5 Day Kenya Safari Ol Pejeta Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara

This 5-day Kenya safari adventure combines the best wildlife experiences across Kenya, offering an unforgettable journey through the most iconic safari destinations.

This carefully crafted itinerary features Ol Pejeta Conservancy, moves to the flamingo-lined shores of Lake Nakuru National Park, and concludes with the iconic predator-rich savannahs of the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy Highlights 

✓ The Equator: Visitors have the unique opportunity to stand directly on the Equator line, a popular stop for memorable photography
✓ Black Rhino Sanctuary: It is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, playing a vital role in increasing the population of this critically endangered species
✓ The “Big Five”: The conservancy boasts one of the highest wildlife densities in Kenya, offering excellent opportunities to spot lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinos
✓ Northern White Rhinos: Ol Pejeta serves as the global focal point for the preservation of the northern white rhino, providing a heavily guarded sanctuary for the last two remaining members of this species
✓ Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary: Established in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute, this is the only facility in Kenya that provides a safe haven for rescued chimpanzees from across Central and West Africa
✓ Specialized Activities: Beyond traditional game drives, Ol Pejeta offers immersive experiences such as night game drives, guided bush walks, cycling safaris, and educational lion-tracking programs
✓ Innovative Land Management: Ol Pejeta utilizes a unique livestock-wildlife integration model, rotating herds of cattle through the savannah to manage grasslands and create ideal biodiversity hotspots for wildlife. 
✓ Community Development: Generating roughly half of its revenue through ecotourism, the conservancy heavily reinvests in the surrounding communities through educational scholarships, mobile health clinics, and agricultural support
✓ Advanced Security: The conservancy utilizes state-of-the-art ecological monitoring units, camera trapping, and highly trained anti-poaching K-9 units to protect its wildlife populations

Lake Nakuru National Park Highlights

✓ Diverse Apex Predators: Frequent sightings of lions and leopards within the woodlands
✓ Rhino Sanctuary: Home to one of Kenya’s highest concentrations of black and white rhinos
✓ Seamless Logistics: Easy road access from Nairobi, ensuring reliable, year-round game viewing
✓ Striking Topography: A scenic mix of alkaline lake shores, fever tree forests, and rocky viewpoints
✓ Avian Spectacle: World-class birdwatching, featuring seasonal congregations of flamingos and pelicans
✓ Wildlife Profile: Lake Nakuru reliably delivers four of the iconic five: African buffalo, lion, leopard, and rhino. The park’s varied ecosystems support thriving populations of Rothschild’s giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, and diverse antelope species

Masai Mara National Reserve Highlights

  Diverse Topography: Explore varied ecosystems—from open golden grasslands and sweeping acacia woodlands to lush, winding riverine forests
✓ Hot Air Balloon Safaris: Experience the vast landscapes from a unique aerial perspective at sunrise, followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush
✓ The “Big Five” Concentration: Observe high densities of lions, leopards, African elephants, Cape buffaloes, and indigenous black rhinoceros roaming freely in their natural habitat 
✓ The Great Wildebeest Migration: Witness an awe-inspiring natural phenomenon where over a million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles traverse the ecosystem, featuring iconic, dramatic Mara River crossings
✓ Exceptional Predatory Encounters: The reserve is internationally recognized for its prominent lion, cheetah, and leopard populations, offering reliable, close-up observations of hunting and social dynamics. 
✓ Cultural Immersion: Engage in authentic community experiences with the semi-nomadic Maasai people, gaining insight into their centuries-old traditions, pastoralist heritage, and local conservation efforts
✓ Conservation & Conservancies: Support community-led ecotourism initiatives in bordering private conservancies (e.g., Mara North or Olare Motorogi) which offer exclusive, low-impact viewing

5 Day Kenya Safari: Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Itinerary 

Day 1: Nairobi to Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Drive time & distance: 4 to 5 hours (270 km)

0730 Hours: Depart from your Nairobi hotel or airport
1200 Hours: Arrive at your lodge or camp for check-in and lunch
1530 Hours – 1830 Hours: Afternoon game drive. Highlights: Chimpanzee Sanctuary, endangered black and white rhinos, and the northern white rhino enclosure

Day 2: Ol Pejeta to Lake Nakuru National Park

Drive time & distance: 3.5 to 4 hours (170 km) via the scenic Nyahururu (Thompson’s) Falls

0800 Hours: After breakfast, depart Ol Pejeta
1230 Hours: Arrive for lunch at your lodge in Lake Nakuru
1530 Hours – 1830 Hours: Afternoon game drive. Highlights: Flamingo populations (depending on water levels), Rothschild’s giraffe, and leopard sightings along the acacia forest

Day 3: Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara National Reserve

Drive time & distance: 5 to 6 hours (approx. 300 km) passing through the Rift Valley and Narok town.

