Skip to content
Budget Holiday SafarisBudget Holiday Safaris
Plan

Explore East Africa

Smartly planned from Nairobi.

Plan My SafariWhatsApp us

4 days · Kenya · Mid-range

4 Days Masai Mara / Lake Nakuru Classic Kenya Safari

Kenya's two most rewarding western parks in four days: two lodge nights in the Maasai Mara for its big cats and seasonal migration, then Lake Nakuru, a rhino sanctuary and birdwatcher's favourite.

  • 4 days
  • Kenya
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Nairobi
  • Ends Nairobi
Rhino white rhino calf

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
4 days
Country
Kenya
Destinations
Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru
Safari style
Mid-range
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Nairobi
Ends
Nairobi

Best for

  • First safari
  • Couples
  • Short itineraries

The route

A round trip from Nairobi

  1. Stop 1Nairobi
  2. Stop 2Maasai Mara
  3. Stop 3Lake Nakuru
  4. Stop 4Nairobi

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Two nights in the Maasai Mara
  • Sundowner and full-day game drives
  • Lake Nakuru, home to white and black rhino
  • Rift Valley viewpoint

Day by day

Four days, day by day.

The plan is a guide: timings may change with road and park conditions and your group's interests. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.

Wildebeest herd migration

Day 1

Nairobi → Maasai Mara

Valley viewpoint and a sundowner drive

Leave Nairobi after a hotel pick-up and head west, stopping at the Rift Valley viewpoint. Arrive in the Maasai Mara to check in and have lunch at your lodge, then go out for a first game drive. The reserve supports large herds of elephant and buffalo alongside lion prides and cheetah, and from about July to October the migration may bring vast numbers of wildebeest and zebra from the Serengeti.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Viewpoint stop · Sundowner game drive
Wildebeest river crossing migration

Day 2

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Predators, plains and the Mara River

After breakfast at the lodge, spend the day exploring the Mara plains. Cheetah hunt in the open, while lions look for shade as the day warms. Leopards are shy, but the woodland along the rivers gives you a chance. Between July and October, wildebeest and zebra may cross the Mara River from the Serengeti — one of the most dramatic sights in the natural world. Return to the lodge at about 5pm.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive
Flamingo lake seen during an East African safari

Day 3

Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru

Morning drive and the Rift Valley

Following an early breakfast, take a morning game drive on the way out of the reserve, when the plains are often at their liveliest and predators may still be on the move. Then continue to Lake Nakuru. The drive through the Rift Valley offers fine views of escarpments, farmland and volcanic hills, a complete change of scenery from the Mara's grassland. Arrive in Nakuru for dinner and a restful overnight before tomorrow's lake visit.

Overnight
Buraha Zenoni, Lake Nakuru
Main activities
Morning game drive
Flamingo lake seen during an East African safari

Day 4

Lake Nakuru → Nairobi

Flamingos and rhinos

Explore Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya's most beautiful parks. Flamingos can turn the shoreline pink when water levels suit them, and the park has recorded over 400 bird species. It is also a sanctuary for black and white rhino. After the game drive, exit the park and return to Nairobi with lunch on the way, for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.

Main activities
Game drive

Recommended accommodation

Where you stay.

Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Maasai Mara · 2 nights

Package accommodation

Buraha Zenoni

Mid-range · Lake Nakuru · 1 night

What’s included

Clear from the start.

  • Transport in a safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
  • Airport pick-up
  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • All meals while on safari (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Services of a professional driver-guide
  • All park entrance fees
  • All game drives
  • Statutory taxes

What’s not included

No hidden assumptions.

  • Travel and personal insurance
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Optional activities
  • Visa fees
  • Tips and gratuities

Your written quotation confirms the exact inclusions for your dates.

Flexible pricing

A clear quote for your journey.

The final price depends on when and how you travel: season, group size, accommodation level and private or shared transport.

Pricing

Price subject upon request

We quote this journey individually because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change it significantly.

What affects the final price?

  • Travel dates and season
  • Group size
  • Accommodation availability
  • Private or shared vehicle
Request Exact Quote Ask on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)

Made around you

Make this safari yours.

Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.

  • Travel dates and pace
  • Adding or removing nights where the route allows
  • Accommodation choices, subject to availability
  • Combining with another destination
Customise This Safari

Optional experiences

Add a different perspective.

Availability, location, age limits and extra costs are confirmed for your final itinerary.

Hot-air balloon safari over the Maasai Mara

Optional · extra cost · pre-arrangement required

Maasai village visit

Optional · extra cost

Verified guest voices

Proof, connected to its source.

We only show traveller stories that link directly to the published review.

External review source

SafariBookings

Read independent traveller feedback at its original source. Ratings and review totals remain on SafariBookings, where they stay current.

Read our reviews on SafariBookings

External review source

Tripadvisor

Read independent traveller feedback at its original source. Ratings and review totals remain on Tripadvisor, where they stay current.

Read our reviews on Tripadvisor

Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 4 Days Masai Mara / Lake Nakuru Classic Kenya Safari cost?

The 4 Days Masai Mara / Lake Nakuru Classic Kenya Safari is quoted individually (price subject upon request), because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change the cost. Share your dates and a planner will send an exact quotation.

Where does this safari start and finish?

It starts and finishes in Nairobi. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.

Where will I stay?

The package uses Buraha Zenoni. Other nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Keep exploring

You may also like

Similar routes compared with the same practical details.

Destinations on this route

Travel planning

Start planning with a local expert

Your safari starts with a conversation.

Tell us your dates, travel style and what matters most. A Nairobi-based planner can shape the details with you.

Plan My Safari WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)
PricingPrice subject upon request
Request Safari