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Kenya - Mega Birding Tour

© Cheetah by Adam Riley
Kenya - Mega Birding Tour 2026

14 Oct 2026 - 05 Nov 2026 (23 days)

USD11,595 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: James Wade Lee

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Tour Price (Per person): USD11,595 (GBP9,005 * EUR10,217 * AUD18,047)

Single Supplement: USD1,950 (GBP1,514 * EUR1,718 * AUD3,035)

Flight costs: USD140 (GBP109 * EUR123 * AUD218)

Kenya - Mega Birding Tour 2027

17 Oct 2027 - 08 Nov 2027 (23 days)

USD11,695 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Glen Valentine

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Tour Price (Per person): USD11,695 (GBP9,082 * EUR10,305 * AUD18,203)

Single Supplement: USD1,950 (GBP1,514 * EUR1,718 * AUD3,035)

Flight costs: USD140 (GBP109 * EUR123 * AUD218)

Kenya - Mega Birding Tour 2028

01 Nov 2028 - 23 Nov 2028 (23 days)

USD12,300 SPACES AVAILABLE

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Tour Leader: Richard Stratton Hatfield

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Tour Price (Per person): USD12,300 (GBP9,552 * EUR10,838 * AUD19,145)

Pricing notes : *Prices are estimated, and dates may change*

Kenya Mega birding tour takes in twenty-six days of non-stop birding as we thoroughly explore this famous bird and wildlife country. Not only is this safari specifically planned to obtain a huge list of mouth-watering birds and animals, but also Kenya’s most sought-after endemics and rarities. Our 2007 tour smashed all records with an amazing 817 birds, plus an incredible diversity of large mammals and other wildlife. In fact, on our five Mega tours thus far, we have recorded an unbelievable 912 species (over 80% of Kenya's possible birds!) and 99 mammal species (an average of 77 per tour!). Our recently updated itinerary has been tweaked to cover new sites and recent taxonomical splits – putting our current record in jeopardy.

Our tour begins with an exploration of the lush Shimba Hills and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Here we will endeavor to find some of the rarest birds in Africa, including the diminutive Sokoke Scops Owl, Sokoke Pipit, Green-headed Oriole, Amani Sunbird and Clarke’s Weaver. We then travel through both Tsavo West and East Parks, offering excellent game viewing and a huge bird list. The isolated Taita Hills, with its critically endangered species, will no doubt be memorable, and we’ll search all elevations of the Aberdare’s and Mount Kenya’s slopes for avian gems such as Jackson’s Francolin, Bar-tailed Trogon, Eastern Bronze-naped Pigeon, localized Hinde’s Babbler and Abyssinian Ground Thrush. We then enter the true arid zone at Samburu-Shaba, where highlights should include Golden-breasted Starling, Vulturine Guineafowl, Williams’s Lark, Somali Bee-eater and Lichtenstein’s Sandgrouse. The dry woodlands of Lake Baringo are home to Jackson’s Hornbill, Northern Masked Weaver and Somali Sparrow, while the famous Kakamega forest adds a plethora of forest specials with Blue-headed Bee-eater. Turner’s Eremomela, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat and Yellow-bellied Wattle-eye being notable targets. After exploring the papyrus swamps and moist woodlands along Lake Victoria, we finally enter the plains to visit arguably the most famous game reserve in the world, the fabulous Maasai Mara!

