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7-Day Kenya Safari from Nairobi: Maasai Mara, Nakuru, Naivasha & Amboseli

7 Days 6 Nights

A 7-day Kenya safari from Nairobi covering five iconic destinations — Big Five and the wildebeest migration in the Mara, rhino sanctuary at Nakuru, biking safari at Hell's Gate, hippos on Lake Naivasha, and elephant herds beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli.

  • Combined & Multi-Experience Trips, Cultural Tours, Safari
  • Easy
  • Nairobi, Kenya
  • Included — Nairobi hotel or guesthouse within CBD and Westlands (near highway); airport pickup available at extra cost
  • Not included — strongly recommended
  • Safari van with pop-up roof (group, Days 1–3); private safari vehicle (Days 4–7)
  • Hell's Gate biking safari (Day 4 — flat terrain, recreational cycling); optional Mara River picnic walk (short); all other game drives vehicle-based

Overview

This 7-day Kenya safari from Nairobi is structured as two connected circuits — three days into the Maasai Mara on a group joining basis, then four days through Nakuru, Naivasha, and Amboseli on a private vehicle. The split is deliberate: the Mara portion joins an established group for cost efficiency, while the Nakuru-to-Amboseli stretch is private to allow the flexibility that those three smaller parks require for a full experience.

Days 1 and 2 put you in Kenya's most celebrated wildlife reserve. The Maasai Mara's 1,510 square kilometres of open savannah hold year-round populations of all five of the Big Five and, from July to October, the Great Wildebeest Migration — over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra crossing from the Serengeti into Kenya's Mara grasslands with river crossings attended by Nile crocodiles. Day 3 is a transfer day to Nakuru, repositioning the circuit for what comes next.

Day 4 is the most varied day of the trip: an early morning game drive in Lake Nakuru's fully fenced 188 km² rhino sanctuary, a biking safari at Hell's Gate National Park — one of Kenya's only parks where you can cycle freely among wildlife — and a late afternoon boat ride on Lake Naivasha. The day is deliberately full and requires a 7:00 a.m. start to fit everything in comfortably.

Days 5 and 6 are Amboseli: a park where the wildlife itself is extraordinary, but the setting takes it further. Amboseli's large elephant herds — some of the most studied in Africa — move across open swampland and dry lakebed with Mount Kilimanjaro's 5,895-metre peak rising from the Tanzanian border as a constant backdrop. The combination of close wildlife encounters and the Kilimanjaro silhouette makes this the most photographed park in Kenya. Day 7 returns to Nairobi.

Trip Highlights

  • Track the Big Five in the Maasai Mara — lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhino on Kenya's open savannah
  • Witness the Great Wildebeest Migration and Mara River crossings (July–October)
  • Spot both black and white rhinos at Lake Nakuru, Kenya's most important rhino sanctuary
  • Cycle freely among zebras, giraffes, and buffalos on a biking safari at Hell's Gate National Park
  • Watch hippos and fish eagles on a 1-hour boat safari on Lake Naivasha
  • Photograph massive elephant herds with Mount Kilimanjaro rising behind them at Amboseli
  • Travel with a group through the Mara, then switch to a private vehicle for the Nakuru–Naivasha–Amboseli circuit

Your 7-Day Kenya Safari from Nairobi

  • Day
    01

    Nairobi to Maasai Mara — Sunset Game Drive

    Pickup from your Nairobi hotel at 8:00 a.m. and drive southwest through the Rift Valley. Stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint for a panoramic look across the valley floor, then continue through Narok to the Maasai Mara. Arrive at Rhino Tourist Camp in time for lunch — private, self-contained tents with shower, bed, mosquito nets, and electricity available morning and evening. At 4:00 p.m., depart for a sunset game drive across the Mara Reserve. Lions and cheetahs become active in the late afternoon, and the Mara's open grasslands offer exceptional visibility in the golden evening light. Return for dinner and overnight.

  • Day
    02

    Full Day in Maasai Mara — Big Five and the Migration

    After breakfast at 6:30 a.m., depart at 7:00 a.m. for a full day inside the Maasai Mara. Your guide navigates the reserve's western grasslands, the Mara River corridor, and the open savannah in pursuit of the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and black rhino. From July to October, the Mara hosts the Great Wildebeest Migration: massive herds funnel through the reserve from the Serengeti, with Mara River crossings attended by enormous Nile crocodiles. A picnic lunch is provided inside the park, keeping you in prime game-viewing territory through midday. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.

  • Day
    03

    Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru — Transfer Day

    After breakfast and checkout, drive north from the Mara to Nakuru (approximately 4–5 hours). Lunch stop en route. This is a travel day — no game drive is scheduled so that you arrive refreshed for an early 7:00 a.m. start at Lake Nakuru National Park the following morning. Dinner and overnight at Buraha Zenoni Hotel, a 3-star property within easy drive of the park gate. From Day 4 onwards, you travel on a private vehicle with your dedicated guide.

