Africa Hiking Vacation And Wildlife Safari

8 Days Kenya Hiking Tour: Rift Valley And Masai Mara National Park (Hiking Vacation 3)

An African hiking vacation with walks in Rift Valley and Masai Mara where you will see wildlife, birds and colorful Masai culture away from mass tourism. This is a fully supported hiking vacation with lodge accommodation in en suite rooms making it ideal for senior travelers and families with young adults. Choose to be in a small walking group on our scheduled departure dates or use this itinerary as a base for your tailor-made walking tour.

On this walking safari you visit our favorite destinations: Crater Lake and Crescent Island sanctuaries, Hell’s Gate National Park, with easy to see game such as Giraffes, Waterbucks, Elands, Zebras and various Gazelles.

Masai Mara the Africa that every one dreams of, takes the last 3 days of the tour with Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Topis and Hippos all calling for our attention. A walk guided by Masai Morans makes this a perfect tour in all senses. We handle all tour logistics leaving you free to enjoy your safari.

Day 1: Nairobi

Arrival and transfer to the La Mada or equivalent hotel in Nairobi.

Day 2: Crescent Island. O/N Lake Naivasha Country Club

After breakfast there is the briefing by the guide about the program. By 8.30 a.m. we leave Nairobi via the Nakuru road to the Rift valley. The Nairobi - Nakuru road is on a contour along the rim of the Rift valley and on a viewpoint we will be able to see our whole route for the next days.

We arrive at the Lake Naivasha Country Club, our base for three days, in time for lunch. This lodge opened in 1937 as a staging post for Imperial Airways' flying boat service from Durban to London. The 55-acre property boasts green lawns shaded by mature acacias and spreading fever trees that stretch down to the lake's shore.

In the afternoon we do our first African game viewing walk at the privately owned Crescent Island, which is a peninsula on the Eastern shore of Lake Naivasha. There is a lot of easy to see game e.g. giraffes, waterbucks, elands, zebras and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The walk is gentle and satisfying. We return to the Lake Naivasha Country Club in time for afternoon tea. Today's program should be taken as light as possible to wear off the jet lag.

Day 3: Hell's Gate National Park. O/N Lake Naivasha Country Club

We wake up for breakfast with the sun giving a wonderful effect over the lake. An early morning here should not be missed by anyone with an eye for birds since the lake boasts a wide variety of water and woodland birds.

After breakfast we do a short transfer to the gate of the park. This is a unique park where walking is done in the middle of wildlife. Giraffes, zebras, warthogs and many types of gazelles are found here. The first part of this walk is done in typical flat African savannah in a volcanic area with huge rock boundaries. There are camphor and acacia trees all over and this is where to look for the giraffe as they mainly feed on them. A picnic lunch provided by the hotel will be at the Rangers post.

The last part of the walk is done in the Hell's Gate Gorge by descending into a steep canyon with running water from geysers and wild vegetation. The climax of the day is in walking in the Side Gorge where the rocks have split to leave only a walking path. We climb back to the rangers post for the transfer back to the Lake Naivasha Country Club.

Day 4: Crater Lake. O/N Lake Naivasha Country Club

An early rising will ensure that one gets another magical display of the various birds. After breakfast we do a transfer by bus to the nearby Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. It is a lesser lake in the Rift Valley but a place where nature is at its best.

We do a walk in the sanctuary followed by a circular trek on the top of the crater from where we see the lake from various angles. Pleasant interruptions on the walks will be from giraffes, black and white Colobus monkeys, elands and a range of gazelles.

Day 5: To Masai Mara. O/N Mara Simba / Sarova Mara / Keekorok

We now take a break from walking to put all our attention to watching wildlife. To see the best of Kenyan wildlife, Masai Mara is the place to be. Elephants, rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, gazelles and all the big cats are found here. So, after breakfast we start our journey passing through Narok Town: a colorful Masai town.

Our game viewing does not actually start at the park gate. We will be able to see many animals along the way grazing side by side with the Masai livestock. We reach the lodge or tented camp, our home for the next three days, in time for lunch.

Day 6+7: Masai Mara. O/N Mara Simba / Sarova Mara / Keekorok

These are our cultural and activity days in Masai Mara. We do a morning game drive through the park and hike to a Masai manyatta (=homestead). Here we will see how the typical Masais live. An afternoon game drive makes the day complete.

On day 6 we do a morning and an afternoon game drive. We break from the driving with an optional walk in a natural area with rolling hills and grasslands, out of the park boundaries.

Day 8: Kiambethu Tea Farm + To Nairobi For Outbound Flight

Leave Masai Mara in the morning for lunch at the Kiambethu Tea Farm. This is an old colonial home established by the early settlers and the pioneers of tea growing in Kenya. There will be a talk on tea: its arrival in Kenya, the growing, processing and up to when you put it into your cup. A short walk in the tea plantation and into a small remaining part of indigenous forest completes the tour.

We have a healthy farm lunch and thereafter transfer to Nairobi for the evening flight out.

Price:

Our attractive price based on the size of your party includes all accommodation as per itinerary, all meals from breakfast of day 2 through lunch of day 8, all transport Nairobi-Nairobi and airport transfers, bottled water during the walks, services of guides, the park entrance fees and a Flying Doctors Evacuation cover. The only extras on you are spendings on airfare to Kenya, airport taxes, visa, insurance, drinks at the table, tips and expenditure of personal nature.

For A Price Quote:

Departures are at the traveler's convenience.

Want to have another Kenya walking tour? Please visit our walking tours page.