5 Day Kenya Safari Aberdare Lake Nakuru Masai Mara Tour from Nairobi
This 5-day Kenya safari covers incredible biodiversity, taking you from the misty highlands of Aberdare, past the flamingo-fringed shores of Lake Nakuru, to the iconic savannahs of the Masai Mara. First, visit Aberdare National Park, with its steep ravines, waterfalls, and peaks where unusual forest-dwelling animals and birds are found.
Then descend into the Great Rift Valley to explore Lake Nakuru National Park, known for its spectacular birdlife, frequent rhino sightings, and tree-climbing lions. Next, travel to the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve, the quintessential African landscape, home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.
Throughout this Kenya Safari, you stay at top-class safari lodges within the national parks (all meals and game drives included) and travel in a 4×4 safari vehicle.
5 Days/4 Nights Aberdare, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi to Aberdare National Park
Drive Time: 160 km (approx. 3.5 – 4 hours)
0800 Hours: Depart from your Nairobi hotel or airport in a 4×4 safari vehicle. Drive through central Kenya’s tea and coffee highlands.
1230 Hours: Arrive at your Aberdare base/tented camp for lunch
Afternoon: Head into the park for game drives. You will likely stay at a “tree hotel” (like The Ark or Treetops) where the lodge overlooks a floodlit waterhole, allowing for up-close viewing of elephants, buffalo, and rhinos well into the night
Day 2: Aberdare to Lake Nakuru National Park
Drive Time: 280 km (approx. 5 – 6 hours)
0730 Hours: Breakfast and check-out, followed by a morning game drive as you exit Aberdare
1330 Hours: Arrive at a lodge in or around Lake Nakuru for lunch (e.g., Sarova Lion Hill Lodge)
1600 Hours – 1830 Hours: Afternoon game drive. Focus on spotting both black and white rhinos, Rothschild’s giraffes, and viewing the lake’s famed birdlife and flamingos
Day 3: Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara National Reserve
Drive Time: 230 km (approx. 5.5 – 6 hours)
0730 Hours: Early breakfast and check-out. Drive to the Great Rift Valley, stopping briefly at the scenic escarpment viewpoint
1300 Hours: Arrive at your Masai Mara lodge/camp for lunch and settle in
1600 Hours – 1830 Hours: First afternoon game drive. This is an ideal time to search for the “Big Five” as animals become more active as temperatures cool
Day 4: Masai Mara National Reserve (Full Day)
Drive Time: Minimal driving (all-day game driving)
0630 Hours – 0900 Hours: Early morning game drive (prime time for predator activity)
1230 Hours: Enjoy a packed picnic lunch in the savannah, or return to camp for a midday rest
1530 Hours – 1830 Hours: Afternoon game drive through the rolling grasslands. Optional activities available include a hot-air balloon safari at dawn or a visit to a local Maasai village
Day 5: Masai Mara to Nairobi
Drive Time: 260 km (approx. 5 – 6 hours)
0630 Hours – 0830 Hours: Final early morning game drive as you exit the reserve
0830 Hours: Return to camp for a full breakfast and check out
1000 Hours: Depart the Masai Mara and drive back to Nairobi. You will stop en route for lunch and arrive in the city by late afternoon (around 1530 Hours to 1630 Hours) for drop-off at your hotel or the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
This tour is a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife journey to three of Kenya’s most incredible game parks – Aberdare, Lake Nakuru, and the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
The safari begins in Nairobi and takes you by road to the highlands of central Kenya to the Aberdare National Park. At the Aberdare National Park, you will stay at a lodge overlooking an active, floodlit watering hole.
Two of Kenya’s Tree safari lodges are located in Aberdare National Park – Treetops and Ark. Both offer excellent night game viewing over the watering hole. Watch the animals that frequently visit the lively waterhole beside the lodge, from a series of viewing decks and areas at different levels.
Spot animals at the floodlit salt-lick and watering hole into the night, with common visitors including elephants, buffalo, lions, rhinos, black leopards, giant forest Hog, bushbuck, and the elusive Bongo antelope.
After a night at the Tree lodge, you head down to scenic Lake Nakuru National Park, a birding paradise and home to black and white rhinos, tree-climbing lions, leopards, and many other wild animals. It is an excellent park for wildlife spotting and is home to many water-loving animals such as hippos and waterbucks.
