Cultural Discovery

The Cultural Discovery Tour is a 12-day private guided itinerary in Kenya. If you would like to experience the social aspect of Kenya and learn more about its rich culture, this trip is specially designed for that. While still taking in the beautiful landscape and enjoying spectacular game drives in the national parks of Nakuru and Masai Mara, learn more about the rice fields, tea and coffee traditions, as well as the dance and song of different Kenyan tribes. You will also get to relax on the shores of the pristine Indian Ocean while discovering a cultural jam of East Africa – Lamu. The itinerary is an excellent choice for family travelling with children, a group of friends or couples who like active trips, as well as for senior travellers. The program includes accommodation at small boutique lodges with a lot of comfort and charm.

12 Days – From £3,500 per person

*equivalent in USD, EUR accepted

Itinerary: Nairobi, Limuru, Mwea, Nakuru, Masai Mara, Lamu

Included

Price is per person, based on two people sharing
Accommodation (full board)
Domestic Flights in Kenya
All wildlife game drives with professional guide
4×4 vehicle, fuel, drivers’ allowance
All transfers on a private basis
Watersports in Lamu
All mandatory daily park fees and local taxes
AMREF Flying Doctors Emergency Evacuation

Excluded

Visa (More Info)
International Flights (See Flights to Kenya)
Domestic Flights
Personal Expenses
Insurance
Tips & Porters
Additional Drinks

Flights

International flights are not included in the package price. We give you the freedom to use miles and choose your preferred airline, and if you are stuck we can help you find the right connections to fit well with the start and finish of your trip. Return flights to Kenya start from £700 per person, depending on the connections and time of the year.

We can arrange domestic flights internally, shall you choose to move around by air within Kenya.

How to Book

Send us a message on WhatsApp or Email to discuss your requirements, check availability and get a confirmed price.

This is a sample itinerary and prices are correct at the time of writing. We can tailor the itinerary to suit your plans by changing the length of the trip or the order of activities. More days can be added. Other hotels can be chosen, according to your liking. For more travel inspiration check these itineraries.

Day 1 - Bomas of Kenya

Today you will arrive at NBO Airport. You will be met and transferred to the hotel. Depending on arrival time, a visit to Bomas of Kenya can be organised after settling in. “Boma” is a Swahili word for homestead, and this is what you will find at this famous venue located a few minutes’ drive from the city centre. The site introduces you to Kenya’s 16 major tribes and the homesteads reflect the diversity of the country’s rich culture. The highlights of the tour is a display of traditional dances and acrobatic shows performed at the venues expansive arena. After the show have dinner in one of the great restaurants of the capital city. Overnights at Fair Actres.

Day 2 - Tea & Coffee

After breakfast, visit Kiambethu tea farm in Limuru, located on the edge of the Great Rift Valley. The region enjoys the perfect climate needed for year-round tea cultivation. The farm house is set within beautiful gardens surrounded by acres of endless tea fields. The guided tour takes you through the history of Kenyan tea growing. Visit the colonial farmhouse and walk in the forest which is home to the Colobus monkey and other wildlife. Lunch and afternoon tea are included. After lunch, drive towards Fairview Coffee Estate to immerse in the intricate details of the coffee-making process from the budding of the flowers to the final cup of freshly brewed coffee. Overnight at Trade Mark hotel.

Day 3 - Rice Fields

After breakfast you will depart to Kirinyaga at Mwea Tebere rice fields, the traditional rice growing area of Kenya, along the drainage basins of Rivers Nyamindi and Thiba which supply the irrigation water. Rice farming here is lucrative but challenging. It is a venture that has transformed lives of many locals both economically and socially. One can see many endemic birds in the rice fields. You will have a picnic lunch out in the open fields whilst you enjoy the countryside scenery before proceeding to Kerugoya town, which overlooks Kenya’s highest mountain. Later in the evening proceed to Nyeri. Overnight at Aberdare Country Club.

Day 4 - Nyeri to Nakuru

After breakfast drive through Karatina in Nyeri town to the largest open air market in East Africa. Lunch at Thompson’s Falls Lodge, which overlooks the mighty falls discovered by Joseph Thompson in 1883. Thomson Falls plunge from 72m high on the Ewaso Narok River on the far northern end of the Aberdare Ranges. This waterfall is very close to the geographical equator of the earth. You can hike all the way up close to the falls or enjoy the views from a wooden platform. This place has peaceful, humidly beautiful and serene environment. Spend the afternoon visiting the town market area and the surroundings. Overnight at Thompson’s Falls Lodge.

