Ol Pejeta Rhino Focus + Chimps — 3 Days

The last two northern white rhinos + Sweetwaters chimp sanctuary + night game drive.

Overview

Ol Pejeta Conservancy sits at the foot of Mount Kenya on the Laikipia Plateau, a sweeping 90,000-acre landscape of open savannah, acacia woodland, and black-cotton floodplain that forms one of Kenya's most important private wildlife sanctuaries. This three-day circuit distils the very best Laikipia has to offer — a laser-focused journey built around the rarest mammals on the planet and a primate encounter found nowhere else in Kenya.

The headline attraction is Ol Pejeta's northern white rhino enclosure, home to Najin and Fatu — the last two northern white rhinos remaining on Earth. Escorted by armed rangers whose sole purpose is to protect these two animals, you will stand metres away from creatures that represent the end of a genetic lineage, an experience that is simultaneously humbling, heartbreaking, and deeply inspiring. Ol Pejeta's broader rhino programme also protects Africa's largest population of black rhinos in East Africa, so expect close sightings of these critically endangered browsers during regular game drives across the conservancy's varied habitats.

Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the only facility of its kind in Kenya, rescues and rehabilitates chimpanzees orphaned or confiscated from the illegal pet trade across Central and West Africa. A guided walking visit brings you face to face with these remarkably expressive primates in a large semi-wild enclosure beside the Ewaso Nyiro River. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, cape buffalo, Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, and large herds of Jackson's hartebeest roam the wider conservancy, guaranteeing rewarding game drives throughout your stay.

Ol Pejeta also offers one of the few conservancies in Kenya where night game drives are permitted, transforming the landscape after dark into a hunting ground patrolled by lion prides, spotted hyena clans, black-backed jackals, and the occasional serval or aardvark caught in the spotlight. Two nights at a comfortable tented camp or lodge inside the conservancy means you remain immersed in the wilderness from the moment you arrive. The drive north from Nairobi takes roughly four hours through the scenic Central Highlands, passing Nyeri town and the slopes of Mount Kenya — a journey that is a reward in itself.

Route: Nairobi → Ol Pejeta → Nairobi

Day-by-day itinerary

1
Nairobi to Ol Pejeta — Afternoon Arrival Game Drive

After an early-morning pickup from your Nairobi hotel, your driver-guide heads north on the A2 highway through Thika, Karatina, and the tea-carpeted foothills of the Aberdare Range before dropping down onto the Laikipia Plateau. You arrive at Ol Pejeta Conservancy by mid-afternoon, check in at your tented camp, and head straight out on an introductory afternoon game drive across the open savannah. Lions are frequently spotted resting in the shade of acacia trees during the heat of the afternoon, while elephants move toward the Ewaso Nyiro River as the light begins to soften. Settle in for a welcome dinner under a wide Laikipia sky, with the sounds of the bush your evening soundtrack.

🏨 Sweetwaters Serena Camp / Porini Lion Camp (or similar inside Ol Pejeta) 🍽 L, D
2
Northern White Rhinos, Sweetwaters Chimps & Night Game Drive

Rise before dawn for an early morning game drive when predators are most active — cheetahs are frequently seen on the open plains and black rhinos can be found browsing in the dense thicket near the Ewaso Nyiro. After breakfast, your guide takes you to the specially managed northern white rhino enclosure for a guided encounter with Najin and Fatu, escorted by the armed rangers who protect them around the clock; your guide will explain the ongoing IVF conservation programme aimed at pulling the subspecies back from the brink. The afternoon visit to Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary involves a walking tour of the riverine enclosure where resident chimps — many with remarkable personal histories — can be observed feeding, grooming, and displaying natural social behaviour at close range. As the sun sets, transfer back out onto the conservancy for a night game drive, scanning the grasslands by spotlight for lions on the hunt, hyenas, genets, and other nocturnal wildlife rarely encountered in Kenya's national parks.

🏨 Sweetwaters Serena Camp / Porini Lion Camp (or similar inside Ol Pejeta) 🍽 B, L, D
3
Final Morning Drive & Return to Nairobi

Enjoy a final early morning game drive at first light, when the golden hour illuminates herds of Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe moving across the plains against the backdrop of Mount Kenya's snow-capped peaks. After a leisurely breakfast at camp, check out and depart Ol Pejeta for the four-hour scenic drive back south through the Central Highlands, arriving in Nairobi by mid-afternoon in time for onward connections.

🍽 B, L

Includes

Return road transfer from Nairobi in a 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
Professional English-speaking driver-guide
2 nights full-board accommodation inside Ol Pejeta Conservancy
All conservancy entry and game-drive fees
Guided visit to the northern white rhino enclosure with armed ranger escort
Guided visit to Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Night game drive inside Ol Pejeta Conservancy
All meals as specified in the itinerary (full board: breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Bottled drinking water in the vehicle throughout

Excludes

International or domestic flights to/from Nairobi
Kenya entry visa and travel documents
Travel and medical insurance
Gratuities for guide, camp staff, and rangers (discretionary but appreciated)
Alcoholic and soft beverages (available for purchase at the lodge/camp)
Personal items, laundry, and phone/Wi-Fi charges
Optional activities not listed in the itinerary

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 →