10 Day Kenya Safari and Diani Beach Holiday

A 10 day Kenya safari and beach gives you time for both halves of the holiday. You get a full safari with three parks, then three nights of salt water, sand and sea food.

The route starts at Lake Naivasha, continues to the Masai Mara and Amboseli, and then flies to Diani Beach. A private pop up roof 4×4 and driver guide take care of the safari. We book the flights, the hotels and the transfers.

Read on for the full itinerary, what each price tier buys and the details that help you pick dates, hotels and add ons.

Highlights

• Lake Naivasha boat ride and optional Hell’s Gate cycling
• Two nights in the Masai Mara for lions and cheetah
• Two nights in Amboseli with Kilimanjaro views
• Three beach nights at Diani, with reef and white sand
• Flights from Nairobi to Diani and back included
• A relaxed pace, with a hotel night in Nairobi to break the drive

Day by day plan

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to Lake Naivasha

   You leave Nairobi at 8 am and reach Lake Naivasha by late morning, after a stop at the Rift Valley viewpoint. In the afternoon you take a boat ride past hippos and fish eagles, or cycle in Hell’s Gate National Park among zebra and giraffe. You sleep by the lake, with a quiet evening to unpack and sort your camera gear for the days ahead.

2. Day 2

   Naivasha to the Masai Mara

   After breakfast you drive about 4 to 5 hours to the Mara via Narok. You arrive for lunch and go out on an afternoon game drive. The plains are open, and the first lion or elephant sighting usually comes within the first hour. Dinner is at camp.

3. Day 3

   Full day in the Masai Mara

   A full day on the plains. Your guide follows the herds and big cats from first light, with a picnic lunch at the river. You can add a balloon flight at dawn for about USD 450 to 550. You return to camp at sunset.

4. Day 4

   Mara to Nairobi

   A short final game drive, breakfast, then the 5 to 6 hour road to Nairobi. You reach your Nairobi hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner is in the city, and you can repack for the next leg, leaving heavy bags at the hotel if you wish.

5. Day 5

   Nairobi to Amboseli

   You drive about 4 to 5 hours to Amboseli on mostly tarmac. After lunch you head out for an afternoon game drive. The elephants wade through the swamps, and Kilimanjaro often shows its snow cap at dusk. Your guide picks a viewpoint for sundowners.

6. Day 6

   Full day in Amboseli

   You start before sunrise, when the mountain is clearest, and drive across the plains and swamps. In the afternoon you visit Observation Hill for a view across the park. A late drive finishes the day.

7. Day 7

   Amboseli to Nairobi and fly to Diani

   After a morning game drive you drive about 4 hours to Nairobi and fly to Ukunda in the late afternoon, about an hour and ten minutes. A driver takes you to your hotel on Diani Beach. If the flight does not fit, we add a Nairobi night.

8. Day 8

   Beach day at Diani

   Nothing is planned today, and that is the point of the 10 day Kenya safari and beach. Swim in the warm Indian Ocean, snorkel on the reef or lie by the pool. The hotel serves seafood and fresh fruit all day. A short walk along the beach at low tide is easy and free.

9. Day 9

   Wasini and Kisite, or a free day

   Join the dhow trip to Wasini Island and Kisite Marine Park for dolphins and snorkelling, about USD 120 per person. Or spend a second slow day at the hotel. Dinner is on the beach.

10. Day 10

    Diani to Nairobi and home

    After breakfast a driver takes you to Ukunda airport for the flight to Nairobi. You connect to your international flight or we drop you at a hotel. The 10 day Kenya safari and beach ends here.

10 Day Kenya Safari And Beach, guide price per person sharing, USD, low season

• Guide price per person sharing, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before any payment
• Low season (Apr to Jun, Nov) shown, with Mara fees of USD 100 per day
• Jul to Oct and Dec to Jan add about USD 300 to 550 per person for higher Mara fees and beach rates
• Christmas and New Year dates carry a surcharge, confirm at booking

Get my exact price on WhatsApp

Why a 10 Day Kenya Safari And Beach Works

Ten days is the first length where a safari and a beach stay both feel complete. Shorter plans squeeze one or the other. A 10 day Kenya safari and beach gives each part room to breathe.

If you only have a week, look at our Kenya safari and beach holiday options. If you have two weeks, the 12 day version adds Tsavo and extra coast time.

How Much Does a 10 Day Kenya Safari And Beach Cost?

