10 Days Kenya Birding Tour from Nairobi

Pickup from your hotel or airport or accommodation. Start your birding safari in the only national park located within a capital city — Nairobi National Park. After a short briefing, you will head out for a full day of birding and light game viewing, with a picnic lunch inside the park.

Enjoy sightings in both acacia woodland and open grassland habitats. Key birds to look out for include Black-headed heron, Egyptian goose, Blacksmith Lapwing, Yellow-Billed oxpecker, Red-Collared Widowbird, Egrets, Secretary bird, Kori bustard, African paradise flycatcher, White-bellied bustard, African fish eagle, Yellow-throated longclaw, Northern fiscal, Speckled pigeon, Spur-winged lapwing, and Black-headed heron.

Overnight at a Nairobi hotel.

After breakfast, depart for Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake known for its bird-rich shores. Upon arrival, have lunch and relax on the shores of Lake Naivasha.

Enjoy an early evening boat ride to view waterbirds up close, followed by a guided nature walk at Crescent Island. Bird species to look out for include Great white pelican, African Fish Eagle, white breasted cormorants, Pied kingfisher, African Jacana, Red-knobbed coot, Goliath heron, Squacco Heron, Malachite kingfisher, Grey-headed gull, Little grebe, African darter, Squacco heron, and Black crake.

Overnight at a lodge by the lake.

Early morning departure for Aberdare National Park.  Today’s journey takes you into the lush highlands of the Aberdare Range. The cool montane climate supports forest and moorland birdlife, with stops along the way to spot high-altitude species. On arrival, you will enjoy guided birding walks around the forest edge.

Target birds in the Aberdare Plateau include Sharpe’s Longclaw, Yellow billed stork, Cattle egrets, Baglafetch Weaver, Hartlaub’s turaco, African green pigeon, Little Grebe, Cinnamon-chested bee-eater, Mountain buzzard, Eastern double-collared sunbird, Olive ibis, Rameron pigeon, Yellow-whiskered greenbul, Abyssinian crimsonwing, and Bar-tailed trogon.

Overnight at a tree lodge or mountain hotel .

Early morning departure for Mount Kenya. Travel through fertile farmland to the foothills of Mount Kenya, where dense forests and bamboo zones host rare and endemic birds. Birding will focus on forest trails and riverside paths.

Look out for Jackson’s francolin, White-starred robin, Abyssinian ground thrush, African hill babbler, Tacazze sunbird, Crowned hornbill, Mountain greenbul, Silvery-cheeked hornbill, Lemon dove, and Grey cuckooshrike.

Overnight near Nanyuki or at the Mount Kenya foothills.

We will drive north to the semi-arid landscapes of Samburu National Reserve, crossing the equator and changing habitat entirely. The open savannah, dry riverbeds, and Doum palm groves are excellent for spotting northern Kenya’s dry-country species. Afternoon game and birding drive.

Expect to see Vulturine guineafowl, Somali bee-eater, Rosy-patched bush-shrike, Golden-breasted starling, Rufous chatterer, White-headed buffalo weaver, Northern red-billed hornbill, Pygmy falcon, Bristle-crowned starling, and Black-capped social weaver.

Overnight at a camp or lodge in Samburu at Lion's Cave or similar

Spend the full day exploring Samburu’s unique habitats with early morning and late afternoon birding sessions. In between, relax at the lodge or take short bird walks along the river.

Species highlights include Donaldson-Smith’s sparrow-weaver, Somali Ostrich, Vulturine Guineafowl, African orange-bellied parrot, Von der Decken’s hornbill, Bare-eyed thrush, Shining sunbird, Red-and-yellow barbet, Nubian woodpecker, Chestnut weaver, White-throated bee-eater, and Blue-naped mousebird.

Overnight in Samburu at Lion's Cave or similar.

After breakfast, depart for Lake Nakuru with a stop at Nyahururu’s Thompson Falls. Arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon birding drive around the alkaline lake and surrounding acacia forest.

Lake Nakuru is a Ramsar site and globally recognized for its flamingo populations and raptors. Key birds include Lesser flamingo, Greater flamingo, Lilac-breasted roller, White-fronted bee-eater, Grey-headed woodpecker, Long-crested eagle, Hamerkop, Yellow-billed stork, African spoonbill, Black-winged stilt, and African pygmy kingfisher.

Overnight in Nakuru.

After a morning birding session around Lake Nakuru, continue to the famed Maasai Mara, home to the Big Five and prolific birdlife. Scenic en route birding along the Rift Valley escarpment.

Upon arrival, enjoy evening birding in the open plains. Look for African harrier-hawk, White-backed vulture, Lilac-breasted roller, Hildebrandt’s starling, Yellow-throated sandgrouse, Speckled mousebird, Black-shouldered kite, Rufous-chested swallow, Grey crowned crane, Red-necked spurfowl, and Grassland pipit.

Overnight in Maasai Mara at Enkorok Camp or similar

Explore the Mara’s open savannah and riverine woodlands during full-day birding drives. The park supports over 470 bird species, with some shared with Tanzania’s Serengeti ecosystem.

Expect sightings of Rosy-throated longclaw, Rufous-naped lark, Martial eagle, Secretary bird, Ground hornbill, Lilac-breasted roller, African wattled lapwing, Cisticolas (Croaking, Zitting, Siffling), Black-bellied bustard, and Yellow-mantled widowbird.

Overnight in Maasai Mara.

Enjoy an early morning birding drive in the Mara before returning to Nairobi with scenic roadside stops for any missed species. Arrive in the afternoon and transfer to your hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Optional souvenir shopping.