Ndurumo Tours & Safaris
Open grassland, Rift Valley lakes, dry northern country and elephants beneath Kilimanjaro — most of it within a day's drive of Nairobi.

Kenya · East Africa

From mountain shadow to the Mara.

Open grassland, Rift Valley lakes, dry northern country and elephants beneath Kilimanjaro — most of it within a day's drive of Nairobi.

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Gateway
Nairobi (JKIA and Wilson)
Routes we run
12 canonical routes
Usual trip length
3 to 9 days
Currency
Kenyan shilling; USD widely accepted

Why Kenya

More variety in less distance than anywhere else in East Africa.

A safari vehicle and lions in the Maasai Mara

Kenya's advantage is not that its wildlife is better. It is that so many different habitats sit close enough together to be covered properly in a week.

Within one circuit you can go from the open grassland of the Maasai Mara to an alkaline lake at Nakuru, fresh water and fever-tree woodland at Naivasha, and the dry southern plains below Kilimanjaro. Those are four different environments with four different species lists, and none of them is a long-haul transfer from the last.

It is also the easiest country in the region to start in. Nairobi has the region's widest international flight choice, and the Maasai Mara is a road trip rather than a connecting flight. A three-day Kenyan safari is a real trip; a three-day trip almost anywhere else is mostly travel.

Go further north and the picture changes again. Samburu and Ol Pejeta carry species you will not see in the south — Grévy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk — while Ol Pejeta adds important black-rhino and northern white rhino conservation context.

  • The Maasai Mara reachable by road from Nairobi in a morning
  • Rhino-conservation context at Lake Nakuru and Ol Pejeta, without promised sightings
  • Elephants and Kilimanjaro views in Amboseli
  • Walking and cycling allowed at Hell's Gate, which is rare in Kenya
  • A dry northern circuit with a genuinely different species list

First Kenya safari

Five, six or seven days?

Choose the route shape before you choose the accommodation level.

All three start and end in Nairobi, include the Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru, and run at Budget, Midrange and Luxury levels. The practical difference is what comes after Nakuru and how much ground you want to cover.

  • 5 days / 4 nights

    5 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Lake Naivasha Safari

    Trip shape
    The shortest of the three, with a full Mara day and a change of rhythm at Naivasha.
    Prioritises
    Maasai Mara plains, Lake Nakuru rhino, then Naivasha and Hell’s Gate.
    Main trade-off
    It leaves out Amboseli, so this circuit does not add the elephant-and-Kilimanjaro landscape.
    Travel type
    Private or Group
    Safari levels
    • BudgetFrom USD 685
    • MidrangeOn request
    • LuxuryOn request

    Best fit if… Choose this when you have five safari days and prefer a lake and walking pause to adding a fourth wildlife area.

    View this safariPlan this route

  • 6 days / 5 nights

    6 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Amboseli Safari

    Trip shape
    It covers more ground, then gives full days to both the Mara and Amboseli.
    Prioritises
    Maasai Mara and Amboseli are the anchors, with Lake Nakuru for rhino between them.
    Main trade-off
    It does not include the Naivasha and Hell’s Gate component found on the seven-day route.
    Travel type
    Private or Group
    Safari levels
    • BudgetFrom USD 830
    • MidrangeOn request
    • LuxuryOn request

    Best fit if… Consider this route if Mara and Amboseli matter more to you than a Naivasha pause and you have six days.

    View this safariPlan this route

  • 7 days / 6 nights

    7 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha & Amboseli Safari

    Trip shape
    The broadest circuit, using Naivasha as a change of pace before the journey south to Amboseli.
    Prioritises
    Full days in the Mara and Amboseli, plus Nakuru, Naivasha and Hell’s Gate.
    Main trade-off
    It adds a fourth landscape and a full week, while still including a long southbound transfer to Amboseli.
    Travel type
    Private or Group
    Safari levels
    • BudgetFrom USD 965
    • MidrangeOn request
    • LuxuryOn request

    Best fit if… Choose this when you have a full week and want the widest first-time Kenya circuit of these three options.

    View this safariPlan this route

Read the full Kenya safari duration guide

Kenya safari prices

Read the route first, then the price.

Similar-looking safaris can carry different quotes because the days, route, accommodation and final arrangements are not identical.

The examples below use current approved Budget prices from the same typed catalogue as each safari page. Midrange and Luxury remain On request until they are priced for the actual trip.

How to read our prices

What each label means.

