Kenya · Safari

5-Day Masai Mara Wildebeest Migration Safari via Great Rift Valley

5 Days Round trip from Nairobi Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Experience the famous wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara
02 Enjoy multiple game drives in one of Africa's best-known wildlife reserves
03 Travel through the dramatic Great Rift Valley en route to the Masai Mara
04 Look out for the Big Five, including lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and rhino

Explore Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve on a 5-day safari focused on abundant wildlife, birdlife, and the famous wildebeest migration. Enjoy multiple game drives through one of Africa's best-known reserves, home to the Big Five as well as zebras, antelopes, gnus, oribis, and many other animals. Along the way, travel through the dramatic Great Rift Valley and look out for the Mara's rich variety of bird species.

On the plains are enormous herds of grazing animals, plus the elusive cheetah and leopard hiding among the acacia trees.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 5 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Nairobi, Masai Mara, Nairobi National Park

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Arrival in Nairobi

Today, our representatives will meet you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and transfer you to Sarova Panafric Hotel in Nairobi for an overnight stay.
Depending on your time of arrival, we can organize an optional city tour or a short visit to Nairobi National Park.

Accommodation: Sarova Panafric Hotel

Meal Plan: Breakfast

Day 02

Drive Through the Great Rift Valley to Masai Mara

We depart the hotel after breakfast this morning and drive through the dramatic Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara Game Reserve. This enormous reserve is part of the vast Serengeti plains and is famously known for its spectacular great wildebeest migration. It is home to the Big Five: lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, and rhino.
Have lunch at our lodge and relax before departing for the afternoon game drive. The Mara Game Reserve is one of the greatest wildernesses in the world, and its large mammals are varied and easy to see.
Residents of the park include Masai giraffe, buffalo, eland, and thousands of plains game, including impala, zebra, topi, and both Thomson's and Grant's gazelles.

Accommodation: Sarova Mara Camp

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 03

Full Day in the Masai Mara

These two full days in the Masai Mara Game Reserve will be spent searching for the big cats of the Masai Mara and enjoying spectacular views of the famous migration. All of the

Day 04

Morning Game Drive and Return to Nairobi

If you are not participating in the optional hot air balloon ride, you will enjoy morning tea, coffee, or hot chocolate followed by a morning game drive. On the plains are enormous herds of grazing animals, plus the elusive cheetah and leopard hiding among the acacia trees.
Return to the lodge or camp for breakfast.
Optional visit to an authentic Masai village (at an extra cost) to witness the singing and dancing that form part of daily life and sacred rituals.
Depart the Mara by road back to Nairobi, with lunch en route, arriving in the late afternoon.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch

Where this trip takes you

Masai Mara, Great Rift Valley, Nairobi National Park

The route

Where you'll travel

Tour route map — Round trip from Nairobi 3 cities · 5 Days

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

Airport transfers
Round-trip transport
Accommodation while on safari
All park entry fees
All government taxes
Three meals per day
Bottled mineral water while on safari

What's Not Included

Items of a personal nature
Gratuities/tips
Accommodation in Nairobi

What to bring

Clothes for warm and cold weather
Camera
Items of a personal nature

Know before you go

Malaria and Yellow Fever vaccination are mandatory.
Covid-19 vaccination is mandatory.
This five-day road safari is a tour to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, which lies 275 km west of Nairobi. The Masai Mara, the most popular reserve in Africa and one of the best known in the world, lies in the Great Rift Valley and covers an area of 700 square miles. The drive from Nairobi to the Masai Mara takes about 5 to 6 hours. Masai Mara National Reserve is considered a "must-see" for any new visitor travelling on safari to Kenya. Masai Mara is the best place to see the "Big Five" (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo). The famous wildebeest migration also takes place at the Mara. Other animals include zebras, antelope, gnus, oribis, hyenas, giraffes, warthogs, gazelles, hartebeests, hippos, and crocodiles, among others. The park has the largest concentration of African lions, including the black-maned lion. Birdlife is as plentiful as wildlife at the Masai Mara, which boasts over 400 different bird species. Wildebeest Migration: Over 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras, and several species of antelope make an annual circular tour between the Serengeti in Tanzania and Masai Mara in Kenya in search of greener pastures.

Logistics