Prices start at USD 2,750 per person for six people sharing a budget tier in low season. Two people in mid range pay about USD 4,500 each, and two people in luxury about USD 5,750.

The price includes your vehicle, guide, 9 nights, park fees, the Naivasha boat ride and flights to and from Diani. Our safari cost and prices page explains each part of the budget.

The Naivasha Start

Lake Naivasha makes a gentle first stop on a 10 day Kenya safari and beach, and the short drive from Nairobi means you lose no time. The lake is freshwater, so you see hippos, fish eagles and pelicans. Crescent Island offers a walking safari among giraffe, zebra and wildebeest.

Hell’s Gate is a short drive away and lets you cycle past cliffs and steam vents. Fees are about USD 50 for the park and USD 15 to 25 for bike hire. See the Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha day trip for details.

The Mara and Amboseli Legs

On a 10 day Kenya safari and beach, two nights in the Mara gives you a full game drive day plus parts of two others. That is enough to see most big animals, and often a leopard or cheetah.

Amboseli is the elephant park, with Kilimanjaro as a backdrop. You get a similar mix of drives across two nights. For more on each, read our 5 day Maasai Mara and Amboseli safari.

Where You Stay at Diani

Diani is a 17 km stretch of white sand with a reef close to shore. Budget tiers use a clean beach hotel with a pool and half board. Mid range uses a resort with a spa and a sea view.

Luxury uses a boutique villa or five star beach resort with private service. The beach hotel should fit your mood, so tell us if you want quiet, family activity or nightlife. Beach hotels also differ in whether they sit right on the sand or a short walk away, and we flag this in each quote. Beach hotels also differ in whether they sit right on the sand or a short walk away, and we flag this in each quote. Our Diani Beach holiday packages show typical stays.

Weather and Seasons for Safari and Beach

The safari is best Jul to Oct and Jan to Mar. The coast is hot all year, with long rains in Apr to Jun and short rains in Nov. Sea breezes are strongest Jun to Oct, and the water is calm Dec to Mar.

For the 10 day Kenya safari and beach, Jan to Mar and Jul to Oct are the best months for both halves. See the Kenya safari month by month guide to compare dates.

Flights, Train or Road to the Coast

We use a flight from Nairobi to Ukunda for this plan. It takes about an hour and ten minutes, and Diani hotels are 20 minutes from the airport.

The SGR train goes Nairobi to Mombasa in about 5 hours. See the SGR Madaraka Express guide if you prefer rail, or ask us to swap the flight and lower your price.

Health, Packing and Booking a 10 Day Kenya Safari And Beach

For a 10 day Kenya safari and beach, take malaria tablets for both safari and coast, and pack light layers, a swimsuit and reef shoes. Insurance should cover evacuation and trip cancellation.

Use our Kenya safari packing list and our vaccinations and malaria guide as a checklist before you travel.

Send your dates, group size and tier on WhatsApp at +254 720 731957. We reply with a written quote and flight times.

Book Jul to Oct and Dec to Jan trips four to six months ahead, because beach hotels and safari camps both sell out in those months.

Who a 10 Day Kenya Safari And Beach Suits Best

This plan suits couples, small families and friends who want variety. It works for honeymooners because the beach comes last, when you are tired and ready to rest. It works for families because children get bored on a long safari but never on a beach.

It is not ideal for hard core wildlife photographers who want many nights in the Mara. For them, a longer Mara focus such as our 4 day Maasai Mara safari plus a separate coast stay makes more sense.

Extras Worth Adding

A 10 day Kenya safari and beach has room for a few extras. Pick the ones that match your interests rather than adding everything.

• Hot air balloon ride over the Mara, about USD 450 to 550
• Maasai village visit near your Mara camp, about USD 20 to 30
• Wasini and Kisite dolphin day from Diani, about USD 120
• Kite surfing, scuba or spa treatments at the hotel
• A private beach dinner for an anniversary or honeymoon

How to book your 10 day Kenya safari and beach

Booking your 10 day Kenya safari and beach with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.

1. Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
2. Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
3. Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
4. Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
5. Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.

What every trip with us includes

Every 10 day Kenya safari and beach plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box, and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.

We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

We share payment details in writing only, and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.

Why book with a Nairobi team

We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos, and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good 10 day Kenya safari and beach into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 46 reviews, and we plan to keep it that way.

Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.

Questions people ask

Official information: Magical Kenya, the official Kenya tourism site.

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