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See Lions, Leopards, Giraffes, and Elephants on Safari Through Kenya

The 1985 film version of Out of Africa, loosely based on Isak Dinesen's autobiographical account of life on a colonial coffee plantation, is one of the most romantic movies ever made. Meryl Streep and Robert Redford play a wealthy landowner and big-game hunter who fall into a complicated and ultimately doomed love affair amid the gorgeous landscapes of eastern Africa. The movie was filmed in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, an immense swath of protected land where lions roam and zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest migrate annually from July to October. During this nine-day, guided Kenyan safari from Classic Escapes, you'll be immersed in this fascinating setting and have a chance to get up-close glimpses of cheetahs, leopards, sunbirds, and hyenas.

View the itinerary for a trip overview and list of optional excursions.

Days 1–4: The trip starts out with an overnight flight from Washington, DC, to Nairobi. After arrival, you'll be driven to Safari Park Hotel, a sprawling resort complex surrounded by landscaped gardens.

The next morning, head about 200 miles north to Samburu National Reserve, a region of arid scrubland in northern Kenya. The reserve is home to a large population of antelope as well as several species of wildlife that can only be found north of the equator, including Grevy’s zebra and the reticulated giraffe. Elephant Bedroom Camp will be your home for the next two nights. The luxury tented camp sits on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River, where you can often watch elephants enjoying a cool drink of water.

Day 5: The next stop is Lake Nakuru National Park, which centers around a shallow, alkaline lake that serves as a gathering spot for hundreds of thousands of brilliant-pink flamingos. The park abounds with animals, including endangered Rothschild giraffes, hippos, rhinos, and leopards. At the end of the day, turn in at Mbweha Camp, where each thatched cottage features natural lava-rock walls and a private veranda. The word “mbweha” means “jackal” in Kiswahili, and you can see all three species of East African jackal at the camp: side-striped, silver-backed, and golden.

Days 6–9: The final leg of the trip brings you to Kenya's famed Maasai Mara in the Northern Serengeti. The nature reserve is often called the "Jewel of Africa," and it's not hard to see why. People of the Maasai tribes tend their cattle on the plains as lions, cheetahs, leopards, and jackals stalk the grasslands. You'll ride along the plains in a mini bus to get a good look at the animal inhabitants, then head for two nights to the Mara Tipilikwani Camp. The tented camp is located just outside the reserve on the banks of the Talek River, one of the best places to spot wildlife in the area. After two days in the Maasai Mara, you'll head back to Nairobi to catch your return flight to Washington, DC.