Overview
Spend 5 days and 4 nights on a private Kenya safari through Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru.
Overnight plan: 2 nights in Maasai Mara, 2 nights in Lake Nakuru. The daily itinerary below sets out the travel stages and scheduled activities.
Your safari arrangements are private to your party. The selected accommodation, vehicle, travel dates and party determine the applicable offer. Wildlife sightings and any migration crossings depend on natural conditions; they cannot be guaranteed.
Plan the destinations: Lake Nakuru guide, Maasai Mara guide.
Trip Highlights
- Big Five game drives in the Maasai Mara at a relaxed and comfortable pace
- Flamingo gatherings and white rhino sightings at Lake Nakuru
- Scenic Rift Valley escarpment views on the drive between parks
- Flexible game drive timing suited to leisurely travellers
- Comfortable lodge stays with excellent dining and relaxation facilities
- Leopard spotting in Lake Nakuru's fever tree forest
- Unhurried wildlife watching from comfortable lodge verandas
- Birdwatching across two of Kenya's top birding destinations
Itinerary
Five days at an unhurried pace in the Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru, with two nights at each destination. The programme includes a Mara arrival drive, a full Mara day, Nakuru arrival and full-day drives, and a final Nakuru morning outing.
The private safari leaves Nairobi in mid-morning and pauses at the scheduled Great Rift Valley viewpoint before continuing towards the Maasai Mara. Arrival is followed by time at the safari base before the late-afternoon game drive.
The first outing introduces the Mara’s grassland and woodland landscape. The guide stops at wildlife encountered along the viewing circuit, leaving time for observation and photography before the first of two Mara nights.
The Mara day starts with the scheduled later-morning game drive, maintaining the trip’s unhurried pace. The guide explores the reserve’s grassland habitats and pauses at wildlife encountered along the circuit.
Time back at the safari base separates the outings. The afternoon drive continues towards the river viewing areas and other wildlife habitats before returning for the second Mara night; departure for Nakuru takes place the following day.
The party leaves the Maasai Mara for Lake Nakuru, with the scheduled viewpoint and roadside market stops along the route. The safari then enters Lake Nakuru National Park for its afternoon wildlife programme.
The game drive explores woodland, grassland and lakeside viewing areas. The guide pauses for rhinos, giraffes, birds and other wildlife encountered on the circuit before the first of two Nakuru nights.
Morning and afternoon game drives provide a full day in Lake Nakuru National Park. The morning outing explores woodland, open clearings and lakeside viewing areas, with time to observe wildlife encountered along the route and follow its behaviour from the vehicle.
The day allows an unhurried look at the park’s contrasting habitats, combining wildlife observation with bird watching. The afternoon drive continues the exploration of different park areas rather than promising a fixed number of sightings. A break at the safari base separates the two outings; the afternoon circuit continues the exploration before returning for the overnight stay.
A final early morning game drive completes the wildlife programme in Lake Nakuru. The guide follows a viewing circuit before returning to the safari base for checkout.
The private vehicle leaves Lake Nakuru for Nairobi. The safari finishes at the agreed Nairobi drop-off point after the preceding wildlife destinations.
Cost Details
What's Included
- Return road transport Nairobi to Mara, Mara to Nakuru, Nakuru to Nairobi
- All game drives in a 4x4 safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Four nights full board accommodation at comfortable lodges
- Maasai Mara National Reserve entry fees
- Lake Nakuru National Park entry fees
- Drinking water during game drives
What's Not Included
- International flights
- Kenya electronic travel authorisation (eTA) fees, where applicable
- Travel and medical insurance
- Hot air balloon safari in the Mara
- Optional Maasai village visit
- Tips and gratuities for guide and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Personal expenses such as laundry and souvenirs
FAQs
The programme is 5 days / 4 nights, with the following daily stages: Day 01: Nairobi to Maasai Mara; Day 02: Full Day Maasai Mara Game Drives; Day 03: Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru; Day 04: Full Day Lake Nakuru National Park; Day 05: Lake Nakuru to Nairobi. Transfer days and full destination days provide different amounts of activity time. The suitability of that pace depends on your available days and travel priorities.
Flamingos move between Rift Valley lakes as food and water conditions change. At Lake Nakuru, water levels and chemistry affect their food supply, so flock numbers can change sharply. Large pink flocks are not a dependable year-round feature or a fixed seasonal promise.
The Big Five are lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino. The Maasai Mara supports all five; Nairobi National Park has four, with elephant absent from its free-ranging wildlife. Species coverage differs between parks, and animal presence is not confirmation of an encounter during a drive. This itinerary follows: Day 01: Nairobi to Maasai Mara; Day 02: Full Day Maasai Mara Game Drives; Day 03: Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru; Day 04: Full Day Lake Nakuru National Park; Day 05: Lake Nakuru to Nairobi.
The itinerary provides a full Mara viewing day on day two and a full Nakuru day on day four. The viewing pace is arranged for your private party within the booked programme, park opening rules, daylight and the guide’s instructions. Transfer days and the return to Nairobi retain their travel commitments; flexible viewing does not mean unlimited access or extra days.
Suitability depends on the actual route, vehicle access, accommodation and activities, together with each traveller's needs. Park and operator instructions govern the visit. Mobility assistance, medical support, walking conditions and any specialist arrangements must be confirmed for the selected services; a safari description is not a blanket safety or accessibility assurance.
Safari Route Map
A sense of the journey
Your route, at a glance.
Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru → Nairobi
Find your journey on the map.
Tap a stage below to explore the journey.
Location markers are approximate. Connections show the journey sequence, not roads, exact driving distances or live vehicle tracking. The itinerary sets out each stage.
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