0730 Hours: Depart Nakuru after an early breakfast
1230 Hours: Arrive at the Masai Mara, check in, and enjoy lunch
1600 Hours – 1830 Hours: Afternoon game drive in the Mara’s rolling savannah

Day 4: Full-Day Masai Mara Game Drive

0630 Hours – 1630 Hours: Head out with a packed lunch for a full-day exploration
Alternatively, break it up with an early-morning drive (0630 Hours – 0930 Hours), return to camp for lunch, and an afternoon drive (1530 Hours –1830 Hours)
Optional activities: A hot air balloon safari starting at 0600Hours, followed by a champagne breakfast, or a cultural visit to a local Maasai Village

Day 5: Masai Mara to Nairobi

Drive time & distance: 5 to 6 hours (approx. 260 km)

0630 Hours – 0900 Hours: Early morning game drive to catch predators during peak activity
0930 Hours: Return to the lodge/camp for a full English breakfast
1030 Hours: Check out and begin the drive to Nairobi, stopping in Narok town for lunch or curio shopping
1600 Hours: Arrive in Nairobi for drop-off at your hotel or the airport

This 5-day/4-night overland tour to three of Kenya’s most-loved safari destinations gives you the opportunity to see coveted safari sightings in spectacular landscapes.

The tour starts in the hidden gem of Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to rare African wild dogs, critically endangered black rhinos, and two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhinos.

Ol Pejeta Sanctuary is the closest reserve to Nairobi (3.5 hours’ drive), home to all the Big Five, and has the highest game-to-area ratio of any park or reserve in Kenya. Game viewing at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy may also take the form of game walks accompanied by a resident Naturalist, game rides on horseback, camel riding, night game drives, and “bush” lunches or dinners.

The Chimpanzee Sanctuary is most informative and entertaining, and should be visited while in the Game Reserve.

Continue to birder’s paradise Lake Nakuru National Park – a bird lover’s paradise, twitchers have the chance to spot some of the more than 500 recorded species, including the park’s large population of flamingos with their pretty pink plumes.

Alongside the flamingos, the park provides sanctuary for the black and white rhinos. The Nakuru ecosystem comprises the lake, surrounded by wooded areas and grasslands that support a number of Rothschild Giraffes, Zebras, Impalas, Gazelles, Waterbucks, Lions, Warthogs, Bushbucks, and Buffaloes, plus the elusive Leopard.

Next, we drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve – one of the most spectacular places for wildlife sightings in Africa, you are sure to spot big cats (lion, leopard, and cheetah) and many other species in the next few days. If you’re traveling between July and November, you could be lucky enough to witness part of the Great Wildebeest Migration. 

Two nights in the Mara means you have plenty of time to spot its famous big cats – and some of the more elusive animals of the plains. Masai Mara Wildlife includes the Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard, and Buffalo), cheetah, giraffe, zebra, hippopotamus, Aardvark, African hares, bat-eared fox, etc.

After two nights in the Masai Mara, we make our way to Nairobi, before heading home.

5 Day Kenya Safari Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Prices Include

✓ Extensive Game drives
✓ Pre-tour itinerary document
✓ All meals included while on safari
✓ All applicable Game Park entrance fees
✓ Multi-lingual Professional Safari Guide/ Driver
✓ Safari vehicles carry cold drinks and mineral water
✓ Guaranteed window seating with an open top for easy photography
✓ Guaranteed departures for two or more passengers booking this safari
✓ Accommodation of your choice in Sweetwaters, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara Game Reserve
✓Round-trip transport from Nairobi to Sweetwaters, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara Game Reserve 

Notes

* This tour begins and ends in Nairobi, Kenya
* The safari transport is by an open-top Safari mini-bus. An optional  4 x 4 Land Cruiser is available at an extra cost.
* Our 5-day safari will take you to the slopes of Mt Kenya across the equator to Sweetwaters Game Sanctuary – the only Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Kenya. The next stop is Lake Nakuru National Park – the world’s greatest bird spectacle. And finally, to Kenya’s most popular Game Reserve – The Masai Mara National Reserve.

5 Day Kenya Safari, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Prices 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
✗ Christmas, New Year, and Easter Supplement
✗ Nature walks, Night game drives, Camel rides, etc
✗  Gratuity for porters/ waiters at hotels, camps, and airports
✗  Membership in the Flying Doctors Society – Emergency air rescue
✗ Optional Hot Air Ballooning (cost per person is 500 US Dollars)
✗  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

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