Seremara Safaris
5-Day Samburu & Meru Safari
Kenya's wild, uncrowded north — rare desert wildlife and lush riverine wilderness
5-Day Samburu & Meru Safari
If you've already done the Masai Mara and want somewhere genuinely off the well-worn safari trail, Samburu and Meru are exactly what you're looking for. Tucked into Kenya's arid north, this is a landscape of red earth, doum palms and the life-giving Ewaso Nyiro River — and a very different cast of wildlife from the southern circuits.
In Samburu, you'll track the 'Samburu Special Five' — Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Somali ostrich and beisa oryx — species found almost nowhere else in Kenya, alongside healthy populations of elephant, lion and leopard along the riverbanks. From there you'll head to Meru National Park, the wild, lush setting made famous by George and Joy Adamson's lion conservation work (and the book/film Born Free), where dense bush and permanent rivers create a beautifully different safari atmosphere from the open plains further south.
Both reserves see a fraction of the visitor numbers of the Mara, so your game drives here feel wilder, quieter and far more personal.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi to Samburu National Reserve
You'll be picked up from your Nairobi hotel or the airport in the morning and driven north via Nanyuki and Isiolo, a scenic route of around 320-345 km (5-7 hours) that takes you past Mount Kenya and into increasingly arid, dramatic scenery. After lunch and check-in at your camp, you'll head out for an afternoon game drive along the Ewaso Nyiro River, keeping an eye out for elephant herds coming down to drink. Overnight in Samburu, full board.
Day 2: Full Day Samburu Game Drives
You'll have a full day of morning and afternoon game drives across Samburu's riverine forest and dry scrubland, tracking the reserve's signature 'Special Five' species alongside lion, leopard, cheetah and large elephant herds that gather at the river. Your driver-guide will also point out the reserve's rich birdlife, including several species found only in this arid northern ecosystem. Overnight in Samburu, full board.
Day 3: Samburu to Meru National Park
After breakfast, you'll drive to Meru National Park, a journey of roughly 230-300 km taking 4-6 hours depending on road conditions. Meru's dense bush, doum palm groves and network of permanent rivers make it feel completely different from the drier reserves further north — this is the park where George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa the lioness, made famous in Born Free. You'll settle into your camp with time for a late-afternoon game drive. Overnight in Meru, full board.
Day 4: Full Day Meru National Park
You'll spend the day exploring Meru's varied habitats — from open grassland to thick riverine forest — in search of elephant, buffalo, reticulated giraffe, and the park's successfully reintroduced black and white rhino populations in the dedicated rhino sanctuary. With visitor numbers far lower than Kenya's southern parks, you'll likely have long stretches of the park entirely to yourselves. Overnight in Meru, full board.
Day 5: Meru to Nairobi and Departure
After breakfast and a final short game drive, you'll begin the drive back to Nairobi, around 350 km taking 6-7 hours, arriving in time for your onward flight or evening at leisure in the city, bringing your northern Kenya adventure to a close.
Photo Gallery
What's Included
- All park entrance fees for the itinerary listed
- Private 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof hatch
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Unlimited bottled drinking water on board
- All accommodation on the board basis specified per day
- All ground transport, transfers and game drives listed
- Airstrip/border transfers where applicable
- Flying doctors emergency evacuation cover
Trip Planning Guide
Samburu and Meru are good year-round destinations, but the dry seasons (June to October and January to February) offer the easiest game viewing as animals concentrate near the rivers. The long rains (March to May) bring lush green scenery and excellent birdlife but can make some roads harder going.
- Lightweight, neutral-coloured clothing — this is a hotter, drier climate than the southern circuits
- A hat, sunglasses and strong sunscreen
- Binoculars for spotting the Samburu Special Five at a distance
- A light rain jacket if travelling during the rainy seasons
If you'd prefer to skip the long road transfer, both Samburu and Meru have airstrips served by scheduled light-aircraft flights from Nairobi (around 1-1.5 hours each way). Let us know if you'd like us to quote this itinerary with flights instead of road transfers.
If you've already experienced the Masai Mara, or simply want a quieter, more off-the-beaten-path safari, Samburu and Meru give you a genuinely different Kenya — different terrain, different wildlife, and far fewer vehicles at every sighting.
Tour Route Map
Frequently Asked Questions
It works well either way, but many of our clients choose Samburu and Meru as a second Kenya safari after visiting the Masai Mara, since it offers a deliberately different landscape and wildlife mix. First-timers are equally welcome and will still see the Big Five-adjacent highlights this region is known for.
They're five species particularly associated with Kenya's arid north: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk (the long-necked antelope that stands on its hind legs to feed), Somali ostrich, and beisa oryx. You have an excellent chance of seeing all five across your two days in Samburu.
Yes — scheduled flights connect Nairobi to both Samburu and Meru in about 90 minutes each way. We're happy to quote this itinerary with flights included if you'd prefer to save the road time.
Yes. Meru is a well-managed Kenya Wildlife Service park with good roads, several established camps and lodges, and a dedicated, well-protected rhino sanctuary. It's simply far less visited than parks like the Mara or Amboseli, which is exactly its appeal.
5-Day Samburu & Meru Safari
Request Your Tour
Seremara Safaris
Featured Safari Trips
