Laikipia's Royal Sanctuaries

Arrive at JKIA, where you are met by a luxury representative and fast-tracked through the airport to your private guide. Special Early Arrival Inclusion: If you arrive before 3:00 PM, enjoy an immersive city tour: Feed the endangered giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, see rescued wildlife at the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, discover Kenya's natural and cultural history at the Nairobi National Museum, experience the fun optical exhibits at the Museum of Illusions. After your tour, check into the quiet luxury of Hemingway's Nairobi, where your personal butler will handle your unpacking while you relax with dinner on the terrace.

Depart Nairobi after breakfast, driving north toward Mount Kenya. Watch the scenery change as you ascend into the Laikipia plateau and enter the private Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a world-renowned haven for rhino conservation. Check into the elegant, secluded tents of Sanctuary Tambarare. In the late afternoon, set off on a private game drive to see the world's last northern white rhinos under tight security, followed by a scenic bush sundowner and dinner.

Wake up for a truly unique experience: a morning Horse-Riding Safari. Ride gently through the endangered species enclosure, moving right alongside rhinos, zebras, and elands without the sound of a vehicle engine. Return to the camp for a gourmet lunch and some time to rest. In the afternoon, enjoy another private game drive to track lions and chimpanzees at the sanctuary, concluding with a classic bush sundowner and bonfire dinner under the stars.

After breakfast, transfer to Lewa Conservancy (approximately 2 hours). Lewa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa's most successful conservation stories — protecting 15% of Kenya's black rhino population alongside Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe. Arrive at Lewa Wilderness Lodge in time for lunch. In the late afternoon, embark on a game drive through the conservancy's rolling plains, looking for Grevy's zebra and enjoying a scenic sunset sundowner.

Wake before dawn for a hot air balloon safari. Transfer to the launch site as the sky shifts from black to deep indigo, then lift off above the Lewa plateau just as the first light catches Mount Kenya's summit. Drift silently over the conservancy's rolling plains — Grevy's zebra herds, elephant families and black rhino all visible from above. After landing, a champagne bush breakfast is served on the plains. After breakfast, saddle up for a horseback safari across Lewa's open plateau, cantering past reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra. Return for lunch and rest. In the late afternoon, another game drive explores new corners with a sundowner on the plateau before a bonfire dinner.

After breakfast, enjoy a camel safari — a traditional mode of transport in northern Kenya. From atop your camel, you see the landscape unfold at a slow, deliberate pace. After lunch, visit the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy headquarters for a conservation talk and learn about the anti-poaching unit, the sniffer dogs and the rhino monitoring programmes that have made Lewa a global model for conservation. In the late afternoon, another game drive explores new corners of the conservancy, and after dark you experience a night game drive. A sundowner under the stars closes the day, followed by a bonfire dinner back at the lodge.

After breakfast, transfer from Lewa to Lake Nakuru National Park (approximately 4 hours), traveling through scenic landscapes and the Great Rift Valley. Renowned for its dense flamingo populations, black and white rhino sanctuary, and resident tree-climbing lions, Lake Nakuru offers a striking change of scenery. Arrive in time for lunch and check in at The Cliff Lodge, perched on the escarpment above the lake. In the late afternoon, embark on a game drive across the park, spotting rhino, buffalo, waterbuck and the lake's famous flamingos. Return for dinner overlooking the valley.

A full day dedicated to exploring Lake Nakuru National Park. An early morning game drive targets the park's rhino sanctuary — one of the most successful in Kenya — alongside resident lion, leopard and the tree-climbing lions the park is known for. Return to the lodge for a leisurely lunch. In the afternoon, a second game drive explores the shoreline and surrounding acacia woodland, taking in the park's rich birdlife before a sundowner back at the lodge overlooking the escarpment and lake below.

After breakfast, set out on a boat trip on Lake Nakuru, drifting close to its flocks of flamingo and pelican and taking in views of the surrounding cliffs from the water — a rare vantage point most visitors never see. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, a final game drive covers any remaining areas of the park before a farewell dinner at The Cliff Lodge, reflecting on your time in the Rift Valley.

After breakfast, depart Lake Nakuru and travel south through the Rift Valley, stopping at Hell's Gate National Park for a relaxing soak at the Olkaria geothermal hot springs pool, set among the park's dramatic red cliffs. After lunch nearby, continue on to Nairobi, arriving at the JW Marriott Hotel Nairobi in the late afternoon. Spend the evening at leisure, enjoying a final dinner reflecting on your extraordinary ten-day conservation circuit journey, before your airport transfer the following day.