Top Birds

Sharpe's Longclaw, Sokoke Scops & Cape Eagle Owls, Sokoke & Malindi Pipits, Clarke's, Compact & Taveta Weavers, Hinde's & Scaly Babblers, East Coast Akalat, Green Barbet, Green Tinkerbird, Fischer's, White-crested, Ross's & Hartlaub's Turaco, Amani, Plain-backed, Tsavo, Violet-breasted & Golden-winged Sunbirds, Green-headed Oriole, Taita & Abyssinian Ground Thrushes, Taita Apalis, Taita & Kikuyu White-eyes, Jackson's & Elgon Francolins, Aberdare Cisticola, Abbott's, Golden-breasted, Magpie & Fischer's Starlings, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Somali & Three-banded Coursers, Rock Pratincole, William's & Friedmann's Lark, Jackson's Hornbill, Red-naped Bushshrike, Somali Sparrow, Donaldson-Smith's Sparrow-Weaver, Somali & Blue-headed Bee-eaters, White-headed Mousebird, Turner's & Yellow-vented Eremomelas, Yellow-bellied & Jameson's Wattle-eyes, Vulturine Guineafowl, White-spotted Flufftail, Bar-tailed Trogon, Hartlaub's Bustard, Sooty Gull, Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse, Eastern Black-headed & Forest Batis, Donaldson-Smith's Nightjar, Forbe's-Watson's Swift, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Pallid Honeyguide, Mombasa & Speckle-breasted Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, Grey-crested Helmetshrike, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-throated Tit, Uganda Woodland, Black-faced Rufous & Basra Reed Warblers, Somali Crombec, Southern & Yellow-bellied Hyliotas, Brown-chested Alethe, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Easy Coast Akalat, White-throated Robin, Chapin's & Gambaga Flycatchers, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Fire-fronted & Zanzibar Red Bishops, Jackson's Widowbird, Red-throated & Brown Twinspots, Grey-headed Silverbill, Steel-blue Whydah, Cuckoo Finch, Papyrus Canary, Southern Grosbeak-Canary, Oriole Finch.

Top Mammals

Lion, Leopard, Black & White Rhinoceros, Cheetah, Striped & Spotted Hyenas, Reticulated, Maasai & Rothschild's Giraffes, Angola Pied Colobus, Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, Serval, Golden-rumped Elephant-Shrew, Crested Porcupine, Small-spotted & Blotched Genets, African Civet, African Buffalo, African Elephant, Southern Tree Hyrax, Giant Forest Hog, Lesser & Greater Kudu, Harvey's Duiker, Suni, Sable Antelope

Habitats Covered

lowland & montane forests, Acacia savanna, papyrus swamps, rivers and wetlands, rocky gorges, grassland, semi-desert, coastal estuaries

Expected Climate

warm to hot, dry conditions, but cool at higher elevations and occasional rain can be expected

Max Group Size

6 with 1 Rockjumer leader

Tour Pace & Walking

Our Mega tours are very fast-paced birding adventures designed for the dedicated lister and serious birder. The focus of the tour is to see as many of the endemics and area specials as possible in our given time. In order to cover the necessary route to maximise the species list we tend to spend a single night at most sites and travel large distances. There is very little down time aside from that spent driving from one site to the next. These tours are not suitable for dedicated or avid photographers; inexperienced or new birders; as well as anyone with serious mobility or health challenges.

Accommodation

comfortable to luxurious lodges, a few more basic hotels & tented camps

Ease of Birding

mostly easy birds with some difficult species

Number of Species Expected

780 - 800+

Other Attractions

Olorgasailie Prehistoric sites, Mt Kenya, Aberdare Mountains, Shimba Hills, Maasai Mara, Lakes Elementeita & Baringo, Masaai and other local tribes, African curios

Photographic Opportunities

good to excellent - time permitting

What our clients say about us

Stuart Elsom
TW, Kenya 2022

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.

Glen Valentine
ID, Kenya 2021

Great trip – close encounters with a lot of target birds and mammals, exciting habitats, comfortable accommodations and an outstanding guide. Glen must be one of the foremost authorities on African birds and I learned a great deal from him regarding ecology, behaviour, systematics and conservation.

Gregory de Klerk
PC, Kenya 2018

Greg de Klerk was very friendly and competent. He worked diligently to ensure we all saw the birds. We were always given sufficient time to look closely and for some to take photos. A most enjoyable tour.

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!

Stephan Lorenz
JCM, Kenya - Mega Birding Tour 2025

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.

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