Classic Kenya Family Safari | 8 Days | Nairobi, Amboseli & Masai Mara

Why This Safari

Built for families. Remembered forever.

Most Kenya safaris are designed for adults. This one is built differently. Every day of this 8-day journey is chosen because of what it does to a child — and because of what watching it does to a parent. You’ll see your children feed orphaned baby elephants, offer a pellet from their mouth to a Rothschild’s giraffe, watch a thousand-strong elephant herd gather on Amboseli’s dusty plains with Kilimanjaro floating above them, and float silently over the Mara as Africa comes alive at dawn.

Three destinations, three different Kenyas. Nairobi introduces the wildlife and the culture through intimate, hands-on experiences that make children care about what they’re about to see in the wild. Amboseli delivers iconic elephant photography and the Cynthia Moss Research Centre, where the science of elephant family life comes alive for young minds. The Masai Mara delivers the theatre — the greatest concentration of wildlife on earth, in a private conservancy your family shares with almost nobody else.

“We designed this safari because we’re parents too. Every experience on it was chosen for the same reason — because it’s the kind of thing you still talk about thirty years later.”

— Gerald Omondi, Safari Travel Plus

8Days

3Destinations

14+Experiences

100%Private

Destinations Visited

Nairobi

Karen, the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre. A gentle city start that turns children into conservationists before they reach the bush.

Amboseli

Africa’s finest elephant herds photographed against the snow-capped summit of Kilimanjaro. Tortilis Camp private house — your own 4×4, low-vehicle conservancy.

Masai Mara

The world’s greatest wildlife reserve. Naibosho Conservancy — private, low-vehicle game drives. Balloon safari at dawn included in the package price.

Day by Day

8 days. A lifetime of memories.

Jambo, Kenya

Arrival · Private Transfer · Karen

Your adventure begins at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where your private driver meets you in the arrivals hall — no queuing for shared transfers, no waiting. The 45-minute drive to Karen takes you through Nairobi’s leafy southern suburbs to Ngong House, set in 10 acres of lush gardens. The accommodation here is unlike a standard hotel: private treehouse suites and cosy log cabins nestled in forest gardens. After a long flight this is exactly the right place to land — quiet, beautiful and immediately Africa. Settle in, meet the team, and let your children discover the garden before dinner.

Arrival City safari

Tonight’s lodge: Ngong House, Karen, Nairobi

The Elephants Who Were Saved

Elephant Orphanage · Conservation · Karen

This is the morning your children will talk about for years. After breakfast your driver takes you to the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage — part of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which has rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of orphaned elephants. The elephants here — baby and juvenile — were separated from their families, often because of poaching, and are being slowly prepared for life back in the wild. You will be close enough to touch them. Children who meet these elephants do not just see a wildlife attraction — they begin to understand what conservation actually means, in the most personal way possible. Afternoon at leisure at Ngong House.

Child favourite Conservation Hands-on wildlife

Tonight’s lodge: Ngong House, Karen

The Giraffe Kiss & Fly to Amboseli

Giraffe Centre · Wilson Airport · Chartered Flight

Morning at the Giraffe Centre — home to a herd of endangered Rothschild’s giraffes. The highlight no child forgets: the giraffe kiss. Hold a food pellet between your lips, lean forward, and an enormous gentle giraffe bends its neck to take it from you. It is joyful and unforgettable. After lunch, transfer to Wilson Airport for a chartered flight south-west to Amboseli — 45 minutes above the Rift Valley before the vast flat plain opens below you, Kilimanjaro floating on the horizon.

