3-day Masai Mara Safari Tour: Big Five and wildebeest migration

Three days tracking lions, elephants and zebras across the Mara, with a stop at the river where crocodiles wait

A 3-day group safari tour from Nairobi to Masai Mara National Reserve with a professional English-speaking guide, covering game drives in search of the Big Five and the wildebeest migration (July–October). Includes hotel pickup and drop-off, two nights in a tented camp, all park fees and meals. Groups share a vehicle with up to seven other travelers to keep costs down.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Masai Mara and first game drive

• Pick up from Nairobi hotel at 8am
• Drive via Great Rift Valley to Narok
• Lunch in Narok Town
• Proceed to Masai Mara and check in
• First game drive in Masai Mara
• Dinner and overnight at Lenchada Tourist Camp

Day 2: Full day game drives in Masai Mara

• Early breakfast at camp
• Full day game drives to see Big Five
• Visit Mara River to see hippos and crocodiles
• Picnic lunch in the bush
• Dinner and overnight at Lenchada Tourist Camp

Day 3: Return to Nairobi from Masai Mara

• Breakfast and check out from camp
• Optional Maasai Village cultural tour
• Drive back to Nairobi
• Lunch at Maai Mahiu
• Drop off at Nairobi hotel

The experience

The tour starts with an 8am pickup from your Nairobi hotel and a five- to six-hour drive south through the Great Rift Valley escarpment to Masai Mara. You stop in Narok for lunch, then enter the reserve and check into Lenchada Tourist Camp or a similar budget tented facility. Your first game drive happens that same afternoon, giving you a taste of what the reserve holds before dinner under the stars.

Day two is the full safari day. An early breakfast sends you out for back-to-back game drives hunting the Big Five (lions, elephants, buffalo, leopard and rhino) plus giraffe, zebras, warthogs, hyena, jackals and hippos in numbers that fill the plains. The Mara River stop is where you watch hippos and crocodiles. During the July-to-October migration season, you'll spend much of the day watching wildebeest and zebras cross the river while crocodiles hunt below. The light here turns orange at sunset and is worth the camera. You return to camp for dinner and another night.

Day three begins with breakfast and checkout. The drive back to Nairobi takes five to six hours, with arrival around 3–4pm and drop-off at your hotel. An optional visit to a local Maasai village is available at extra cost, paid directly to the community. Meals are included throughout except for drinks and gratuities.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Nairobi accommodation.
• professional English-speaking driver-guide throughout the three days.
• all game drives in the reserve.
• two nights in an en-suite tented camp.
• breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
• park entry fees and all taxes and handling charges.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 74 years) · Senior (75 to 85 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4)

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by African Sermon Safaris Limited

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a shared van where you'll spend more time stationary watching wildlife than driving between locations, with a guide who paces the game drives for animal viewing rather than covering ground quickly.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4).

What animals will I actually see on a Masai Mara safari?

The Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino) are the main draw, but the reserve holds far more: Masai giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, hippo, hyena, jackal, warthog, impala and many others appear regularly. Cheetahs and leopards are harder to spot but reasonably common. During the July-to-October migration, millions of wildebeest and zebras move north from the Serengeti and cross the Mara River, which is when the reserve reaches peak activity.

How long is the drive from Nairobi to Masai Mara?

The journey takes five to six hours each way. You leave your hotel at 8am on day one and drive through the Great Rift Valley to reach the reserve by afternoon for your first game drive. The return drive on day three arrives back in Nairobi around 3–4pm.

Will I have my own vehicle or share with other travelers?

You share a safari van with up to seven other travelers from different countries. Sharing keeps the cost down and lets you split the experience with people from around the world. You also share the tented camp accommodation if needed.

What is included in the price and what costs extra?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off, the professional driver-guide, all game drives, two nights in a tented camp, meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), park entry fees and taxes. Drinks, gratuities and laundry are not included. An optional visit to a Maasai village is available at extra cost, paid directly on the day.

What kind of accommodation will I have?

You stay two nights in Lenchada Tourist Camp or a similar budget tented camp located inside Masai Mara National Reserve. The tents are en-suite, meaning the bathroom is attached to your tent. This is a basic but comfortable setup designed for safari travelers.