Overview
An eight-day private circuit with Nairobi wildlife visits, Maasai Mara game drives, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli. The opening Nairobi day includes Nairobi National Park and the booked choice of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery or the Giraffe Centre. Two Mara nights provide arrival game viewing and a full reserve day. The Nakuru overnight adds a park drive before the road journey to Amboseli, where the programme includes arrival game viewing, a full park day and the final morning drive. The safari returns to Nairobi for the second city night before departure on Day 8.
Trip Highlights
- Private 8-day safari with 7 nights
- 1 night in Nairobi, 2 nights in Maasai Mara, 1 night in Lake Nakuru, 2 nights in Amboseli, 1 night in Nairobi
- Private ground vehicle: Land Cruiser 4x4 or Safari Minivan
- Budget, Mid-Range or Luxury accommodation options
Itinerary
The Nairobi day includes a Nairobi National Park game drive and the booked conservation visit: either the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery or the Giraffe Centre. These are alternative visits rather than a promise of both. The park drive explores the grassland and woodland habitats on the edge of the city. A Nursery visit requires official advance confirmation for the 11:00-12:00 public hour, with gate arrival planned by 10:30, and is closed on 25 December. A Giraffe Centre visit covers giraffe viewing and conservation education.
The safari leaves Nairobi by road for the Maasai Mara, travelling through the Rift Valley and the Narok area towards the reserve. The first afternoon game drive introduces the Mara’s broad grasslands, scattered acacias and riverine woodland. The guide follows the reserve tracks to look for the resident wildlife, stopping for observation and photographs as animals are encountered. The day’s programme combines the overland approach to the Mara with the first game-viewing circuit in the reserve.
Morning and afternoon game drives provide a full day in the Maasai Mara. The morning circuit explores the grasslands and riverine habitats, with time to look for predators, grazing herds and the smaller animals and birds encountered along the way. The later drive continues through the reserve’s open plains, allowing time to follow wildlife behaviour and changing activity through the day. The guide’s stops focus on observation and photography rather than a promised checklist of sightings.
The safari leaves the Maasai Mara for Lake Nakuru, where the programme includes a game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park. The drive explores the park’s grassland, acacia woodland and lakeshore habitats, with opportunities to look for rhinos, giraffes and waterbirds. Observation stops focus on the wildlife encountered along the circuit. This is the single Nakuru overnight in the Iconic route, placing a lake and park stage between the Mara stay and the onward road journey to Amboseli.
The safari continues from Lake Nakuru to Amboseli, leaving the Rift Valley lake country for Kenya’s southern plains. This stage is centred on the inter-park road journey and arrival in the Amboseli area. The arrival programme introduces the park’s open country and wetland wildlife habitats through the first game-viewing circuit. It begins the two-night Amboseli stay, with the next day devoted to morning and afternoon game drives and the park’s broader landscape.
Morning and afternoon game drives explore Amboseli’s open plains, acacia woodland and permanent swamp habitats. The wetland edges provide opportunities to look for elephants, hippos and waterbirds, while the open ground offers a different setting for observing the park’s other wildlife. The programme includes Observation Hill for a wider view across the Amboseli basin. Mount Kilimanjaro forms part of the landscape when visibility allows, and the day provides time to photograph both the wildlife and the changing mountain views.
The final Amboseli game drive provides another opportunity to explore the park’s plains and wetland edges in the morning. The guide stops for wildlife observation and photographs as animals are encountered, completing the Amboseli stage of the safari. The party then leaves the park area for the road journey back to Nairobi. The drive returns the safari from the southern plains to the capital, where the stage finishes at the agreed Nairobi point.
The Nairobi hotel stay ends with checkout and the airport transfer for the booked onward departure. This final stage completes the Iconic programme after the Nairobi wildlife day, the Maasai Mara stay, the Nakuru overnight and the Amboseli game drives, followed by the second Nairobi night. The included programme on this day is the departure transfer; additional shopping, museum visits or other city activities remain optional and separately arranged.
Cost Details
What's Included
- All road transfers in the revised daily itinerary, in the selected private Land Cruiser 4x4 or Safari Minivan
- All road transfers throughout the circuit
- All game drives in a private Land Cruiser 4x4 or Safari Minivan, as selected
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Nairobi National Park game drive
- David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage or Giraffe Centre visit
- All applicable national park entry fees
- Drinking water during game drives
- Complimentary binoculars for use during game drives
- 7 nights accommodation: 1 night in Nairobi, 2 nights in Maasai Mara, 1 night in Lake Nakuru, 2 nights in Amboseli, 1 night in Nairobi
- Nairobi hotel stays on Half Board (dinner and breakfast); safari stays on Full Board; daily arrival/departure meals as listed
What's Not Included
- International flights
- Kenya entry-authorisation fees, where applicable
- Travel and medical insurance
- Hot air balloon safari in the Mara
- Optional Maasai village visits
- Tips and gratuities for guide and lodge staff
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Personal expenses such as laundry and souvenirs
- Lunch on Day 1 in Nairobi and other meals not listed as included
FAQs
The programme is 8 days and 7 nights, starting in Nairobi and finishing in Nairobi. The nights are 1 night in Nairobi, 2 nights in Maasai Mara, 1 night in Lake Nakuru, 2 nights in Amboseli, 1 night in Nairobi. All inter-destination transfers in this programme are by road.
The road programme includes an overnight at Lake Nakuru between these destinations. It does not use a direct same-day road transfer between the Maasai Mara and Amboseli. Transfer times depend on accommodation and gate locations, road conditions, traffic and stops.
Nairobi hotel stays are Half Board, including dinner and breakfast. Safari accommodation is Full Board. Daily meal lists identify the arrival and departure meals. Lunch on Day 1 in Nairobi is paid separately.
The trip offers Budget, Mid-Range and Luxury accommodation options, and a private Land Cruiser 4×4 or Safari Minivan for the ground safari. The written quotation identifies the selected properties, vehicle and actual price basis for the travel dates and party. These choices are not represented as having one uniform price.
This private safari is arranged by quotation. Send your travel dates, party size and accommodation and vehicle preferences using the enquiry form. The quotation sets out the selected arrangements and total price.
The public Nursery visit is 11:00-12:00, except on 25 December, and requires official advance confirmation. Gate arrival is planned by 10:30. The Iconic programme includes either the Nursery or the Giraffe Centre, as booked; it does not promise both alternatives.
Safari Route Map
A sense of the journey
Your route, at a glance.
Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru → Amboseli → 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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