Masai Mara & Amboseli Safari with Local Guide

Summary

Kenya Multi-Park Safari Adventure with Maasai Encounters

You’ll travel across Kenya’s legendary parks — Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha, Nakuru and Amboseli — spotting wildlife with a local guide and sharing stories over simple meals. From Maasai village visits to sunrise views of Kilimanjaro and boat rides among hippos, each day brings something unexpected you’ll remember long after the trip.

What’s the experience like?

Hands gripping the edge of the open-roof van, I watched as our driver Daniel slowed for a herd of zebras crossing the red-dusted road just outside Narok. He pointed out how the youngest ones always stick close to their mothers — something I’d never noticed in documentaries. The Rift Valley stretched out behind us, hazy and endless. We stopped at a viewpoint where a woman sold beadwork under a blue tarp; I bought a bracelet, mostly because she smiled and called me “sister.” The drive to Masai Mara felt long but somehow not tiring — maybe it was all the small things to look at, or maybe it was just the anticipation buzzing in my stomach.

I didn’t expect how quiet it would get during that first sunset game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve. Even Daniel hushed his voice when we spotted lions lounging in the grass, their tails flicking at flies. There’s this smell — dry grass mixed with something sweet from wildflowers crushed underfoot. Lunches were always simple but filling: rice, beans, sometimes goat stew if you’re lucky (I liked it more than I thought I would). Nights at Miti Mingi Tented Camp were colder than I packed for; I could hear distant hyenas laughing while falling asleep.

The day we left for Lake Naivasha was a blur of early morning animal sightings and then winding roads through towns where kids waved at our van. At Lake Naivasha, we took a boat ride past hippos snorting in the water and birds everywhere — honestly, I lost count after twenty species. Our guide laughed when I tried to pronounce “marabou stork” in Swahili (I definitely butchered it). Later at Hell’s Gate National Park, cycling past giraffes felt surreal — like being inside someone else’s dream.

Amboseli was different again: dustier, wide open, with Mount Kilimanjaro looming behind everything like some kind of silent guardian. The elephants here are huge — you feel small watching them move so slowly across the plains. On our last morning game drive before heading back to Nairobi, Daniel stopped so we could watch sunrise spill over the savannah. It was quiet except for birds waking up and someone from another group laughing softly nearby. That light — I still think about that moment sometimes when city life gets too loud.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Nairobi to Masai Mara

• Drive from Nairobi to Masai Mara with Rift Valley stop
• Lunch at Mara Tented Camp
• Afternoon game drive until sunset
• Dinner and overnight at Miti Mingi Tented Camp

Day 2 — Full Day Masai Mara Safari

• Full day game drive with packed lunch
• Visit Mara River migration point
• Dinner and overnight at Miti Mingi Tented Camp

Day 3 — Masai Mara to Lake Naivasha

• Morning game drive
• Visit Masai Village
• Drive to Lake Naivasha with lunch at Narok
• Boat trip on Lake Naivasha

Day 4 — Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru

• Morning game drive at Hell’s Gate National Park
• Breakfast
• Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park with lunch
• Afternoon game drive seeking leopards and rhinos

Day 5 — Lake Nakuru to Amboseli

• Morning game drive
• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Amboseli National Park with lunch in Nairobi
• Late evening game drive if time allows

Day 6 — Full Day Amboseli Safari

• Full day game drive with packed lunch
• View Mt Kilimanjaro and wildlife
• Return to camp

Day 7 — Amboseli to Nairobi

• Morning game drive
• Breakfast and check out
• Drive to Nairobi with picnic lunch
• Drop off at chosen location

Top questions

Is pickup from my Nairobi hotel included?

Yes, pickup from your hotel in Nairobi is included at the start of the safari.

Are meals provided during the safari?

Yes, all meals are provided on a full board basis as described in the itinerary (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Do we visit Maasai villages on this tour?

Yes, there is time allocated to visit a Maasai village during your journey from Masai Mara to Lake Naivasha.

What type of vehicle is used for game drives?

A safari 4x4 tour van with an open roof hatch is used for game viewing throughout the trip.

Are park entrance fees included?

Yes, all park entrance fees are included in your booking price.

Is mineral water provided during the safari?

Yes, recommended mineral water is provided while on safari.

How many days does this safari last?

The tour lasts 7 days and covers multiple national parks across Kenya.

Is there an English-speaking guide?

Yes, an English-speaking professional driver/guide accompanies you throughout the safari.

What’s included

Your week includes hotel pickup in Nairobi, private transportation between parks in a 4x4 safari van with open roof hatch for game viewing, all park entrance fees covered by your booking price, full board accommodation (breakfasts, lunches and dinners), bottled mineral water daily while on safari plus time visiting Maasai villages and guided boat trips before returning to Nairobi in comfort.