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. 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

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.

Stuart Elsom
IS, Kenya 2022

Stuart took my "hit list" and ensured that I saw as many as possible. Driver/guide Jack and local guides also helpful. Accommodation and food generally good. One negative was that Landcruiser was cramped and difficult to enter and exit, but apparently a 4X4 is necessary for this tour. Overall very happy with the tour and total list. Other participants also enjoyed it.

Glen Valentine
JH, Kenya 2021

This was a first-rate trip. Itinerary, accommodation, people and , of course, Glen's great leading and bird-finding were all excellent.

David Hoddinott
Anon, Kenya - Mega

David Hoddinott and indeed the drivers and Alison were all amazing - making this a life-changing experience. Everything went far better than expected throughout the tour in my opinion. I do not see how it could have been improved. Well done to all!

Gregory de Klerk
LW, Kenya 2023

We thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of our trip with Greg. He is the ultimate Bird Whisperer. His birding skills are outstanding! He has a great sense of humor and wonderful stories. He shared his extensive knowledge about all the animals and their behavior, which made every part of the trip so much more interesting. This was certainly one of our best trips with Rockjumper. In addition, we sincerely appreciate Rockjumpers flexibility in working with us to reschedule this trip, since we were originally planning to go in March 2020.

Kenya - Bird Photography Tour 2025

03 Aug 2025 - 20 Aug 2025 (18 days)

USD11,995 - 4 Spaces Available

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Tour Leader: Gregory de Klerk

Tour price (Per person): USD11,995 * GBP9,586 * EUR11,131 * AUD18,154

Single Supplement: USD1,750 * GBP1,399 * EUR1,624 * AUD2,649

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Route Map

Tour Route Map

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