3-Day Maasai Mara Safari from Nairobi: Small-Group Game Drives
Two full days hunting the Big Five in Africa's most reliable wildlife reserve
A 3-day guided safari from Nairobi to Maasai Mara with hotel pickup, professional guide, two nights in ensuite camp accommodation, and two full days of game drives in a small group (max 7 people) in a 4x4 Land Cruiser. The operator guarantees daily departures regardless of group size, so the tour runs as booked. Park entrance fees are optional and vary by season ($200 January–June, $400 July–December).
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Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Maasai Mara and evening game drive
- Pick up from Nairobi hotel
- Stop at Great Rift Valley viewpoint
- Arrive and check in at camp
- Have lunch at camp
- Evening sunset game drive in Maasai Mara
- Dinner and rest at camp
Day 2: Full day game drive in Maasai Mara
- Breakfast at camp
- Full day game drive in Maasai Mara
- Picnic lunch in the reserve
- Continue game drive
- Dinner and overnight at camp
Day 3: Visit Maasai village and return to Nairobi
- Breakfast and check out from camp
- Visit Maasai village (optional)
- Drive back to Nairobi
- Drop off at Nairobi city center or hotel
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within Nairobi city centre.
- professional tour guide and driver.
- two nights accommodation in ensuite camp tents with hot water and electricity.
- bottled water throughout the tour.
- all game drives in a 4x4 Land Cruiser.
- meals at the camp.
Times
- Every day 07:00 08:00
Before you book
Operated by PERFECT WILDERNESS TOURS AND SAFARIS
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The experience
The pickup happens from your Nairobi hotel in the city centre, then the drive heads south toward the Great Rift Valley with a stop at the viewpoint. You'll see the valley floor and Mt. Longonot in the distance before arriving at camp in the afternoon. After lunch and check-in, you head straight out for an evening game drive in the reserve, then return for dinner and rest.
Day two is the full day in Maasai Mara. The 4x4 Land Cruiser is smaller and more nimble than the big safari buses, which means easier off-road access to where the animals are. You'll have a picnic lunch in the reserve while searching for the Big Five: leopard, lion, cheetah, elephant and buffalo. The Mara River runs through the reserve year-round with hippos and Nile crocodiles along the banks. Sightings of four of the Big Five are nearly guaranteed. Rhinos are the hardest to spot. If you're there July through November, the wildebeest migration brings over 1.5 million animals into the reserve.
On the final morning, you have breakfast and check out, then visit a Maasai village to see how the local community lives (this costs an extra $20 per person if you choose it). After that, the drive back to Nairobi takes the rest of the day, with drop-off at your hotel or the city centre. The accommodation is a large ensuite tent with a bed, linen, toilet and bathroom inside. Hot water is available and there's a common dining area and charging station for phones and cameras.
Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want two full days of game drives without arranging transport or accommodation yourself: the small group size (max 7) and smaller vehicles give you better wildlife access than larger safari buses, and the guaranteed daily departure means the tour runs as scheduled regardless of other bookings. Choose the park entrance fee option at checkout if you want official reserve access. Without it, you still do game drives on the same route.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.
What animals will I actually see on a Maasai Mara game drive?
The Mara has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife on the planet. Sightings of four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, cheetah and elephant) are nearly guaranteed on any trip. Buffalo are common too, though rhinos are harder to spot. Hippos and Nile crocodiles live along the Mara River year-round. If you travel July through November, the reserve fills with over 1.5 million wildebeest migrating through.
How many people will be in the vehicle with me?
The small-group safari caps at 7 people maximum in a single 4x4 Land Cruiser. The operator uses smaller customised vehicles rather than large safari buses, which allows easier off-road driving and better access to wildlife.
Do I need to pay for park entrance separately?
Park entrance fees are not included in the base package. You can add them at checkout. The cost is $200 per person from January to June, and $400 per person from July to December. If you skip this option, you'll still do game drives but won't enter the official reserve.
What's included in the accommodation?
You stay two nights in an ensuite tent with a bed, linen, toilet and bathroom inside. Hot water is available, and the camp has a common lounge and dining area where meals are served. There's also electricity to charge phones and camera batteries.
Why does this operator guarantee daily departures?
The company owns its own vehicles and camps, so it runs the tour every day regardless of how many people book, even if it's just one person. Most safari operators cancel if they don't hit a minimum group size. This one doesn't.
Can I visit the Maasai village on the last day?
Yes, on the morning of day three before driving back to Nairobi, you have the option to visit a local Maasai village to learn about their culture and lifestyle. This costs an extra $20 per person and is entirely optional.
3-Day Maasai Mara Safari from Nairobi: Small-Group Game Drives
3d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 195 per person
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