Then the time has come to explore the Masai Mara – one of the most famous game parks on the planet, considered by many to be the finest wildlife safari destination in all of Africa. We drive southwest, passing through the Rift Valley en route to the Masai Mara National Reserve, which borders Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.
The Masai Mara is the best place to see the “Big Five” animals (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo) together. The famous wildebeest migration also takes place at the Mara. The Mara is also home to the richest concentration of wildlife, including zebras, antelope, gnus, Oribis, hyenas, giraffes, warthogs, gazelles, hartebeests, hippos, crocodiles, and others.
The park has the largest concentration of African lions, including the black-maned lion. Birdlife is as plentiful as the wildlife in the Masai Mara, which boasts over 400 bird species.
We journey back to the bustling city of Nairobi after spending 2 nights at the Masai Mara.
5 Day Kenya Safari Aberdare Lake Nakuru Masai Mara Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Aberdare Country Club/ Outspan – Drive to Treetop Lodge or the Ark Tree Lodge
0830 Hours: This morning, we depart Nairobi and proceed north, driving through lush tea and coffee estates of central Kenya to the Aberdare Country Club or the Outspan Hotel, Nyeri, for lunch.
1230 Hours: Arrive for lunch at The Aberdare Country Club or the Outspan Hotel, Nyeri, where you will be assisted with the check-in formalities.
After lunch, relax and enjoy a cup of tea/ coffee/ Hot chocolate before you are transferred to the Aberdare National Park. Your accommodations tonight are at either the Ark Tree Lodge or the Treetops Hotel.
Nestled in the foothills of the Aberdare ranges, the lodges are famous for high perches and balconies, overlooking a salt lick and waterhole. Boasting a remarkable record of wildlife sightings from their floodlit waterholes and salt licks, here we will enjoy the finest in high-altitude game viewing.
1530 Hours: We spend the afternoon/ evening and night watching wildlife from the comforts of our lodge.
Accommodation Options:
Luxury Accommodation: Ark Forest Tree Lodge or Treetops Lodge
Mid-Range Accommodation: Aberdare Country Club or Outspan Hotel, Nyeri
Budget Accommodation: Mboi Farmhouse Homestay
Meal Plan {Lunch & Dinner}
Day 2: Treetop Lodge or the Ark Tree Lodge – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park
0800 Hours: Today, we travel to the exotic Lake Nakuru National Park located in the Great Rift Valley. Upon arrival, proceed on a game drive.
There are also a number of Rothschild’s giraffes. Among the predators are lions and leopards, the latter of which is seen much more frequently in recent times.
The Park also has large pythons that inhabit the dense woodlands and can often be seen crossing roads or dangling from trees.
1300 Hours: Lunch, then relax as you enjoy the spectacular view of Lake Nakuru National Park.
1500 Hours: An exciting game drive is planned for the afternoon. The game in this Park is plentiful, and the magnificent bird watching will make a devotee out of even the most reluctant.
The Park is home to stunning flocks of lesser and Greater Flamingos, which literally turn the lakeshores into a magnificent pink stretch. The birdlife here is world-renowned, with over 400 species, including White Pelicans, Plovers, Egrets, and Marabou Storks.
It is also one of the very few places in Africa to see the White Rhino and the rare Rothschild Giraffe.
1830 Hours: Return to the lodge/ camp for overnight
Accommodation Options
Luxury Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
Mid-Range Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Flamingo Hill Tented Camp, Lake Nakuru Lodge
Budget Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Flamingo Lodge, Jumuia Nakuru Hotel, Merica Hotel Nakuru
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Day 3: Lake Nakuru National Park – Drive to Masai Mara Game Reserve
0800 Hours: This morning, we depart the hotel after breakfast and drive through the dramatic Great Rift Valley to the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
This enormous reserve is part of the vast Serengeti plains, famously known for its spectacular Great Wildebeest Migration, and is home to the Big Five: Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Buffalo, and Rhino.
1300 Hours: Lunch at our Lodge and relax before departing for the afternoon game drive.
1530 Hours: The Mara Game Reserve is one of the greatest wildernesses in the world. Large mammals are varied and easy to see.
