This is Kenya distilled into six unforgettable days, our private 4x4 carrying you from the wide plains of the Maasai Mara to the flamingo-fringed shores of Lake Nakuru, before finishing…
Trip Overview
This is Kenya distilled into six unforgettable days, our private 4×4 carrying you from the wide plains of the Maasai Mara to the flamingo-fringed shores of Lake Nakuru, before finishing beneath the snows of Kilimanjaro in Amboseli. Expect open savannah thick with lion and wildebeest, a Rift Valley lake alive with birdlife and rhino, and elephant herds walking against one of Africa’s most iconic backdrops. We keep the pace relaxed and the vehicle private, so every game drive moves at your speed, not a group’s. It is a tightly packed but deeply satisfying introduction to the very best of Kenya’s Big Five country.
The Route
Maasai Mara
We collect you early from your Nairobi hotel or the airport and set off west, dropping down into the Great Rift Valley with its dramatic escarpment views before continuing on to the Maasai Mara. Once you have settled into camp and grabbed lunch, we head straight out for an afternoon game drive across the open plains, where lion, elephant and buffalo sightings are common even on the very first outing. The light softens beautifully towards evening, a perfect time to spot herds of wildebeest and zebra grazing across the grasslands. Dinner and your first night are spent at a comfortable tented camp on the edge of the reserve.
Maasai Mara
This is a full day dedicated to the Mara, with morning and afternoon game drives broken up by a relaxed lunch back at camp. Our guide tracks the resident prides through the riverine forest along the Mara River and out onto the short grass plains, where cheetah, leopard and the Big Five are all realistic sightings. Depending on the season you may also witness part of the Great Wildebeest Migration, with hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra crossing the plains in a spectacle unlike anywhere else on earth. We take our time at good sightings rather than rushing between them, since the vehicle is exclusively yours. You return to camp for a well-earned dinner under the stars.
Lake Nakuru
After an early breakfast we bid farewell to the Mara and drive north through the Rift Valley towards Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya's most rewarding smaller parks. The lake and surrounding acacia woodland are famous for both black and white rhino, and we head straight into an afternoon game drive in search of them along with buffalo, giraffe and, when water levels are right, dense flocks of flamingo along the shoreline. Nakuru's compact size makes for excellent, close sightings in a shorter window than the Mara allows. We settle into a comfortable lodge nearby for dinner and a restful night.
Amboseli
This morning we take one last game drive around Lake Nakuru before setting off on the long but scenic drive south to Amboseli National Park, passing through Nairobi's outskirts and the changing landscapes of southern Kenya along the way. Amboseli sits directly beneath Mount Kilimanjaro, and on clear afternoons the mountain provides one of Africa's most photographed backdrops. We arrive in time for a late afternoon game drive, with elephant herds, in particular, moving in large, relaxed family groups across the swampy plains. Dinner and overnight are at a lodge just outside the park boundary.
Amboseli
A full day is set aside to explore Amboseli properly, with morning and afternoon game drives taking in the park's swamps, dried lake bed and acacia woodland. Elephant are the undoubted stars here, with some of Africa's most impressive tuskers roaming freely, but you can also expect good sightings of lion, buffalo, hippo and abundant plains game against that unmistakable Kilimanjaro backdrop. We break for lunch back at the lodge during the heat of the day before heading out again as the light turns golden. It is a fitting final full day of wildlife viewing before we start heading back towards Nairobi.
Nairobi
We take a final morning game drive in Amboseli, making the most of the cool early light before Kilimanjaro disappears into the day's haze, then return to the lodge for a relaxed breakfast. From here we drive back to Nairobi, stopping en route for lunch, and drop you at the airport or your onward hotel in good time for your departure. It is a fitting last stretch of a safari that has covered three of Kenya's finest wildlife regions in just six days. We are always happy to arrange an extra night in Nairobi if your flight schedule requires it.
Accommodation Options
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Dates, lodge upgrades, and extra nights are all flexible this is the starting itinerary, not the only one. Tell us roughly when you'd like to travel and we'll confirm availability within a day.
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