5 Days Best Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru Kenya Safari
This 5 Days Best Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru Kenya Safari takes you through the legendary Masai Mara National Reserve, world-famous for its incredible Big Five sightings and spectacular wildebeest migration. Your Kenya Safari experience combines the raw wilderness of the Mara with the unique ecosystem of Lake Nakuru National Park, creating memories that will last a lifetime. The journey showcases Kenya's diverse landscapes, from the vast savannah plains of Masai Mara to the alkaline shores of Lake Nakuru, offering unparalleled wildlife viewing opportunities.
This exceptional Kenya Safari provides intimate encounters with Africa's most magnificent creatures across two distinctly different yet equally captivating national parks. The Masai Mara portion of your Kenya Safari features abundant big cats including lions, leopards, and cheetahs, alongside massive elephant herds and buffalo. Lake Nakuru adds a special dimension to your Kenya Safari with its famous black and white rhinoceros populations and spectacular flamingo displays. The combination creates a perfect family-friendly adventure that caters to wildlife enthusiasts of all ages and experience levels.
Your Kenya Safari journey culminates in an unforgettable exploration of Lake Nakuru's unique ecosystem, renowned for its conservation success stories and diverse wildlife populations. This Kenya Safari itinerary maximizes your wildlife viewing opportunities while ensuring comfortable accommodations and expert guiding throughout your adventure. The carefully planned route minimizes travel time while maximizing game viewing experiences, making this Kenya Safari ideal for first-time visitors and seasoned safari enthusiasts alike. Experience the very best of Kenya's natural heritage in this thoughtfully designed safari that promises extraordinary wildlife encounters and breathtaking landscapes.
Tour highlights
Day 1: Arrival and pick up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi
Day 2: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve for an afternoon game drive
Day 3: Proceed to full-day game viewing in the Masai Mara with Big Five wildlife
Day 4: Continue with morning Masai Mara game drive and transfer to Lake Nakuru
Day 5: Proceed to Lake Nakuru game drive and continue with departure transfer to Nairobi
Price Includes:
- Park fees for Masai Mara National Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Park
- All activities as mentioned in the detailed itinerary
- Ground transport per 4WD custom safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Bottled water in the safari vehicle throughout the journey
- Full board accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary
- Service of an experienced English-speaking driver-guide
- Driver allowances and accommodation
- All mentioned activities except for the optional ones
- Game drives as specified in the itinerary
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure days
Price Excludes:
- Kenya Visa fees (USD $50 for most nationalities)
- International and internal flights
- Personal needs such as gratuities, beverages, souvenirs, etc.
- Visa processing fees and documentation
- Air ticket costs and airport taxes
- Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
- Laundry fees and personal clothing maintenance
Itinary in details
- Day1Arrival and pick up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi
Your unforgettable Kenya Safari begins with arrival and pick up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya's vibrant capital city and gateway to East Africa's premier wildlife destinations. Upon arrival, our professional English-speaking driver-guide will warmly welcome you and provide a comprehensive briefing about your upcoming Kenya Safari adventure through Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru National Parks. The comfortable transfer from the airport to your Nairobi hotel takes approximately 45 minutes covering 20 kilometers through the bustling city streets, allowing you to glimpse urban Kenya before your wilderness adventure begins. This first day of your Kenya Safari allows for rest, acclimatization, and final preparations while building anticipation for the incredible wildlife experiences that await you in Kenya's most celebrated national parks.
- Day2Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve for an afternoon game drive
Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve marks the exciting beginning of your Kenya Safari wildlife adventure, departing Nairobi at 8:00 AM for this world-renowned wildlife sanctuary. The scenic 280-kilometer journey takes approximately 5 hours through the dramatic Great Rift Valley, passing Maai Mahiu escarpment and Narok town while offering spectacular landscape views that perfectly introduce your Kenya Safari experience. Upon arrival at your lodge or camp in the greater Masai Mara ecosystem, you'll immediately understand why this destination is considered the crown jewel of any Kenya Safari adventure. Your afternoon game drive from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM provides the first thrilling wildlife encounters of your Kenya Safari, with excellent opportunities to spot lions, elephants, buffalo, and numerous antelope species across the reserve's 1,510 square kilometers of pristine wilderness.
- Day3Proceed to full-day game viewing in the Masai Mara with Big Five wildlife
Proceed to a comprehensive full day of game viewing in Masai Mara National Reserve, the highlight of your Kenya Safari adventure and home to the world's most spectacular wildlife concentrations. Early morning game drives starting at 6:30 AM offer the best opportunities to witness predator activities during your Kenya Safari, with lions, leopards, and cheetahs being most active in cooler temperatures. The vast Mara plains stretch endlessly before you, providing unparalleled photographic opportunities and wildlife encounters that define the ultimate Kenya Safari experience, including potential sightings of the rare black rhinoceros and massive elephant herds. Your Kenya Safari continues with afternoon game drives exploring different sections of the reserve, maximizing chances to witness the famous wildebeest migration (seasonal) and the incredible diversity of wildlife that makes Masai Mara a bucket-list destination for safari enthusiasts worldwide.
- Day4Continue with morning Masai Mara game drive and transfer to Lake Nakuru
Continue with an early morning game drive in Masai Mara before beginning your transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park, transitioning your Kenya Safari from the vast savannah ecosystem to a unique alkaline lake environment. The final Masai Mara game drive from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM offers last opportunities to photograph the Big Five and capture memories of this iconic Kenya Safari destination. After a hearty breakfast, the 290-kilometer journey to Lake Nakuru takes approximately 4.5 hours via Narok and Nakuru towns, with a lunch stop in Nakuru city before entering the national park. Your Kenya Safari adventure continues as you arrive at Lake Nakuru National Park in the afternoon, immediately appreciating the dramatic landscape change from open plains to the compact 188-square-kilometer park centered around the spectacular alkaline lake that defines this unique Kenya Safari destination.
- DayProceed to Lake Nakuru game drive and continue with departure transfer to Nairobi
Proceed to an exciting morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park, concluding your Kenya Safari with this unique ecosystem famous for its rhinoceros conservation success and spectacular birdlife. The morning game drive from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM offers excellent opportunities to spot both black and white rhinoceros populations, making your Kenya Safari experience complete with sightings of these magnificent endangered species. Lake Nakuru's compact size allows for intensive wildlife viewing during your final Kenya Safari game drive, with excellent chances to see lions, leopards, buffalo, and the park's famous flamingo populations when present in large numbers. Your Kenya Safari concludes with the transfer back to Nairobi, covering 160 kilometers in approximately 2.5 hours, arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or your Nairobi hotel by early afternoon, carrying unforgettable memories of this exceptional Kenya Safari adventure through two of the country's most celebrated wildlife destinations.