Kenya Highlights: Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara in Five Days Itinerary

A short, punchy safari for tight schedules. From Nairobi, drive to Lake Nakuru National Park for an afternoon game drive along flamingo-fringed shores, where Rothschild’s giraffes and both species of rhino roam. Continue to the Masai Mara for two nights, with an evening game drive on arrival and a full day out on the golden savannah among lions, elephants and, in season, the Great Migration herds.

Day by Day

Day 1

Arrival in Nairobi

Land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, meet your driver-guide and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Transfers: Airport pick-up | Stay: Tribe Hotel, Nairobi (5 star)

Day 2

Nairobi to Lake Nakuru, afternoon game drive

Drive into the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park. An afternoon game drive follows the flamingo-fringed shore, spotting Rothschild’s giraffes, rhinos and tree-climbing lions.

Transfers: Safari vehicle | Activity: Afternoon game drive, Lake Nakuru | Stay: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge (4 star)

Day 3

Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara, evening game drive

Drive to the Masai Mara, arriving in the afternoon. Head out on an evening game drive as the light turns golden and the big cats begin to stir.

Transfers: Safari vehicle | Activity: Evening game drive, Masai Mara | Stay: Mara Sopa Lodge (4 star)

Day 4

Full-day game drive in the Masai Mara

A full day in the reserve with a picnic lunch: follow the herds across the plains, search for leopards along the rivers and, in season, witness the Great Migration.

Activity: Full-day game drive, Masai Mara | Stay: Mara Sopa Lodge (4 star)

Day 5

Masai Mara to Nairobi and departure

After breakfast, drive back to Nairobi and transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home.

Transfers: Safari vehicle and airport drop

Included

4 nights: 1 nights at Tribe Hotel, Nairobi (5 star) + 1 nights at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge (4 star) + 2 nights at Mara Sopa Lodge (4 star); breakfast in Nairobi, all meals on safari
Return airport transfers
All park entry fees
Private safari vehicle with English-speaking driver-guide
Afternoon game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park
Evening and full-day game drives in the Masai Mara
All current taxes
Photo credits: Flamingos near the lake nakuru banks.jpg by Bett Duncan (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); Nairobi skyline from Gem Hotel.jpg by Daniel Case (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); Masai Mara National Reserve 20 - Mara river crossing.jpg by Thomas Fuhrmann (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); Leones (Panthera leo), reserva natural Masái Mara, Kenia, 2024-05-20, DD 38.jpg by Diego Delso (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons); Lioness and safari vehicle in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.jpg by Daniel Case (CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons). Hotel photos from the official hotel websites: Tribe Hotel Nairobi, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, Mara Sopa Lodge.

Not Included

International flights
Kenya eTA fees
Drinks, laundry and personal expenses
Tips for guides and lodge staff
Travel insurance

Packing

Neutral layers
a warm fleece for dawn drives
a hat and sunscreen
binoculars
and soft bags for the safari vehicle.