Luxury Family Safari
Camps & Lodges in Kenya
Think exclusive private locations, expert guides who bring the bush to life, diverse activities for all ages, thrilling wildlife encounters, and enriching cultural experiences – all within flexible and personalised itineraries tailored to your family’s interests.
Read on, then talk to our expert travel designers to find the perfect place for your family.
Safaris Tailored To You
"As a father of two, I understand the challenges of arranging a holiday to suit everyone’s interests. Safaris are one of those unique holidays, where the right sequence of accommodation and activities can create the perfect balance for all ages. I love that being an independent travel specialist, here at Journeysmiths we have the flexibility to create truly tailor-made itineraries the whole family will enjoy."
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Best Kenya Safari Lodges for Families with Kids
Discover Kenya’s best family-friendly safari lodges, where expert guides, tailored activities, and luxurious comforts ensure an unforgettable adventure for young explorers, all within safe, private, and exclusive wilderness settings.Discover Kenya’s best family-friendly safari lodges, where expert guides, tailored activities, and luxurious comforts ensure an unforgettable adventure for young explorers, all within safe, private, and exclusive wilderness settings.
An intimate, family-owned luxury lodge that offers a truly private, high-quality safari experience and a genuine home away from home, it's perfect for families or smaller groups.
Lewa House in Kenya is more than simply a place to rest your head after your safaris. It’s the intangible warmth of being welcomed as family by owners Calum and Sophie McFarlane with the touches of home that make it a unique experience. You’ll wake in your thatched cottage to share biscuits on the veranda with the resident ‘go-away-birds’, soaking in the landscape of gently sloping plains and distant mountains.
Kinondo Kwetu is our favourite boutique beach lodge on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, beautifully secluded on 16 private acres of Diani Beach. Fill your days with horseback rides, tennis, thrilling watersports and of course, relaxing on the beach and splashing in the surf.
Ol Lentille is one of Laikipia’s most luxurious properties and perfect for families. Here, exclusivity is key. The private 40,000-acre conservancy is over three times the size of Manhattan and teeming of wildlife. Fill your days with activities, enjoying personal butler service back in the comfort of your villa.
Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp is our favourite property for a truly exclusive family safari in the Masai Mara. Located outside the national reserve on a private conservancy, Cottar’s combines authentic style, inspired guiding, immersive activities and fantastic attention to detail. All of which creates an unforgettable African safari.
Discover the remote corners of Kenya’s Laikipia Province, a vast and impressive landscape defined by rocky hills scattered with traditional tribal villages and camel trains traversing the arid wilderness. Staying at the family-owned Ol Malo House ranch, you’ll explore this area on horseback, hikes, drives and flights, ensuring a thrilling adventure for all ages.
Alfajiri Villas on Kenya’s Diani Beach are among the most luxurious properties in Kenya. We love this property for larger groups and families who want an exclusive-use beach retreat after their time on safari. There truly is nowhere else like it.
Laikipia Wilderness is the perfect place to reconnect with nature and each other on an authentic bushcamp adventure. Owners Steve and Annabelle Carey embrace you into their safari family, inviting you to make their home in the wilds of northern Kenya your own.
Sosian Lodge is an adventure playground, welcoming guests of all ages. Not only is Sosian set on its own 60,000-acre private conservancy, it's a working, free-range ranch. To stay here is more than going on safari, it's a firsthand immersion into Laikipian life.
Top Kenya Safari Camps with Teens & Young Adults
Experience thrilling safaris designed for adventurous teens and young adults, with expert-led game drives, bush walks, and immersive cultural encounters – set in exclusive, luxury camps across Kenya’s breathtaking landscapes.Experience thrilling safaris designed for adventurous teens and young adults, with expert-led game drives, bush walks, and immersive cultural encounters – set in exclusive, luxury camps across Kenya’s breathtaking landscapes.
Tucked away on a 200,000-acre private reserve, Saruni Samburu is excellent for a family safari. We love the six spacious villas, set right into the mountainside, with verandas overlooking the best views in Kenya. A wealth of activities await you: game drives and walking safaris, mountain treks, bush breakfasts and cultural visits.
Discover the remote corners of Kenya’s Laikipia Province, a vast and impressive landscape defined by rocky hills scattered with traditional tribal villages and camel trains traversing the arid wilderness. Staying at the family-owned Ol Malo House ranch, you’ll explore this area on horseback, hikes, drives and flights, ensuring a thrilling adventure for all ages.
Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp is our favourite property for a truly exclusive family safari in the Masai Mara. Located outside the national reserve on a private conservancy, Cottar’s combines authentic style, inspired guiding, immersive activities and fantastic attention to detail. All of which creates an unforgettable African safari.
