4-Day Maasai Mara & Lake Nakuru Safari from Nairobi

Three days hunting the Big Five across Maasai Mara's open savannah, then a fourth at the pink lake.

A 4-day safari from Nairobi that splits between three days and two nights in Maasai Mara National Reserve (where you drive daily through grassland studded with acacia trees hunting the Big Five and watching over 450 wildlife species), and one night at Lake Nakuru National Park, known for its pink flamingo flocks and rhino sanctuary. A professional guide and driver picks you up from your hotel or airport, leads all game drives, and handles the route. Accommodation at budget campsites and hotels is included, as is lunch at the Mara River during the full-day game drive on day two.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel Nairobi to Maasai Mara

• Pick up from hotel or airport
• Briefing by guide at office
• Drive to Great Rift Valley escarpment
• Stop for photos and crafts shopping
• Lunch stop in Narok town
• Drive to Maasai Mara
• Check in at camp or lodge
• Evening game drive
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Full Day Game Drive in Maasai Mara

• Breakfast at camp or lodge
• Full day game drive with packed lunch
• View wildlife including big five
• Lunch by Mara River hippo pool
• Afternoon game drive
• Optional visit to Maasai village
• Cultural dance and crafts viewing
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 3: Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru

• Breakfast at camp or lodge
• Optional Maasai village visit
• Depart Maasai Mara region
• Lunch stop in Narok
• Arrive at Lake Nakuru National Park
• Check in at hotel or lodge
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 4: Lake Nakuru to Nairobi

• Breakfast at hotel or lodge
• Game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park
• View flamingoes at Baboon Cliff
• Spot rhinos and predators
• Drive back to Nairobi
• Lunch on the way
• Drop off at hotel or airport

The experience

You start before dawn on day one, picked up from your Nairobi hotel or airport and driven northwest toward the Great Rift Valley escarpment. The route crosses the escarpment itself (a stop where the landscape opens and you can photograph the drop), then passes through Narok town for lunch before arriving at Maasai Mara in the late afternoon. After checking into your camp, you head straight out for an evening game drive to spot the wider range of wildlife roaming the reserve, then return for dinner and your first overnight stay.

Day two is the full-day game drive. After breakfast you spend the entire day moving through the tree-studded savannah with a packed lunch at the Mara River, where you watch the hippo pool and learn this is where the great wildebeest migration happens. The itinerary is flexible (your guide adjusts based on animal sightings and your interests), but the goal is the Big Five and the herds of wildebeest and zebras that define the reserve. At sunset you have the option to visit a Maasai village to watch a cultural dance and see traditional crafts and clothing, or skip it and rest at camp. Either way, you return for dinner and another night.

On day three you leave Maasai Mara after an optional morning Maasai village visit, drive south to Lake Nakuru National Park, and arrive in the evening. Day four is a morning game drive inside Lake Nakuru itself: a smaller park famous for its flocks of pink flamingoes visible from the Baboon Cliff, plus rhino sightings and predators like lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas. Afterward you drive back to Nairobi with a lunch stop, arriving in the evening at your hotel or airport. Your guide speaks English throughout, and all transport, accommodation and meals at designated stops are arranged.

What’s included

• Hotel or airport pickup in Nairobi.
• all transport and game drives in Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru.
• accommodation at a budget campsite with permanent tents and private washrooms in Maasai Mara and a budget hotel in Lake Nakuru.
• meals at designated stops including lunch at the Mara River on day two.
• and a professional English-speaking guide throughout.

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 1 Jan 2027

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (19 to 30 years) · Senior (31 and older) · Youth (12 to 18 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 80 · max 8 per booking

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 46 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Greytone Bush Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a four-day safari split between Maasai Mara (three days) and Lake Nakuru (one day), traveling with other guests on set dates rather than a private itinerary.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 18 years); Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What animals will I actually see on a 4-day Maasai Mara safari?

Maasai Mara holds over 450 wildlife species, and the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo) roam the reserve regularly. You will also see large herds of wildebeest and zebras, hippos at the Mara River, and on day four at Lake Nakuru, pink flamingoes and additional rhino and predator species including cheetahs and hyenas. Sightings depend on where animals are on the day you visit, but the full-day game drive on day two maximizes your chances.

Do I need my own vehicle or does the tour provide transport?

The tour includes a professional guide and driver who picks you up from your Nairobi hotel or airport and handles all transport throughout the four days, including all game drives in Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru. You travel as a passenger in the safari vehicle.

What is included in the price and what do I need to pay extra for?

The tour includes hotel or airport pickup, all transport, accommodation at budget campsites in Maasai Mara and a budget hotel in Lake Nakuru, meals at designated stops including lunch at the Mara River on day two, and the English-speaking guide. Gratuities for the guide and driver are not included and are at your discretion.

Can I visit a Maasai village, and is it part of the tour?

On day two at sunset you have the option to visit a Maasai village to watch a cultural dance, see traditional clothing and crafted handiworks, and interact with the community. It is optional (you can choose to rest at camp instead), and the decision is yours to make with your guide on the day.

What is Lake Nakuru known for, and how much time do I spend there?

Lake Nakuru National Park is a smaller reserve famous for its large flocks of pink flamingoes that gather at the lake shores, visible from the Baboon Cliff. It is also a rhino sanctuary with sightings of black and white rhinos, plus lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas. You arrive on the evening of day three and spend the morning of day four on a game drive before driving back to Nairobi.