Kenya

Kenya family safari

Children adore the excitement and thrill of a family safari in Kenya. This is where safari began and a classic Kenya family safari is the ultimate wildlife experience with kids. Spend your days glued to the binoculars in search of animals, and your nights gathered around the campfire in gorgeous family-friendly safari lodges and camps.

The country is spectacularly beautiful with a huge variety of landscapes. The harsh beauty of the parched semi-desert in the north is offset by the snow-capped splendour of Mount Kenya. There is thick equatorial jungle that cloaks part of the west and idyllic powder-white beaches lining the coast. Add to these the legendary rolling plains of the Masai Mara, one of Africa’s most iconic settings, and you have the perfect backdrop for a family safari.

Travelling with toddlers - toddler meets a Masai warrior on a Kenya family safari

Even the very youngest travellers enjoy experiencing Maasai culture…

Why take the kids to Kenya?

A Kenya family safari will always include world-class wildlife viewing in some of the country’s many reserves. But children will not want day after day bouncing around in a safari vehicle and there are many other activities and experiences we can include.

The top reasons to choose a Kenya family safari include:

Superb game viewing with the possibility to spot the Big Five
The chance to make a bow and arrow with a Maasai tribesman
Opportunities for camel trekking, hiking and river swimming
Wide, sweeping palm-fringed beaches
The opportunity to track animal spoor across the plains
The wonderful selection of accommodation on safari
The boutique beach hotels, many with lush gardens and gorgeous pools

Game drives in Kenya are ideal for teens but there’s plenty for younger family members too

All that said, it is of course the wildlife that will be central to your Kenya family safari. Prides of lion roam the plains, leopard prowl around after dark and herds of elephant amble their way past solitary acacia trees. This is also the setting for the greatest migration on Earth, when millions of wildebeest stampede across the plains in search of sweet fresh grasses.

From the children’s point of view, they’ll love searching the horizon to be first to spot a cheetah family or a troop of baboons. Within minutes of starting the first game drive, they’ll have become avid ‘species collectors’, scouring the landscape to ensure that they tick off the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, elephant). This is a land that they will have seen a hundred times on film, but there’s nothing like seeing these animals at home in the wild.

Mother lion with cubs in the Masai Mara, Kenya family safari

Look for big cats in the Masai Mara

Why pick Kenya for your family safari?

As the birthplace of safari, tourism in Kenya is extremely well organised and allows world-class game viewing with time on a glorious Indian Ocean beach. The main nationally run game reserves offer excellent wildlife sightings, but even better are the surrounding privately-run conservancies. Although the animals are able to roam freely between the two, you can only take a game drive in a conservancy if you are staying there. Consequently, the conservancies offer a premium wildlife experience as you have abundant game but few other tourists.

For a more detailed comparison of safari in Kenya versus other safari destinations, check out our family safari holidays section. And see our two Kenya features for great photos and ideas: Kenya with Kids and a 50th Birthday Celebration in Kenya.

Kids learning to make fire on a bush walk with Masaai - Kenya with kids

Learn bush survival skills with your Maasai guides

Family holiday itineraries to Kenya

All of our itineraries are bespoke, which means that they are tailor-made for your own specific family. We take into account the ages of your children, your interests, your budget and so on.

But to give you an idea of what you could do on a Kenya family safari or holiday, have a look at our sample itineraries, Highlights of Kenya and Kenya Out of Africa, both including time on the beach. Also, check out some of the other places that you might like to visit on your trip and if you need further inspiration, have a look at our Kenya photo gallery.

Lastly, don’t forget to check what the weather will be like at the time you want to travel. Or simply give us a ring and we’ll be delighted to advise you on the best Kenya family safari for you and the children.