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Kenya - Bird Photography Tour (Small Group)

© Maasai Giraffe by Andre Bernon
Kenya - Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2026

02 Aug 2026 - 19 Aug 2026 (18 days)

USD12,995 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Heinz Ortmann

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Tour Price (Per person): USD12,995 (GBP10,073 * EUR11,466 * AUD20,269)

Single Supplement: USD1,850 (GBP1,434 * EUR1,632 * AUD2,886)

Kenya - Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2027

10 Jul 2027 - 27 Jul 2027 (18 days)

USD13,295 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Quinton Paul Josop

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Tour Price (Per person): USD13,295 (GBP10,306 * EUR11,731 * AUD20,737)

Single Supplement: USD1,930 (GBP1,496 * EUR1,703 * AUD3,010)

Kenya - Bird Photography Tour (Small Group) 2028

16 Jun 2028 - 03 Jul 2028 (18 days)

USD13,900 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Ryan Tyrer

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Tour Price (Per person): USD13,900 (GBP10,775 * EUR12,264 * AUD21,681)

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Our Kenya Photo Tour highlights some of Africa’s most iconic and famous wildlife reserves. From the undulating plains of the Maasai Mara to impressive Mount Kenya this tour is a photographer’s dream with wildlife highlights at every turn. Our tour begins in Nairobi – one of the most species diverse cities in the world – before heading west to the famous Tsavo reserves where prolific birdlife and mammals abound. To the north of Nairobi lies Mount Kenya, shrouded in montane forest and offering a completely different suite of birds. After our time in the cool forests, we continue north to the dry savanna and riverine woodland of Samburu and Buffalo Springs for a plethora of incredible birds and mammals. We’ll then head southwest and descend to the nutrient-rich Lake Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley, with its inexhaustible numbers of Lesser Flamingos. Lastly, we head further south towards the vast plains of what is arguably one of the most fabulous game reserves in the world, the justifiably famous Maasai Mara! This tour offers incomparable wildlife and birding with plenty of exceptional photographic opportunities!

Highlights

  • Experience some of the planets most enthralling wildlife havens such as the Maasai Mara, the Tsavo reserves and the Samburu/Buffalo Springs reserves
  • Kenya is arguably the most bird-rich country on the planet. Not only is there a lot of birds and wildlife but they are mostly very showy and easy to photograph. Make sure you have plenty of storage space for images!
  • Every day is a delight and the tours ‘feel good factor’ is exceptionally high with very comfortable accommodations and lots to see, enjoy and experience
  • This tour is largely centred around Kenya’s prolific wildlife reserves and these sanctuaries harbour an incredible diversity of megafauna. Given we visit no less than 6 iconic safari destinations we have multiple opportunities to see and photograph the ‘Big 5’ – Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant, and Rhino plus others such as Cheetah, Serval, Beisa Oryx, 3 species of Giraffe (Reticulated, Rothchild’s and Maasai), Lesser Kudu, Gerenuk and so much more
  • Mount Kenya, Africa’s 2nd highest peak
  • Experiencing Lake Nakuru, one of the famous African Rift Valley lakes, brimming with waterfowl and impressive numbers of flamingos

 

Top Birds

Superb Starling; Lilac-breasted Roller; Grey Crowned Crane; Kori Bustard; Martial Eagle; Secretarybird; Saddle-billed Stork; Jackson’s Widowbird; Silvery-cheeked Hornbill; Kikuyu White-eye; Bar-tailed Trogon; White-headed & Grant’s Wood Hoopoes; Vulturine Guineafowl; Somali Courser; Somali Bee-eaters; Lesser & Greater Flamingos; African Fish Eagle; Hartlaub's, Ross's & Schalow’s Turacos; Bare-faced Go-away-bird; Yellow-throated & Black-faced Sandgrouse; White-starred Robin; Purple Grenadier;

Top Mammals

African Elephant; African Buffalo; Leopard; Lion; Black & White Rhinoceroses ('Big Five'); Cheetah; Spotted Hyena; Rothschild’s & Maasai Giraffe; Guereza; Common Hippopotamus; Grant’s & Thompson’s Gazelles; Common Warthog.

Habitats Covered

lowland & montane forests, Acacia savanna, rivers and wetlands, rocky gorges, grassland, semi-desert

Expected Climate

warm to hot, dry conditions, but cool at higher elevations and rain can be expected

Max Group Size

6 with 1 Rockjumper Leader

Tour Pace & Walking

UNDEMANDING: This tour is ideal for birders and wildlife enthusiasts of all experience levels. It’s suitable for most mobility levels and offers a relaxed pace, ensuring an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Undemanding. Suitable for all photography / birding / wildlife interest levels and mobility capabilities. • Our Bird Photo Tours are a hybrid between our Classic birding tours and dedicated photographic tours. You don’t have to be a professional photographer or have the biggest lens; this is for everyone with an interest in photography and birding. Whether you’re using a bridge camera or the latest body and prime lens, our aims are the same. • These tours are not aimed at seeing the most species possible on the route, rather taking time to photograph key targets and any other interesting species we may find. Naturally, the overall species list will be lower than a comparable birding focused tour. • Whilst we may use blinds, feeders and hide setups on some of these tours, we will not be spending an entire day nor even several hours fixed in one spot. • These tours are suitable for photographers who prefer opportunistic photography over entire days in a hide. • Our leaders will assist in helping everyone secure good photographic opportunities and advise as much as they can on camera setup. However, they are not professional photographic tour leaders.

