7-Day Kenya Wildlife Safari with Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Spot hippos and flamingos around Lake Naivasha
• 02 Visit the famous Sheldrick Animal Orphanage and Giraffe Centre
• 03 Explore Lake Nakuru's rich birdlife and game animals
• 04 Enjoy several afternoon game drive sessions
• 05 Experience Maasai Mara, one of Africa's most renowned wilderness areas

Embark on this Kenya safari trip covering four of the most famous national parks in Kenya. Spot hippos and flamingos at Lake Naivasha, witness the birdlife and game animals of Lake Nakuru, and visit the famous Sheldrick Animal Orphanage and Giraffe Centre in Nairobi. Continue to Maasai Mara, one of Africa's most renowned wilderness areas, known for its exceptional populations of lion, African leopard, cheetah, and African bush elephant, with several rewarding game drive sessions along the way.

Replace the grunt of your vehicle with the more natural sound of a buffalo's snort as it paws the ground, or trace the sound of a lion's roar as you move through the park.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 7 Days

Tour type Shared

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Cities Naivasha, Nairobi, Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru National Park, Serengeti National Park, Nairobi National Park

Languages English

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Arrival in Nairobi

• Hello and welcome to Nairobi! Our representative will be at the airport to greet you and arrange your transfer to the hotel. Kick back and relax when you get there, and don't forget your meeting scheduled at 6 pm with your tour leader.

2

Day 02

Giraffe Centre, Sheldrick Orphanage and Lake Naivasha

• After breakfast, take a short drive to The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Giraffe Centre and witness the endangered Rothschild giraffe at close quarters - so close that you can hand-feed them molasses pellets from a viewing platform.
• Learn more about the centre and the species it protects as you feed them. When your visit is done, continue to the Sheldrick Orphanage Centre to observe young and baby elephants being bottle-fed, rolling about in the sand, or simply being as frisky as their same-aged human counterparts. Located on the fringes of Nairobi National Park, the centre offers insight into how and why it was established, what goes on within it, and how baby elephants are rehabilitated. Lunch follows with a sumptuous fare in a unique al fresco setting, after which you will drive to Lake Naivasha, your lodgings for the night.
• While the afternoon is free for you to spend as you wish, you might want to slip out on a boat to the lake and watch its most famous residents - flamingos and hippos - put on a show.

3

Day 03

Safari in Nakuru National Park

• After breakfast, drive for approximately 3 hours to Nakuru National Park and, on arrival, climb aboard jeeps for a safari. Dominated by Lake Nakuru, whose shallow banks host pelicans, flamingos, and hippos, the park also rewards you with sightings of land animals moving between the grassland and the occasional mud flats, while steep escarpments and acacia trees stand watch over the landscape.
• As the safari draws to a close late in the day, head to your accommodation. Tomorrow is the big day of the tour!

4

Day 04

Into the Maasai Mara

• Travel southward for approximately 5 hours this morning via the Rift Valley Viewpoint to reach Kenya's most famous national park, the Maasai Mara. Enjoy lunch on arrival, then hop into your waiting 4-wheel drives for an afternoon of exploring the park.
• Replace the grunt of your vehicle with the more natural sound of a buffalo's snort as it paws the ground, or trace the sound of a lion's roar as you move through the park.
• Come head to head with cheetahs, leopards, elephants, and other denizens of these expansive grasslands, and witness both the beautiful and the savage that define this remarkable wilderness.

5

Day 05

Full Day of Wildlife Safari

• Wake up to another early breakfast and head out for a further day of animal watching, divided between the morning and afternoon. Hunker down in your vehicles, just as the cheetahs do behind fallen trees and termite mounds, and watch them blaze a trail across the screen of flaxen-coloured reeds.
• Observe innumerable wildebeest covering the land with their numbers and dispersing as if in rehearsed choreography at the sight of a predator, or bear witness to herds of elephants making their resolute way to a watering hole.

6

Day 06

Dawn Safari and Maasai Village Visit

• A safari at dawn, just before the sun limbers up over the skyline, is on the cards today, giving you an opportunity to see predators at work as they slink, creep, and burst into life in an attempt to bring down their prey.
• Return for breakfast after your early morning outing. Laze about in the forenoon and then, with lunch tucked under your belt, head back to the hunting grounds in the afternoon for another bout of animal observation.
• Space out your time at the reserve by fitting in a visit to a Maasai village, either in the morning or afternoon, and gain insight into the lives, practices, and traditions of these nomadic people.

7

Day 07

Final Safari and Departure to Nairobi

• If you still haven't had enough of the performance on the grassy plains of the Mara, set out on one more early morning safari before bringing your adventures at the game reserve to a close.
• After breakfast, it is time to pack your gear and head for Nairobi, where day rooms will be allocated for your use at the hotel. Please coordinate with your tour leader or hotel staff regarding transfers to the airport.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Accommodation
• 2 nights in a twin-share hotel, 4 nights in a safari camping lodge, and 1 night at a country club
• Activities
• Giraffe Centre, Sheldrick Animal Orphanage, game drive, and afternoon game drive
• Airport transfers
• Arrival and departure transfers included
• Local tipping
• Tipping for accommodation, activities, and transport
• Meals
• 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners
• Transportation
• Private bus, private vehicle, and jeep

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Welcome to Nairobi

Tour start

Welcome to Nairobi

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.