5 Day Kenya Safari Lake Nakuru Naivasha Masai Mara Tour from Nairobi
A memorable 5-day Kenya Safari to the Masai Mara and the African Great Lakes – Nakuru, and Lake Naivasha. First, visit these scenic Great Rift Valley Lakes in Kenya and explore their important wildlife and bird sanctuaries. The sheer number of birds we see is awe-inspiring.
Then, we head south via the beautiful Great Rift Valley to Kenya’s top safari destination, the Masai Mara National Reserve. On our Masai Mara Safari, we spend days watching the abundant African wildlife that makes this Kenyan national reserve one of the world’s best game reserves.
We keep an eye out for the big cats of Africa, particularly the Big Five, which are common in Kenya’s famous Masai Mara. If we are lucky, we may get to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration – a wildlife event like no other.
Explore some of the finest scenic, birding, and wildlife spots in Africa on this Budget Kenya Safari, featuring lodge and camping accommodations.
5-Day Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha & Masai Mara Kenya Highlights
Lake Nakuru National Park (The Rhino Sanctuary)
✓ Unique Predators & Primates: Excellent visibility for spotting leopards in the acacia forests and rare Rothschild giraffes
✓ Panoramic Viewpoints: Sweeping Great Rift Valley views from the famous Baboon Cliff overlooking the entire lake ecosystem
✓ High-Density Rhino Tracking: One of Africa’s premier sanctuaries for both critically endangered black and white rhinoceroses
✓ The “Pink Shore” Bird Spectacle: Home to massive seasonal flocks of greater and lesser flamingos alongside 350+ recorded bird species
Lake Naivasha & Crescent Island (The Active Breather)
✓ Hippo Boat Safaris: A relaxing boat cruise on this freshwater lake to get up-close views of large, active hippo pods
✓ Crescent Island Walking Safari: A rare opportunity to step out of the safari vehicle and walk freely alongside giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests
✓ Hell’s Gate Cycling Add-on: Many operators offer a quick detour to Hell’s Gate National Park to ride bicycles among towering volcanic gorges
Masai Mara National Reserve (The Big Cat Kingdom)
✓ Hot Air Ballooning: An optional sunrise flight over the plains, complete with a champagne bush breakfast
✓ Unrivaled Predator Action: Africa’s top reserve for watching lions, leopards, and cheetahs hunt on the open savannah
✓ The Great Migration (July–October): Witness millions of wildebeests and zebras braving crocodile-infested waters at the Mara River
✓ Cultural Immersion: Optional entry into a traditional Maasai Village to experience their ancestral dances, jumping rituals, and homesteads
5-Day Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha & Masai Mara Kenya Safari
Day 1: Nairobi to Lake Nakuru National Park
0730 Hours – 0800 Hours: Pick up from your Nairobi hotel or airport and a briefing by your tour driver guide
0930 Hours: Quick 20-minute photography stop at the Great Rift Valley Viewpoint
1230 Hours: Arrival, lodge check-in, and lunch at your accommodation near Lake Nakuru National Park
1530 Hours: – 1630 Hours: Afternoon game drive. This is the ideal time to track black and white rhinos, Rothschild giraffes, and flamingos
1930 Hours: | Dinner and overnight stay
Day 2: Lake Nakuru to Lake Naivasha
0630 Hours – 0830 Hours: Optional early morning game drive in Nakuru for sunrise predator activity
0900 Hours: Breakfast followed by checkout and departure for Lake Naivasha
1100 Hours | Arrival and check-in at your Naivasha lodge
1400 Hours – 1600 Hours | Boat safari on Lake Naivasha to see hippos and fish eagles
1600 Hours – 1730 Hours | Guided walking safari among giraffes and zebras on the car-free Crescent Island Game Sanctuary.
Day 3: Lake Naivasha to Masai Mara National Reserve
0700 Hours| Early breakfast and immediate checkout
0730 Hours –1300 Hours: Drive to the Mara via Narok town
1300 Hours: Check-in and lunch at your safari camp
1530 Hours – 1830 Hours | First evening game drive across the iconic savannah plains
1900 Hours: Return to camp before dark to satisfy park regulations
Day 4: Full Day in the Masai Mara
0600 Hours – 1600 Hours: Full-day option: Depart at dawn with a packed picnic lunch. This maximizes your reach to the Mara River to view hippos, crocodiles, or seasonal wildebeest crossings
Alternative Track: Split into a morning drive (0615 Hours – 0900 Hours) and an afternoon drive (1530 Hours – 1830 Hours), resting at the lodge during the midday heat
1630 Hours: Optional cultural visit to a local Maasai village (arranged at an extra cost)
Day 5: Masai Mara to Nairobi
0600 Hours – 0800 Hours: Dawn game drive to catch big cats hunting before temperatures rise
0830 Hours: Return to camp for a heavy breakfast and packing
0930 Hours: Checkout and departure for the long drive back to the capital
1300 Hours: Stopover in Narok town for lunch and souvenir shopping
1630 Hours – 1800 Hours: Arrival in Nairobi for hotel drop-off or your international flight home
This 5-day extraordinary wildlife adventure begins with 1 night in Lake Nakuru National Park, followed by another night at Lake Naivasha, and finally 2 nights in the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
Game drives (shared) are in open-top safari vehicles with an experienced safari driver-guide to look for the Big Cats in the park.
