Samburu Game Reserve Road Safari 3 Days 2 Nights Tour

Our 3-days/2-nights road safari from Nairobi to Samburu Game Reserve departs early morning, features:
✓ 6-hour drive with stops at the equator
✓  2-3 game drives per day
✓ Spotting the “Samburu Special Five” (Reticulated Giraffe, Grevy’s Zebra, Beisa Oryx, Somali Ostrich, Gerenuk)

Samburu National Reserve Highlights

Set in Kenya’s rugged north, Samburu National Reserve may be compact in size, but it consistently punches above its weight for safari experiences. The reserve’s arid landscapes are shaped by the Ewaso Ng’iro River, a permanent water source that draws wildlife year-round and creates natural gathering points for game viewing.

Open terrain, sparse vegetation, and relatively low visitor numbers mean sightings are often clear, close, and refreshingly uncrowded. Combined with rare northern species, strong predator presence, and dramatic scenery, Samburu delivers a rewarding, authentic Kenya safari that feels wild, intimate, and far removed from the busier southern circuits.

✓  Strong birdlife with over 450 recorded species
✓  Cultural connections with the Samburu people
✓  A quieter, more off-the-beaten-track Kenya safari experience
✓  Striking semi-arid landscapes broken by the Ewaso Ng’iro River
✓  Excellent wildlife sightings of elephant, lion, leopard, and cheetah
✓ The Samburu Special Five: Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, and gerenuk

3-Day Samburu Safari from Nairobi Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi to Samburu (Drive Day)

0800 Hours – 0900 Hours: Pick up from Nairobi hotel/airport and depart north, passing through pineapple and coffee plantations
1100 Hours – 1200 Hours: Brief stop at the Equator crossing point in Nanyuki
1300 Hours – 1400 Hours: Arrive at Samburu for check-in and lunch at your lodge/camp
1530 Hours – 1830 Hours: Afternoon game drive in the reserve, known for the Ewaso Nyiro River, where animals congregate
1900 Hours – 2000 Hours: Return for dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Full Day in Samburu National Reserve

0615 Hours – 0900 Hours: Early morning game drive (optimal for predator sightings)
0930 Hours – 1030 Hours: Breakfast at the camp
1100 Hours – 1500 Hours: Leisure time, swimming, or optional cultural visits
1530m 1830 Hours: Evening game drive, focusing on the “Special Five” and northern wildlife
1900 Hours – 2000 Hours: Dinner and overnight

Day 3: Samburu to Nairobi (Return Day) 

0630 Hours – 0830 Hours: Final early morning game drive followed by breakfast
0900 Hours – 1000 Hours: Check out and depart for Nairobi.
1300 Hours – 1400 Hours: Lunch en route in Nanyuki or Sagana
1500 Hours – 1600 Hours: Drop-off at hotel or airport in Nairobi

3 Day Samburu Game Reserve Wildlife & Safari Experiences 

Samburu’s wildlife viewing revolves around the river, which acts as a magnet in the dry north. In addition to elephants, lions, leopards, and other game, Samburu is home to some unique wildlife that thrives in the more arid landscape.

✓ Large elephant herds regularly visit the riverbanks
✓ Lions and leopards are commonly seen, especially near water
✓ Game drives feel intimate and unrushed due to lower visitor numbers
✓ Excellent birding, including the endemic vulturine Guineafowl, Somali Ostrich, and Yellow-billed Hornbills, as well as kingfishers, eagles, and bee-eaters
✓ Rare northern species not found in southern Kenya. The Samburu Special Five are the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, and gerenuk

Samburu National Reserve Activities

Samburu offers classic safari activities with a strong sense of place and culture. Visitors to Samburu are surprised by its remote feel, unique wildlife, and arid landscapes.

✓ Birdwatching in riverine forests and open scrub
✓ Visit Samburu communities for cultural insight
✓ Guided game drives along the Ewaso Ng’iro River
✓ Photography focused on rare species and dramatic light
✓ Scenic sundowners overlooking rugged northern landscape

Important Information

Activities: Game drives, bird watching, and cultural visits to local Samburu villages
Accommodation Options: Ashnil Samburu Camp, Sarova Shaba, Larsens Camp, and Samburu Intrepids
Vehicle: Private and exclusive 4×4 Land Cruisers are recommended for comfort, though safari vans are often available
Best time to visit: The park’s arid nature makes it ideal to visit year-round, but wildlife is easier to spot during the dry season

Venture off the beaten track to Samburu National Reserve, located in northern Kenya, on this 3-day road safari from Nairobi. Samburu Reserve is situated on the hot, arid fringes of Kenya’s vast Northern Frontier District. The reserve covers 40 Square Miles (104 km²) and is located 350 km north of Nairobi, within Isiolo District.

Samburu is not particularly well–known and is therefore not too crowded – a huge plus in Kenya where so many reserves are often overflowing with tourists. It is often grouped with the Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves, as they lie so close together.

