Nairobi: Masai Mara & Lake Nakuru 4-Day Safari with Game Drives

Four days tracking wildlife across Kenya's two greatest reserves

You get picked up from your Nairobi hotel and driven to Masai Mara for two full days of game drives across one of Africa's most active reserves, then move to Lake Nakuru for a final morning of bird and wildlife viewing before returning to the city. Hotel pickup, all meals, accommodation at tented camps and hotels, and park entry are included — you arrange nothing except showing up on the first morning.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Travel Nairobi to Masai Mara

• Pick up from hotel early morning
• Depart Nairobi at 8:30 am
• Stop at Great Rift Valley viewpoint
• Continue via Narok Town to Masai Mara
• Arrive Masai Mara for lunch
• Late afternoon game drive until 6:30 pm
• Dinner and overnight at tented camp

Day 2 — Full day Masai Mara safari

• Early breakfast at camp
• Full day game drive in Masai Mara
• Visit Mara River for wildlife viewing
• Picnic lunch by the river
• Return to camp for dinner and overnight

Day 3 — Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru

• Breakfast at camp
• Optional morning Masai Village visit
• Depart for Lake Nakuru
• Stop for hot or picnic lunch en-route
• Arrive Lake Nakuru hotel late afternoon
• Dinner and overnight at hotel

Day 4 — Lake Nakuru to Nairobi

• Early morning game drive at Lake Nakuru
• View flamingos, rhinos, and giraffes
• Visit Baboon Cliff viewpoint
• Lunch at Lake Nakuru
• Return to Nairobi
• Drop off at pick up point
• Optional brief visit to Makalia waterfalls

The Experience

The pickup happens early — between 7:00 and 7:30 in the morning from your Nairobi hotel, then a drive to the assembly point before the safari departs at 8:30. On the way to Masai Mara, you'll stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint to see the escarpment drop away in front of you, then push through Narok Town and arrive at the reserve in time for lunch. By 4:00 pm you're already on your first game drive, rolling through the park until it closes at 6:30. That first night you sleep in a permanent tented camp — Lenchada, Rhino Tourist, Sankale or one of the others — with a private bathroom attached, which matters more than you'd think after a long day in a vehicle.

Day two is the full immersion. You leave before breakfast with a packed lunch and spend the entire day inside Masai Mara National Reserve, which forms the northern edge of the Serengeti. The Mara River sits at the border, and that's where the concentration of animals peaks — you'll eat lunch under a tree by the water, watching the landscape work. The wildebeest migration happens here if you're traveling in the right season, but even without it the sheer density of wildlife makes the hours pass without you checking your watch. Back at camp for dinner and another night in the tents.

On day three you have the option of a short morning visit to a Masai village before heading toward Lake Nakuru, with a lunch stop en route. You arrive in the late afternoon at one of the hotels — Hillcourt Resort, Eldorado, or Buraha — and settle in for the night. The final morning starts early again with a game drive at Lake Nakuru National Park, where the flamingos gather in numbers that still feel unreal even when you're standing there. The park is also home to the rare black rhino and Rothschild giraffe, and the baboon cliff gives you a vantage point across the whole scene. After lunch, the drive back to Nairobi takes you to your original pickup point, with a possible stop at Makalia waterfalls if time allows.

What’s included

Hotel pickup from Nairobi between 7:00–7:30 am on day one, all game drives inside Masai Mara National Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Park, three nights' accommodation (two at a tented camp with private bathroom, one at a hotel), all meals from lunch on day one through lunch on day four, park entry fees, and return transport to your Nairobi pickup point. An optional Masai village visit is available on the morning of day three.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by AXIS AFRICA SAFARIS

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru without arranging transport, park permits or camp bookings yourself — the fixed itinerary and included accommodation mean you show up at your hotel on the first morning and everything else is timed and paid for.

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Top questions

What time does the safari start from Nairobi?

Hotel pickup is between 7:00–7:30 am, with the safari departing at 8:30 am.

Where do you sleep on this tour?

Nights one and two are at a tented camp (Lenchada, Rhino Tourist, Sankale, Wild-nest or Flair), and night three at a hotel in Nakuru (Hillcourt, Eldorado or Buraha).

Is the wildebeest migration guaranteed?

The migration is seasonal. You'll see it if you travel during the migration months, but the park has abundant wildlife year-round.

What animals will I see?

Masai Mara hosts the full range of East African wildlife. Lake Nakuru is known for flamingos, white pelicans, white rhinos and Rothschild giraffes.

How long are the game drives each day?

Day one includes a late afternoon drive from 4:00–6:30 pm. Day two is a full day in the park. Day three is an early morning drive at Lake Nakuru before returning to Nairobi.

Are meals included?

Yes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included throughout the tour.

Can I visit a Masai village?

Yes, there's an optional short morning visit to a Masai village on day three before departure for Nakuru.

What if I want to see Makalia waterfalls?

A brief stop at Makalia waterfalls is possible on the final day if time allows.