Planning guide
Safari packing list & what to expect
Pack light, pack layers, and leave room for a pair of binoculars. Here's our checklist, plus what a typical day on tour looks like.
Packing checklist
Clothing
- Light layers in neutral colours (khaki, beige, olive): bright colours and dark blue/black attract tsetse flies
- A warm fleece or jacket: early game drives and highland nights are cold
- Long sleeves and trousers for evenings (mosquitoes)
- Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses
- Comfortable closed shoes, plus sandals
- Swimwear, for lodge pools and the coast
Health & comfort
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Insect repellent
- Any prescription medicine, and malaria tablets if your doctor recommends them
- Hand sanitiser and tissues
- A refillable water bottle
Gear
- Binoculars, one pair per person if you can
- Camera with a zoom lens, spare memory cards and batteries
- Power bank and a UK-style (type G) plug adapter
- Small daypack for the vehicle
- Head torch: camps can be dark at night
Documents
- Passport valid for at least 6 months, with blank pages
- Your Kenya entry authorisation (eTA) if you need one
- Yellow fever certificate, if required for your route
- Travel insurance details, including medical evacuation cover
- Copies of all of the above, on paper and on your phone
- Use a soft-sided bag. Light aircraft to the parks usually limit luggage to about 15 kg per person in soft bags.
- Kenya has banned single-use plastic carrier bags, so pack in fabric or reusable bags. Plastic bags may be taken from you at the airport.
- Most safari lodges offer laundry, so you can pack less than you think.
What to expect on tour
- Early starts
- Animals are most active at dawn and dusk, so morning game drives often leave around 6:00–6:30am. Midday is for lunch and rest.
- Long, bumpy drives
- Roads to the parks can be rough. Expect several hours on the road between parks, with stops along the way.
- Pop-up roof vehicles
- Our 4x4s have a roof that lifts for standing and photography. Everyone gets a window seat.
- Stay in the vehicle
- In the parks you stay in the vehicle except at marked spots. Your guide knows where it's safe to stretch your legs.
- Wildlife isn't guaranteed
- These are wild animals. Good guides improve your chances a lot, but no one can promise a particular sighting.
- Limited connectivity
- Many camps have Wi-Fi in the main area only, and mobile signal can be patchy in the parks.
Get the free Kenya safari planner
Every guide in one printable planner: seasons, costs, packing list and sample routes. We'll email it to you.
More planning guides
- Best time to visit KenyaMonth-by-month seasons, the migration and the best time for each park.
- Sample itinerariesHow to spend 3, 5 or 7 days, with our packages of each length.
- Visa & health FAQsKenya's eTA, vaccinations, malaria and travel insurance.
- What a safari costsWhat affects the price, and what is and isn't included.
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