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7 days · Kenya · Mid-range

7 Days Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Midrange Safari

Seven days combining northern Kenya and the classic south: Samburu's dry-country specials, rhino conservation at Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru and two nights in the Maasai Mara, on a mid-range lodge safari.

  • 7 days
  • Kenya
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Nairobi
  • Ends Nairobi
Rhino white rhino flamingo

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

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

Best for

  • Second-time visitors
  • Conservation-minded travellers
  • Couples

The route

A round trip from Nairobi

  1. Stop 1Nairobi
  2. Stop 2Samburu
  3. Stop 3Ol Pejeta Conservancy
  4. Stop 4Lake Nakuru
  5. Stop 5Maasai Mara
  6. Stop 6Nairobi

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Two nights in Samburu
  • Ol Pejeta Conservancy on the Laikipia plateau
  • Lake Nakuru's rhinos and birdlife
  • Two nights in the Maasai Mara

Day by day

Seven 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.

Giraffe woodland

Day 1

Nairobi → Samburu

North to the dry country

Drive north from Nairobi through the central highlands, crossing the equator, as the landscape becomes steadily drier and the farmland gives way to scrub and red earth. Arrive in Samburu National Reserve in the afternoon for a first game drive along the Ewaso Ng'iro River, where palm groves and riverine forest contrast with the surrounding scrub. Elephants often gather along the river in the heat of the day.

Overnight
Samburu · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 2

Samburu National Reserve

The northern specials

Spend a full day in Samburu looking for species rarely found further south: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. The river attracts elephant herds in the heat of the day, and lion, leopard and cheetah also live in the reserve. Lunch is at the lodge or in the bush. The rugged hills and dry country make this one of Kenya's most distinctive safari landscapes.

Overnight
Samburu · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive
Elephant monochrome

Day 3

Samburu → Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Rhino conservation in Laikipia

After a morning drive, head south to Ol Pejeta Conservancy on the Laikipia plateau, with Mount Kenya on the horizon when clear. The conservancy is known for its rhino conservation work, including the last two northern white rhinos, and for a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees. An afternoon game drive explores its open plains, where the conservancy's black and southern white rhinos share the grassland with plains game.

Overnight
Ol Pejeta · lodge
Main activities
Morning game drive · Afternoon game drive

Day 4

Ol Pejeta → Lake Nakuru

Morning drive and the Rift Valley

Take a morning game drive in Ol Pejeta, then drive to Lake Nakuru, passing Thomson's Falls in Nyahururu on the way, where the river plunges into a wooded gorge. The route descends from the Laikipia plateau into the Rift Valley. In the afternoon, explore Lake Nakuru National Park, a rhino sanctuary with a remarkable variety of birds along the shore and buffalo and giraffe in the woodland.

Overnight
Buraha Zenoni, Lake Nakuru
Main activities
Morning game drive · Afternoon game drive
Crater and soda lake from the rim

Day 5

Lake Nakuru → Maasai Mara

West to the plains

Leave Lake Nakuru and cross the Rift Valley to the Maasai Mara, passing farmland and Maasai country before the land opens into the reserve's rolling grassland. Arrive at your lodge for lunch. An afternoon game drive gives a first look at the Mara's grassland and its resident lions, elephant, buffalo and plains game, completing the journey from Kenya's dry north to its most famous reserve.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Afternoon game drive

Day 6

Maasai Mara National Reserve

A full day on the Mara

Explore the reserve for a full day with a picnic lunch. From July to October, migrating wildebeest and zebra may be in the reserve, depending on the rains; at other times the resident predators and plains game offer excellent viewing. Your guide will plan the route around the day's conditions, perhaps heading for the Mara River, where hippos and crocodiles live year-round.

Overnight
Maasai Mara · lodge
Main activities
Full-day game drive
Lioness with cub

Day 7

Maasai Mara → Nairobi

Last drive and return

Take an early morning game drive, when the Mara's big cats are often most active and the plains are bathed in soft light. Return for breakfast, then drive back to Nairobi through Narok and up the Rift Valley escarpment, arriving for drop-off at your hotel or the airport. The week ends after a journey that linked Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara.

Main activities
Morning 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 · Samburu · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Ol Pejeta · 1 night

Package accommodation

Buraha Zenoni

Mid-range · Lake Nakuru · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Maasai Mara · 2 nights

What’s included

Inclusions are itemised in your quotation.

Park fees, meals, transport and accommodation depend on the final plan, so your planner lists exactly what is and is not included before you book.

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

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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 7 Days Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Midrange Safari cost?

The 7 Days Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Midrange 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.

Is the day-by-day plan fixed?

Not yet. The plan shown is a suggested outline for this route; the final day-by-day itinerary, activities and timings are confirmed with your quotation.

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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 subject upon request
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