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

Your Day-by-Day Itinerary Break Down

This route strings together four parks that sit close to one another in southeastern Kenya, starting in Nairobi and ending on the coast. You go from Amboseli’s elephant herds and Kilimanjaro views, through Tsavo West’s springs and rhino sanctuary, to a night game drive at Taita Hills, and finish in Tsavo East before reaching the beach. It’s a good option if you want a full safari without the long cross-country drives that routes through the Maasai Mara require.

Day 1

Nairobi to Amboseli

Pickup starts at 07:00 from your Nairobi hotel. The drive to Amboseli takes around four hours, and you arrive in time for lunch at your lodge. At 16:00 you head out for your first game drive. Amboseli sits at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, and its swamps hold some of the largest elephant herds in East Africa, along with buffalo, lion and plenty of plains game. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Day 2

Amboseli to Tsavo West

An early game drive at 06:30 gives you a last look at Amboseli before breakfast, with a good chance of photographing elephants against Mount Kilimanjaro. Afterward you drive to Tsavo West through Chyulu Gate, with a game drive on the way in. You reach your lodge for lunch around 13:00. At 16:00 you head out to Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, a fenced section of the park built to protect the black rhino. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Day 3

Tsavo West to Taita Hills

After breakfast at 07:00, you visit Mzima Springs, where clear spring water draws hippos and crocodiles close enough to watch from a viewing platform. From here you continue to the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a short drive further south, arriving in time for lunch. Because Taita Hills is private land rather than a national park, we can also take you on a night game drive after dinner, a kind of wildlife viewing not possible inside the national parks. Overnight at your lodge.

Day 4

Taita Hills to Tsavo East

After breakfast at 07:30, you continue to Tsavo East, Kenya’s largest park, known for its red-dust elephants and wide open plains. You enter with a game drive on the way to your lodge, arriving in time for lunch. At 16:00 you head out for an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Day 5

Tsavo East to the coast

After a final game drive at 06:30 and breakfast, you exit the park and drive to your hotel in Malindi, Watamu, Diani or Mombasa, a journey of around three to three and a half hours. You arrive in the early afternoon, with the rest of the day free to settle in.

Day 6

Day 7

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Day 9

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Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Helpful Tips

  • Pack a light jacket, since early morning game drives can be cool even though the days warm up fast.
  • A torch is useful for the night game drive at Taita Hills, in addition to the vehicle’s spotlight.
  • Binoculars help at Mzima Springs and across all four parks on this route.
  • Cameras with a longer lens are useful at Ngulia, since rhino often keep their distance.
  • Carry small notes in cash for tips and any extras at the lodges.

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 4 nights on the safari
  • Meals as stated in the itinerary
  • Game drives as listed, including the night game drive at Taita Hills
  • Bottled water during the safari

Price Excludes

  • International and domestic flights
  • Visa and travel insurance
  • Tips for your driver-guide and lodge staff
  • Drinks other than water
  • Personal items and souvenir

FAQS

It ends on the coast, in Malindi, Watamu, Diani or Mombasa, so you can continue straight into a beach stay. If you need to return to Nairobi instead, we can organize that.
Elephant, buffalo and lion are common across these four parks. Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary gives you a strong chance at rhino. Leopard is possible everywhere but shy and harder to predict.
It’s a private wildlife sanctuary rather than a national park, which is why a night game drive is possible there and not in the others.
Yes, we can run this route in reverse, starting from Malindi, Watamu, Diani or Mombasa and ending in Nairobi, or adjust the order to suit your flights.
Yes. We can drop Taita Hills to bring this down to 4 days, or add the Maasai Mara or Lake Nakuru for a longer trip.
safari pricing

Your dates. Your lodge level. Your quote.

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

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