Nairobi & Tsavo East Private Safari – 5 Days in Kenya

Your tour starts with a 7:30 AM pickup from your Nairobi hotel or the airport, and the drive south-east along the Mombasa Road to Tsavo East. The land gets hotter, drier and redder as you go, with baobab trees and the Chyulu and Taita hills in the distance.

You check in at your lodge with a welcome drink, relax and have a hot lunch, then head out for your afternoon game drive. Tsavo East is famous for its red elephants, coloured by rolling in the park's red earth, and also has lions, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and dry-country animals such as gerenuk and fringe-eared oryx that you will not see in the Mara. Back at the lodge for a freshly prepared dinner.

At a glance: Time needed: ~3 hrs game drive · Travel: ~5–6 hrs driving · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (7:30 AM): Pickup from your Nairobi hotel or the airport and drive to Tsavo East.

• Early afternoon: Arrive, check in with a welcome drink and have a hot lunch.

• Afternoon (around 3:30–6:30 PM): Afternoon game drive in Tsavo East.

• Night: Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Travel for the day

• Nairobi → Tsavo East ~5–6 hrs by private 4x4 Land Cruiser on the Mombasa Road, depending on traffic.

Tips & what to carry

• The Mombasa Road is busy with trucks; your driver will take a rest stop on the way.

• Drinking water (2 litres per day) is provided in the vehicle.

• Red dust gets everywhere. Keep cameras and phones in zipped pouches between sightings.

• Many Tsavo lodges overlook waterholes; evenings by the water are good for elephant watching.

Overnight: Tsavo East

Today is flexible, and you plan it with your guide the evening before. We suggest the full-day option today: a relaxed breakfast, then out around 9:00 AM with a packed lunch, returning to the lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. A full day lets you go deep into the park, where the vehicles thin out quickly.

Your guide can take you north to the Galana River and Lugard Falls, where the river squeezes through a narrow channel of striped rock and crocodiles bask below. Lunch is at a picnic spot in the open, and the drive continues through the plains and along the Yatta Plateau, one of the longest lava flows in the world, looking for lions, elephants and buffalo herds. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

At a glance: Time needed: ~8–9 hrs game drive · Travel: All within the park · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (around 9:00 AM): Relaxed breakfast, then a full-day game drive with a packed lunch.

• Late morning: Galana River and Lugard Falls, about 45 min at the falls.

• Noon: Picnic lunch at a scenic spot in the park.

• Afternoon: Game drive across the plains, returning around 6:00 PM.

• Night: Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

• Optional: Swap for the early option: a 6:00 AM drive, breakfast at the lodge, then an afternoon drive with a packed lunch until the park closes.

Travel for the day

• Full-day game drive within Tsavo East by private Land Cruiser.

Tips & what to carry

• Midday heat in Tsavo can be intense. Drink water regularly and keep your hat on.

• At Lugard Falls, stay on the paths and well back from the edge; the rocks are slippery.

• Distances are long here. Carry snacks and a power bank.

• Wear neutral colours; avoid bright white and camouflage prints.

Overnight: Tsavo East

Your second full day, and today we suggest the early option. You leave at 6:00 AM, when the plains are cool and the lions are still active, then return to the lodge for breakfast and a rest through the warmest hours.

In the afternoon you head out again with a packed lunch, stopping at a picnic spot and then game driving until the park closes. Good places to include are Mudanda Rock, a long rock outcrop above a natural water catchment where elephants come to drink in the dry season, and Aruba Dam, which draws buffalo, elephants and birds. You are back around 6:00 PM for dinner and your last night in Tsavo.

At a glance: Time needed: ~8 hrs game drives · Travel: All within the park · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (6:00 AM): Early morning game drive, about 2.5–3 hrs.

• Late morning: Back to the lodge for breakfast and rest.

• Afternoon: Game drive with a packed lunch at a picnic spot; Mudanda Rock and Aruba Dam if your guide recommends.

• Evening: Game drive until the park closes; back around 6:00 PM.

• Night: Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

• Optional: Swap for a relaxed full-day drive from around 9:00 AM with a packed lunch.

Travel for the day

• Game drives within Tsavo East by private Land Cruiser.

Tips & what to carry

• At Mudanda Rock you can climb up to the viewpoint with your guide; wear shoes with grip.

• Dawn drives are chilly even in Tsavo; carry a light layer.

• Guide tipping is not included and is customary at the end of the safari.

• Pack tonight; tomorrow is a long drive back.

Overnight: Tsavo East

After a last look at the red plains on a quiet morning game drive and a leisurely breakfast, you check out and begin the drive back to Nairobi along the Mombasa Road, with a lunch stop on the way.

If your flight time allows, there may be time for some last-minute shopping at the Maasai Market or City Market in Nairobi for beadwork, jewellery and local art. Then you transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home.

At a glance: Time needed: ~2 hrs game drive · Travel: ~5–6 hrs driving · Pace: Full

Schedule

• Morning (around 6:30–8:30 AM): Short morning game drive in Tsavo East.

• Morning: Leisurely breakfast and check out.

• Noon: Drive to Nairobi, about 5–6 hrs, with a lunch stop on the way.

• Optional: Maasai Market or City Market for souvenirs, about 1 hr, if time allows.

• Departure: Transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Travel for the day

• Tsavo East → Nairobi ~5–6 hrs by road, then to the airport.

Tips & what to carry

• Book a late evening or night flight home so the drive is not rushed.

• Bargaining is expected at the Maasai Market.

• Keep your passport and yellow fever card in your hand luggage.