Private or Group Kenya safari
4 Days Maasai Mara & Lake Nakuru Safari
Open plains, then a Rift Valley lake with one of Kenya's best rhino populations.
- 4 days / 3 nights
- Kenya
- Midrange
- Private or Group
Choose your level
One route, three ways to travel it.
The road, the parks and the day-by-day itinerary are the same at every level. What changes is where you sleep, what you travel in and what it costs.
Trip facts
- Duration
- 4 days / 3 nights
- Country
- Kenya
- Destinations
- Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru
- Safari level
- Midrange
- Travel type
- Private or Group safari
- Starts
- Nairobi
- Ends
- Nairobi
- Price
- On request
Overview
The journey at a glance.
Adding Lake Nakuru to a Mara trip changes what you see rather than simply adding a day. Nakuru is fenced, compact and built around an alkaline lake, and it is one of the most reliable places in Kenya to see both black and white rhino.
The route keeps two nights in the Maasai Mara, so you still get a full day on the plains, then drops into the Rift Valley for a night at Nakuru before returning to Nairobi.
It is a good four-day shape: two very different landscapes, no wasted driving, and a species list that covers most of what people hope to see on a first trip.
RouteNairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Nairobi
Your route
4 points.
One unfolding story.
Where you stay, and for how long. The full route is listed in text below the line, so it reads the same however you are viewing this page.
- 01NairobiIn transit
- 02Maasai Mara2 nights
- 03Lake Nakuru1 night
- 04NairobiIn transit
Day by day
4 days, read as a journey.
Timings are indicative and depend on road and park conditions on the day. Meals shown are those included in the safari price.
Day 1Nairobi → Maasai Mara
Down into the Rift and across to the Mara.
Morning collection in Nairobi, then west over the escarpment with a viewpoint stop and on through Narok. Lunch at camp, then an afternoon game drive.
- Activities
- Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint · Afternoon game drive
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara · Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
Day 2Maasai Mara
A full day on the plains.
Out after breakfast with a picnic lunch, covering the grassland and the river country and staying out until the light goes. Lunch is usually near the hippo pools on the Mara river.
- Activities
- Full-day game drive with picnic lunch · Mara river hippo pools
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara · Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
Day 3Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru
North along the valley floor.
An optional early village visit, then breakfast and the drive north. The road runs past Mount Longonot and along the edge of Lake Naivasha, with lunch on the way. You arrive at Nakuru with time for a game drive on the way to your lodge.
- Activities
- Optional Maasai village visit · Game drive on arrival at Lake Nakuru
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Nakuru · Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
- Optional
- Maasai village visit (USD 10 pp, paid locally)
Day 4Lake Nakuru → Nairobi
Rhino country, then home.
A morning game drive in the park before the day warms up. Nakuru's open lake-shore grassland makes rhino unusually easy to find, and the yellow-barked acacia woodland holds Rothschild's giraffe and waterbuck. You then drive back to Nairobi, arriving in the afternoon.
- Activities
- Morning game drive at Lake Nakuru · Road transfer to Nairobi
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Overnight
- The journey ends today
Accommodation · Midrange
A place to pause between chapters.
These are properties Ndurumo may recommend or use at this level on this route. Final accommodation is confirmed with your quotation and remains subject to availability.
Maasai Mara · Midrange2 nights
Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
Accommodation confirmed with your quotation and subject to availability.
Plan this safariLake Nakuru · Midrange1 night
Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Accommodation confirmed with your quotation and subject to availability.
Plan this safari
Compare accommodation at all three levels
Budget
- Maasai Mara
- Miti Mingi Eco Camp
- Lake Nakuru
- Buraha Zenoni
Midrange
- Maasai Mara
- Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
- Lake Nakuru
- Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
Luxury
- Maasai Mara
- andBeyond Bateleur Camp, Cottar's 1920s Camp
- Lake Nakuru
- The Cliff — Lake Nakuru
What you’ll experience
The character of this route.
- 01
A full day in the Maasai Mara before moving on
- 02
Black and white rhino at Lake Nakuru
- 03
Rothschild's giraffe in the acacia woodland
- 04
Two genuinely different Rift Valley landscapes
- 05
Flamingo and pelican on the lake, when levels allow
Package detail
What the price covers.
These lists apply to the midrange version of this route. Optional extras are listed against the day they fall on.
What’s included
- 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
Not included
- International flights
- Kenya or Tanzania visas and entry fees
- Travel and personal insurance
- Single-occupancy supplement
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Optional activities, including balloon safaris and village visits
- Items of a personal nature
- Tips for your guide and lodge staff
Pricing
Clear before you commit.
Price depends on travel dates, group size, accommodation level, park fees at the time of travel and vehicle arrangements.
We have not loaded a contracted rate for this tier yet, and we would rather quote you accurately than estimate. Price depends on dates, occupancy, park fees, vehicle arrangements and accommodation availability.
- Travel dates
- Required for a quotation
- Group size
- Required for a quotation
- Occupancy
- Per person sharing; single supplement quoted separately
- Child rates
- Quoted where the property applies them
This route, shaped around you
Begin with the journey already chosen.
Your enquiry carries this route and level automatically, so you only add the details we genuinely need to price it.
Are the flamingos always at Lake Nakuru?
No. Flamingo numbers depend on lake levels and algae, and the birds move between Nakuru, Bogoria and Elementaita. The rhino and the woodland game are the dependable part of a Nakuru visit.
Is the price per person?
Yes. Published rates are per person sharing a twin or double room. Solo travellers pay a single-occupancy supplement, which we quote with the rest of the trip.
What does the final price depend on?
Travel dates, the number of people travelling, your accommodation tier, park fees at the time of travel and vehicle arrangements. We reprice every enquiry for the exact dates rather than working from a fixed sheet.
Can the itinerary be changed?
Yes. The route below is the standard shape of the trip. Nights can be added or moved, and destinations can be swapped, as long as the driving distances still work.
Are park fees included?
Yes. All park and reserve entrance fees for the parks in the itinerary are included in the quoted price.
What vehicle will we use?
Road safaris use a 4×4 Safari Land Cruiser. Private departures have their own vehicle; group departures share the vehicle with fellow travellers.
Can children join this safari?
Yes. Tell us your children's ages when you enquire and we will confirm which properties on the route suit them and whether child rates apply.
Continue exploring
Other routes worth following.
5 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Lake Naivasha Safari
Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha · Nairobi
- 5 days / 4 nights
- Kenya
- From USD 685
6 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Amboseli Safari
Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Amboseli · Nairobi
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Kenya
- From USD 830
6 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Samburu Private Safari
Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Samburu · Nairobi
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Kenya
- From USD 1,400
4 Days Maasai Mara & Lake Nakuru Safari
Let’s mark this route.
Share your dates and party, and we will come back with a quotation for this itinerary at the level you have chosen — or tell you honestly if a different route fits better.
A guided enquiry, not an instant booking. No obligation.
