Lewa & Laikipia Conservancies — 5 Days

Private-conservancy luxury — rhino, walking safaris, night drives and big space.

Overview

Kenya's private conservancies deliver an intimacy that the famous national parks simply cannot match. On Ol Pejeta Conservancy — the largest black-rhino sanctuary in East Africa and the last refuge of the northern white rhino — you trade crowded minibuses for a single 4×4 and a knowledgeable guide who can take you off-road, into the grass, as close to the action as the animals allow. Buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah and the entire rhino family share these sweeping plains below the Aberdare Range, and there is nothing between you and them but open air.

From Ol Pejeta the route climbs northwest across the equator into the vast Laikipia Plateau, where Loisaba Conservancy spreads across 56,000 acres of cedar forest, open grassland and dramatic lava-rock escarpments with the snow-capped dome of Mount Kenya commanding the eastern horizon. Loisaba is one of Kenya's most celebrated private wildlife areas, anchored by a community-managed trust that channels tourism revenue directly into Samburu and Maasai families living on the conservancy boundary. Elephant herds move freely between the Ewaso Ng'iro riverine corridor and the plateau grasslands; African wild dog and reticulated giraffe — two species rarely seen on southern Kenya circuits — are regular sightings.

Activities here go far beyond what a national-park game drive can offer. Walking safaris with armed rangers bring the bush to life at ground level, where tracker skills, medicinal plants, dung-beetle ecology and fresh lion spoor tell a story that no vehicle window ever could. After dark, a spotlight game drive reveals bushbabies clinging to acacia branches, porcupines trundling along dry riverbeds, and the amber eye-shine of a hunting genet. Stars above the Laikipia Plateau blaze without competition from city lights, and nights end around a fire with the distant whooping of hyenas as a lullaby.

This five-day circuit is designed for travellers who want genuine wilderness engagement without sacrificing comfort. Lodge accommodation ranges from elegantly appointed tented suites to stone-and-timber cottages, all with en-suite facilities, hot showers, and sunset decks overlooking waterholes or open plains. The driving between destinations is scenic and manageable — no marathon transfer days — leaving maximum time in the field. The whole package is low-impact by design: small group sizes, conservancy-fee funding, and community employment keep this landscape rewarding for wildlife, people and guests alike.

Route: Nairobi → Ol Pejeta → Loisaba (Laikipia) → Nanyuki → Nairobi

Day-by-day itinerary

1
Nairobi to Ol Pejeta — Into the Rhino Heartland

After an early morning departure from Nairobi, the road heads north through the Mount Kenya foothills, crossing the equator at Nanyuki before the gates of Ol Pejeta swing open. Afternoon game drives reveal the conservancy's extraordinary density of wildlife — black rhino browsing acacia scrub, lion prides resting in open grassland, and cheetah scanning termite mounds for prey. Dinner at the lodge is accompanied by the sounds of the African bush settling into night, a foretaste of the days ahead.

🏨 Sweetwaters Serena Camp or similar, Ol Pejeta 🍽 D
2
Ol Pejeta — Rhino Sanctuary, Chimpanzees and Open Plains

A full day inside Ol Pejeta begins with a pre-dawn game drive when predators are still active, followed by a guided visit to the rhino sanctuary where both black and white rhino can be approached on foot under the watchful eye of armed rangers. The afternoon visit to the chimpanzee sanctuary — one of the few places in Kenya where rescued East African chimpanzees can be observed — adds a primate dimension unique to this conservancy. A sundowner drive rounds out the day as the plains turn gold in the fading light.

🏨 Sweetwaters Serena Camp or similar, Ol Pejeta 🍽 B, L, D
3
Ol Pejeta to Loisaba — Across the Laikipia Plateau

Morning game drive before breakfast, then a scenic transfer of roughly two to three hours northwest across the Laikipia Plateau, passing through Nanyuki town and open ranch country where cattle and wildlife coexist under Maasai and Samburu stewardship. The approach to Loisaba drops through cedar-scented highlands before the land opens into sweeping grassland broken by dramatic lava-rock kopjes. An afternoon game drive introduces the conservancy's reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, and large elephant herds with Mount Kenya forming an impossibly dramatic backdrop.

🏨 Loisaba Tented Camp or Loisaba Star Beds, Laikipia 🍽 B, L, D
4
Loisaba — Walking Safari, Night Drive and Starlit Plains

The day's first activity is a walking safari at sunrise, led by an armed ranger and local tracker who read the landscape in forensic detail — fresh elephant tracks, territorial scrapes left by leopard, the earthy scent of a lion kill nearby. Back at camp for a late brunch, the afternoon is free for birdwatching, swimming, or simply absorbing the silence of the plateau before the spotlight night drive departs at dusk. Bushbabies, African civets, porcupines and the occasional leopard are revealed in the beam as the Milky Way arches overhead in one of Kenya's darkest skies.

🏨 Loisaba Tented Camp or Loisaba Star Beds, Laikipia 🍽 B, L, D
5
Loisaba to Nairobi — Last Dawn and Farewell

A final morning game drive at first light takes advantage of the golden hour when elephants are still at the waterhole and raptors begin their thermal soaring above the escarpment. After a full camp breakfast, the drive back to Nairobi follows the scenic Laikipia edge, arriving in the city in time for onward connections or an overnight hotel stay. The conservancy's silence stays with you long after the city closes back in.

🍽 B

Includes

Return road transfers Nairobi – Ol Pejeta – Loisaba – Nairobi in a 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
4 nights full-board accommodation at conservancy lodges (Day 1–2 Ol Pejeta, Day 3–4 Loisaba)
All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 5
Conservancy and park fees for the full duration
Shared walking safari with armed ranger at Loisaba
Night game drive with spotlight at Loisaba
Rhino sanctuary entry and guided rhino tracking at Ol Pejeta
Chimpanzee sanctuary visit at Ol Pejeta
Services of an experienced professional safari guide throughout
Arrival and departure bottled water and soft drinks in the vehicle

Excludes

International or domestic flights to/from Nairobi
Kenya visa and entry fees
Travel and medical insurance
Horse-riding (optional activity available at extra cost)
Camel trekking or quad biking (optional extras at Loisaba)
Alcoholic and premium beverages
Gratuities for guide, lodge staff and rangers
Personal shopping and souvenirs

Good to know — flights & hotels

This price is for the tour/adventure only. International & domestic flights and hotels are not included — we'll gladly suggest trusted options that you book directly.

Where to stay → Booking flights →