The tour begins and ends in Nairobi, with a journey to Lake Nakuru National Park – renowned as a bird sanctuary with over 400 bird species, including flamingos, Great White Pelican, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, and Long-crested Eagle.
The Lake Nakuru National Park is an important wildlife sanctuary for some of Africa’s endangered species, especially black and white rhinos, and Rothschild Giraffes. The park is also home to lions, waterbuck, buffalo, and baboons, which we keep an eye out for on our game drive.
Our next destination is Lake Naivasha – a serene freshwater lake in a series of lakes formed by the Great Rift Valley. This beautiful lake is home to exceptional numbers of water birds.
Enjoy the pool, or embark on a boat ride on the Lake (optional). The unspoiled shores of Lake Naivasha are also well worth exploring on foot. The lake offers a different perspective on land-based animals, exceptional scenery, and plenty of up-close encounters with hippos.
The next adventure takes us to the world-famous Masai Mara Game Reserve. The Masai Mara provides the best view of the famous wildebeest migration as the animals cross the Mara River between July and August.
The Mara is also home to the richest concentration of wildlife, including the “Big Five” (elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo), 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. After 2 nights in the Masai Mara, we returned to Nairobi.
5 Day Kenya Safari Lake Nakuru Naivasha Masai Mara Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi – Drive to Lake Nakuru National Park
0800 Hours: Depart Nairobi with picnic lunch boxes for Lake Nakuru National Park, with a brief stopover at the Rift Valley viewpoint for a morning view of the Majestic Mt. Longonot and the breathtaking view of the Rift Valley.
1100 Hours: Arrive in Lake Nakuru National Park and proceed directly on a game drive.
1300 Hours: Enjoy your picnic lunch at the Baboon Cliff viewpoint. After lunch, proceed on another game drive. Lake Nakuru’s birdlife is world-renowned, with over 400 species of aquatic and terrestrial birds.
Lake Nakuru animals include Black and White Rhino, buffalo, leopard, lion, Rothschild’s giraffe, White and Black Colobus monkey, eland, steenbok, impala, chandler’s reedbuck, dik-dik, rock hyrax, klipspringer, hippo, and clawless otter.
1800 Hours: Return to our accommodations in Lake Nakuru National Park.
Accommodation Options
Luxury Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, Sarova Lion Hill Lodge
Mid-Range Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Lodge, Lake Nakuru Flamingo Tented Camp
Budget Accommodation: Lake Nakuru Flamingo Lodge, Merica Hotel Nakuru, Jumuia Nakuru
Meal Plan {Lunch & Dinner}
Day 2: Lake Nakuru National Park – Drive to Lake Naivasha
0630 Hours: After an early-morning game drive, we return to the lodge/camp for breakfast.
0900 Hours: Depart by road for Lake Naivasha. Our accommodations are located right by Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake.
1000 Hours: We visit Elsamere — the former home of the late Joy Adamson, who, together with her husband George, became world-famous for their pioneering conservation work and relationship with the Lioness Elsa, as told in her best-selling book and subsequent film: Born Free.
1230 Hours: Lunch at our lodge/ camp.
1400 Hours: We take a boat ride to Crescent Island. Many different types of animals are found on the Island as we take a walk with the expert resident naturalist. Giraffes, waterbucks, wildebeest, Gazelles, Impala, and dik-dik can be seen during the walk.
1800 Hours: We retire back at our cozy accommodations in Naivasha
Accommodation Options:
Luxury Accommodation: Lake Naivasha Enashipia Resort, Kiboko Luxury Camp, Kiangazi Lodge
Mid-Range Accommodation: Naivasha Sopa Lodge, Naivasha Simba Lodge, Sawela Lodge, Naivasha
Budget Accommodation: Cray Fish Camp, Camp Carnellys, Fish Eagle Inn Hotel
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Day 3: Lake Naivasha – 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 in the Park are Masai Giraffe, Buffalo, Eland, and thousands of plains game, including Impala, Zebra, Topi, and 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 spared for the search 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, Muthu Keekorok Lodge, Sentrim Mara Camp
Budget Accommodation: Rhino Tourist Tented Camp or Lenchada Toursit Camp, Mara Springs Camp
Meal Plan: {Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner}
Day 5: Masai Mara Game Reserve – Drive to Nairobi
0600 Hours: If you are not participating in the hot air balloon, you can 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 amidst acacia trees.
0930 Hours: Return to the lodge/ camp for breakfast.
1000 Hours: Optional visit to an authentic Masai village (at an extra cost) to witness the singing and dancing that are part of their daily lives and sacred rituals.
1100 Hours: Depart the Mara by road back to Nairobi, arriving in the late afternoon.
Meal Plan {Breakfast}
5 Day Kenya Safari Lake Nakuru Naivasha Masai Mara Tour Prices
5 Day Kenya Safari Lake Nakuru, Naivasha & Masai Mara Tour Prices 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
✓ Choice of accommodation in Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, and the Masai Mara Game Reserve
✓ Round-trip transport from Nairobi to Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, and the Masai Mara Game Reserve
| 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 Nairobi/ returns to Nairobi
* Transportation is in a customized pop-up top safari mini-van for ease of game viewing & wildlife photography. Customized pop-up top 4 x 4 Land Cruiser jeeps are provided at a supplementary cost
5 Day Kenya Safari Lake Nakuru, Naivasha & Masai Mara Tour Prices Exclude
✘ International Airfare
✘ A visit to a Masai Village
✘ Accommodations 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 Lake Nakuru Naivasha Masai Mara Tour Contact
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