6-day Kenya safari from Nairobi: Masai Mara and Big Five

Six days tracking the Big Five across Kenya's open grasslands

A 6-day safari from Nairobi that moves through the Giraffe Center, Karen Blixen Museum, Hell's Gate National Park, and Lake Naivasha before reaching the Masai Mara National Reserve for two full days of game drives. You'll search for the Big Five and other wildlife from a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof, stay at lodges along the route, and travel with a professional English-speaking guide who handles all driving and navigation.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival In Nairobi

• Arrive at Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Airport
• Meet representative and transfer to hotel
• Check in at Kenya Comfort hotel

Day 2: Nairobi to Giraffe Centre and Karen Blixen

• Pick up from Nairobi hotel at 8:00am
• Visit Giraffe Centre and education centre
• Visit Kobe Bead Factory and gift shop
• Tour Karen Blixen Museum and Ngong Hills
• Return to hotel by 5pm

Day 3: Nairobi to Hells Gate and Lake Naivasha

• Depart Nairobi to Lake Naivasha
• Lunch at Lake Naivasha
• Boat safari on Lake Naivasha
• Nature walk at Hell's Gate National Park
• Dinner and overnight at Aloepark resort

Day 4: Naivasha to Masai Mara Reserve

• Early breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Masai Mara National Reserve
• Lunch at camp in Masai Mara
• Afternoon game drive in Masai Mara
• Dinner and overnight at Rhino tourist camp

Day 5: Full Day Explore Masai Mara Reserve

• Breakfast at camp
• Full day game drive in Masai Mara
• Picnic lunch in the reserve
• Optional Maasai village cultural tour
• Dinner and overnight at Rhino tourist camp

Day 6: Masai Mara to Nairobi

• Breakfast at camp
• Depart Masai Mara for Nairobi
• Stop for panoramic Great Rift Valley views
• Arrive Nairobi and drop off at hotel or airport

What’s included

• Pickup from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and drop-off at your hotel or airport at the end.
• entry to the Giraffe Center, Karen Blixen Museum, Lake Naivasha, and Masai Mara National Reserve.
• five nights of accommodation and all meals as described in the itinerary.
• professional English-speaking tour guide and driver.
• transportation in a 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof.
• and all parking fees.

Times

• Every day 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 00:00

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Before you book

Group Up to 100 2 private ›

Live guide English Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included.

Book up to 4h before

Ages Adult (10 to 80 years) · Child (3 to 9 years) · Infant (under 3): free

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 72 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Infants must sit on laps

Operated by Gracepatt Ecotours Kenya

Prices and times updated yesterday

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The experience

The tour starts with airport pickup and a night in Nairobi, then moves through three distinct ecosystems in quick succession. Day two takes you to the Giraffe Center (a breeding facility where you stand on a raised platform eye to eye with endangered giraffes) followed by a visit to a bead factory that employs single mothers from Nairobi's neighborhoods, and the colonial-era Karen Blixen Museum set in the Ngong Hills. The route then heads east toward the Rift Valley, descending to Lake Naivasha for a boat safari where hippos, fish eagles, pelicans and sometimes flamingos appear on the water.

Hell's Gate National Park sits between the lake and the Masai Mara. You'll do a nature walk through its dramatic landscape before heading to the reserve itself, where the real focus of the tour begins. Two full days are spent on game drives across the open grassland, searching for the Big Five and the many other species that inhabit the Mara. The reserve is also where the Great Migration occurs: the timing of your visit determines whether you'll witness it. An optional evening visit to a Maasai village (USD 20 per person) lets you interact with the local community and learn about their way of life. The final day is a return drive to Nairobi with stops for views of the Great Rift Valley.

All accommodation, meals, park entry fees, and transport in the Land Cruiser are included. The pop-up roof lets you stand and photograph wildlife without leaving the vehicle, and the professional guide navigates the terrain and locates animals. You'll need to arrange your own gratuities for the guide and driver.

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 9 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What is the Giraffe Center and what do you do there?

The Giraffe Center is a breeding facility for endangered giraffes run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. You stand on a raised observation platform where you're eye to eye with the giraffes, learning about their behavior and the conservation efforts for Kenya's rarest giraffe species.

Can you see the Great Migration on this tour?

The Great Migration occurs in the Masai Mara, and whether you witness it depends on when you travel. The tour includes two full days of game drives in the reserve where migration herds are most likely to be present during their seasonal movement.

What wildlife might you see on the game drives?

The Masai Mara is home to the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) as well as zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and numerous bird species including fish eagles and pelicans. Lake Naivasha adds hippos and waterfowl to the sightings.

Is the Maasai village visit included in the price?

No, the optional evening visit to a Maasai village for a cultural tour costs USD 20 per person and is arranged separately. An overnight stay at the village can also be organized upon request.

What kind of vehicle is used for the game drives?

A 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof is used throughout the tour, allowing you to stand and photograph wildlife without leaving the vehicle while your guide drives and locates animals.