Samburu SafarisFive species the Mara does not have Plan my trip
The special fiveThe three reservesWhen to goSamburu peopleHow it fits Plan a Samburu trip
A giraffe with two calves

Northern Kenya

Different country, different animals

Samburu is not a quieter version of the Mara. It is a different biome (arid, red, strung along one river) holding five species that simply do not occur in southern Kenya.

Plan a Samburu trip Meet the special five
Itinerary and quote within 24 hoursPlanned on the ground in KenyaNo deposit, no obligation
Reply within 24 hoursA real itinerary and a real price, not a brochure.
Planned in KenyaBy our partner agency on the ground, not a call centre.
Itemised quotesYou can see what every night and every fee costs.
No obligationNo deposit to get a plan. Walk away at any point.
Best for
Northern species, low vehicle numbers
Best months
June – October, December – March
Suggested stay
2 – 3 nights
From Nairobi
1-hr flight or 5–6 hours by road

The draw

The special five

Five species adapted to dry country, none of which you will see in the Mara, Amboseli or the Serengeti.

Three zebras standing head to head

Grevy’s zebra

Narrow stripes, white belly, enormous rounded ears. Endangered, and the largest wild equid on earth.

How to identify it
A giraffe with two calves

Reticulated giraffe

Clean-edged liver-red polygons separated by white lines, as if drawn with a ruler. Quite unlike the Mara’s Masai giraffe.

Tell them apart
A bull elephant standing in tall grass

Gerenuk

The giraffe gazelle. Absurdly long neck, and it stands on its hind legs to browse, which you have to see.

Meet it
A round thatched banda on a ridge, reached by a boardwalk, looking out over dry plains

Beisa oryx

Grey, straight-horned, black-masked. Built to go a very long time without drinking.

Meet it
Elephants and zebras sharing open grassland

Somali ostrich

Blue-grey neck and legs rather than pink. A distinct species, not a colour variant.

Meet it
A leopard resting on a rock

And the rest

Elephant and leopard along the river, a genuine chance of wild dog, and vulturine guineafowl everywhere.

What else is here

The honest bit

A superb second park, and a poor first one

If this is your first safari and you have a week, Samburu is probably the wrong choice. Mara plus Amboseli gives you more variety for less travel, and higher density of the animals you came to see.

If you have been on safari before and want species you have not seen, Samburu is the single best addition in Kenya. It is also one of the quietest places in the country. You can spend an hour on a leopard with nobody else there.

  • A fraction of the Mara’s vehicle numbers
  • Five species you will not see anywhere in southern Kenya
  • Genuinely good for leopard along the riverine forest
  • One of the better chances of wild dog in Kenya
  • Lower overall density: sightings take more work
Where Samburu fits
A round thatched banda on a ridge, reached by a boardwalk, looking out over dry plains

Free download

The Northern Species Guide

How to tell a Grevy’s zebra from a plains zebra at fifty metres, and what else lives up here that does not live in the south.

  • Why northern Kenya holds different animals at all
  • The special five, and how to identify each one
  • Grevy’s zebra versus plains zebra, the three tells
  • Reticulated versus Masai giraffe
  • What else is up here: wild dog, leopard, elephant along the river
  • The three reserves, and which your camp can drive
  • When to go, and how hot it really gets
Get the free guide Or ask for a quote

No cost, no obligation. We ask for an email so we can send it and, if you want it, follow up once.

Before you ask

The questions we get most

Is Samburu worth adding if I only have a week?

If it is your first safari, probably not. Mara plus Amboseli gives you more variety for less travelling.

If you have been before and want species you have not seen, it is the best addition in Kenya. It is also one of the quietest reserves in the country.

How hot does it get?

Genuinely hot. This is low, dry country and the middle of the day in January or February is uncomfortable in a way that surprises people who have only been to the highlands.

Camps build the day around early starts and late afternoons for exactly that reason. The middle of the day belongs to a shaded veranda.

Will I see the special five?

Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk are seen on most visits. Beisa oryx are common. Somali ostrich are the least reliable of the five but far from rare.

Two or three nights gives you a good chance of all five. Nothing is guaranteed, here or anywhere.

Is it safe?

The reserves are well run and camps operate normally. As anywhere in Kenya, check your own government’s current travel advice for the region before booking. Northern Kenya advice varies by county and does change. We will not tell you an area is fine if the advice says otherwise.

Who actually arranges my safari?

This site is a planning guide. When you send an enquiry it goes to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, who prepare your itinerary and quote and handle the booking, the payments and you on the ground.

You deal with one team from the first email to the airport transfer home.

All the questions

Start planning

Tell us what else you are seeing

Samburu earns its place on a second-week itinerary and rarely on a first. Send us the whole trip and we will tell you honestly whether it belongs on yours.

Our Kenya specialist replies within 24 hours.

  • An honest answer on whether Samburu suits the trip you are planning
  • Named camps, with which reserves each can drive
  • The road-versus-fly decision, with what each costs you
  • A route that picks up Ol Pejeta or Laikipia on the way north

Who answers

Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Nairobi, builds and prices every itinerary we send. You deal with one team, on the ground, for the whole trip.

Founded in 2017 as East Africa’s only dedicated travel magazine, Nomad still publishes, so the people planning your trip are the ones who write about these places for a living.

Get your tailored itinerary and quote

Our Kenya specialist replies within 24 hours with a costed plan built around your dates.

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Accommodation, meals, park fees, guiding and transport, the way safaris are usually costed. Trips are from about $800 per person per night, including camp, meals, park fees, guiding and transport on safari. International flights are extra. Your quote is one total that includes every charge Nomad Africa makes, with no booking fee added later. Visas, travel insurance and tips are not included. Paying from India? Your bank may collect TCS (tax collected at source) on an overseas tour payment. It is a tax, not a fee from us, and it counts towards your income tax. Prices are in US dollars. We will tell you honestly what your budget does and does not reach.
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Your details are stored in Zoho CRM and sent to Nomad Africa, our partner travel agency in Kenya, which prepares your itinerary and quote and, if you go ahead, books and runs the trip. We share them with nobody else. By sending, you agree to this; you can withdraw at any time by emailing [email protected]. Privacy notice.

Reply within 24 hours. No deposit, no obligation, and we never sell your details.

More from our Kenya guides

Specialist guides across our Kenya network

Each of these is a focused guide we publish. Same Kenya specialist behind every enquiry.

kenyasafariplanner.com Kenya Safari Planner The full planning hub: parks, seasons, itineraries, costs and how to put a Kenya trip together. laikipiasafari.com Laikipia Safari Laikipia’s conservancies: walking, riding, night drives and conservation-led camps. olpejetasafaris.com Ol Pejeta Safaris Ol Pejeta Conservancy: rhino conservation, chimpanzees and easy access from Nairobi. masaimaracamps.com Masai Mara Camps How the Mara’s camps and conservancies differ, and which one suits how you want to travel. whentovisitkenya.com When to Visit Kenya Kenya month by month: rains, wildlife, crowds and price, so you pick the right window. privatesafarikenya.com Private Safari Kenya Private-guided and exclusive-use safaris: your own vehicle, guide and schedule.

Indicative 2026/27 rates. Your quote confirms exact pricing for your dates.