Overview
This six-day private safari combines flights into the Maasai Mara and onward to Nanyuki with a road finale through Lake Naivasha to Nairobi. Two Mara nights allow an arrival game drive and a full wildlife day. Two nights at Ol Pejeta combine game drives with the included northern white rhino and chimpanzee sanctuary visits. A final morning conservancy drive precedes the road journey to Naivasha, where the included boat ride and Crescent Island walk complete the activity programme. The last day returns to Nairobi by road. There is no Nanyuki–Nairobi flight.
Trip Highlights
- Two days of Big Five game drives at luxury camps in the Maasai Mara
- Visit the world's last two northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta Conservancy
- Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary and black rhino tracking at Ol Pejeta
- Scenic bush flights linking Nairobi, Mara, and Nanyuki
- Morning boat ride and walking safari on Crescent Island at Lake Naivasha
- Lion prides, leopards, and cheetah on the open Mara savannah
- Premium lodge accommodation at each destination with gourmet dining
- Conservation insights from expert rangers and naturalist guides
Itinerary
The safari begins with the included flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to the Maasai Mara. The airstrip transfer is followed by an afternoon game drive through the reserve’s grasslands and wildlife corridors. The guide looks for grazing herds and predators, allowing time to observe the animals encountered along the route. This first outing introduces the Mara landscape before the following full wildlife day.
Morning and afternoon game drives provide a full day in the Maasai Mara. The programme explores riverine habitat and open plains, including the Mara River area for observation of hippos and crocodiles. The guide selects the route around actual wildlife activity and included reserve access, with time for photography and behaviour watching. Migration herds add to the experience when present, while river crossings remain unpredictable natural events.
The included flight from the Mara reaches Nanyuki, followed by the road transfer to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The programme includes the northern white rhino visit, with interpretation from the conservancy team about the animals and the conservation work surrounding them. A game drive continues the exploration of the conservancy, looking for rhinos and other wildlife across the highland grassland and wooded habitats.
The Ol Pejeta programme includes a visit to Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary and game drives through the conservancy. The sanctuary visit introduces its work with rescued chimpanzees, while vehicle-based viewing explores habitat used by rhinos and other wildlife. The guide looks for animals encountered along the tracks and allows time for observation. The conservation visits and wider game viewing provide complementary perspectives on the conservancy.
A final morning Ol Pejeta game drive precedes the road journey to Lake Naivasha. The afternoon includes a boat ride on the freshwater lake, observing hippos from the vessel and birds along the shoreline. An included guided Crescent Island walk adds time among the sanctuary’s free-ranging plains animals. The day changes from highland conservancy wildlife viewing to water-based and walking experiences around Naivasha.
The final morning is at leisure in the Lake Naivasha setting before the road return to Nairobi. There is no additional scheduled game drive or flight on this day. The journey completes the safari’s combination of Mara flights and wildlife viewing, Ol Pejeta conservation experiences and Naivasha activities. The programme ends in Nairobi after the road transfer from the lake.
Cost Details
What's Included
- Internal flights: Nairobi Wilson to Maasai Mara and Maasai Mara to Nanyuki
- Airport and lodge transfers at all destinations
- All game drives in 4x4 safari vehicles
- Professional English-speaking expert guides at each destination
- Five nights full board accommodation at luxury lodges
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy entry and conservation fees
- Northern white rhino enclosure ranger-guided visit
- Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary visit
- Lake Naivasha boat ride
- Crescent Island guided walking safari
- All applicable park and reserve entry fees
- Drinking water during game drives
- Complimentary binoculars for use during game drives
What's Not Included
- International flights
- Kenya visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Hot air balloon safari in the Mara
- Maasai village visit
- Ol Pejeta night game drive and lion tracking (USD 70 each)
- Spa treatments at lodges
- Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
- Premium wines and spirits beyond house selection
- Personal expenses such as laundry and souvenirs
- Excess baggage charges beyond 15 kg allowance
FAQs
The itinerary lists overnight accommodation as: Luxury Safari Lodge; Luxury Lakeside Lodge. Luxury depends on the actual property, room category, location and service plan. The written quotation names those services. A safari title or a tented-room label does not establish private facilities, a premium room or a particular lodge standard.
The northern white rhino visit is included in this itinerary. It follows Ol Pejeta’s booked experience schedule and conservancy-team instructions. The chimpanzee sanctuary visit is also included during the two-night Ol Pejeta stay.
The programme travels by road from Ol Pejeta to Lake Naivasha on day five, with an included boat ride and guided Crescent Island walk. One night is spent at Naivasha before the road return to Nairobi on day six. There is no Nanyuki–Nairobi flight.
Crescent Island operates walking safaris with visitor rules and guides. It is a wildlife sanctuary, and its own guidance warns visitors about meeting hippos on foot. Follow staff instructions and the day’s access arrangements. Sanctuary guides are available on a first-come basis; advance booking is required to guarantee one.
A private itinerary can be quoted with additional nights, destinations or different services. Changes alter the route, timing and cost and depend on the selected suppliers' availability. The revised written programme identifies what is included; an optional extension is not part of the current booking automatically.
Safari Route Map
A sense of the journey
Your route, at a glance.
Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Nanyuki Airstrip → Ol Pejeta Conservancy → Lake Naivasha → 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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