Child favourite Photography Fly-in

Tonight’s lodge: Tortilis Camp, Amboseli (arriving)

Elephants at Kilimanjaro’s Feet

Game Drive · Photography · Kitirua Conservancy

Tortilis Camp sits on the boundary of Amboseli in the private Kitirua Conservancy — low vehicle numbers, intimate game viewing. Your family has your own 4×4 and driver-tracker team for the entire stay. Amboseli is famous for its large-tusked elephants, seen in herds of 50 or more moving across dusty plains with Kilimanjaro as their backdrop — one of Africa’s great wildlife photographs, and you will be living it. Morning and afternoon drives, meals at the camp, evenings on the veranda as the mountain fades from view.

Game drive Photography Big Five

Tonight’s lodge: Tortilis Camp, Amboseli

The Research Centre & Fly to the Mara

Cynthia Moss Research Centre · Airstrip Transfer · Fly-in

Morning visit to the Cynthia Moss Elephant Research Centre — Moss has spent over 50 years studying Amboseli’s elephants and her work transformed our understanding of elephant family life, memory and grief. For children this is a rare, formative experience: real science, real stakes, real animals they have now spent two days watching. After lunch farewell to Tortilis, transfer to the airstrip and fly north-west to the Masai Mara. On arrival, met by the Ol Seki Hemingways team and transferred to your 2-bedroom family suite.

Conservation Child favourite Fly-in

Tonight’s lodge: Ol Seki Hemingways Mara (arriving)

Into the Mara

Dawn Game Drive · Big Five · Bush Breakfast

The Naibosho Conservancy borders the Masai Mara National Reserve with a fraction of the vehicles. Your family suite has a private kitchen area, separate sleeping quarters and a veranda with conservancy views. Dawn game drives begin before first light: lions finishing the night’s hunt, cheetah scanning the plains, elephants moving between tree lines. Return for brunch. Afternoon drive in the golden light. Dinner at camp — and on clear nights, telescope stargazing from your veranda. The Naibosho has almost no light pollution; the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye.

Game drive Big Five Bush breakfast

Tonight’s lodge: Ol Seki Hemingways Mara, Naibosho Conservancy

The Balloon Morning

Pre-Dawn Launch · One Hour Over the Mara · Champagne Breakfast

Wake before dawn. Your guide collects you by torchlight and transfers you to the launch site where the balloon is already inflating in the dark. As the first light appears you lift off — silently — above the Mara. For one hour you float. The Mara River below, its hippo pools steaming in the cool air. Giraffe moving across the plain. Wildebeest herds if you are here in season. Children stand in silence for most of this flight. On landing, a champagne breakfast (juice for the children) is laid out on the plains. One of the great mornings in Africa. Afternoon at leisure or a final game drive.

Balloon included Child favourite Photography Bush breakfast

Tonight’s lodge: Ol Seki Hemingways Mara

Farewell to Africa

Final Game Drive · Return Flight · Nairobi

A final early game drive — no family wants to waste a single Mara hour. Return for breakfast. Transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled flight back to Wilson Airport and onward to JKIA. The elephants, the giraffe kiss, the balloon, the dawn over the Mara — they go with you.

Game drive Departure

What's Included

Inclusions & Exclusions

Included

Private airport transfers in Nairobi throughout
2 nights at Ngong House, Karen (fully inclusive)
Chartered flight Nairobi → Amboseli (Wilson Airport to Amboseli airstrip)
2 nights at Tortilis Camp private house, Amboseli (game package basis)
Own private 4×4 and driver-tracker team at Tortilis Camp
Visit to the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Nairobi
Visit to the Giraffe Centre including nature walk, Nairobi
Visit to the Cynthia Moss Elephant Research Centre, Amboseli
Scheduled flight Amboseli → Masai Mara
3 nights at Ol Seki Hemingways Mara, Naibosho Conservancy (fully inclusive, 2-bedroom family suite)
Hot air balloon safari in the Masai Mara (champagne breakfast included)
All game drives throughout
All meals throughout (fully inclusive basis)
Mineral water throughout
Selected park fees and taxes

Excluded

International flights and airport taxes
Kenya eTA / visa fees
Festive season supplements (December / New Year)
Tips and gratuities to guides, camp staff and drivers
Alcoholic and soft drinks (beyond mineral water)
Laundry, telephone and personal extras
Travel and medical insurance
Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary

Where You'll Stay

Three extraordinary properties.

