Kenya Heritage Safari & Lamu Island Tour: 12-Day Adventure

Overview

NAIROBI, LIMURU, MWEA, NAKURU, MASAI MARA & LAMU

This Cultural Discovery Kenya Heritage Tour is a 12-day private guided itinerary in Kenya. If you would like to experience the social aspect of Kenya and learn more about its rich culture, this trip is specially designed for that. While still taking in the beautiful landscape and enjoying spectacular game drives in the national parks of Nakuru and Masai Mara, learn more about the rice fields, tea and coffee traditions, as well as the dance and song of different Kenyan tribes. You will also get to relax on the shores of the pristine Indian Ocean while discovering a cultural jam of East Africa – Lamu. The itinerary is an excellent choice for family travelling with children, groups of friends, or couples who like active trips, as well as for senior travelers. The program includes accommodation at lodges with a lot of comfort and charm.

Tour Plan

Day 01 Bomas of Kenya

Upon arrival at J.K.I.A NBO Airport, you will be met and transferred to the hotel in the city. Depending on arrival time, a visit to Bomas of Kenya can be organized after settling in. "Boma" is a Swahili word for homestead, and this is what you will find at this famous venue located a few minutes' drive from the city Centre. The site introduces you to Kenya's 16 major tribes, and the homesteads reflect the diversity of the country's rich culture. The highlight of the tour is a display of traditional dances and acrobatic shows performed at the venue’s expansive arena. After the show we have dinner in one of the great restaurants of the capital city.

Meals & overnight stay in Nairobi

Day 02 Tea & Coffee Farms

After breakfast, visit Kiambethu tea farm in Limuru, located on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. The region enjoys the perfect climate needed for year-round tea cultivation. The farmhouse is set within beautiful gardens surrounded by acres of endless tea fields. The guided tour takes you through the history of Kenyan tea growing. Visit the colonial farmhouse and walk in the forest which is home to the Colobus monkey and other wildlife. Lunch and afternoon tea are included. After lunch, drive towards Fairview Coffee Estate to immerse in the intricate details of the coffee-making process from the budding of the flowers to the final cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Dinner & overnight in Nairobi

Day 03 Mwea rice Fields

After breakfast, you will depart for Kirinyaga at Mwea Tebere rice fields, the traditional rice growing area of Kenya, along the drainage basins of Rivers Nyamindi and Thiba, which supply the irrigation water. Rice farming here is lucrative but challenging. It is a venture that has transformed the lives of many locals both economically and socially. One can see many endemic birds in the rice fields. You will have a picnic lunch out in the open fields whilst you enjoy the countryside scenery drive via Makutano, Sagana, through Karatina, the largest open-air market in East Africa, before proceeding to the mountain. Later in the evening, arrive in Nyeri.

Dinner & Overnight at Aberdare Country Club

Day 04 Nyeri to Nyahururu

After breakfast, drive to Nyahururu. We shall have lunch at Thompson's Falls Lodge, which overlooks the mighty falls discovered by Joseph Thompson in 1883. Thomson Falls plunges from 72m high on the Ewaso Narok River on the far northern end of the Aberdare Ranges. This waterfall is very close to the geographical equator of the Earth. You can hike all the way up close to the falls or enjoy the views from a wooden platform. This place has a peaceful, humidly beautiful, and serene environment. Spend the afternoon visiting the town market area and the surroundings.

Lunch, Dinner & Overnight at Thompson's Falls Lodge- Nyahururu.

Day 05 Nyahururu to Nakuru

After breakfast, check out to Nakuru to visit the dormant Menengai Crater, which bubbles up every so often, causing faults that break up the highway nearby. Thereafter, we shall proceed for lunch, visit Lake Nakuru National Park in the afternoon to view the magnificent pink flamingoes and other birds on the lake. The lake has a protected sanctuary for endangered species, like pelicans, cormorants, black-winged stilts, avocets, and migrant European birds. Besides its magnificent bird life, it is also one of the best places in Kenya to see both black and white rhino. Watch these magnificent mammals grazing the shoreline of the lake or wallowing in the mud. One can also see Rothschild's giraffe here, a resident population of tree­ climbing lions, leopards, and more.

Dinner & overnight in Nakuru.

Day 06 Nakuru to Masai Mara

Depart for the world-famous Maasai Mara Reserve after breakfast. Nearby Nakuru, there are two lookouts with great views, the Baboon cliff and the Out of Africa lookout - a great place to stop before driving further to the Mara. The drive will take several hours, and you will reach the camp in the late afternoon.  After lunch and relaxation, we shall set off on an evening game drive at 4 PM. Exit the park gate by 6 PM and return to your lodge by 6.30 pm for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 07 Masai Mara Full Day

As your Maasai Mara safari is private, your time spent at the Mara is shaped by your own wishes. You can take breaks, spending time as you please, relaxing at your lodge. Your driver/guide is only too happy to help you plan the details of your stay for the best experience. Useful if you are travelling with children or are on a honeymoon. You may choose to have:

 [Option 1] A full day game drive [one for the whole day] with a packed picnic lunch at no extra cost. Return in the evening for dinner and overnight at the lodge.

