3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge | Starts & Ends in Nairobi
A well-priced short 3-day fly-in Samburu National Reserve Safari in Kenya, starting and ending in Nairobi. This affordable African safari package focuses on game viewing, eliminating long days of driving on rough roads by flying to Samburu and back.
The 3-Day Samburu National Reserve Safari explores two of Kenya’s northern reserves, including Samburu and Buffalo Springs, on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River. Samburu is part of the spectacular Great Rift Valley and reaches altitudes of 800-1230 metres above sea level in some areas.
Embark on thrilling 4×4 game drives in the Samburu National Reserve with expert guides, enjoying an exclusive safari experience away from the crowds. You’ll also get to experience exciting bush walks with Samburu warriors.
This Big 4 Kenya wildlife safari stays at the Samburu Sopa Lodge, a luxury hotel located deep inside the unspoiled Samburu National Reserve. Spend two days on safari in Samburu National Reserve on early morning and later afternoon game drives to explore Samburu while the animals are at their most active. Then, during the heat of the day, we retreat to our comfortable lodge. In between game drives, you are free to swim in the pool, rest in your spacious room, and relax in the lounge and lodge areas with viewing decks.
Samburu National Reserve is a lesser-known Kenyan safari gem offering an uncrowded game-viewing experience. This arid game reserve is home to unique animal species adapted to its dry, rugged environment. You can also see elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and African wild dogs here.
In addition to the big mammals and the Special 5 of Samburu, the reserve boasts an impressive array of birds, including kestrels and falcons, ostriches, and whistling ducks. In the evenings, we enjoy a dinner buffet and unwind at Samburu Sopa Lodge.
About Samburu National Reserve
Samburu National Reserve offers outstanding game viewing, with frequent sightings of Grevy’s zebras, oryx, buffalo, strange-looking gerenuks, and an array of interesting grazers. This is a good place to see leopards and all of Africa’s big cats, as well as endangered wild dogs. Birding enthusiasts will also be pleased to find more than 350 species.
One highlight of visiting Samburu is meeting the traditional Samburu people, who still observe age-old customs, rituals, and ceremonies. This is a hot, dry part of Kenya, characterised by scrub land and savannah plains flanked by mountains, notably Ol Olokwe Mountain.
About Samburu Sopa Lodge
Samburu Sopa Lodge sits on a hill overlooking the Samburu National Reserve, just outside the main reserve area. The views are expansive, and on a clear evening, you can spot elephants and giraffes down in the valley below. The sunsets here are phenomenal, and the elevation makes it feel breezier, especially in the dry heat of Samburu.
The lodge is accessible via scheduled flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport to Samburu Oryx Airstrip, followed by a 25–30-minute road transfer through the reserve. The on-site restaurant serves a variety of dishes that blend international cuisine with local flavors, all prepared with fresh ingredients. Guests can enjoy meals in the open-air dining area overlooking the waterhole, enhancing the dining experience with the possibility of wildlife sightings.
The lodge also features a bar and lounge area, a gift shop, and a swimming pool with a sunken bar, providing a refreshing retreat after a day of exploration. Samburu Sopa Lodge offers a range of activities to enrich the safari experience:
✓ Bird Watching: The reserve is home to nearly 400 bird species, making it a haven for bird enthusiasts
✓ Cultural Visits: Engage with the local Samburu community to learn about their traditions and way of life
✓ Nature Walks: Explore the surrounding landscape on foot with knowledgeable guides, gaining insights into the flora and fauna of the region
✓ Game Drives: Guided drives through the Samburu National Reserve provide opportunities to encounter unique wildlife species, including the “Samburu Special Five“: Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, and Beisa oryx
Samburu Sopa Lodge Accommodation
Samburu Sopa Lodge features 60 spacious rooms spread across 30 two-room cottages. The structures are inspired by traditional Samburu huts, complete with high ceilings, thatched roofs, and private verandas.
Room Types:
✓ Triple Rooms: Some rooms have an extra bed added upon request
✓ Family/Quad Rooms: Available for families traveling with children
✓ Accessible Rooms: Two specially designed rooms cater to guests with physical challenges
✓ Standard Twin/Double Rooms: Each fitted with two queen-sized beds, ideal for families or couples
In-Room Amenities:
✓ Reading desk and wardrobe
✓ Mosquito nets over each bed
✓ Private veranda with sitting area
✓ En-suite bathrooms with hot showers
✓ Laundry service available upon request
✓ Daily housekeeping and turn-down service
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Itinerary in Detail
Day 1: Nairobi City Hotel – Fly to Samburu National Reserve
You are met at your Nairobi hotel. Drive to Wilson airport, where you will check in for your flight to Samburu National Reserve. Upon arrival at the Samburu National Reserve, your camp/lodge guides will be there to meet you and drive you to Samburu Sopa Lodge for lunch.