Ngong House Karen Nairobi luxury garden estate

Boutique Garden Estate

2 Nights Karen, Nairobi

Ngong House

Ngong House sits in 10 acres of lush garden in the upscale Karen neighbourhood — named after the Ngong Hills that rise behind it. The accommodation is unlike a standard hotel: private treehouse suites and cosy log cabins set among indigenous forest gardens. After a long international flight, it’s the perfect landing pad — quiet, beautiful, and already unmistakably Africa. The team is warm, the gardens are a natural playground, and the breakfast is the kind that sets you up for the day.

Treehouse & log cabin suites 10-acre garden estate Karen, Nairobi Ideal arrival night

Tortilis Camp Amboseli private house with Kilimanjaro views

Luxury Private House

2 Nights Kitirua Conservancy, Amboseli

Tortilis Camp

Tortilis Camp sits on the boundary of Amboseli National Park in the private Kitirua Conservancy — a concession with strictly controlled vehicle numbers that makes game viewing here feel genuinely exclusive. Families stay in the camp’s private house: a self-contained unit with its own veranda, swimming pool and views toward Kilimanjaro. You have your own 4×4 and driver-tracker team for the entire stay. The Cynthia Moss Elephant Research Centre is accessible directly from the camp.

Private house with own pool Own 4×4 & tracker team Kitirua Private Conservancy Kilimanjaro views

Ol Seki Hemingways Mara Naibosho Conservancy family suite

Luxury Tented Camp

3 Nights Naibosho Conservancy, Masai Mara

Ol Seki Hemingways Mara

Ol Seki Hemingways Mara sits in the exclusive Naibosho Conservancy — adjacent to the Masai Mara National Reserve but with a fraction of the vehicle numbers. Families are accommodated in the 2-bedroom suite with a private kitchen area and separate sleeping quarters, giving the family group its own space between game drives. The conservancy’s low visitor density means game drives feel private. Night drives are possible. And on clear nights the lack of light pollution means the Milky Way is visible from your veranda.

2-bedroom family suite Naibosho Conservancy Night drives permitted Balloon safari airstrip nearby

Your Safari Vehicle

Built for the African bush.

Custom Family 4×4 Land Cruiser

Every game drive on this family safari takes place in a custom-fitted Toyota Land Cruiser — Kenya’s most trusted safari vehicle. Spacious enough for the whole family, with a full pop-up roof for unobstructed wildlife viewing, a cool box for snacks and chilled water, and charging points to keep cameras and devices powered across every full-day drive.

Custom Toyota Land Cruiser family safari vehicle

Exterior — Custom Toyota Land Cruiser

Safari Land Cruiser interior with leather seats and cool box

Interior — Leather seats & cool box

Custom Toyota Land Cruiser on safari in Kenya

On safari — Masai Mara

Full Pop-Up Roof The entire roof lifts open for unobstructed 360° wildlife viewing and photography. A game drive is experienced standing, not craning through a window. Closes in seconds when it rains.

Spacious Family Seating Elevated captain seats with individual armrests and adjustable lumbar support. Plenty of space for children between adults, with window seats and roof hatch access for every passenger.

Cool Box & Snacks Chilled drinking water and snacks available throughout every drive. The on-board cool box keeps water, juice and fruit cold across long full-day game drives — essential with children aboard.

USB & 12V Charging Multiple USB-A, USB-C and 12V charging points throughout. Keep cameras, tablets, phones and drones charged across every full-day drive — no dead batteries on the most photogenic day of your year.

Full First Aid Kit On Board Every vehicle carries a comprehensive first aid kit and your guide holds a current first aid certificate. Emergency numbers are pre-saved. Your family’s safety is the first consideration on every drive.

