Planning a family safari in Kenya: ages, pace and a route that works
Which ages suit a safari, how to keep drives short enough for children, where to stay, and a simple Naivasha-to-Mara route with the coast as an optional finish.
A safari with children is a different trip from a safari for two adults. The wildlife is the same. What changes is how long everyone can sit in a vehicle, how much downtime you need, and what counts as a good day. When we built our family trip, we started from those limits rather than from the usual adult itinerary.
What works at what age
Under 5. Possible, but hard work. Game drives are long, and some lodges set a minimum age for drives or for certain rooms. If your children are this young, think about fewer parks and more time at the coast.
6 to 10. A lovely age for it. Children are excited by everything and old enough to remember it. Keep drives to two or three hours, and build in time at the lodge every day.
11 to 14. Can get bored with long hours of looking for animals. Mix in things they can do, not just watch: a walking safari, a boat ride, a bike ride at Hell’s Gate.
15 and over. Treat them like adults. Give them the camera, or put them in charge of the animal checklist.
Keep the route simple
The biggest mistake is trying to fit in too many parks. Every extra stop means another half-day in the car. For most families, two or three bases is plenty.
The route we like for a first family safari:
Lake Naivasha (1 night)
About two hours from Nairobi, which is a gentle first drive after a long flight. A boat ride among the hippos, and a walking safari on Crescent Island, where you can walk among giraffe, zebra and antelope with a guide. For many children this is the moment the trip becomes real.
Maasai Mara (2–3 nights)
The big animals. Do a morning drive, come back for lunch and a rest, and go out again in the late afternoon. Children don’t need a full day in the vehicle to have a full day of safari. Ask your guide to turn the drive into a game: who spots the first lion, a checklist of animals, counting zebra.
The coast (optional, 3–4 nights)
Diani Beach is a short flight from Nairobi. After the early starts of a safari, a few days of swimming and sand balance the trip well for children and parents. A dhow trip and snorkelling at Kisite Marine Park are good outings if they’re old enough.
Our Family Safari covers the Naivasha and Mara part, and you can add Diani Beach at the end.
Practical things we’d sort out for you
- Family rooms or connecting rooms, so nobody is sleeping in a separate building from the children.
- A private vehicle, so you can stop when someone needs the toilet or has had enough.
- Short drive days, with the long transfers in the morning when everyone is fresh.
- Lodges with a pool and space for children to run around.
Health and packing
Talk to a travel clinic well before you go about malaria tablets and vaccinations for each child. Pack a light jumper for each person, because early mornings on the plains are cold, plus hats and a pair of children’s binoculars each, so there’s no arguing over one pair.
When to go
School holidays line up nicely with the dry season: July and August, and December to February, are good months, but book early for those dates. April and May are the long rains, when some roads get muddy.
Tell us the ages of your children and your dates on WhatsApp, and we’ll suggest a route and a pace that suits them.