Sosian Lodge is an adventure playground, welcoming guests of all ages. Not only is Sosian set on its own 60,000-acre private conservancy, it's a working, free-range ranch. To stay here is more than going on safari, it's a firsthand immersion into Laikipian life.
Alfajiri Villas on Kenya’s Diani Beach are among the most luxurious properties in Kenya. We love this property for larger groups and families who want an exclusive-use beach retreat after their time on safari. There truly is nowhere else like it.
Laikipia Wilderness is the perfect place to reconnect with nature and each other on an authentic bushcamp adventure. Owners Steve and Annabelle Carey embrace you into their safari family, inviting you to make their home in the wilds of northern Kenya your own.
Saruni Wild is one of our favourite camps in the Masai Mara for families with children of all ages. The experience here is that of a true African adventure, with local Maasai guides leading you and your youngsters on exhilarating game drives, bush walks, and even showing you what it takes to live like a Maasai Warrior.
Lewa House in Kenya is more than simply a place to rest your head after your safaris. It’s the intangible warmth of being welcomed as family by owners Calum and Sophie McFarlane with the touches of home that make it a unique experience. You’ll wake in your thatched cottage to share biscuits on the veranda with the resident ‘go-away-birds’, soaking in the landscape of gently sloping plains and distant mountains.
Kinondo Kwetu is our favourite boutique beach lodge on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, beautifully secluded on 16 private acres of Diani Beach. Fill your days with horseback rides, tennis, thrilling watersports and of course, relaxing on the beach and splashing in the surf.
Ol Lentille is one of Laikipia’s most luxurious properties and perfect for families. Here, exclusivity is key. The private 40,000-acre conservancy is over three times the size of Manhattan and teeming of wildlife. Fill your days with activities, enjoying personal butler service back in the comfort of your villa.
If you’re searching for the ultimate in luxury for your family safari, we may suggest ol Donyo Lodge. Just six suites here emerge from the landscape of Kenya’s Chyulu HIlls. With Relais and Chateaux accreditation, you know that you will enjoy the very best in fine dining and wine selection throughout your stay. Pair that with myriad ways to explore the 275,000 acres of private wilderness. Combine with sister-camp, Mara Plains for a truly indulgent Kenyan safari.
Luxury Kenya Stays for Multigenerational Safaris
Kenya’s finest private lodges and safari camps offer personalised experiences for all generations, from grandparents to grandchildren, blending adventure, relaxation, and world-class service in breathtaking wilderness locations.Kenya’s finest private lodges and safari camps offer personalised experiences for all generations, from grandparents to grandchildren, blending adventure, relaxation, and world-class service in breathtaking wilderness locations.
If you’re searching for the ultimate in luxury for your family safari, we may suggest ol Donyo Lodge. Just six suites here emerge from the landscape of Kenya’s Chyulu HIlls. With Relais and Chateaux accreditation, you know that you will enjoy the very best in fine dining and wine selection throughout your stay. Pair that with myriad ways to explore the 275,000 acres of private wilderness. Combine with sister-camp, Mara Plains for a truly indulgent Kenyan safari.
Ol Lentille is one of Laikipia’s most luxurious properties and perfect for families. Here, exclusivity is key. The private 40,000-acre conservancy is over three times the size of Manhattan and teeming of wildlife. Fill your days with activities, enjoying personal butler service back in the comfort of your villa.
Sosian Lodge is an adventure playground, welcoming guests of all ages. Not only is Sosian set on its own 60,000-acre private conservancy, it's a working, free-range ranch. To stay here is more than going on safari, it's a firsthand immersion into Laikipian life.
An intimate, family-owned luxury lodge that offers a truly private, high-quality safari experience and a genuine home away from home, it's perfect for families or smaller groups.
Kinondo Kwetu is our favourite boutique beach lodge on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast, beautifully secluded on 16 private acres of Diani Beach. Fill your days with horseback rides, tennis, thrilling watersports and of course, relaxing on the beach and splashing in the surf.
Saruni Wild is one of our favourite camps in the Masai Mara for families with children of all ages. The experience here is that of a true African adventure, with local Maasai guides leading you and your youngsters on exhilarating game drives, bush walks, and even showing you what it takes to live like a Maasai Warrior.
Alfajiri Villas on Kenya’s Diani Beach are among the most luxurious properties in Kenya. We love this property for larger groups and families who want an exclusive-use beach retreat after their time on safari. There truly is nowhere else like it.
Lewa House in Kenya is more than simply a place to rest your head after your safaris. It’s the intangible warmth of being welcomed as family by owners Calum and Sophie McFarlane with the touches of home that make it a unique experience. You’ll wake in your thatched cottage to share biscuits on the veranda with the resident ‘go-away-birds’, soaking in the landscape of gently sloping plains and distant mountains.