Day 5 - Nakuru

After breakfast, visit the dormant Menengai Crater, which bubbles up every so often, causing faults that break up the highway nearby. Thereafter proceed for lunch. Visit Lake Nakuru National Park in the afternoon to view the magnificent pink flamingoes and other birds on the lake, which also has a protected sanctuary for endangered species, like pelicans, cormorants, black-winged stilts, avocets and migrant European birds. Beside its magnificent bird life, it is also one of the best places in Kenya to see both black and white rhino. Watch these magnificent mammals grazing the shoreline of the lake or wallowing in the mud. One can also see Rothschild’s giraffe here, a resident population of tree-climbing lions, leopards and more. Dinner and overnight at Lake Nakuru Lodge.

Day 6 - Nakuru to Masai Mara

Depart for the world-famous Masai Mara Reserve after breakfast. Nearby Nakuru there are two lookouts with great views, The Baboon cliff and the Out of Africa lookout – a great place to stop before driving further to Mara. The drive will take several hours and you will reach the camp in late afternoon. The Masai way of life is deeply rooted in tradition and their age-old pastoral life continues to defy modernization. Their peaceful co-existence with wildlife has contributed immensely to conservation efforts. After lunch set on an afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Ashnil Mara Camp.

Day 7 - Masai Mara

Spend the day in Mara viewing wildlife and have a picnic lunch in the open plains. Visit the hippo pools where crocodiles and hippos bask lazily in the sun, this is a natural ‘corridor’ for the annual migration of the wildebeest as they cross from Tanzania to Kenya. In the afternoon stop at the Masai village to jump with them in a rhythmic dance and learn how to make fire without matches. The Maasai populate vast areas of Southern Kenya and are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Masai Mara. This nomadic, warrior tribe which once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya, still retain many of their traditions as they live largely untouched by modern day civilization. Overnight at Ashnil Mara Camp.

Day 8 - Masai Mara to Lamu

Early morning game drive and back to the camp for breakfast. After breakfast you will be dropped off at the airstrip to take a flight to Lamu via Wilson in Nairobi. From Wilson airport connect with the afternoon flight to Lamu. Upon arrival, you will be met for a boat transfer toward the hotel. Spend the rest of the evening on leisure. The town was founded in the 14th century and it contains many fine examples of Swahili architecture. The old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as “the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa”. Overnight at Mada Bay.

Day 9 - Lamu

The Kenyan coast feels like a different world from the Savannahs of Safari country. Low lying & sandy, indented by mangrove lined creeks, & shaded by nodding palm trees, the coast blends the bright light and colours of the tropics with sparkling azure blue of the Indian Ocean. Where you squint through the afternoon sunlight to watch traditional lantern rigged dhows sailing out beyond the coral reefs. A place steeped in history, a veritable paradise of sugar white, crystal clear waters and dramatic scenery. Dinner and overnight at Mada Bay.

Day 10 - Lamu

Encounter the ancient Swahili culture in charming villages. Visit the pure coastal settlements, a collection of fascinating villages steeped in timeless tradition, embodying the life of a Kenyan, in all its simplicity. Become a local for the day and fall in love with genuine traditions, arts and crafts, habits, and local homemade meals. Once a centre for the slave trade, the population of Lamu is ethnically diverse. Lamu was on the main Arabian trading routes, and as a result, the population is largely Muslim. The island has no motorised vehicles. Transportation and other heavy work is done with the help of donkeys. Overnight at Mada Bay.

Day 11 - Lamu

Lamu is a place where time slows down. Peaceful, tropical, laid back, bohemian – and still unspoiled by mass tourism: it is a place like no other. Life here revolves around long beach strolls; dhow sailing and exploration of the old Swahili settlements with their unique coral stone town houses. If you want to adopt the laid back pace of life, enjoy a blend of the African and Middle Eastern cuisines, then Lamu is the perfect gateway to get away. Snorkel with turtles and watch dolphins during glass bottom boat rides. Spend lazy days in the sun, enjoying the vivid colours of the Indian ocean. Overnight at Mada Bay.

Day 12 - Departure from Lamu

Today is the time for one last beachfront breakfast before you’re transferred to Manda airport to catch the midday scheduled flight to J.K.I.A to connect to your international flight. Alternatively, there are also international flights leaving from Mombasa Airport. Choose the most convenient way. If you have time in Nairobi, enjoy a nice Kenyan meal at one of the many good restaurants in the capital city. Although Nairobi can be quite hectic, there are charming hidden places, surrounded by tall lush trees and blooming exotic flowers. Spring is really colourful in Nairobi with all the purple jacaranda trees in bloom. What a sight! Dining and shopping are very good here. Today enjoy a relaxing time at the lodge or head out to one of the good local restaurant for a dining experience.