From
The lowest approved public price shown for that route and tier, with its basis stated beside it.
Per person sharing
The amount is for one traveller sharing a twin or double room; it is not a total for the whole party.
Low / high season range
The two published amounts show the route’s approved seasonal range, not a guaranteed quote for every date.
On request
No approved public rate is loaded for that tier. We quote it against the traveller’s dates and arrangements rather than estimate.

Why quotes differ

Six practical cost drivers.

  • Duration and route shapeMore safari days, more parks or reserves, and longer road logistics change what the trip needs.
  • Accommodation levelBudget, Midrange and Luxury use the same itinerary, while the approved places to stay and quotation change.
  • Dates and availabilityPublished ranges identify their low- and high-season basis. An exact quote is prepared for the dates and available accommodation.
  • Travellers and vehicle arrangementsThe number of people travelling and the route’s verified Private or Group format form part of the quotation.
  • Park and reserve combinationsPark and reserve charges form part of safari pricing and can change; each route includes the places named in its itinerary.
  • Optional activitiesExtras such as a balloon safari or village visit are identified separately where they apply, rather than hidden in the route price.

Real route examples

Four different Kenya circuits, using live catalogue data.

These are examples rather than a national average. Open a safari to see its exact itinerary, accommodation and inclusions.

  • 3 days / 2 nights

    3 Days Maasai Mara Safari

    Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Nairobi

    Budget
    From USD 420Per person sharing · low season USD 420, high season USD 620
    Midrange
    On request
    Luxury
    On request
    Travel type
    Private or Group
    View safariGet this route quote

  • 5 days / 4 nights

    5 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Lake Naivasha Safari

    Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha · Nairobi

    Budget
    From USD 685Per person sharing · low season USD 685, high season USD 890
    Midrange
    On request
    Luxury
    On request
    Travel type
    Private or Group
    View safariGet this route quote

  • 6 days / 5 nights

    6 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Amboseli Safari

    Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Amboseli · Nairobi

    Budget
    From USD 830Per person sharing · low season USD 830, high season USD 1,030
    Midrange
    On request
    Luxury
    On request
    Travel type
    Private or Group
    View safariGet this route quote

  • 7 days / 6 nights

    7 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha & Amboseli Safari

    Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha · Amboseli · Nairobi

    Budget
    From USD 965Per person sharing · low season USD 965, high season USD 1,160
    Midrange
    On request
    Luxury
    On request
    Travel type
    Private or Group
    View safariGet this route quote

Included across these routes

What the catalogue consistently includes.

  • Transport in a 4×4 Safari Land Cruiser
  • Airport pick-up on arrival
  • Accommodation as set out in the itinerary
  • All meals while on safari (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
  • Services of a professional Ndurumo driver-guide
  • All park and reserve entrance fees
  • All game drives listed in the itinerary
  • Statutory taxes

Check the individual safari for its exact inclusions and daily meal plan.

May be extra

What is kept separate.

  • International flights
  • Kenya or Tanzania visas and entry fees
  • Travel and personal insurance
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Optional activities, including balloon safaris and village visits
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Tips for your guide and lodge staff

Optional activities are labelled separately where they appear; no new activity price is implied here.

Not sure how long to travel? Compare Kenya safari durations Explore the Maasai Mara

Where to go

Where to go in Kenya.

Eight places carry most Kenyan itineraries. Each does something the others do not, which is what makes a combined route worth building.

Signature journeys

Signature Kenya journeys.

Every route runs at three levels. The itinerary stays the same; accommodation and price change with the tier.

See every Kenya route

Best time to visit

When to go to Kenya.

Zebra and sunset in the Serengeti

The migration months are not automatically the best months. Kenya's resident wildlife is strong all year, and three of the four seasons are cheaper and quieter.

  • July – OctoberDry season and the usual Mara migration window. Busiest and most expensive; book camps months ahead.
  • January – MarchDry, warm and much quieter. Short grass makes predator viewing excellent. Often the best value-for-experience window.
  • April – MayLong rains. Very green, very quiet, lowest rates. Afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain; some tracks get difficult.
  • November – DecemberShort rains, usually brief. Green landscapes, few vehicles, good value and strong game viewing.

The Great Migration

The Mara is the northern end of it.

Roughly 1.3 million wildebeest and several hundred thousand zebra move through the Serengeti–Mara ecosystem on a loop driven by rainfall. The Maasai Mara is where that loop turns north, usually between July and October.

The river crossings people picture happen in that window, but they depend on rainfall and herd movement and cannot be scheduled. Any operator promising you a crossing on a specific date is guessing. What we can do is place you in the right part of the reserve for your month.

Migration safaris
Wildebeest and a river crossing in the Maasai Mara
The Serengeti–Mara ecosystem

Safari styles

Ways to travel in Kenya.