Father & Son Safari in Kenya
"Having the trip organised for us by Journeysmiths took so much of the hassle out of the planning. Their knowledge is incredible, and they understood what we wanted. I knew we were going to the best places available, and that all the logistics of moving between properties whilst we were away was seamless.
They made it beyond easy - there were also special touches along the way, a real feeling that everything had been done for us, personally, and that we, and our needs were being thought of every second of every day."
Why Choose Kenya for Your Family Safari?
Choosing the right country is the starting point in creating the perfect luxury safari for your family. You’ll want to know about the seasons, wildlife and how you will travel in-country. On safari in Kenya, you can expect exciting game viewing, a range of activities, privacy and the chance to engage with local cultures.Choosing the right country is the starting point in creating the perfect luxury safari for your family. You’ll want to know about the seasons, wildlife and how you will travel in-country. On safari in Kenya, you can expect exciting game viewing, a range of activities, privacy and the chance to engage with local cultures.
When Journeysmiths arranges your Kenya safari, we make it easy to get around. Many of the exclusive lodges that we use are accessed by small planes so you won’t have to endure long, bumpy road journeys.
Kenya is eight hours from London and if you fly overnight we can have you on safari just a few hours after you land. There are also direct flights from the USA. The rains fall mainly in April, May and November. From July to September the wildebeest migration passes through the Masai Mara, so it’s ideal for a holiday in our summer months.
Kenya has an incredible density of wildlife and a great variety of species. Even if you travel when the migration is not passing, there is still plenty to see including lots of big cats.
It also has iconic African scenery like the plains of the Masai Mara, volcanic hills, the rift valley and views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Kenya also has a beautiful coastline, so your safari can easily be combined with some time at the beach.
Although Kenya is a popular place to visit, we can arrange for you to avoid the crowds by staying in small, exclusive camps and lodges on private reserves. This even applies in the Masai Mara.
A big advantage of these places is that you are free to explore in all kinds of ways: driving, walking, riding, and even mountain biking with expert guides. See some of our favourite family lodges and camps here.
Many of these exclusive lodges are active in conservation and protecting endangered species. Kenya is one of the best countries to see conservation in action; a heart-warming and educational experience for the children.
Most private camps and lodges we recommend also operate in partnership with local communities and for children, meeting other families in the local Samburu and Maasai villages are often some of their most enduring memories.
A safari is a family holiday that your children will cherish forever. Over the last three decades we have received hundreds of questions from both parents and children alike. We have answered some of the most frequently asked question about family safaris to Africa below.
Every safari we arrange is individually designed, appreciating the unique characteristics and interests of each client. In a world where so much is online, we still believe the best way to begin is a conversation.
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We will ensure you can enjoy the best of Africa in the exclusivity of Kenya’s private conservancies where walking, riding and other expertly guided activities enable the richest safari experience.
Kenya has the ingredients for an amazing family safari. Your children will love seeing vast numbers of animals in iconic African settings. Stay in amazing and exclusive accommodation on private reserves. Enjoy adventures on foot, horseback and by open vehicle with Africa’s finest guides. Your children can see pioneering conservation work in action and meet remote tribal communities. Maybe end with a few days by the coast.
What To Do In Kenya With Children? We’ve chosen our best experiences for a luxury family safari to Kenya.
When one of TV’s best-known wildlife enthusiast, Steve Backshall, tasked us with crafting an unforgettable father-son safari in celebration of his son’s 5th birthday, we knew exactly how to create a trip that would excite and inspire both in equal measures.
The only travel company to have access to a huge moment in conservation history, our Kenya Conservation safari group got to watch a rhino release!
I have spent the last 18 years travelling to some of the planet’s most incredible places under the guise of ‘work’. For 11 of those, I have been waiting for my young family to be old enough to join me. In October 2022, that time finally came. Our first family safari in Kenya was perhaps even more special as, like many holidays, it had been postponed twice due to the COVID pandemic but, wow, was it worth the wait!
Experiences in Kenya
Kenya is a vibrant tapestry of interlocking landscapes, climates, ecosystems, villages, communities and ethnic groups. Our teammate Julia travelled to three very different locations to experience how varying ingredients combine to create unique adventures.
Safaris in Kenya
The best safari adventures in Kenya combine luxurious comfort with the immersive experience of only having a layer of canvas between you and the nocturnal sounds of Africa. Our travel experts at Journeysmiths have curated some of Kenya's best luxury tented camps, offering exclusive private safari experiences that immerse you in the wild without compromising on comfort.
More About Us
We are a boutique travel specialist. For over 30 years we have been creating luxury tailor-made safaris to the timeless savannahs of Africa. Your time is precious and with a world to see, we understand the importance of getting it absolutely right for you, every time.We are a boutique travel specialist. For over 30 years we have been creating luxury tailor-made safaris to the timeless savannahs of Africa. Your time is precious and with a world to see, we understand the importance of getting it absolutely right for you, every time.