Residents among the Park’s are Masai Giraffe, Buffalo, Eland, and thousands of plains game, including Impala, Zebra, Topi, both Thomson’s and Grant’s Gazelles.
1830 Hours: Return to the camp for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Options:
Luxury Accommodation: Olare Mara Kempinski, Mahali Mzuri Safari Camp, Olonana Camp
Mid-Range Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge, Keekorok Lodge, Sentrim Mara Camp
Budget Accommodation: Rhino Tourist Tented Camp or Mara Acacia Camp, Mara Springs Camp
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Day 4: Full Day in the Masai Mara Game Reserve
Our full day in the Masai Mara Game Reserve will be spent searching for the big cats of the Masai Mara and the spectacular view of the famous migration.
All of the “Big Five” animals (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo) can be spotted here. Herds of plains zebras are found throughout the park. Other animals include giraffes, jackals, gnus, warthogs, gazelles, hartebeests, hyenas, bat-eared foxes, Topi antelope, hippos, and crocodiles in the Mara River.
For bird lovers, the Mara birds come in every color and size. More than 400 bird species have already been recorded, including birds of prey.
You can enjoy a colorful view of birds such as vultures, ostriches, long-crested eagles, pygmy falcons, secretary birds, marabous, red-winged Schalow’s turacos, and many others.
Accommodation Options:
Luxury Accommodation: Olare Mara Kempinski, Mahali Mzuri Safari Camp, Olonana Camp
Mid-Range Accommodation: Mara Serena Safari Lodge, Keekorok Lodge, Sentrim Mara Camp
Budget Accommodation: Rhino Tourist Tented Camp or Mara Acacia Camp, Mara Springs Camp
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Day 5: Masai Mara Game Reserve – Drive to Nairobi
0630 Hours: Our day starts with an early breakfast, followed by a game drive or, for the adventurous guests who want a sky-high view of wildlife from the air, hot air balloon rides. Safaris are the best way to explore the vast Masai Mara National Reserve.
Hot air balloon rides last approximately an hour and a half and often take place at dawn. You will get a great view of the animals while you glide above them. Breakfast is prepared on the balloon burner upon landing.
1000 Hours: We return to the hotel to freshen up, check out, and depart for Nairobi by road.
1100 Hours: A leisurely, scenic 3-hour drive brings us to Nairobi, arriving in the late afternoon (between 1500 Hours and 1600 Hours). We transfer you to your hotel or residence.
Meal Plan {Breakfast}
5 Day Kenya Safari Aberdare Lake Nakuru Masai Mara Tour Prices
5 Day Kenya Safari Aberdare Lake Nakuru Masai Mara Tour Rates Include
✓ Multiple Game drives
✓ All meals included while on safari
✓ All applicable Game Park entrance fees
✓ Guaranteed window seating with open top
✓ Safari vehicles carry cold drinks and mineral water
✓ Round-trip transport from Nairobi to Aberdare, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara Game Reserve
✓ Choice of accommodation at the Aberdare, Lake Nakuru, and the Masai Mara Game Reserve
✓ Multi-lingual Professional Safari Guide/ Driver. (Professional Safari Escort is available upon request)
| Dates From | Dates To | Price Per Person | Children Aged 8 to 12 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st January 2026 | 31st December 2026 | Request for rates | Request for rates |
Notes
* Departs from Nairobi/ returns to Nairobi and is available upon request
* Safari transport and game viewing drives are in a customized pop-up top safari minivan. You can upgrade to a pop-up top 4 x 4 Land Cruiser Jeep at an extra fee
5 Day Kenya Safari Aberdare Lake Nakuru Masai Mara Tour Rates Exclude
✘ International Airfare
✘ A visit to a Masai Village
✘ Accommodation in Nairobi
✘ Cost of obtaining a passport and visas
✘ Gratuity for your professional driver-guide
✘ Sundowner bush cocktails and bush dinner
✘ Gratuity for porters/ waiters at hotels, camps, and airports
✘ Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)
✘ Personal expenses such as traveling insurance, excess baggage fee, communication charges that include laundry, emails, faxes, and phone calls, beverages including luxury champagne, luxury spirits, beer, and wines during meals or meals not indicated in the itinerary
Booking & Reservations 5 Day Kenya Safari Aberdare Lake Nakuru Masai Mara Tour Contact
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