Ol Pejeta & Laikipia Conservancies — 3 Days

Last northern white rhinos, Sweetwaters chimps and Laikipia's open plains.

Overview

Few destinations in Africa combine rhino conservation drama with genuine wilderness immersion the way Laikipia does. This three-day loop from Nairobi takes you deep into Kenya's northern rangelands — a vast, semi-arid plateau sitting above the equator at roughly 1,700 metres — where private conservancies and community-managed land protect one of the continent's most surprising concentrations of rare and endangered species.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the emotional centrepiece of the journey. Home to the world's only surviving northern white rhinos — Najin and Fatu, the last two on earth — the conservancy's story is one of urgent conservation at the edge of extinction. Beyond this headline, Ol Pejeta also holds the largest black rhino population in East Africa, along with resident lion prides, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo and vast herds of plains game. The Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary within the conservancy offers a rare window into chimpanzee behaviour, sheltering rescued chimps from across Central Africa in a spacious forested enclosure beside the Ewaso Nyiro River.

Solio Ranch, lying south-east of Ol Pejeta on the slopes of the Aberdare escarpment, is arguably Kenya's greatest rhino success story. Established in the 1970s as a private sanctuary, Solio has bred so many black and white rhinos that it has become the primary source for restocking other Kenyan parks. Game drives here feel prehistoric — rhinos materialise from the yellow grass with the Aberdares and Mount Kenya as a dramatic backdrop, at densities rarely matched anywhere in Africa.

Throughout the journey you travel in a customised 4×4 Land Cruiser with a professional driver-guide who reads the bush with practised ease. Accommodation is full-board at lodges and tented camps positioned within or immediately adjacent to the conservancies, meaning game activity begins the moment you step outside. The route is well-paved as far as Nanyuki and manageable on murram tracks within the parks, making this an easy, accessible safari suited to first-timers and returning visitors alike.

Route: Nairobi → Ol Pejeta → Solio → Nairobi

Day-by-day itinerary

1
Nairobi to Ol Pejeta — Arrival & Afternoon Game Drive

After an early-morning pick-up from your Nairobi hotel, your driver-guide heads north on the A2 highway through the fertile Kikuyu highlands, passing through Nyeri and climbing onto the Laikipia plateau before dropping into Nanyuki — gateway to the conservancies and home to the famous equator crossing. You arrive at Ol Pejeta in time for a light lunch at the lodge, then set out on an afternoon game drive through open acacia grassland where black rhino, elephant and plains game frequently congregate around waterholes. As dusk approaches, keep watch for lion and leopard becoming active along the Ewaso Nyiro River.

🏨 Sweetwaters Serena Camp or similar, Ol Pejeta 🍽 L, D
2
Ol Pejeta Full Day — Northern White Rhinos, Chimpanzees & Open Plains

Rise before dawn for a full-day immersion in Ol Pejeta, beginning with a morning game drive through the conservancy's northern sector where lions often rest on termite mounds in the early light. Mid-morning brings the most poignant stop on the itinerary: a guided visit to the northern white rhino enclosure where Najin and Fatu — the last two northern white rhinos on earth — live under 24-hour armed protection, a humbling encounter that underlines why conservation matters. After lunch at the lodge, visit the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary to observe chimps at close range before heading out again for a late-afternoon drive targeting cheetah on the open plains.

🏨 Sweetwaters Serena Camp or similar, Ol Pejeta 🍽 B, L, D
3
Solio Ranch & Return to Nairobi

Depart Ol Pejeta after breakfast and drive south-east along the Aberdare foothills to Solio Ranch — a private rhino sanctuary where extraordinarily high densities of both black and white rhino roam against the stunning backdrop of the Aberdare Range and, on clear mornings, the snow-capped summit of Mount Kenya. A morning game drive here almost guarantees multiple rhino sightings at close quarters, and the scenery alone justifies the detour. After a final picnic lunch, your driver-guide returns you to Nairobi, arriving at your hotel by late afternoon.

🍽 B, L

Includes

Return road transfers from Nairobi in a 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof hatch
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
2 nights full-board accommodation (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
All conservancy and park entry fees
Game drives as per the itinerary
Visit to the northern white rhino enclosure at Ol Pejeta
Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary entrance
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle throughout

Excludes

International flights and airport taxes
Kenya e-visa fees
Travel insurance
Alcoholic and premium soft drinks
Gratuities for driver-guide and lodge staff
Optional activities not listed in the itinerary (e.g. horse riding, camel trekking)
Personal items, laundry 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 →