L'Heure du Voyage
🇰🇪 Itinerary · Kenya · 30 days

1-month Kenya itinerary 2026: the grand tour

30 days without rushing: Amboseli, Rift Valley, Masai Mara, wild Samburu, Tsavo then the Swahili coast (Diani, Lamu). Budget, distances and seasons detailed.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

8 places

Average budget

€6,000-10,000

Total distance

~2,600 km

Profile

Grand trip

Season

Jul-Oct

Nairobi 2d · Amboseli 3d · Nakuru/Naivasha 3d · Masai Mara 4d · Samburu 3d · Tsavo 3d · Diani 6d · Lamu 4d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Kenya 1-month itinerary map: Nairobi, Amboseli, Nakuru, Masai Mara, Samburu, Tsavo, Diani, Lamu

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

8 days, day by day

1

~€90/day

Nairobi · D1 to D2 · Acclimatization

  • D1 Arrival, rest, David Sheldrick Elephant Trust and the Karen giraffes.
  • D2 National Museum, Maasai market, safari briefing.
🛌 🛌 Nairobi · e.g. Hemingways Nairobi (2 nights)·🚙 Private transfer·Kenya guide →
2

~€180/day

Amboseli · D3 to D5 · Beneath Kilimanjaro

  • D3 Drive to Amboseli (240 km), first game drive.
  • D4-D5 Elephants, marshes, Kilimanjaro at sunrise.
🛌 🛌 Amboseli · e.g. Ol Tukai Lodge (3 nights)·🚙 4x4 with open roof
3

~€160/day

Rift Valley · D6 to D8 · Nakuru and Naivasha

  • D6 Drive to Lake Nakuru via Nairobi, rhinos and flamingos.
  • D7 Lake Naivasha: boat among the hippos, Crescent Island.
  • D8 Hell's Gate by bike, gorges and geysers.
🛌 🛌 Naivasha · e.g. Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort (3 nights)·🚙 4x4 + boat + bike
4

~€200/day

Masai Mara · D9 to D12 · The migration

  • D9 Drive to the Masai Mara (250 km of track).
  • D10-D11 Game drives, wildebeest crossings on the Mara River (Jul-Oct).
  • D12 Sunrise balloon (option, ~€450), Maasai village.
🛌 🛌 Masai Mara · e.g. Mara Serena Safari Lodge (4 nights)·🚙 4x4, long track
5

~€190/day

Samburu · D13 to D15 · The wild north

  • D13 Flight Mara → Samburu via Nairobi, pick up a 4x4.
  • D14-D15 Unique northern species: reticulated giraffe, Grévy's zebra, gerenuk, oryx.
🛌 🛌 Samburu · e.g. Elephant Bedroom Camp (3 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight
6

~€170/day

Tsavo · D16 to D18 · Red elephants

  • D16 Flight to Tsavo East, the country's largest park.
  • D17-D18 Ochre-colored elephants, Yatta plateau, Mzima Springs.
🛌 🛌 Tsavo · e.g. Voi Safari Lodge (3 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight
7

~€100/day

Diani · D19 to D24 · Lagoon and reef

  • D19 Transfer to Diani Beach (road or flight via Mombasa).
  • D20-D22 Beach, snorkeling, dhow to Kisite Marine Park (dolphins).
  • D23-D24 Kitesurfing, sacred Kaya Kinondo forest, rest.
🛌 🛌 Diani · e.g. Almanara Luxury Resort (6 nights)·🚙 or ✈️ via Mombasa
8

~€110/day

Lamu · D25 to D30 · Swahili island and return

  • D25 Flight to Lamu (UNESCO), a car-free town, dhows and coral lanes.
  • D26-D28 Shela waterfront, dhow cruises, deserted beaches.
  • D29-D30 Last day, flight Lamu → Nairobi, then return to Paris.
🛌 🛌 Lamu · e.g. Peponi Hotel, Shela (5 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€6,000

