Private Kenya safari
6 Days Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru & Samburu Private Safari
South-west grassland, Rift Valley rhino, then the dry country of the north.
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Kenya
- Budget
- Private
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
- 6 days / 5 nights
- Country
- Kenya
- Destinations
- Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Samburu
- Safari level
- Budget
- Travel type
- Private safari
- Starts
- Nairobi
- Ends
- Nairobi
- Price
- From USD 1,400
Overview
The journey at a glance.
Most Kenyan circuits stay south. This one turns north to Samburu, and the species list changes with it — Grévy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich, none of which you will see in the Mara.
Samburu is semi-arid: doum palms along the Ewaso Nyiro, red soil and rocky hills. In the dry season almost everything comes to the river, which concentrates the wildlife viewing.
It runs as a private departure with a minimum of two travellers, which matters on a route where the driving days are long and the pace is worth owning.
RouteNairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Samburu · Nairobi
Your route
5 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
- 04Samburu2 nights
- 05NairobiIn transit
Day by day
6 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, west over the escarpment with a viewpoint stop, then Narok and the reserve. Lunch at camp and an afternoon game drive.
- Activities
- Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint · Afternoon game drive
- Meals
- Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara · Miti Mingi Eco Camp
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 through the best of the light.
- Activities
- Full-day game drive with picnic lunch
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara · Miti Mingi Eco Camp
Day 3Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru
North along the valley floor.
An optional early village visit, then the drive north with lunch at Mai Mahiu and views of Longonot and Naivasha from the road. You reach Nakuru in the afternoon.
- Activities
- Optional Maasai village visit · Road transfer to Lake Nakuru
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Nakuru · Buraha Zenoni
- Optional
- Maasai village visit (USD 10 pp, paid locally)
Day 4Lake Nakuru → Samburu
Rhino in the morning, then the road north.
A morning game drive at Nakuru, then the long drive north past Nanyuki and Isiolo. The landscape dries out as you go — greener highland farmland gives way to thin acacia scrub and red earth. You arrive at Samburu in the late afternoon.
- Activities
- Morning game drive at Lake Nakuru · Road transfer to Samburu
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Samburu · Samburu Riverside Camp
Day 5Samburu
A full day on the Ewaso Nyiro.
Morning and afternoon drives worked around the river, which is where everything comes in the dry months. This is the day for the dry-country species — Grévy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, oryx and gerenuk — along with elephant crossing the river and crocodile on the banks.
- Activities
- Morning and afternoon game drives
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Overnight
- Samburu · Samburu Riverside Camp
Day 6Samburu → Nairobi
The long road south.
An early game drive before breakfast, then the drive back to Nairobi with lunch on the way. You arrive in the afternoon for a hotel or airport drop-off.
- Activities
- Morning game drive · Road transfer to Nairobi
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Overnight
- The journey ends today
Accommodation · Budget
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 · Budget2 nights
Miti Mingi Eco Camp
Miti Mingi Eco Camp is the designated budget camp for the Maasai Mara.
Accommodation confirmed with your quotation and subject to availability.
Plan this safari
Lake Nakuru · Budget1 night
Buraha Zenoni
Buraha Zenoni is the designated budget hotel for Lake Nakuru.
Accommodation confirmed with your quotation and subject to availability.
Plan this safariSamburu · Budget2 nights
Samburu Riverside Camp
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
- Samburu
- Samburu Riverside Camp
Midrange
- Maasai Mara
- Masai Mara Sopa Lodge
- Lake Nakuru
- Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge
- Samburu
- Ashnil Samburu Camp
Luxury
- Maasai Mara
- andBeyond Bateleur Camp, Cottar's 1920s Camp
- Lake Nakuru
- The Cliff — Lake Nakuru
- Samburu
- Sasaab
What you’ll experience
The character of this route.
- 01
A full day in the Maasai Mara and a full day in Samburu
- 02
Grévy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, oryx and gerenuk
- 03
Black and white rhino at Lake Nakuru
- 04
The Ewaso Nyiro river in the dry season
- 05
A private vehicle for the whole circuit
Package detail
What the price covers.
These lists apply to the budget 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.
Per person sharing · low season USD 1,400, high season USD 1,640
This is our published starting rate. The final price still depends on your travel dates, group size, park fees at the time of travel, 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.
What is different about Samburu?
It is dry northern country with a species list you will not see further south. Guides refer to Grévy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich together as the Samburu Special Five.
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.
7 Days Samburu, Ol Pejeta, Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Private Safari
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- 7 days / 6 nights
- Kenya
- On request
4 Days Maasai Mara & Lake Nakuru Safari
Nairobi · Maasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Nairobi
- 4 days / 3 nights
- Kenya
- From USD 490
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 & Samburu Private 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.
