Maasai Mara Safari: 3-Day Jeep Tour from Nairobi, Small Group

A couple of days hunting the Big Five across open savannah, with a driver who knows where they are.

A 3-day group safari from Nairobi to Maasai Mara National Reserve in a Land Cruiser jeep, with professional guide-driver, 2 nights in a tented camp, and complimentary airport pickup. Day 1 includes a stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint on the drive out and an evening game drive; Days 2 is a full day in the reserve hunting the Big Five and watching the wildebeest migration along the Mara River; Day 3 returns you to Nairobi with lunch en route. The Maasai village visit is optional at checkout for USD 20 per person.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Maasai Mara and game drive

• Pick up from airport or Nairobi
• Drive to Maasai Mara via Rift Valley viewpoint
• Arrive Maasai Mara and check in
• Rest at accommodation
• Afternoon game drive
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Full day game drive in Maasai Mara

• Breakfast at 6:00 am
• Depart for full day game drive
• Picnic lunch in the reserve
• Continue game drive spotting wildlife
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 3: Return to Nairobi with optional Maasai visit

• Early breakfast and check out
• Drive back to Nairobi with lunch stop
• Optional Maasai village cultural tour
• Drop off at Nairobi city center or hotel

The experience

Maasai Mara National Reserve sprawls across southwestern Kenya along the Tanzanian border, a stretch of preserved savannah where lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and hippos move across grassy plains and rolling hills cut by the Mara and Talek rivers. A Land Cruiser 4WD jeep lets you leave the main tracks and follow the animals into the bush. The vehicle goes where a sedan cannot, and that is what separates this tour from the minibus versions. You travel as a small group, not alone and not as a convoy of forty.

Day 1 starts with complimentary airport pickup at 6am if you arrive that morning, then an 8am departure from Nairobi with your professional guide-driver. The drive out crosses the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, where you see the scarred landscape of volcanic activity from centuries back, before continuing into the reserve in time for lunch and camp check-in. The accommodation is a big tent with a toilet, bathroom, bed linens and mosquito nets. Hot water and electricity run from 6 to 10pm. You rest, then leave for a 4pm game drive and return by 6pm for dinner.

Day 2 is the full day in the reserve. Breakfast at 6am, then a complete day of game-driving in search of the Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and rhinos), and if the timing aligns, the wildebeest migration crossing the Mara River. You eat a picnic lunch under a croton tree in the reserve, watching hippos and crocodiles on the riverbanks while you scan the plains. The guide knows the reserve and the animals' patterns. The jeep can move fast when something is spotted.

Day 3 is an early breakfast and checkout, then the drive back to Nairobi with a complimentary lunch stop at the Travellers motel. On arrival you are dropped in the city centre or at your hotel. If you want to visit a nearby Maasai village and see how the local people live alongside the wildlife (their livestock management, their traditions and their way of coexisting with the animals), that is an optional add-on at USD 20 per person, arranged at checkout.

What’s included

• Two nights accommodation in a tented camp with private bathroom and mosquito nets.
• professional guide-driver throughout the tour.
• transport in a Land Cruiser 4WD jeep.
• complimentary airport pickup on Day 1 if arriving by flight.
• picnic lunch on Day 2 in the reserve.
• complimentary lunch on Day 3 en route back to Nairobi.

Options for this experience

5 options

Group joining safari to the Maasai Mara over 3 days, using a Land Cruiser JeepGuide in English · 07:00Pickup is included

Private budget OptionGuide in English · Available from 14 Feb 2027Stay at Mara Ntulele Camp or a similar camp: you have your own room, self-contained with its own bed, shower and toilet, not shared with other guests. Private tour guide: a private tour for the people booked, not mixed with other clients. Private transport in a Jeep: the Jeep is only for your group or family, not shared with other people booked outside your party. Maasai Mara Park entrance fees are not included. Pickup is included

MIDRANGE ACCOMMODATIONGuide in English · Available from 14 Feb 2027Stay at Mara Jambo Lodge or a similar lodge: this is a group safari, but guests sleep at a lodge instead of a camp. Travel in a 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep with a pop-up roof for easy game drives and photography. Maasai Mara Park entrance fees are not included in this option. Pickup is included

See 2 more options

4x4 Cruiser, fees coveredGuide in English · 07:00 and 08:00Stay at Rhino Tourist Camp or a similar camp, in a 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep. This option uses standard budget accommodation, but all Maasai Mara Park entrance fees are included. Pickup is included

MIDRANGE ACCOMODATION +FEESGuide in English · 07:00 and 08:00Stay at Jambo Mara Lodge, a luxury lodge with all amenities; if it is fully booked, Enkorok Lodge or Simba Oryx Lodge is used instead. Travel in a 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep with a pop-up roof for easier game viewing, rather than the standard tour van. Midrange accommodation: you sleep in a midrange lodge, Maasai Mara Park fees are included, and the vehicle is a 4x4 Land Cruiser Jeep. Pickup is included

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00 and 08:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (12 to 85 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 60

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Perfect Safaris

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a small-group safari in a Land Cruiser 4WD that reaches off-road wildlife viewing spots minibuses cannot access, with airport pickup from Nairobi included.

Traveler reviews

4.86★★★★★★★★★★

761 verified traveler reviews

5 ★691

4 ★52

3 ★8

2 ★4

1 ★6

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years). Under 3: they can't be included in the booking.

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

Maasai Mara is home to lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, hippos and buffalo. The reserve is also on the route of the wildebeest migration, so if your dates align with that crossing, you may witness thousands moving across the plains and crossing the Mara River. Sightings depend on animal movement and timing, but the two full days of driving give you multiple chances throughout the day.

Do I need to arrange my own transport from Nairobi airport?

No. Complimentary airport pickup is included if you arrive by flight on the morning of Day 1. The driver collects you at 6am and brings you to the departure point in Nairobi, then you leave at 8am for the reserve.

What are the camp accommodations like?

You stay in big tents with a private toilet, bathroom, bed linens and mosquito nets. Hot water and electricity are available from 6 to 10pm each evening. The camps are kept clean and have WiFi available.

Can I visit a Maasai village on this tour?

Yes, but it is optional. On Day 3 as you return to Nairobi, you can choose to stop at a nearby traditional Maasai village to learn about their culture, livestock management and way of life alongside the wildlife. This costs USD 20 per person and is arranged at checkout.

Is this tour suitable if I am not very fit?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Most of the time is spent sitting in the jeep during game drives. The main activity is watching and photographing animals from the vehicle, not hiking or climbing.

How many people travel together on this safari?

This is a group joining tour, so you travel with other guests in the same Land Cruiser jeep. The small group size means the jeep can move more easily through the reserve than a larger minibus, and the driver can respond quickly when animals are spotted.