Genuine 4-Wheel Drive True 4WD traction for Amboseli and the Mara’s rutted tracks, river crossings and off-road terrain. The Land Cruiser handles terrain that no minivan or saloon could navigate.

100% Private — Always This vehicle is your family’s alone. No strangers, no compromises on timing, no waiting for others. Your guide responds to you, your children and the sightings — not a group itinerary.

4-Wheel Drive Throughout

Genuine 4×4 traction is essential in the Mara and Amboseli — especially after rain. The Land Cruiser handles rutted tracks, river crossings and off-road terrain that no minivan or saloon could navigate.

Maximum 6 Passengers

The Land Cruiser seats up to 6 comfortably, with full pop-roof access for everyone. For family groups of 3–5, you’ll find generous space per person — and room for all the camera gear.

Pre-Departure Safety Check

Every vehicle undergoes a full mechanical inspection before each safari departs. We carry a spare tyre, tow rope and basic repair kit as standard. In 15 years we have never abandoned a client on the road.

Investment

Safari costs

This is a premium 8-day family safari across three destinations with some of Kenya’s most exclusive family camps. Pricing varies by travel dates, group size, children’s ages and seasonal rates. We’ll prepare a detailed, no-obligation quote tailored to your exact family — including all flights, transfers and activities.

Prices are per person sharing. Children’s rates available — ask when enquiring.
Balloon safari is included in the package price.

Questions & Answers

Family safari FAQ.

We recommend this safari for children aged 5 and above. The Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Centre are accessible for all ages. Game drives at Tortilis and Ol Seki are suitable for children 5+. The balloon safari has a minimum age of 7 (some operators require 8 — we confirm at booking).

Yes. One hot air balloon flight in the Masai Mara is included. The flight lasts approximately one hour, followed by a champagne breakfast on the plains (juice for the children). The minimum age is typically 7.

Children get very close to orphaned baby and juvenile elephants — close enough to touch and feed them. The experience also explains why these elephants were orphaned and what the trust is doing to rehabilitate and return them to the wild. For most children it is the highlight of their trip.

The Giraffe Centre allows you to feed endangered Rothschild’s giraffes from a raised platform. The famous “giraffe kiss” involves holding a food pellet between your lips so the giraffe — which is enormous but very gentle — bends its neck to take it from you. It is completely safe and universally beloved by children and adults alike.

Yes. Ngong House, Tortilis Camp and Ol Seki Hemingways Mara all have experience with families. Tortilis’s private house gives families their own space and pool. Ol Seki’s 2-bedroom family suite has a private kitchen area. All three camps have staff experienced with children.

Very much so. Amboseli’s large elephant herds — often 50 or more — are some of the most visible and impressive wildlife in Kenya. The flat, open plains mean children can see animals easily from a comfortable 4×4. The Kitirua Conservancy’s low vehicle numbers mean a calm, unhurried experience.

Dr Cynthia Moss has studied the elephants of Amboseli for over 50 years. Her research centre offers a behind-the-scenes look at long-term elephant research — tracking family groups, studying elephant behaviour, understanding their social structures. For children who have spent two days watching Amboseli’s elephants, this is a powerful and memorable experience.

Nairobi to Amboseli: approximately 45 minutes by chartered light aircraft. Amboseli to Masai Mara: approximately 45 minutes on a scheduled light aircraft. Both are scenic, comfortable and children generally love them.

Absolutely. We can adjust the length of stay at each destination, upgrade or change accommodation, add a coastal beach extension in Diani, or modify activities to suit children’s ages. Use the Get a Custom Safari Quote button to discuss your family’s specific needs.

Light, neutral-coloured layers (khaki, olive, beige), a warm fleece for cool mornings, sun hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, comfortable closed shoes for nature walks, and binoculars if they have them. Camera or tablet for photography. The camps all provide laundry service.

The safari your children will never forget.