 [Option 2] Proceed for an early morning pre-breakfast game drive, return to the camp for breakfast, then after breakfast relax in the hotel enjoying the facilities, have lunch at the lodge and later in the evening, you can opt for an optional visit to a local Maasai village to learn about the nomadic lifestyle. Or go for an evening game drive, returning to the camp for dinner and an overnight stay.

[Option 3] You could also do a very early morning Hot Air Balloon safari flight with some champagne breakfast then proceed for a full day game drive with packed lunch. Exit the park gate by 6 PM and return to your lodge by 6.30pm for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 08 Masai Mara to Lamu

Early morning game drives and back to the camp for breakfast. After breakfast, you will be dropped off at the airstrip to take a flight to Lamu via Wilson in Nairobi. From Wilson Airport, connect with the afternoon flight to Lamu. Upon arrival, you will be met for a boat transfer to the hotel. Spend the rest of the evening at leisure. The town was founded in the 14th century, and it contains many fine examples of Swahili architecture. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as "the oldest and best­ preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa".

Dinner & overnight in Lamu

Day 09 Lamu

The Kenyan coast feels like a different world from the Savannahs of Safari country. Low lying & sandy, indented by mangrove-lined creeks, & shaded by nodding palm trees, the coast blends the bright light and colors of the tropics with the sparkling azure blue of the Indian Ocean. When you squint through the afternoon sunlight, you will watch traditional lanterns rigged dhows sailing out beyond the coral reefs. A place steeped in history, a veritable paradise of sugar white, crystal clear waters and dramatic scenery. Dinner & overnight in Lamu.

Day 10 Lamu

Encounter the ancient Swahili culture in charming villages. Visit the pure coastal settlements, a collection of fascinating villages steeped in timeless tradition, embodying the life of a Kenyan, in all its simplicity. Become a local for the day and fall in love with genuine traditions, arts and crafts, habits, and local homemade meals. Lamu, once a center for the slave trade, has an ethnically diverse population. Lamu was on the main Arabian trading routes, and as a result, the population is largely Muslim. The island has no motorized vehicles. Transportation and other heavy work are done with the help of donkeys.

Meals & Overnight in Lamu

Day 11 Lamu

Lamu is a place where time slows down. Peaceful, tropical, laid back, bohemian - and still unspoilt by mass tourism: it is a place like no other. Life here revolves around long beach strolls, dhow sailing, and exploration of the old Swahili settlements with their unique coral stone townhouses. If you want to adopt the laid-back pace of life, enjoy a blend of the African and Middle Eastern cuisines, then Lamu is the perfect gateway for you. Snorkel with turtles and watch dolphins during glass-bottom boat rides. Spend lazy days in the sun, enjoying the vivid colors of the Indian Ocean.

Meals & Overnight in Lamu.

Day 12 Departure from Lamu

Kwaheri ya kuonana! [Simply meaning bye and see you again]

Today is the time for one last beachfront breakfast before you are transferred to Manda airport to catch the midday-scheduled flight to J.K.l.A to connect to your international flight. Alternatively, there are also international flights leaving from Mombasa Airport. Choose the most convenient way. If you have time in Nairobi, enjoy a nice Kenyan meal at one of the many good restaurants in the capital city, or enjoy the clubbing life of this city. There are charming hidden places to visit, Dining and shopping are very good here. Today, enjoy a relaxing time at the lodge or head out to one of the good local restaurants for a dining experience.

Included/Excluded

  • Accommodation as specified in the itinerary on Full board basis in the lodge/camp
  • The accommodation often gets full during the peak season and is only confirmed upon making a deposit. Kindly book early to ensure you don’t miss your preferred accommodation.
  • Exclusive transport in a Safari Tour vehicle with a Game viewing roof hatch and UHF radio
  • Private Safari game drives for the tour
  • Domestic Flights in Kenya
  • Services of a certified Professional, English-speaking Driver Guide including all his expenses & allowances
  • Fuel, driver and car park fees, driver's allowance
  • All Park entry fees for clients, driver guide and vehicle
  • International flight tickets and visa costs.
  • Tips, drinks, laundry, calls, and all such costs of a personal nature.
  • Personal Insurance cover
  • Attractions and events not included in your itinerary
  • Credit Card Surcharge of 5 to 7% will apply or Bank Transfer Fees of USD 50.

Tour Map

Enquiry Form