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €700
  • 🚙 Shared group safari: €2,000
  • 🏕️ Camps and guesthouses: €70/night
  • ✈️ Domestic flights: €700
  • 🦁 Park fees: €600
Recommended

Comfort

€8,000

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €850
  • 🚙 Private 4x4 safari + guide: €3,000
  • 🏨 4★ lodges and resorts: €150/night
  • ✈️ Domestic flights: €800
  • 🦁 Park fees: €600

Premium

€15,000

per person

  • ✈️ Business flight: €1,800
  • 🚙 High-end private safari: €5,500
  • 🏨 5★ camps and resorts: €450/night
  • ✈️ Domestic flights: €1,000
  • 🦁 Private conservancies: €800

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Rift Valley safari circuit. The essential format.

2 weeks

2 weeks

Full safari then Diani Beach.

You're here

1 month

1 month

The grand tour: big parks, wild north, Tsavo and Swahili coast.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

A month mixes 4x4 and domestic flights. The south (Amboseli, Rift Valley, Mara) is done in a 4x4; the north (Samburu), Tsavo and the coastal islands are reached only by light aircraft, with 4 to 5 domestic flights in total. Count ~€700-800 of domestic flights.

🚙

4x4 with driver-guide (south)

Included in the safari package · open roof

✈️

Flight Mara → Samburu → Tsavo

$150-250/flight · Safarilink / AirKenya

🛥️

Lake Naivasha boat + Kisite dhow

€20-50 · hippos, dolphins

✈️

Flight Diani → Lamu

$120-200 · via Mombasa · car-free island

⛵

Dhow at Lamu

~€30 · Swahili coastal cruise

Adapt by season

Following the dry season from park to park

Over 30 days, the dry season (June-October, and January-February) stays ideal everywhere: clear tracks, concentrated animals. The Masai Mara migration peaks from July to October. The north (Samburu) and Tsavo are best in the dry season, hotter. Avoid the long rains of April-May, many tracks become impassable. The coast (Diani, Lamu) stays warm and swimmable outside the June-July monsoon.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In September 2022, going from the red desert of Tsavo, its ochre-colored elephants, to the car-free coral lanes of Lamu in two flights: the leap between wildlife and Swahili culture is the most striking thing this month offers.
  • • Adding Samburu, which few circuits include: unique northern species, few vehicles.
  • • Keep 4 nights in the Masai Mara to really follow the migration.
  • • End with Lamu rather than staying at Diani: UNESCO town, dhows, deserted Shela beaches.
  • • Hell's Gate by bike, on the way to Naivasha: one of the rare parks you can visit without a 4x4.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Skip Tsavo for an extra night in Samburu if flights complicate logistics.
  • • Prefer a private conservancy bordering the Mara for off-road game drives.
  • • Book the northern and island domestic flights very early, capacity is limited.
  • • On 30 days in April-May, shift the coast since many northern tracks become impassable.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is a month in Kenya too much? +
No, it's what lets you add the wild north (Samburu), Tsavo and the Swahili islands to the classic circuit. It's the format for grand trips, without rushing.
How many domestic flights are needed? +
Four to five: reaching Samburu, Tsavo, then Diani and Lamu can't be done by road in reasonable time. Count €700-800 of domestic flights over the month.
What budget for 30 days? +
Count about €6,000 on a budget basis, €8,000 in comfort and €15,000 in premium, per person, flight from Paris included. Safaris and domestic flights make up most of it.
What's the best period for this grand tour? +
July to October: dry season, Mara migration and best conditions in the north and Tsavo. Avoid April-May, the long rains make many tracks impassable.
Do I need antimalarial treatment? +
Yes, Kenya is a malaria zone, including the coast. See a vaccination center. Yellow fever is required if you come from an at-risk country.
Is Lamu easy to reach? +
By air only in practice: a flight from Nairobi or Mombasa. The island has no cars, you get around on foot, by donkey or by dhow. That's what makes its charm.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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