Accommodation

Comfortable lodges & tented safari camps.

Ease of Birding

Undemanding. Most species provide good visuals in open conditions. Forest birding and photography is limited.

Other Attractions

Maasai and other Kenya indigenous people, African curios

Photographic Opportunities

Excellent throughout. Mostly from the vehicle and in lodge gardens. No dedicated hides.

What our clients say about us

Stuart Elsom
TW, Kenya 2022

I've never been on a safari trip so I had no way of knowing what was involved. Due to my age (83) and slight incapacity (I use a cane, aka "stick," to maintain balance) the trip was more challenging than I had anticipated. But Stuart Elsom, our guide, and Jack, our expert driver and expert birder, made accommodations that made it possible for me to undertake and get the most out of the experience. 342 life list birds! All in all, an unforgettable experience. Thank you for the wonderful birding experience. I will definitely recommend Rockjumper tours to my younger friends and family members.

Stephan Lorenz
LVY, Kenya - Mega Birding Tour 2025

This trip was a fantastic experience for me, both as a traveler and as an intermediate birder. Kenya is an extraordinary country to explore, and this itinerary certainly delivered a huge variety of habitats, birds, and landscapes. The days were long, packed, and sometimes demanding, but the rewards were genuinely worth it. One thing I appreciated throughout the tour was how clear it became that the logistics—especially the long hours in the jeep—were simply part of what was needed to make the birding goals possible. In my own line of work, planning and logistics are everything, so I fully understood what was happening behind the scenes. Whenever we had to eat in the vehicle, Stephan always explained honestly why: because there was no smarter alternative if we wanted to reach the planned areas and have the best shot at our targets. And he was right. As for the guiding, Stephan was excellent. He’s tireless in the field, extremely sharp, and incredibly knowledgeable—but what stood out most for me was how approachable he is. As an intermediate birder, I never once felt overlooked or rushed. He taught, explained, and helped me refine my skills without ever making me feel inadequate or behind the group. His patience, clarity, and genuine interest in helping each participant improve made a huge impact on my experience. He was also very receptive to feedback. Whenever we shared observations or suggestions, he didn’t just brush them off; he acknowledged them and showed real appreciation. That kind of attitude goes a long way on a long tour. Regarding the itinerary, while it was certainly comprehensive, I personally feel it might have flowed better in reverse. Starting with the more demanding, longer days and the less captivating sites—and ending with the “wow” locations—would have given the trip a stronger final note. Our last three days felt long and tiring, and they didn’t quite match the excitement of earlier highlights. A reordering could create a more compelling and energizing finish. I also believe that including the Masai Mara would take this tour from excellent to truly iconic. The Mara is one of East Africa’s crown jewels, both for birds and mammals, and we would have happily paid more or added extra days to include it. As part of a “mega” Kenya itinerary, it feels like a natural and very valuable addition. Accommodation-wise, most lodges were very good, some even excellent. A few were more basic but still fine. The main outlier was the Blue Post Hotel, where the rooms we received didn’t reflect what is advertised online. All in all, the experience was memorable, the birding phenomenal, and the group dynamic wonderful. I walked away with new skills, new species, and a renewed appreciation for what such a complex tour takes to run well. I’d happily travel with Rockjumper again—especially if Stephan is leading.

Quinton Paul Josop
CH - Kenya & Tanzania 2024

This was one of the best five of the 53 guided birding tours I have taken! Paul Josop is not only a truly excellent local guide who knows African birds and their calls phenomenally well, but is also extremely pleasant to deal with, polite, supportive of all levels of participant birding skills and very thoughtful. Paul also has an infectious sense of humor: We all laughed a lot on this tour! He loves to teach participants the finer points of the biology of the animals and plants encountered on a tour; he also managed group dynamics very well. It is clear that Paul enjoys guiding and he is very focused on getting all of the tour participants onto every bird species we encountered: He is living proof of my dictum that ""A good local guide is a thing of joy"". Our two local guide/drivers, Roger in Tanzania and Edson in Kenya, were also excellent: They dealt very well with severely pot-holed African roads and erratic African drivers and traffic; they also pointed out very many birds and big game as we bounced through the national parks, reserves and paved roads, all filled with aggressive opposing traffic! They have my highest recommendation. However, I do urge the local tour operator, Tanzania Birding and Beyond, to have their Land Cruiser passenger seats rebuilt - they were singularly uncomfortable on our long drives. This Rockjumper tour has my highest recommendation for all levels of participants' birding skills.

David Hoddinott
VS & BS, Kenya 2021

We have birded with David Hoddinott previously. As usual, David was exceptionally talented at finding birds and other wildlife, plus making certain that all participants were able to see them. David maximized our exposure to viewing birds and wildlife which made the tour a pleasurable experience.

Gregory de Klerk
PC, Kenya 2018

Greg de Klerk was very friendly and competent. He worked diligently to ensure we all saw the birds. We were always given sufficient time to look closely and for some to take photos. A most enjoyable tour.

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