Introduction
Planning a Kenya safari trip — overwhelming!
Did you know Kenya is known as the "land of the original safari"? That’s right. It has 25 national parks and 18 national reserves. Kenya has been the world’s leading safari destination since 2015.
My husband and I chose Kenya as our honeymoon destination to witness the animal migration. Ever since I first watched The Lion King, Kenya has been at the top of my bucket list. For such a special occasion, we wanted everything to go smoothly—a stress-free trip with amazing private guides to make our experience unforgettable.
Even though we knew exactly what we wanted to see and where we wanted to visit, planning a safari turned out to be overwhelming. A simple Google search for "Kenya Safari Private Tour" brought up billions of results, and we had no idea where to even start.
In this blog, I will walk you through our entire experience from start to finish and dive into these 3 key questions:
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Why choose a private guide over a group tour?
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What does the itinerary entail, and what is included and excluded?
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What is the total cost for two adults, and is it worth it?
Why choose a private guide over a group tour?
A Complete Look at the Pros and Cons
These were our requirements while searching for the tour:
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The ability to select our own guide
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A short full-day private tour
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Inclusion of pick-up and drop-off services
We were searching for an English-speaking guide who communicates clearly, as my husband is not fluent in the language. Ideally, we wanted a tour that lasts about 6 hours, allowing us to relax in the late afternoon. We also preferred to avoid driving and the stress of transportation on the day of the tour.
We explored several platforms and found some great options, but most were multi-day package tours with pre-assigned guides. Finally, we came across GoWithGuide, a platform that specializes in private, customizable tours, and chose Saidi as our guide.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that we could choose our own guide by watching their profile videos, reading their self-introductions, and checking reviews. This level of personalization was a refreshing change for us, as we had never encountered anything like it in our previous group tour experiences.
When we were selecting a guide, Saidi's profile video stood out—he spoke clear English and seemed both friendly and professional. We also loved that GoWithGuide encourages you to message guides and customize the tour before booking. This feature made it easy for us to ensure that the guide was a good match and that our preferences for the tour were met.
We reached out to Saidi, and received a response from the guide directly within 4 hours. The speed and the quality made us feel confident in our choice.
Finally, as anticipated, a private tour would be pricier than a group tour. Yet, we felt it was worth the investment. Given that this is our honeymoon and we may only visit Kenya once in our lifetime.
After comparing our previous group tour experiences with our recent tour with GoWithGuide, we compiled a list of the pros and cons of choosing a private tour:
What does the itinerary entail, and what is included and excluded?
A Detailed Breakdown of the Tour
On September 17th, we got ready for our 6-hour tour with GoWithGuide, scheduled to pick us up at 10 AM in front of our hotel. Our destination was Nairobi National Park, the only safari park right in the heart of Nairobi. Just a quick 30-minute drive away, we could not wait to capture the iconic photo of wildlife with the city skyline in the background—and, of course, we hoped to spot the Big Five along the way.
Before the Tour
About a week before the tour, we encountered a problem with our flight and needed to reschedule for a day earlier. Even with such short notice, Saidi came through and arranged one of his best guides for us. We were grateful for his quick response and flexibility.
On the Tour Day
On the day of the tour, our guide arrived 30 minutes early, waiting right outside our hotel. This delightful surprise eased our worries about finding someone in an unfamiliar place. He greeted us warmly, with a big smile, and showed us a spacious minivan with a pop-up roof, setting a great tone for the adventure ahead.
During our drive to the destination, our guide shared interesting insights about the landmarks we passed. We could not help but ask plenty of questions about Kenya and its wildlife, and my husband effortlessly joined the conversation, thanks to the guide’s clear English. The 30-minute drive went by quickly.
When we arrived at Nairobi National Park, we headed to purchase our entrance tickets. Unfortunately, the process was not as seamless as I had anticipated, mainly due to the cashless payment system. A verification code was required via text for the ticket purchase, but I did not have my home country’s SIM card with me.
Luckily, I managed to use another credit card that allowed verification through an app. We noticed several other travelers experiencing the same issue, so if you plan to pay for the entrance fee on the day, I highly recommend including the tickets in your tour fee and purchasing them online through GoWithGuide to avoid any hassle.
