A considered starting point.
A compact safari that maximises game time on Kenya's most rewarding routes. Two nights in the Masai Mara for lions, cheetahs and the Great Migration season (July-October), then a Rift Valley crossing to Lake Nakuru National Park, one of the best places in East Africa to see both black and white rhinos. Comfortable lodge or tented-camp stays throughout, with an experienced driver-guide and a 4x4 land cruiser.
Full itinerary
Rift Valley to the Mara
Depart Nairobi after breakfast, descending the Great Rift Valley with a viewpoint stop at Escarpment. Lunch in Narok town, then continue to the Mara plains for a first afternoon game drive as the heat fades.
Activities: Rift Valley viewpoint, Narok lunch stop, afternoon game drive, sundowner on the plains
Stay: Tented camp or lodge inside/outside the park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Altitude: 1,500-2,000m
Big cats of the Masai Mara
A full day on the Mara with your guide tracking the Big Five. July-October guests may witness wildebeest crossings at the Mara River; resident lions, leopards and cheetahs are year-round highlights. Optional dawn hot-air balloon flight or a Maasai village visit.
Activities: Full-day game drive, Mara River hippo pools, optional balloon safari, optional Maasai village
Stay: Same camp, two-night base
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Altitude: 1,500-2,000m
Across the Rift to Lake Nakuru
Morning game drive out of the Mara, then a scenic five-hour transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park with lunch en route. Arrive for an afternoon drive along the lakeshore: flamingo flocks, Rothschild's giraffes and the park's famous rhino sanctuary.
Activities: Morning Mara drive, Rift Valley crossing, Lake Nakuru lakeshore drive, Baboon Cliff viewpoint
Stay: Lodge inside Lake Nakuru National Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Altitude: 1,750m
Rhinos, flamingos and home
Early game drive for rhinos and leopard at Lake Nakuru, then the three-hour road return to Nairobi. Time permitting, stop at the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage or the Giraffe Centre before your evening transfer.
Activities: Sunrise game drive, rhino tracking, drive to Nairobi, optional Sheldrick/Giraffe Centre stop
Stay: None - journey ends in Nairobi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1,750m-1,795m
Lake Nakuru National Park
Heritawi Safaris field stories from Rift Valley.
Adjust the pace, stay and route.
Use this pack as a starting point. Your trip planner can adapt accommodation, transport, private guiding, coast extensions and travel dates around your group.
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