24 Sep 2026 - 30 Sep 2026 (7 days)
USD4,250 SPACES AVAILABLE
Tour Leader: Rockjumper Tour Leader TBC
Tour Price (Per person): USD4,250 (GBP3,295 * EUR3,750 * AUD6,629)
Single Supplement: USD800 (GBP620 * EUR706 * AUD1,248)
Flight costs: USD700 (GBP543 * EUR618 * AUD1,092)
Pricing notes : *prices are estimated and dates may change*
24 Sep 2027 - 30 Sep 2027 (7 days)
USD4,650 SPACES AVAILABLE
Tour Price (Per person): USD4,650 (GBP3,605 * EUR4,103 * AUD7,253)
Single Supplement: USD860 (GBP667 * EUR759 * AUD1,341)
Flight costs: USD770 (GBP597 * EUR679 * AUD1,201)
Pricing notes : *prices are estimated and dates may change*
Embark on a thrilling 7-day safari adventure in Kenya's Maasai Mara, focusing on the region's iconic big cats. Begin your journey in Nairobi before flying to the renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve. Stay in a beautiful camp along the Mara River, surrounded by diverse wildlife. Enjoy daily game drives, a hot-air balloon safari, and the opportunity to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration, lion prides, elusive leopards, and sprinting cheetahs. This tour offers unparalleled wildlife photography opportunities and the chance to experience the majestic African landscape in style and comfort.
Exceptional birdwatching opportunities as well with numerous eagles and other raptors such as Martial, Tawny, Bateleur, Gabar, and Dark Chanting Goshawk, and others such as Black-bellied and Kori Bustard, and numerous species of hornbills, flycatchers, shrikes, and waterbirds.
Large lion prides, Leopard, Cheetah, incredible Wildebeest migration as they cross the Mara River, Spotted Hyena, Black-backed Jackal, Nile Crocodile, Hippo, African Elephant, African Buffalo, Olive Baboon, Banded and Egyptian Mongooses, Plain’s Zebra, Warthog, Topi, Coke’s Hartebeest, Thomson’s & Grant’s Gazelle’s, Impala, Eland (the world’s largest antelope) and Giraffe.
Explore the vast grasslands, riverine forests, and acacia woodlands of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Expect warm days and cool nights with temperatures ranging from 12-28°C (54-82°F), typical of Kenya’s dry season in September.
6 and 1 Local Wildlife Guide
The tour maintains a moderate pace with daily game drives, ensuring ample time for wildlife observation and relaxation.
Stay in luxurious riverbank camps offering comfort and proximity to wildlife.
Hot Air Balloon Safari.
Capture stunning images of diverse wildlife, dramatic landscapes, and big cat interactions.
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.
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.
Tour Review – Kenya Mega Birding Tour Our experience on this tour was truly exceptional, and the main reason for that was our tour leader, Stephan Lorenz. Stephan is, without question, the best birding guide we have ever had. His guiding style is remarkable: relentless in the field, always pushing to find the birds no matter the conditions, while maintaining a calm, patient, and positive attitude throughout long days. He has an almost supernatural ability to detect birds and an extraordinary depth of knowledge. Beyond identification, he actively teaches participants to become better birders, sharing techniques, fieldcraft, and intuition in a way that is both inspiring and accessible. Stephan is also incredibly organized and consistently makes sure that every day runs smoothly. He always ensures that everyone sees the birds—not just those who spot them first. He manages group dynamics beautifully, avoids conflicts before they even arise, and creates a warm, cohesive, and supportive atmosphere. His patience and dedication are unmatched. In short: he is an exceptional guide, the best we’ve ever travelled with, and the main reason this tour was such a success for us. We will absolutely choose future Rockjumper tours where Stephan is the leader. Regarding the tour itself: The lodges were generally excellent—some truly outstanding, others more standard but still very good. The only exception was the Blue Post Hotel, where it seems we were given quite outdated rooms compared to what is advertised. Our only real regret is that the itinerary did not include the Masai Mara. While we did see carnivores—including fantastic sightings of leopards—the Mara offers much higher concentrations of wildlife overall: large prides of lions, bigger herds of elephants, massive numbers of antelopes, and that classic East African savanna experience. Including it, or at least offering a 3–4 day extension, would add immense value to the tour. Missing the Mara felt a bit like visiting France but skipping the Eiffel Tower. Apart from that, the experience was superb. The group was wonderful, the birding outstanding, and the journey an absolute pleasure from start to finish. We had an unforgettable time, and we look forward to travelling with Rockjumper again—especially on tours led by Stephan.
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.
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.
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