2-Day Kenya Safari from Nairobi: Mara Express
Fly-in Friday-to-Sunday Mara: three drives, zero road hours.
From $1,150
Kenya | 10 days | classic
10-day Kenya safari from Nairobi
Samburu, lakes, Amboseli and four Mara nights - Kenya complete.
Duration10 days
Styleclassic
StartsNairobi
EndsNairobi
Green season from$4,300 pp
Peak season from$5,250 pp
Nairobi-gateway loop mixing road and fly-in legs: Rift Valley lakes, Amboseli tuskers and Mara depth in one coherent circuit. Grand-tour depth: two regions or bush-plus-beach without rushing. Route: Samburu - Amboseli - Lake Naivasha - Masai Mara over 10 days. Season logic: July-October Migration herds; January-March clear skies and Kilimanjaro views.
Highlights
- Private throughout - own vehicle and guide, departing on your dates, with no group to join.
- Parks covered - Samburu, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara.
- Season-smart routing - camp zone set by your month, not by a fixed template.
- Honest pricing - park and concession fees line-itemed on every quote.
- Samburu - Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Somali ostrich - species no other Kenyan park holds.
- 5 nights in Masai Mara - the Mara rewards consecutive nights: prides shift, crossings are unpredictable and one afternoon is never the whole story.
- No backtracking - the route runs one way, so the driving between parks is spent once.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 - Arrive Nairobi
Morning: Land at Nairobi; meet your private guide for a full safari briefing.
Midday: Lunch and gear check; rest after the flight.
Afternoon: Introductory game drive in Samburu where routing allows, else lodge pool and early rest.
Evening: Dinner and overnight near Nairobi. (Add a pre-night after long-haul arrivals.)
Meals: Dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel in Nairobi.
Day 2 - Samburu
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Samburu: The Special Five: Grevy zebra, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: River-side lodge on the Ewaso Nyiro.
Day 3 - Amboseli
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Amboseli: Great-tusker elephants with Kilimanjaro looming - clearest at dawn. Transfer from Samburu (a scenic road transfer).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge on the Amboseli boundary.
Day 4 - Lake Naivasha
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Lake Naivasha: Boat safaris past hippos plus Crescent Island walking with wildlife. Transfer from Amboseli (5-6 hr Rift Valley drive).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Lakeside lodge on the Lake Naivasha shore.
Day 5 - Masai Mara
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Afternoon game drive in Masai Mara: Marsh Pride lions, river crossings in season and big-cat density at its peak. Transfer from Lake Naivasha (5-hr drive via Narok).
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge in the Masai Mara.
Day 6 - Masai Mara
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Marsh Pride lions, river crossings in season and big-cat density at its peak.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge in the Masai Mara.
Day 7 - Masai Mara
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Marsh Pride lions, river crossings in season and big-cat density at its peak.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge in the Masai Mara.
Day 8 - Masai Mara
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Marsh Pride lions, river crossings in season and big-cat density at its peak.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge in the Masai Mara.
Day 9 - Masai Mara
Morning: Early departure for a dawn game drive when predators are still active, returning for brunch.
Midday: Picnic lunch at a designated site or lodge lunch, then rest through the midday heat while wildlife dozes.
Afternoon: Second full day for deeper territories with picnic lunch out: Marsh Pride lions, river crossings in season and big-cat density at its peak.
Evening: Sundowner at a scenic stop, dinner and overnight at the lodge or camp.
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner.
Accommodation: Tented camp or lodge in the Masai Mara.
Day 10 - Depart
Morning: Final sunrise activity around Masai Mara with bush breakfast.
Midday: Brunch, then transfer to Nairobi for onward connections.
Afternoon: Day rooms available on late flights; souvenir stop if time allows.
Evening: End of safari services at Nairobi airport.
Meals: Breakfast and brunch.
Accommodation: Departure day - no overnight stay.
