~£60/day
🛏Budget safari tented camp near Sekenani/Talek gate, ~£25-30
- →Journey to the Maasai Mara
- →Afternoon game drive in the reserve
Full day in the Maasai Mara
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Morning and afternoon game drives with a packed lunch out on the plains — lion, cheetah, elephant, and if you're travelling July-October, the Great Migration river crossings along the Mara. In the evening, swap the operator's catered bush farewell dinner for a campfire barbecue at your camp and a Maasai dance performance arranged directly with a local community group (~£10-15). Optional splurge: a hot-air balloon flight (~£350-450 — price it separately and skip if budget matters).
🚌Shared camp game-drive vehicle; park entry ~£60
🛏Budget safari tented camp, ~£25-30
- →Morning game drive
- →Packed-lunch full-day drive
- →Afternoon game drive
- →Campfire dinner with Maasai dance performance
Final Mara game drive & return to Nairobi
Nairobi
Dawn game drive (the best light and most active wildlife), breakfast at camp, then return to Nairobi. Fastest option is a scheduled light-aircraft flight from a Mara airstrip to Wilson Airport (~£140-180) — worth it if you're flying home the next day. Cheapest is the shared shuttle back to Nairobi (~£18-25, 6 hrs), arriving early evening. Either way, overnight near the airport or in the city before your international flight.
🚌Shared shuttle Mara–Nairobi ~£20, or light aircraft ~£160
🛏Hostel dorm or airport-area guesthouse, ~£15
- →Sunrise game drive in the Maasai Mara
- →Return journey to Nairobi
Self-launched vs. Globus
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Globus | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,920 | £4,890 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £2,970 per person (61%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Globus-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,920
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Kenya: A Self-Launched Classic Safari cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,920 per person for 10 days in Kenya. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Globus?+
Yes — Globus charges around £4,890 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,920 — a saving of roughly £2,970 (61%) per person.
How long is the Kenya trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Kenya.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, wildlife, budget trip through Kenya, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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