The weather was a blessing on the day, and the tour was truly an experience of a lifetime. We enjoyed the thrill of spotting animals on the plains with our own eyes and the excitement of shouting out “Lion!”, “Elephant!”, “Rhino!” whenever we saw one.
Our guide's enthusiasm added to the adventure; he passionately engaged with us and even captured photos of the animals. I was surprised by this, as I had expected tour guides to view the wildlife as routine. Instead, it was clear that our guide genuinely loved his job, which made the experience even more special.
After the Tour
All in all, we spotted a total of 10 different animals during our 6-hour tour, including an incredible moment when we saw a group of lions feasting on a zebra and a male ostrich performing its mating dance. We gained valuable knowledge about the wildlife from our experienced guide. For instance, did you know that zebras are born with brown stripes that darken as they mature?
As the tour concluded, we asked our guide to drop us off at a restaurant near our hotel to enjoy a nice meal and make the most of our late evening in the city.
What is included and excluded
Included:
- English tour guide
- Roof pop up mini van
- Pick-Up and Drop-off
- 2 bottles of water
Excluded:
- Entrance fee (60 USD per person)*recommend asking for it to be included
- Lunch - need to bring your own lunch
- Tips
Other:
Things to bring on the day
- Yellow Fever certificate
- Passport/ Visas
- Insurance covers
- Credit card (to pay the entrance fee, cash is not accepted)
What is the total cost for two adults, and is it worth it?
Pricing Insights and What You Should Expect
So, how much did our Kenya tour cost? For two adults, we paid a total of 390 USD—270 USD for the tour and 120 USD for two national park tickets. We opted for a shorter 6-hour tour instead of the original 8-hour package, which was priced at 450 USD.
Initially, we thought the price was a bit steep, but it was absolutely worth it.
We spent two weeks in Kenya and booked tours with two other companies that also offered private, customized experiences with English-speaking guides. While these tours were good, none compared to GoWithGuide.
The English proficiency
First, GoWithGuide’s guide had the best English proficiency, which was important for us since my husband does not speak English. The ability to communicate clearly made the tour much more enjoyable.
Full customization
Second, GoWithGuide was the only company that truly allowed full customization of the tour. We could message the guide directly before booking, discuss our preferences, and tailor the tour to suit our lifestyle.
For example, we wanted to start our safari at 10 AM, which is not the norm. Typically, guides prefer starting earlier and might try to persuade you otherwise. However, our guide from GoWithGuide took the time to explain why the standard tour lasts 8 hours but respected our choice when we said we preferred a shorter, 6-hour option.
With the other two companies, all communication was handled through a salesperson via email, rather than directly with the guide. The salesperson sent us the itinerary and the quote in PDF form and the only interaction was about additional spots with extra costs. The contact information of the actual guide who was going to spend the day with us was given on the morning of the tour date.
While the tours were still excellent, we were not given any opportunity to customize the itinerary. In fact, we were not sure if we could really adjust the itinerary as it was presented in a fixed PDF file.
Full online payment
Finally, GoWithGuide was the only company that offered full online payment via PayPal. We appreciated this option because it allowed us to avoid carrying large amounts of cash during our travels. Additionally, using PayPal—an established and trusted platform—gave us confidence in the security of our credit card information.
Conclusion
1. Why choose a private guide over a group tour?
- Personal Selection: you can handpick your guide and message him or her before booking, ensuring you like the person who is going to spend the whole day with you instead of being assigned someone at random.
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Customized Experience: you can plan your tour with a local expert and spend your limited time on what excites you most.
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Flexibility: a private tour allows for spontaneous changes based on your energy level or mood on the day of the tour, giving you the freedom to explore at your own pace.
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Exclusive Enjoyment: You can fully embrace your interests without the pressure to socialize or compromise for the sake of others.
2. What does the itinerary entail, and what is included and excluded?
The tour is a full-day game drive at the Nairobi National Park with an English speaking guide. It includes a pick-up and drop-off with roof-pop-up minivan. It does not include lunch so you will have to bring a light lunch with you to eat at the picnic point.
3. What is the total cost for two adults, and is it worth it?
An 8-hour fully inclusive (including the entrance tickets) tour will cost 450 USD for 2 adults.
If you are interested in booking this experience, you can contact Saidi on GoWithGuide directly!
GoWithGuide website: https://gowithguide.com/
Saidi’s profile page: https://gowithguide.com/supplier/47557