  • Day
    04

    Nakuru Game Drive — Hell's Gate — Lake Naivasha

    This is the most activity-dense day of the trip and requires a 7:00 a.m. departure from the hotel. Begin immediately with a 3-hour game drive inside Lake Nakuru National Park — Kenya's premier rhino sanctuary, where both black and white rhinos are resident alongside Rothschild giraffes, leopards, lions, buffalo, flamingos, and over 400 bird species. Exit the park by 10:30 a.m. and drive south to Lake Naivasha (~1.5 hours). Stop for lunch on the way. After lunch, enter Hell's Gate National Park for a biking safari — one of Kenya's only parks where you can cycle alongside free-roaming wildlife. Zebras, buffalos, Maasai giraffes, and antelopes move alongside the trail through the volcanic gorge terrain. If you prefer not to cycle, the same route can be driven. Finish the afternoon with a 1-hour boat safari on Lake Naivasha — hippos surface alongside the boat, African fish eagles perch in the lakeshore fig trees, pelicans drift overhead. Check in at Hotel Chambai Safari on Moi South Lake Road, which overlooks Lake Naivasha's acacia woodlands and is within walking distance of the lake. Dinner and overnight.

  • Day
    05

    Naivasha to Amboseli — Arrival Game Drive

    Early breakfast at the hotel, then check out at 6:45 a.m. and drive southeast to Amboseli National Park (approximately 4–5 hours). Arrive at Nyati Safari Camp at Kimana Gate in time for lunch. The camp's spacious safari tents and stone cottages face directly toward Mount Kilimanjaro — the mountain is often clearest in the early morning and late afternoon as clouds build at midday. After a short rest, depart at 4:00 p.m. for an afternoon game drive. Amboseli's open swampland and dry lakebed host some of Africa's largest elephant herds alongside lions, cheetahs, hippos, zebras, wildebeest, and giraffes — all with the 5,895-metre silhouette of Kilimanjaro behind them. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.

  • Day
    06

    Full Day in Amboseli — Elephants and the Mountain

    After breakfast, spend the full day inside Amboseli National Park on a game drive with a packed picnic lunch. The park's elephant population — numbering over 1,500 individuals — is among the most studied in Africa, tracked continuously since 1972. Family herds of 20–30 elephants move across the open plains with Kilimanjaro framing the horizon. Predators are active across the park's varied habitats: the open dry lakebed for cheetahs and lions, the swamp edge for hippos and crocodiles, and the acacia woodland for leopards. Observation Hill offers a panoramic viewpoint across the park floor for a midday photography stop. Return to camp for dinner and overnight.

  • Day
    07

    Amboseli to Nairobi — Journey's End

    Early breakfast and checkout. Begin the drive back to Nairobi (approximately 4–5 hours) via the Mombasa highway. Drop-off at your Nairobi hotel, guesthouse, or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

The Cost Includes

  • 6 nights' accommodation as specified per package tier:
  • Nights 1–2: Rhino Tourist Camp, Maasai Mara (Bronze) | Upgraded tented camp (Silver/Gold)
  • Night 3: Buraha Zenoni Hotel, Nakuru (Bronze) | Upgraded lodge (Silver/Gold)
  • Night 4: Hotel Chambai Safari, Naivasha (Bronze) | Upgraded lodge (Silver/Gold)
  • Nights 5–6: Nyati Safari Camp, Amboseli (Bronze) | Upgraded lodge (Silver/Gold)
  • All meals as specified in the itinerary (B/L/D at lodge; picnic lunch on Day 2)
  • All game drives per the itinerary:
  • Day 1: Sunset drive, Maasai Mara (4:00–6:00 p.m.)
  • Day 2: Full-day game drive, Maasai Mara (with picnic lunch)
  • Day 4: 3-hour morning game drive, Lake Nakuru National Park
  • Day 5: Afternoon game drive, Amboseli (4:00 p.m.)
  • Day 6: Full-day game drive, Amboseli (with picnic lunch)
  • Biking safari at Hell's Gate National Park (bicycle hire included; car option available)
  • 1-hour boat safari on Lake Naivasha (hippos, fish eagles, pelicans)
  • Transport: shared pop-up roof safari van Days 1–3 (Bronze) | private vehicle Days 4–7 (all tiers) | private vehicle all 7 days (Silver/Gold)
  • Professional English-speaking wildlife guide throughout
  • Pickup from Nairobi hotel or guesthouse (CBD or Westlands, near highway)
  • Drop-off at Nairobi hotel or airport (Day 7)
  • Bottled water throughout
  • 24/7 TripGenius Travel support

The Cost Excludes

  • All park entry fees — paid at the gate at current KWS rates
  • Kenya e-Visa (currently USD 50 — apply at evisa.go.ke before travel)
  • International flights to/from Nairobi
  • Travel insurance (required — strongly recommended)
  • Tips and gratuities for guide and lodge staff (recommended: USD 10–15/person/day for guide)
  • Alcoholic beverages and personal drinks at lodges
  • Airport pickup (available at additional cost — contact agent when booking)
  • Hotels outside the Nairobi CBD or Westlands near-highway pickup zone (additional cost)
  • Personal items and laundry
  • Optional Maasai village cultural visit (~$20 per person)
  • Optional Crescent Island walking safari, Naivasha (~$35 per person)
  • Hot air balloon safari, Maasai Mara (~$440–$500 per person)

Beyond Ordinary Travel

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Nairobi, Kenya

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