Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru: 4-Day Safari with Big Five & Flamingos

Four days hunting the Big Five across 700 square miles of Masai Mara grassland

You spend four days in two of Kenya's most wildlife-rich reserves, sleeping in a tented camp on the Mara and hunting the Big Five with a professional guide. The itinerary includes all game drives, meals, and transport from Nairobi, plus the option to visit a Maasai village and take a boat ride on Lake Naivasha. You're back in the city by mid-afternoon on day four.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi to Masai Mara National Reserve

• Meet at Nairobi offices 7:30 am
• Depart for Masai Mara Game Reserve
• Arrive and have lunch at camp
• Evening game drive for wildlife
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 2: Full day game drive in Masai Mara

• Breakfast at camp
• Full day game drive in reserve
• Picnic lunch by Mara River
• Watch wildlife and migration
• Dinner and overnight at camp

Day 3: Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru National Park

• Breakfast at camp
• Optional Maasai village cultural tour
• Check out and depart to Lake Nakuru
• Optional boat ride at Lake Naivasha
• Lunch en route to Nakuru
• Arrive and dinner at resort
• Overnight at Buraha Zenoni Resort

Day 4: Lake Nakuru to Nairobi

• Early breakfast at resort
• 3-hour game drive in Lake Nakuru
• See white rhinos and flamingos
• Depart for Nairobi
• Lunch en route
• Arrive in Nairobi around 2:30 pm

The experience

Picture this: a Landcruiser cutting through golden grass at dawn, acacia trees scattered like brushstrokes across the horizon, and a pride of lions moving through the haze ahead. That's the opening frame of this four-day Masai Mara safari from Nairobi. You meet at the office at 7:30 am on day one, and by midday you're rolling into the reserve itself. 700 square miles of the kind of wilderness that doesn't photograph the way it feels. The drive from Nairobi takes most of the morning, but the moment you cross into the Mara, the landscape just opens up. Your guide knows where to look for the Big Five, and they're patient about it. You won't see them all in one afternoon, but that evening game drive, watching the light go gold and then purple while elephants move across the plain, is when you understand why people come back.

Day two is the full-day push. You're out early with a packed lunch, spending eight hours in the reserve hunting for lions, buffalo, zebras, and the smaller predators (cheetahs, jackals, hyenas) that follow the herds. This is also when your guide will point out the migration if the timing is right. Millions of wildebeest and zebra move through the Mara each year in search of water and grass, and the predators move with them. It's not a spectacle you can plan for, but if you catch it, it's the kind of thing you'll describe for years. If not, the sheer density of wildlife (the way you can spot a new animal every few minutes), makes up for it. Lunch happens at the riverbank, and you're back at Sankale Tented Camp by evening, tired and full of stories.

Day three shifts gears. After breakfast you have the option to visit a local Maasai village (USD 20 extra) and spend time with the community, learning how they live alongside the wildlife. Then it's a three-hour drive south to Lake Nakuru, with an optional boat ride on Lake Naivasha on the way if you want it. Lake Nakuru itself is a birder's dream: millions of flamingos turn the water pink, and it's one of the last strongholds for critically endangered black and white rhinos. The park is smaller than the Mara, more intimate, and the birdlife alone justifies the stop. You arrive in the evening and stay at Buraha Zenoni Resort.

The final morning starts early. A 3-hour game drive through Lake Nakuru National Park, where you're hunting for those rare white rhinos and hoping the flamingos are still there in numbers, then a 3-hour drive back to Nairobi with lunch en route. You roll back into the city around 2:30 pm, which gives you the rest of the afternoon to decompress or catch a flight out. Your professional guide is with you the whole time, handling navigation and wildlife spotting so you can just watch.

What’s included

Your four days include professional guide, all game drives in Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru, accommodation at Sankale Tented Camp and Buraha Zenoni Resort, breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, and transport from Nairobi offices. The Maasai village cultural visit and Lake Naivasha boat ride are optional add-ons.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30Last departure this season: 31 Dec

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 100

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go 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 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfants must sit on laps

Operated by JOCKY TOURS AND SAFARIS

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Mara's big game and Lake Nakuru's flamingos without arranging your own transport, camp bookings, or guide: the four-day structure and included meals mean you show up and the safari unfolds on schedule.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What's included in the price?

Professional guide, all game drives, accommodation at Sankale Tented Camp (Masai Mara) and Buraha Zenoni Resort (Lake Nakuru), and meals. Transport from Nairobi is included. The Maasai village visit costs USD 20 extra.

How long is the drive from Nairobi to Masai Mara?

Around 5–6 hours, depending on road conditions. You leave at 7:30 am and arrive in time for lunch and an evening game drive.

What's the best time to see the wildebeest migration?

The migration typically moves through the Mara between July and October. Timing is not guaranteed, but your guide will know where the herds are likely to be.

Can I see the Big Five on this safari?

The Big Five (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo) are present in both reserves, but sightings are never guaranteed. Your guide will spend the full day on day two searching for them across the Mara.

What's Lake Nakuru known for?

Millions of flamingos, critically endangered black and white rhinos, and exceptional birdwatching. It's a smaller, more intimate park than the Mara.

What happens if I want to skip the Maasai village visit?

It's optional. You can stay at the camp or rest instead. The cost is USD 20 per person if you choose to go.