The same ground can be covered in very different ways. These are the shapes we run most often.

Safari and beach

Adding the coast.

Kenya's Indian Ocean coast — Diani, Watamu and the Lamu archipelago — sits about an hour's flight from Nairobi, which makes a safari-and-beach trip straightforward to build.

Coast extensions are not part of the current catalogue routes, so we quote them as a tailor-made addition against your dates. Three or four nights after a safari is the usual shape, and the drier coastal months broadly track the inland dry seasons.

Sunset, acacia and giraffe in the Serengeti
A safari vehicle, the view from the vehicle and lions in the Maasai Mara

On the ground

Run from Nairobi, not from a screen.

Ndurumo Safaris Ltd operates from Wabera Street in central Nairobi. The people building your itinerary know the state of the road to the Mara, which camps are having a good season, and where an extra night does more good than another destination.

Published Budget prices give you an approved route-level starting point or seasonal range. We quote the final trip—and every unpriced Midrange or Luxury tier—against your dates, traveller count, vehicle arrangements, park charges and accommodation availability.

How we work

Traveller reviews

What travellers said.

Where to read our reviews

Ndurumo’s SafariBookings operator profile currently shows 4.8 out of 5 from 33 reviews, recorded September 2026. We do not reproduce review text here without the reviewer’s own wording, date and source confirmed, so the reviews page points you to the platforms instead.

Planning

Practical Kenya information.

A safari lodge, elephants and red-dusted elephants in Tsavo East
  • EntryMost visitors need an electronic travel authorisation before arrival. Check your own government's current guidance as well as Kenya's.
  • HealthSpeak to a travel clinic well before you go. Yellow fever certification is required in some circumstances depending on your route.
  • Getting aroundRoad transfers between parks are the norm. Scheduled light aircraft flights are available to the Mara and some northern airstrips at extra cost.
  • MoneyUS dollars are widely accepted for fees and tips — bring notes issued in 2009 or later. Cards work in cities and at most lodges.
  • Plastic bagsSingle-use plastic bags are banned and the ban is enforced at the airport. Use packing cubes or dry bags.

Full travel guide

Route inspiration

Three ways to shape a Kenya trip.

  1. 01

    Three days, one place, done properly

    If your time is short, spend it all in the Maasai Mara. Three days gives you a full safari day with a picnic lunch, which is worth more than a third destination. See the route

  2. 02

    A week across the Rift Valley and south

    Seven days gives full days in both the Maasai Mara and Amboseli, with Nakuru for rhino and Naivasha as a pause between the two halves of the trip. See the route

  3. 03

    North first, for a second safari

    Samburu's dry-country species and Ol Pejeta's rhino work make an entirely different trip from the southern circuit, and both have genuinely good upscale camps. See the route

Field journal

Reading before you go.

Visit the Journal

Questions

Kenya safari questions.

How many days do I need for a Kenya safari?

Three days is the honest minimum, because it is the shortest format with a full safari day in it. Five to seven days is where a Kenyan trip starts to feel complete, with two or three genuinely different landscapes rather than one.

Is the Maasai Mara worth it outside the migration months?

Yes. The Mara's resident lion density does not leave with the wildebeest, and January to March has short grass, excellent predator viewing, far fewer vehicles and lower rates.

Can I fly between parks instead of driving?

To the Maasai Mara and some northern airstrips, yes — scheduled light aircraft run from Wilson Airport. It costs more and caps your luggage at around 15 kg in a soft bag. We will price both options if you ask.

Where can I see rhino in Kenya?

Lake Nakuru and Ol Pejeta are important rhino-conservation destinations. KWS identifies Nakuru as a sanctuary for black and white rhino; Ol Pejeta protects black and southern white rhino and the two surviving northern white rhinos. Wildlife and access to any specific animal are never guaranteed.

Is Kenya suitable for a family safari?

Yes, with the right pacing. Keep two nights minimum in each place, choose parks where wildlife is easy to see from the vehicle, and build in Hell's Gate, where children can get out and cycle. Tell us your children's ages when you enquire — it determines which camps can take you.

Should I combine Kenya with Tanzania?

Only if you have nine days or more. Below that, a cross-border route spends too much of the trip travelling. Above it, seeing both halves of the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem is genuinely worth the border crossing.

Plan your safari

Plan my Kenya safari.

Tell us your dates and party, and we will come back with two or three Kenya routes that fit — and say why we would pick one over the others.

Plan My SafariWhatsAppBrowse Kenya routes

A guided enquiry, not an instant booking. No obligation.

Elephants and sunset in Tarangire
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