7-Day Nairobi Safari: Big Five, Maasai Mara & Mount Kilimanjaro

Sleep under the stars in Maasai Mara tents and bike among wildlife at Hell’s Gate

A 7-day small-group safari from Nairobi with a maximum of eight travelers, visiting Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli National Park. The tour includes six nights of accommodation, all park entrance fees, a professional English-speaking guide, airport pickup and drop-off, and a complimentary first night at Raha Suites in Nairobi upon arrival. The operator guarantees daily departures with no last-minute cancellations, and upgrades Amboseli stays to a luxury lodge.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi to Masai Mara

• Pick up from hotel or airport
• Drive to Mara via Rift Valley viewpoint
• Lunch at travellers motel
• Relax at camp in afternoon
• Evening game drive in Mara Reserve
• Dinner at Rhino Tourist or Mara Ntulele Camp

Day 2: Full Day in Masai Mara

• Breakfast at camp
• Full day game drive in Mara
• Picnic lunch in the Reserve
• Visit Mara River for migration or wildlife viewing
• Optional Maasai village cultural tour
• Optional balloon safari early morning
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 3: Depart Maasai Mara to Nakuru

• Early breakfast at camp
• Drive to Nakuru
• Check in at resort
• Relax, swim or use WIFI
• Dinner at Lanet Matfam Resort Hotel

Day 4: Nakuru to Naivasha

• Early breakfast
• Morning game drive in Nakuru Park
• Drive to Naivasha
• Lunch at hotel
• One hour boat ride on Lake Naivasha
• Overnight at Astorian Grand or Chambai Hotel

Day 5: Naivasha through Hell's Gate then to Amboseli

• Pick up from hotel
• Biking safari in Hell's Gate National Park
• Drive to Amboseli National Park
• Check in at AA Lodge Amboseli
• Lunch and rest
• Dinner and overnight at AA Lodge

Day 6: Amboseli Full day

• Breakfast at lodge
• Full day game drive in Amboseli
• Packed lunch in park
• Relax and swim at lodge if early return
• Visit Observation Hill
• Dinner and overnight at AA Lodge

Day 7: Amboseli to Nairobi

• Early morning view of Mount Kilimanjaro
• Short game drive 6am to 8am
• Breakfast and check out
• Drive to Nairobi with lunch stop
• Drop off at hotel or airport

The experience

The route moves through four distinct ecosystems in seven days, each one built around a different wildlife viewing opportunity. You start with a full day and a half in Maasai Mara, where the itinerary takes you all the way to the Mara River, the site of the wildebeest migration, to watch hippos and crocodiles in their habitat. Lake Nakuru's 3-hour game drive focuses on the rare white rhinos that form part of the Big Five. Lake Naivasha adds a one-hour boat ride for hippo and bird watching after the land-based drive. Amboseli, positioned against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, gets a full day of game viewing from Observation Hill, where elephants gather at swamps and pink flamingos congregate.

Accommodation shifts with each location. In Maasai Mara, you stay in big self-contained tents with hot showers and toilets inside. Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha use mid-range resort hotels in the towns themselves. Amboseli upgrades to a luxury lodge with views of Kilimanjaro. Transport throughout is a 4x4 LandCruiser Jeep with a pop roof designed for game viewing and photography. Your guide is a professional, experienced English speaker who leads all game drives and stops.

The optional activities let you shape the experience. Hell's Gate National Park offers a biking safari where you pedal slowly through the park with a guide (or ride in the vehicle if you prefer) to see Pride Rock, the landscape that inspired the Lion King film. A Maasai village cultural tour costs USD 20 extra. A hot air balloon safari over Maasai Mara runs USD 420 per person and can be arranged for an early morning departure. The tour ends with a short early-morning game drive in Amboseli before the drive back to Nairobi, where you're dropped at your hotel or the airport.

What’s included

• Six nights of accommodation in tents and hotels across the four parks.
• complimentary first night at Raha Suites in Nairobi.
• airport pickup and drop-off.
• transport in a 4x4 LandCruiser Jeep with pop roof.
• entrance fees to Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli.
• a one-hour boat ride on Lake Naivasha for bird and hippo watching.
• bottled water throughout.
• professional English-speaking guide for all game drives.

Options for this experience

4 options

Seven days, park fees not includedGuide in English · 07:30Budget accommodations: budget camps Mara Ntulele/Rhino Tourist, Buraha, Zenoni, Astorian/Leisure Apex, and Osutua/Manjaro/Amboseli Wildebeest Camps. Park entrance fees: entrance fees to all the parks are not included and can be paid locally on arrival or on request after booking. Pickup is included.

Safari with budget accommodationGuide in English · 07:30Budget accommodations: the itinerary is the same, but you sleep at all the budget camps. In Amboseli you stay at Amboseli Wildebeest or Osutua Rafiki Camp. Pickup is included.

7 Days Safari in a foreign languageGuide in English · 07:307 days in budget camps or hotels: Mara Ntulele or Rhino Tourist, Buraha, Astorian or Chambai, and Amboseli Wildebeest Camp or Osotua Rafiki Camp in Amboseli. Land Cruiser Jeep with a guide who speaks your language: German, French, Spanish or Italian. This option suits clients who want a guide in their own language. Pickup is included.

A seven-day tour from Nairobi covering Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and AmboseliGuide in English · 07:30Includes pickup

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (13 to 95 years) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Under 4: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 20

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by PERFECT WILDERNESS TOURS AND SAFARIS

Is this one for you?Groups stay under eight people, which means faster game-spotting stops and easier vehicle movement through narrow park roads. The guaranteed daily departure (no postponements or last-minute cancellations) matters if your travel dates are fixed and you need certainty before booking flights.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years). Under 4: they can't be included in the booking.

What does the Big Five actually mean on this safari?

The Big Five are lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo: the five most dangerous animals to hunt on foot in Africa. This tour gives you a genuine chance to see all five across the four parks, with Lake Nakuru specifically known for its rare white rhinos and Amboseli famous for large elephant herds.

Is the biking safari in Hell's Gate something I have to do?

Hell's Gate biking is optional and happens on day five. You ride slowly with a bike guide through the park to photograph animals and see Pride Rock, or you can stay in the vehicle instead. Either way, Hell's Gate is the only national park in Kenya where biking safaris are permitted.

When do I actually see Mount Kilimanjaro?

Mount Kilimanjaro dominates the landscape at Amboseli on days five, six and seven. The clearest views come early morning from your lodge or from Observation Hill during the full day game drive on day six. Weather permitting, you may also see it on the morning drive back to Nairobi on day seven.

How much time do I spend actually watching wildlife versus driving?

Game drives fill most daylight hours across the seven days. Maasai Mara has two full days of driving; Lake Nakuru is a 3-hour drive; Lake Naivasha adds a 1-hour boat ride; Amboseli gets a full day of viewing plus a short early-morning drive. Lunch breaks and hotel time happen between drives.

What if I arrive in Nairobi late or want to leave early?

You get a complimentary first night at Raha Suites in Nairobi when you arrive, so late arrivals are covered. The tour itself runs seven full days starting the morning after that first night. Airport pickup and drop-off are included, so your transport to and from the airport is arranged.