After lunch, explore the Samburu National Reserve, located within the lands of the colorful Samburu people, close relatives of the Masai, and home to several wildlife species rarely found in large numbers elsewhere.
These include the Grevy zebra, the reticulated giraffe, and the Beisa oryx, all species found only north of the equator. Return to the camp in the evening, check into your room, and take some time to enjoy the beautiful northern Kenyan landscape. Complete the day with a sumptuous dinner and overnight at Samburu Sopa Lodge.
Activities Included: Day game driving
Additional Experiences Available: Visit to the Samburu homestead for a cultural experience.
Day 2: Explore Samburu National Reserve
After breakfast, a full day of morning and afternoon game drives is planned for African Spice Safaris guests in the Samburu National Reserve. Your guide will display and explain the majesty of the reserve, such as the Ewaso Nyiro River, which rises some hundreds of kilometers to the west in the foothills of the Aberdares and vanishes beyond Samburu in the recesses of the Lorian Swamp.
Animals commonly seen in Samburu National Reserve include elephants, lions, cheetahs, gerenuks, buffaloes, grants gazelles, dikdiks, and waterbucks. There are over 350 bird species.
These include the famous Somali Ostriches (distinguished by their unique purple/blue legs during mating season), kingfishers, humming birds, eagles, guinea fowls, and vultures. African Spice Safaris guests return to Samburu Sopa Lodge late afternoon and complete the day with a sumptuous dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Activities Included: Day game driving
Additional Experiences Available: Visit to the Samburu homestead for a cultural experience.
Day 3: Samburu National Reserve – Fly to Nairobi City Hotel
Early morning wakeup call organized to undertake a final morning game drive in the Samburu National Reserve, returning to Samburu Sopa Lodge for breakfast. Check out of camp and drive to the airstrip for your flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival in Nairobi, an African Spice Safaris representative will meet you and assist with your transfer to your hotel in the city.
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Prices
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Price Includes:
✓ Return Airstrip transfers
✓ Morning and afternoon activities per night staying
✓ Accommodation in a double or twin room – sharing
✓ All point-to-point personalized meet, greet, and transfer service as in the program
✓ Full board meals (Lunch, Dinner, & Breakfast) when staying the night during the safari
✓ All park entry fees, airstrip transfers, Value Added Tax, state levies, service charge, and hotel taxes
✓ Professional wildlife guiding services. All guides are native experts in African wildlife, game driving, and the African culture, many of whom speak other European languages
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Dates From |
Dates To | Single Room (1 Guest) |
Double Room (2 Guests) |
Triple Room (3 Guests) |
| 2nd Jan 2026 | 31st Dec 2026 | Request for a Quote | Request for a Quote |
Request for a Quote |
Notes
* Easter supplement is 40 US Dollars Per Person on the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st of April
* A 40% discount will apply for a child under 12 years (at the time of travel) sharing a room with two adults
* Extra night program has the same itinerary/ experience as indicated under Day 2 of the safari program above
* Christmas and New Year Supplements are 50 US Dollars Per Person on the 24th, 25th, 26th, & 31st of December & 1st January
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Price Excludes:
* Flying doctor service
* Visas, international airfares
* Nairobi hotel accommodation
* Personal expenses such as laundry
* Travelers insurance; communication charges
* Additional activities or sightseeing NOT included in the itinerary
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Pictures
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Wildlife Pictures
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Information
3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge takes you to Samburu Reserve – is an arid, hilly region with riverine forests, doum palms, acacia woodland and scrubland, offering a dramatic and rugged landscape in a relatively remote location of Kenya – which is precisely the attraction of this reserve – fewer tourists in a wildlife rich, desert like setting amidst a colorful local tribe.
Samburu has a permanent water supply that’s like a magnet for numerous animal species, including big Cats, herbivores, and reptiles such as crocodiles. Samburu is one of the few parks where leopard sightings are frequent. Samburu also offers superb bird-watching, with numerous weaverbirds, the martial eagle, and the blue-legged Somali ostrich.
Samburu Sopa Lodge will be your accommodation and is nestled on a hilltop in the northern part of Samburu National Reserve, close to the home ranges of elephants, Grevy’s zebra, and gerenuks. With in short driving distance to the airstrip or the picturesque Uaso Nyiro river makes it an ideal accommodation of choice.
Samburu Sopa Lodge directly overlooks the beautiful Matthew ranges, and on a clear day, Mount Kenya is visible in the distance.
Booking & Reservations 3 Day Fly-in Safari Samburu Sopa Lodge Contact
Mobile: + 254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]