Laikipia + Mount Kenya — Black rhino, the last northern white rhinos, and a night at the foot of Mount Kenya
6 days · 5 nights · Best Sep – Mar
About this experience
The Laikipia plateau is where Kenyan conservation has done its most ambitious work. Ol Pejeta is home to the last two northern white rhinos on earth. Lewa runs the most successful black rhino programme in Africa. This trip is for travellers who want the safari and the why behind it.
Highlights
- Conservation-minded
- Second-time visitors
- Rhino lovers
- Hand-picked lodges with great reviews
- Private vehicle and experienced driver-guide
Signature experiences
Optional add-ons our specialists can build into this trip. Prices are per person, confirmed on request.
Walk in with the conservancy's rhino monitors to approach black or white rhino on foot — a rare, close, conservation-led encounter.
Ride out among plains game that lets a horse far closer than a vehicle — for confident riders, one of the great ways to see the bush.
A guided walk into the moorland and forest of Africa's second-highest peak — waterfalls, giant lobelia, and clear-air views.
After dark on a private conservancy, a spotlight picks out leopard, aardvark, bushbaby and the animals you never see by day.
Included
- All accommodation on full-board
- Private 4x4 + driver-guide
- Conservancy & park fees
- Black rhino on-foot tracking
- Ol Pejeta chimp sanctuary visit
- All transfers
- 24/7 WhatsApp line
Not included
- International flights
- Kenya eVisa
- Travel insurance
- Horseback safari at Lewa ($120 pp, optional)
- Tips
Price breakdown
The plan, day by day
From pickup to drop-off — exactly what your trip looks like.
Morning road transfer north (4 hours). Lunch at camp. Afternoon visit to Najin and Fatu — the last two northern white rhinos on earth. It's the closest you'll come to watching a species end, and it changes how you think about the rest of the week.
Black rhino tracking with a ranger on foot. Visit Baraka, the blind black rhino sanctuary. Chimpanzee sanctuary in the afternoon (Ol Pejeta is the only place in Kenya you'll see chimps).
Short transfer east to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Lewa is private, wealthy, and astonishingly well-run — the best big-five density in central Kenya. Afternoon game drive.
Lewa is one of the only places to see Grévy's zebra (different species — narrower stripes, bigger ears) and reticulated giraffe. Optional horseback safari for confident riders.
Transfer south to Mount Kenya. Stay at Castle Forest Lodge — a colonial-era forest lodge on Mount Kenya's slopes; elephant and buffalo pass through the forest clearing below the veranda.
Morning at the lodge, transfer to Nairobi by mid-afternoon.
What travelers say
Guest reviews →Bookara guest rating
Meeting point
Your full route across Kenya — pickup confirmed the day before departure.
Drag to pan · pinch or buttons to zoom
- 01 NairobiDay 1 · City
- 02 Ol PejetaDay 1 · National park & reserve
- 03 LewaDay 3 · National park & reserve
- 04 Mount KenyaDay 5 · Mountain region
- 05 NairobiDay 6 · City
Good to know
Cancel for any reason up to 90 days before your departure and receive a full refund. After that, our standard partial-refund schedule applies — see full terms.
Common questions
Will I really see the northern white rhinos?+
Yes. Najin and Fatu live under 24-hour armed guard at Ol Pejeta. Our trip includes a scheduled visit with one of their keepers — you'll be within metres of them, on foot, with the keeper telling you their story. It's an hour you'll remember forever.
Is rhino tracking on foot safe?+
Yes — we go with a senior ranger who carries a rifle and knows the individual rhinos in his territory by name and personality. Black rhino are unpredictable but the ranger reads the wind and the body language. In ten years we have had zero incidents.
How cold does it get at Mount Kenya?+
Castle Forest Lodge sits at about 2,000m — chilly evenings (10–14°C), warm days (20–24°C). Bring a fleece and long trousers. The lodge provides hot water bottles in beds.
Is this trip too quiet for younger travellers?+
Depends on the traveller. The pace is calmer than the Mara — more standing-still time with rangers, more conservation talks. We'd suggest 12+ for full engagement. For families with younger kids, the Mara is more action-packed.
Book on WhatsApp
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- 1 Send the pre-filled messageYour trip details are already written for you.
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- 3 Instant confirmationWhatsApp message + email receipt the moment your deposit lands.
Your request ref becomes your booking reference once the deposit is paid.
Book direct with the operator
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Licensed & certified
Kenya-registered operator in Nairobi with experienced driver-guides.
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Our own vehicles & guides
Trips run end to end by Bookara staff — never handed to a third party.
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Secure payment
Card or Apple Pay through Paystack (USD). Park fees included in the price you see.
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Flexible cancellation
Free cancellation up to 90 days before departure; 30% deposit holds your dates.
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