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5 days · Kenya · Budget

5 Days Kenya Safari: Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha & Lake Nakuru

Five days across Kenya's classic western circuit: two nights in the Maasai Mara, the rhino sanctuary of Lake Nakuru, and a final morning among the cliffs of Hell's Gate beside freshwater Lake Naivasha.

  • 5 days
  • Kenya
  • Budget
  • Starts Nairobi
  • Ends Nairobi
Giraffes and a zebra at water

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
5 days
Country
Kenya
Destinations
Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha · Hell's Gate
Safari style
Budget
Price
Price on request
Starts
Nairobi
Ends
Nairobi

Best for

  • First safari
  • Active travellers
  • Travellers on a budget

The route

A round trip from Nairobi

  1. Stop 1Nairobi
  2. Stop 2Maasai Mara
  3. Stop 3Lake Nakuru
  4. Stop 4Lake Naivasha
  5. Stop 5Nairobi

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Two nights in the Maasai Mara
  • Rhino and birdlife in Lake Nakuru National Park
  • Cycling or walking in Hell's Gate National Park (optional)
  • Optional boat ride among the hippos of Lake Naivasha

Day by day

Five 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.

Lion pride savannah

Day 1

Nairobi → Maasai Mara

Into the heart of the Mara

After a hotel pick-up and short briefing, set off from Nairobi at around 8am. The road descends into the Great Rift Valley and climbs again through Narok before crossing the open plains to the Maasai Mara. Arrive in time for lunch and a first afternoon game drive. The Mara holds some of Kenya's greatest concentrations of wildlife, from zebra and topi to the lions that hunt them, and seasonal migration herds may be present in the drier months.

Overnight
Miti Mingi Eco Camp, Maasai Mara
Main activities
Afternoon game drive
Wildebeest migration herd

Day 2

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Long drives and a hippo-pool picnic

Make the most of a full day in the reserve with long morning and afternoon game drives. Close encounters for photography are common on the Mara's open terrain, and your guide will look for elephant, buffalo, lion and the less obvious residents such as warthog, eland and birds of prey. Lunch is a picnic beside a hippo pool, where the animals surface and snort just above the waterline. Return to camp at dusk for dinner.

Overnight
Miti Mingi Eco Camp, Maasai Mara
Main activities
Full-day game drive · Picnic lunch

Day 3

Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru

Crossing the Rift Valley

Following breakfast there is the option to visit a Maasai village and learn about Maasai homesteads and traditions. Leave the reserve and drive east through the Rift Valley towards Nakuru, with Mount Longonot's volcanic cone visible on clear days. The open grassland of the Mara gives way to wheat fields, farmland and the valley's escarpments along the way. Check in to your accommodation near Lake Nakuru and rest after the journey, ready for the lake tomorrow.

Overnight
Buraha Zenoni, Lake Nakuru
Wildebeest zebra water

Day 4

Lake Nakuru → Lake Naivasha

Rhino sanctuary to freshwater lake

Enter Lake Nakuru National Park for an extensive game drive after breakfast. The lake is a favourite of birdwatchers, with over 400 species recorded, and flamingos gather along the shore when conditions are right. The fenced park protects black and white rhino, and you may also see buffalo, waterbuck and Rothschild's giraffe in the yellow-barked acacia woodland. After lunch, continue to Lake Naivasha for a relaxed evening beside its papyrus-fringed shores.

Overnight
Leisure Apex, Lake Naivasha
Main activities
Game drive · Transfer to Lake Naivasha
Wildebeest zebra water

Day 5

Lake Naivasha → Nairobi

Cliffs, gorges and hippos

Spend the morning in Hell's Gate National Park, one of the few Kenyan parks where you can explore by bicycle or on foot among zebra and giraffe. The towering cliffs and gorge walks make it a memorable contrast to the savannah parks. There is the option to finish with a boat ride on Lake Naivasha to see hippos and fish eagles before driving back to Nairobi for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.

Main activities
Hell's Gate visit · Optional boat ride

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.

Package accommodation

Miti Mingi Eco Camp

Budget camp · Maasai Mara · 2 nights

Package accommodation

Buraha Zenoni

Budget · Lake Nakuru · 1 night

Package accommodation

Leisure Apex

Budget · Lake Naivasha · 1 night

What’s included

Clear from the start.

  • Transport in a safari van with a pop-up roof
  • 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
  • Airport pick-up

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 on 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

Boat ride on Lake Naivasha

Optional · extra cost

Verified guest voices

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External review source

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Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 5 Days Kenya Safari: Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha & Lake Nakuru cost?

The 5 Days Kenya Safari: Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha & Lake Nakuru is quoted individually (price on 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 Miti Mingi Eco Camp, Buraha Zenoni, Leisure Apex.

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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.

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PricingPrice on request
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