The reserve is rich in wildlife, renowned for its abundance of rare northern specialist species such as the Grevy’s Zebra, Somali Ostrich, Reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk, and the Beisa Oryx (also known as the Samburu Special).

The reserve is also popular, with a minimum of 900 elephants. Large predators such as the Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah are an important attraction (Kamunyak, the Miracle Lioness that adopted the baby Oryx, is a resident in the reserve).

Wild dog sightings are also a common attraction to this unique protected area. Bird life is abundant, with over 450 species recorded. Birds of the arid northern bush country are augmented by a number of riverine forest species. The Lesser Kestrel and the Taita Falcon are species of global conservation concern, and both use the reserve.  

The area is home to the Samburu tribe, a pastoral people related to the Masai. Samburu Reserve, as a safari destination, features a rugged, dramatic landscape; the Ewaso Nyiro River runs along its southern boundary.

Our 3-day Samburu National Reserve driving package from Nairobi includes:
✓  Drive from Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve
✓  Transport in our 6-seater pop-up roof Mini-van safari vehicle or 4×4 safari vehicle
✓ 2 Nights full-board accommodation at a lodge or camp in Samburu National Reserve
✓  Game drives with an experienced driver-guide, and Samburu National Reserve park fees

Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Samburu Game Reserve

0800 Hours: This morning, we travel by road to Kenya’s Northern Frontier District. Wild and rugged, Samburu is fiercely beautiful with its arid savannahs watered by the lovely Uaso Nyiro River. It is also one of Kenya’s most protected areas and is home to species found only north of the equator, from the reticulated giraffe to Grevy’s zebras and Beisa oryxes.

1200 Hours: We arrive at our lodge/ camp and check in. Lunch follows.

1530 Hours: In the afternoon, we explore the park in search of Lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, etc.

Accommodation Options
Luxury Accommodation: Soroi Larsens Tented Camp, Elephant Bedroom Camp
Mid-Range Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge, Samburu Simba Lodge
Budget Accommodation: Lion King Bush Camp, Samburu

Meal Plan {Lunch & Dinner}

Day 2: Full Day in Samburu National Reserve

This full day in the Samburu Game Reserve will be spent searching for the Big Five and the Samburu Five, and observing the vast, unspoiled scenery during morning and afternoon game-viewing drives. Samburu Game Reserve is renowned for its rare species of animals unique to the park, namely: the long-necked gerenuk, Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, and Beisa onyx.

The elusive Kenya leopard is often seen in the park, especially in the evenings. Kenyan wildlife present in the park includes cheetahs and lions, as well as elephants, buffalo, and hippos. Birdlife is as plentiful as wildlife at Samburu National Reserve, which boasts over 350 different species of birds, including vultures, kingfishers, marabous, bateleurs, guinea fowl, Somali ostriches, and others.

A camel-back safari is a specialty in Samburu, and a cultural visit to the Samburu people, who depend on their cattle, goats, sheep, and donkeys, can also be arranged.

Accommodation Options
Luxury Accommodation: Soroi Larsens Tented Camp, Elephant Bedroom Camp
Mid-Range Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge, Samburu Simba Lodge
Budget Accommodation: Lion King Bush Camp Samburu

Meal Plan {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}

Day 3: Samburu Game Reserve – Drive to Nairobi

0630 Hours: Enjoy an early morning game drive

0900 Hours: Return to your lodge/ hotel for a proper sit-down English breakfast

1000 Hours: Check out of the hotel and depart by road back to Nairobi, arriving mid-afternoon

Meal Plan {Breakfast}

Samburu Game Reserve Road Safari 3 Days 2 Nights Tour Rates Include

✓ Safari game drives
✓ All meals included while on safari
✓  All applicable Game Park entrance fees
✓ Guaranteed window seating with open top
✓ Safari vehicles carry cold drinks and mineral water
✓ Round-trip transport from Nairobi to Samburu Game Reserve
✓ Multi-lingual Professional Safari Guide/ Driver. (Professional Safari Escort is available upon request)
✓ Accommodations of your choice in Samburu Game Reserve/ Buffalo Springs or Shaba National Reserve

Notes

* Option of pop-up top 4 x 4 Land Cruiser jeep is  at an extra cost

Samburu Game Reserve Road Safari 3 Days 2 Nights Tour Rates Do Not Include

✘ International Airfare
✘ Accommodations in Nairobi
✘ A visit to a Samburu Cultural Village
✘ Cost of obtaining a passport and visas
✘ Gratuity for your professional driver-guide
✘ Sundowner bush cocktails and bush dinner
✘ Gratuity for porters/ waiters at hotels, camps, and airports
✘ Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)
✘ Personal expenses such as traveling insurance, excess baggage fee, communication charges that include laundry, emails, faxes, and phone calls, beverages including luxury champagne, luxury spirits, beer, and wines during meals or meals not indicated in the itinerary

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