3 Day Tsavo East and Taita Hills Safari from Malindi

Your Day-by-Day Itinerary Break Down

This safari pairs Tsavo East, Kenya’s largest park, with the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a private conservancy set between low hills and open plains. Because Taita Hills is private land, not a national park, we can also take you on a night game drive, something you cannot do inside Tsavo itself. We pick you up from your hotel in Malindi, Watamu, Diani or Mombasa and bring you back on day 3.

Day 1

Malindi to Tsavo East

Pickup starts at 06:30 from your hotel. The drive to Tsavo East takes around three hours on tarmac road, and we enter through Sala Gate with a game drive on the way in, watching for elephants, giraffes, buffalo and lion. You reach your lodge around 13:00 for lunch and a short rest. At 16:00 you head out again for an evening game drive before dinner and an overnight stay in the park.

Day 2

Tsavo East to Taita Hills

A game drive at 06:30 gives you one more pass through Tsavo East before breakfast. Around 09:30 you leave the park toward Voi and continue to the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, which sits between Tsavo East and Tsavo West against a backdrop of hills that rise well above the flat Tsavo plains. You arrive at your lodge around midday for lunch. In the afternoon, from 16:00, you go on a game drive across the sanctuary, looking for elephant, buffalo, lion and the greater kudu, a striking antelope with long spiral horns. After dinner, at 20:00, you head out again for a night game drive, when Taita Hills’ status as private land allows a kind of wildlife viewing the national parks do not.

Day 3

Taita Hills and return to the coast

After breakfast at 07:30, there is a final morning game drive around the sanctuary before checkout. The drive back to the coast takes most of the day, with stops for lunch and rest along the way. You arrive back at your hotel in the evening.

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Helpful Tips

  • Pack a light jacket, since Taita Hills sits higher than the coast and evenings can be cool.
  • Bring a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent.
  • A torch is useful for the night game drive, in addition to the vehicle’s spotlight.
  • Binoculars help for spotting animals across Tsavo’s open plains.
  • Carry small notes in cash for tips and any extras at the lodge.

Price Includes

  • Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
  • Professional driver-guide
  • All park and sanctuary entry fees
  • Accommodation for 2 nights on the safari
  • Meals as stated in the itinerary
  • Game drives as listed, including the night game drive
  • Bottled water during the safari

Price Excludes

  • Visa and travel insurance
  • Tips for your driver-guide and lodge staff
  • Drinks other than water
  • Personal items and souvenirs

FAQS

Taita Hills is a private wildlife sanctuary, not a national park, so rules around timing are more flexible. That’s why it’s one of the few places on this route where a night game drive is possible.
Yes. We pick up from Diani, Mombasa, Watamu or Malindi and adjust the day 1 start time to suit the drive from your hotel.
Elephant, buffalo and lion are commonly seen in both Tsavo East and Taita Hills. Leopard and rhino are less predictable, since both are naturally scarce and often nocturnal.
It’s included in this itinerary, since it only runs on the Taita Hills sanctuary land, not inside Tsavo East itself.
Yes. Ask us about extending this into a longer safari that adds Tsavo West or Amboseli after Taita Hills.
safari pricing

Your dates. Your lodge level. Your quote.

Safari rates change with the season, number of travellers and available accommodation. 

You might also like

Similar Safaris

More itineraries picked by past travellers, to help you find the right length and route.

red elephants in tsavo east waterhole bathing to make to retail their red color during a 2 day safari from malindi

2 Day Tsavo East Safari from Malindi

View Itenerary
herd of elephants in amboseli during a 5 day Amboseli Tsavo safari

5 Day Safari: Amboseli, Tsavo West, Taita Hills and Tsavo East

View Itenerary
cheetar during a night game drive in tsavo west

3 Day Tsavo East and Tsavo West Safari from Malindi

View Itenerary