Highlights
- Black and white rhinos at Lake Nakuru, a small park with reliable sightings
- Three nights in the Mara, where lions, cheetahs and elephants are seen most days
- Migration river crossings if you travel between about July and October
- A scenic flight from the Mara to Nairobi instead of a long, bumpy drive
Day by day
Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi
Your driver meets you at Jomo Kenyatta International and takes you to a hotel in Karen, Westlands or near the airport. Rest, adjust to the altitude (Nairobi sits at about 1,700 m) and have a proper dinner. If your flight lands early and you’re not flat, an afternoon at the Giraffe Centre or the elephant orphanage is a gentle start.
Day 2: Nairobi to Lake Nakuru
Drive northwest across the Rift Valley, about three to four hours depending on traffic leaving the city. Stop at the viewpoint above the escarpment. You’ll reach Lake Nakuru in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. This is one of the best places in Kenya to see both black and white rhinos, along with Rothschild’s giraffes and, when the water level is right, pink flocks of flamingos.
Day 3: A full day at Lake Nakuru
Go out at first light. The park is small, so you can cover the lake shore, the acacia woodland and the Makalia Falls area at an unhurried pace. Return to the lodge for lunch, and head out again at about 4 pm for the golden hour. Lions and leopards live here, and the escarpment views make it a photogenic day even without a big sighting.
Day 4: Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
This is the long travel day, about five to six hours by road to the Mara’s Sekenani or Talek gates, with a lunch stop on the way. Some travellers prefer to fly from Nakuru’s small airstrip, which can be arranged. Arrive at your camp or lodge for tea and a first evening drive.
Days 5 and 6: Maasai Mara
Two full days in the Maasai Mara. Most guides leave camp at dawn and return for a late breakfast or a packed lunch, then head out again in the afternoon. The Mara’s open plains make spotting easy. Lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, giraffes and huge herds of zebra are the everyday sightings, and hyenas and jackals are common at dusk.
Between about July and October, the wildebeest migration arrives from the Serengeti and the Mara River crossings begin. Crossings are unpredictable, so build patience into a day. Our migration calendar explains what to expect by month.
Optional extras include a dawn balloon flight, which costs extra and needs advance booking, and a visit to a Maasai village. Ask your operator how the visit is run and how the community benefits.
Day 7: Fly to Nairobi and depart
After a last morning drive, take a scheduled flight from a Mara airstrip to Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, about an hour. Book onward international flights leaving no earlier than late afternoon, since the transfer to JKIA takes time and Mara flights can be delayed. If you have a few spare hours, Nairobi National Park is a short drive from the airport and can produce lions against a city skyline.
What’s included and what isn’t
Typical inclusions are accommodation, meals, park and conservancy fees, a private 4x4 with a driver-guide and bottled water on game drives. Usually excluded are international flights, visas, drinks at some lodges, tips, travel insurance and optional activities such as balloon rides. Mara fees for non-resident adults were US$100 per day from January to June and US$200 from July to December as of September 2026, so trips in the second half of the year cost more.
Making it yours
If you’d like more time on the coast at the end, see the Kenya safari and Diani Beach itinerary. If you want fewer hours in the car, drop Lake Nakuru and spend all six nights in the Mara and one of its neighbouring conservancies. Read the Kenya vs Tanzania comparison if you’re still deciding between countries.
Parks on this route
Lake Nakuru National Park
A small, fenced Rift Valley park that's one of Kenya's most reliable places to see both black and white rhino.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Kenya's best-known reserve: big cats all year and the Mara River crossings from July to October.
Nairobi National Park
Lions and rhinos with the city skyline behind them, just 20 minutes from the centre.
Request this trip
Pricing: Quoted per group, based on your dates, room type and vehicle. As a rough planning range for a mid-range trip in Kenya, expect about US$1,800 to US$3,600 per person on the ground, more in the migration months. International flights are extra.
Questions about this trip
Is seven days enough for a Kenya safari?
Yes, if you keep the route to two parks. Six nights gives you two full days in Lake Nakuru's area and three in the Mara, which is enough to see most of the big animals and still rest. Trying to add a third or fourth park makes the trip mostly about driving.
Should I fly or drive between the Mara and Nairobi?
Flying saves most of a day. The drive from the Mara to Nairobi usually takes five to seven hours on rough sections, and the flight takes about an hour. If your budget is tight, drive out and pick a lodge on the eastern side of the reserve, which shortens the last stretch.
Do I need to book the Mara in advance?
For July to October, yes, and ideally six to nine months ahead. The best camps on the Mara River sell out. Outside those months you have more flexibility, and rates are lower.
Other itineraries
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Kenya Safari and Diani Beach: 9 Days
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Rwanda Gorilla Trek and Kigali: 4 Days
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Last updated 20 September 2026. Itineraries are starting points. Routes, lodges and prices are adjusted to your dates, group size and budget. Rift & Reef quotes are valid for the dates stated on the quote.