If you ask a group of people who have been on safari in Kenya which parks they visited, the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli come up again and again. This itinerary puts all three into six days, with a full day of game drives in both the Mara and Amboseli.
Each park adds something the others do not. The Mara gives you predators and big open plains; Nakuru's fenced sanctuary is one of the better places in the country for rhino; Amboseli is where you can sit with elephant families in the swamps with Kilimanjaro behind them on a clear morning.
The trade-off is one long road day on day four, when you drive from Nakuru back through Nairobi and south to Amboseli. We plan for it with a lunch stop and an easy evening. If you would rather avoid that, a fly-in variation is possible - ask us. Transport is a private 4x4 with a pop-up roof, and you stay in mid-range lodges and camps, upgradeable to luxury.
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MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
Full days of game drives in both the Masai Mara and Amboseli
Rhino sanctuary and lakeshore at Lake Nakuru
Elephant herds in Amboseli's swamps
Early-morning views of Kilimanjaro from Amboseli on clear days
Leave Nairobi in the morning and drive through the Rift Valley and Narok to the Mara. Lunch at camp, then your first game drive in the afternoon.
A morning drive and an afternoon drive, with a break at camp during the midday heat. Your guide uses the two drives to cover different sections of the reserve.
Drive across the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park after breakfast. The afternoon game drive focuses on the rhino sanctuary and the birdlife along the lake edge.
The longest day of the trip, at around 6-7 hours including a lunch stop. The route takes you back through Nairobi and then south past the Chyulu Hills towards the Tanzania border. You arrive at Amboseli in the late afternoon, with a short game drive if there is time before the park closes.
Morning and afternoon game drives around the swamps and the open lake bed. Early morning is your best chance of seeing Kilimanjaro's snow-capped summit before cloud builds up, and the swamps are where elephant herds tend to gather through the day.
A final game drive at sunrise, breakfast at the lodge, then the drive back to Nairobi, arriving in the afternoon.
Planning tip: see our guide on Best Time to Visit the Masai Mara: A Month-by-Month Guide.
Accommodation: Mid-range lodges and tented camps in all three parks, full board, with en-suite rooms. Luxury properties are available at every stop.
Vehicle: 4x4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
The Mara has wildlife all year, so the best month depends on what you want.
Full Masai Mara National Reserve destination guide »
Often, but not always. The mountain is frequently hidden by cloud from mid-morning, which is why we start the Amboseli drives early.
Around 6-7 hours including a lunch stop. It is the only long driving day on this route, and we schedule it so it does not cut into game drives elsewhere.
No. You get a full day of game drives in the Mara and in Amboseli, plus an afternoon and a morning at Nakuru.
Send us your travel dates and group size and we'll confirm availability and pricing.
