Everything about this journey
Move between the trip overview, day-by-day plan and what is or is not included in your safari price.
About this journey
Travel style
- Road Safari
Destinations
Transport and guiding
Private or shared 4x4 safari from Nairobi.
Your safari itinerary
A clear daily flow so you know how the journey unfolds from departure to the final experience.
Nairobi to the Masai Mara – first game drive
Masai Mara National Reserve
Leave Nairobi early for the Rift Valley and Narok route to the Masai Mara. After arrival, lunch and park entry, set out on the first afternoon drive. Concentrate on open grasslands and nearby riverine habitat where lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and antelope may be active. The guide uses local wildlife information to avoid a rigid route and can spend longer at meaningful sightings. Continue until close to sunset before transferring to the selected accommodation.
Your detailed programme begins with a guide briefing covering the day's route, expected travel time, activity conditions and any park or conservation-area procedures. Keep cameras, binoculars, sun protection and a light layer accessible rather than packed away, because useful sightings or scenic stops can begin before the main destination is reached.
The Masai Mara is one of Kenya's richest big-game landscapes, with open grassland, drainage lines, riverine woodland and rolling plains supporting lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and large herds of grazers. From roughly the middle of the year into the northern dry season, parts of the wider ecosystem may also hold migrating wildebeest and zebra, but herd positions and river crossings are natural events and cannot be guaranteed. A productive Mara day is deliberately flexible: the guide may stay longer with significant behaviour, move between habitats, or adjust the route when fresh predator activity is reported.
This is also a transfer day, so the itinerary avoids pretending that road travel is empty time. Departure is planned early enough to protect the useful safari or activity window, while comfort stops are taken as needed. Drive times in Kenya vary with traffic, weather, road works, park entry procedures and wildlife stops. If arrival is earlier than expected, the guide can use the remaining light for an introductory activity; if conditions cause delay, the programme protects safety and avoids rushing after dark.
By the end of the activity, the guide will recap the main sightings and experiences and confirm the next day's departure plan where applicable. Exact wildlife sightings, mountain views, migration activity, road conditions and activity access remain subject to nature and local regulations, which is why the itinerary is detailed but intentionally not presented as a guarantee of specific encounters.
Full-day Masai Mara wildlife exploration
Masai Mara National Reserve
Begin early with the option of carrying a picnic lunch for an extended day in the reserve or returning during the hotter midday hours depending on wildlife activity and guest preference. Explore a broader section of the ecosystem than is possible on the arrival day, searching for big cats, elephant herds, hyena, jackal, hippo pools and large grazing herds. In migration season, dedicate time to areas holding wildebeest and zebra and, where conditions justify it, to the Mara River system. Your guide balances headline species with animal behaviour, birdlife and landscape photography. Return in the late afternoon or at sunset.
After the morning briefing, your guide reviews current conditions and adjusts the day's route where necessary. The aim is to preserve the core itinerary while using local knowledge, recent sightings and realistic transfer times to make the day more rewarding.
The Masai Mara is one of Kenya's richest big-game landscapes, with open grassland, drainage lines, riverine woodland and rolling plains supporting lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and large herds of grazers. From roughly the middle of the year into the northern dry season, parts of the wider ecosystem may also hold migrating wildebeest and zebra, but herd positions and river crossings are natural events and cannot be guaranteed. A productive Mara day is deliberately flexible: the guide may stay longer with significant behaviour, move between habitats, or adjust the route when fresh predator activity is reported.
A full day gives the guide freedom to work with wildlife and conditions rather than a fixed return deadline. Expect an early start, a slower midday period or picnic arrangement where appropriate, and renewed activity later in the afternoon. Time can be spent at a rewarding sighting instead of leaving simply to keep a timetable. Routes are varied to avoid repeating the same habitat and to increase the range of landscapes, species and photographic opportunities seen during the day.
By the end of the activity, the guide will recap the main sightings and experiences and confirm the next day's departure plan where applicable. Exact wildlife sightings, mountain views, migration activity, road conditions and activity access remain subject to nature and local regulations, which is why the itinerary is detailed but intentionally not presented as a guarantee of specific encounters.
Dawn Mara drive and return to Nairobi
Masai Mara National Reserve
Take one final early-morning drive, following fresh tracks and checking areas where predators were active the previous evening. Dawn also provides softer light and fewer vehicles in many sectors. After breakfast, leave the Mara and drive back through Narok and the Rift Valley to Nairobi, with suitable rest stops en route. Arrival is expected late afternoon or evening depending on traffic.
After the morning briefing, your guide reviews current conditions and adjusts the day's route where necessary. The aim is to preserve the core itinerary while using local knowledge, recent sightings and realistic transfer times to make the day more rewarding.
The Masai Mara is one of Kenya's richest big-game landscapes, with open grassland, drainage lines, riverine woodland and rolling plains supporting lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and large herds of grazers. From roughly the middle of the year into the northern dry season, parts of the wider ecosystem may also hold migrating wildebeest and zebra, but herd positions and river crossings are natural events and cannot be guaranteed. A productive Mara day is deliberately flexible: the guide may stay longer with significant behaviour, move between habitats, or adjust the route when fresh predator activity is reported.
This is also a transfer day, so the itinerary avoids pretending that road travel is empty time. Departure is planned early enough to protect the useful safari or activity window, while comfort stops are taken as needed. Drive times in Kenya vary with traffic, weather, road works, park entry procedures and wildlife stops. If arrival is earlier than expected, the guide can use the remaining light for an introductory activity; if conditions cause delay, the programme protects safety and avoids rushing after dark.
By the end of the activity, the guide will recap the main sightings and experiences and confirm the next day's departure plan where applicable. Exact wildlife sightings, mountain views, migration activity, road conditions and activity access remain subject to nature and local regulations, which is why the itinerary is detailed but intentionally not presented as a guarantee of specific encounters.
What your package covers
These items are included in the quoted safari price unless your written quotation states otherwise.
- Professional English-speaking safari driver-guide.
- Transport in the vehicle type specified for the package, with game-viewing roof where applicable.
- All scheduled game drives, guided visits and activities stated in the itinerary.
- Applicable national park, national reserve or conservancy entry fees for the included programme.
- Accommodation during multi-day safari nights in the selected comfort category; specific properties are confirmed at quotation stage and are not fixed in this package description.
- Meals stated in the day-by-day itinerary.
- Bottled drinking water while travelling in the safari vehicle.
- Pick-up and drop-off at the stated Nairobi, Mombasa, Diani, Malindi or Watamu meeting point where applicable.
- Government taxes and service charges applicable to the included services at the time of quotation.
What to budget for separately
These items are normally outside the package price unless specifically added to your written quotation.
- International flights and any domestic flights not expressly stated as included.
- Kenya visa or electronic travel authorisation costs where applicable.
- Travel, medical, evacuation and cancellation insurance.
- Tips and gratuities for guides, drivers, porters and other service staff.
- Alcoholic drinks, premium beverages and personal purchases.
- Laundry, telephone charges, souvenirs and other personal expenses.
- Optional activities such as hot-air balloon safaris, night drives, spa treatments or additional community visits unless specifically stated as included.
- Pre-safari and post-safari accommodation or transfers not stated in the itinerary.
- Any new or increased statutory park, reserve, conservancy, marine or government charges introduced after a quotation has been confirmed, unless otherwise stated in the booking terms.