Why this 10-day Kenya safari itinerary
10 days on the Kenya circuit: Samburu, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara. Every day below is a real day on the ground, not a transfer with a game drive attached.
Why Samburu comes first
It lies north of Nairobi, so it opens a northern-loop trip before the route turns south - and that is where the route opens.
Masai Mara gets 5 nights
Masai Mara holds 5 of the 10 days, and that is deliberate: the Mara rewards consecutive nights: prides shift, crossings are unpredictable and one afternoon is never the whole story.
What 10 days buys
10 days moves past the point of rushing: whole days rather than stops, and enough slack that weather or wildlife can bend the plan without breaking it.
Getting around Kenya
Kenya is a road circuit from Nairobi: the Rift Valley lakes sit on the way south, and the Mara is the end of the line. Samburu runs north instead, so it belongs to a loop that comes back. Internal flights between the parks are the alternative when the driving days need to go.
Accommodation
Hand-picked lodges and tented camps matched to your tier - mid-range comfort or luxury suites, always positioned for short game-drive starts. Family rooms, honeymoon suites and triple options on request.
Safari vehicle and guide
Extended 4x4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, fridge, charging ports and window seats for all. Your English-speaking driver-guide averages a decade in these parks and is assigned by specialty - Migration positioning, photography, birding or family pacing.
Who this safari is best for
First-time safari travelers and anyone wanting the essential parks done properly.
Pricing
| Season | Per person (2 travelers) |
|---|---|
| Green season | from $4,300 |
| Peak season | from $5,250 |
| Tier | What you get |
|---|---|
| Budget | Camping and simple camps, with departures in the green season to hold the rate down. The private vehicle, your guide and the park fees stay exactly the same - the cut is beds and season, never guiding or positioning. |
| Mid-range | Comfortable lodges and tented camps with full board, positioned for short game-drive starts. This is the standard the from-price on this page assumes. |
| Luxury | Top-end suites and private villas in the best position in camp, private guiding throughout and flexible meal times. The highest season surcharge applies. |
Best time to book
Kenya runs on two seasons. The one you pick changes what you see, what the camps cost and how far ahead you need to commit.
Dry season
June to October is the classic window: dry, comfortable and productive, and July to October is when the migration reaches the Mara. Wildlife concentrates around the remaining water, vegetation thins, and the parks are at their busiest in August.
Green season
The short rains arrive in November and the long rains in March to May. The landscape greens, rates drop and the crowds thin, and January and February are strong months for birding as the northern migrants arrive.
What actually drives the timing
The Mara has no single best month: migration from July to October, predator viewing year-round, and quieter, greener, cheaper parks from November to May. Lake Nakuru's flamingo numbers shift with the lake level rather than the calendar.
How far ahead to book
The migration months and July to August want six to twelve months of notice for the better camps. Green-season departures usually need two to four months, and the Christmas window compresses early.
What is included and excluded
Every price on this page is a full-cost quote. Park and concession fees are line-itemed, so the total you compare against another operator is the total you pay.
Included
- Transport and guiding - private extended 4x4 safari vehicle with a dedicated driver-guide for your group only.
- Park and conservation fees - entry to Samburu, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Masai Mara, paid on your behalf and shown as line items on the quote.
- Accommodation - 9 nights in lodges, tented camps or seasonal camps matched to your tier.
- Meals - most meals as listed day by day: breakfast at camp, a picnic or lodge lunch, and dinner, with bottled water in the vehicle throughout.
- Transfers - every road transfer in the day-by-day, including airport pick-up and drop-off.
- Game drives - morning and afternoon drives in your own vehicle, on no schedule but yours.
- Taxes - government taxes and VAT on everything quoted.
Not included
- International flights - into Jomo Kenyatta International, Nairobi (NBO); we route the connections but do not issue tickets.
- Visas - Kenya has issued only the eTA since 2024, US$32.50 online at least three days before departure. Six months of passport validity covers it.
- Travel insurance - required, and it must include medical evacuation.
- Premium drinks - premium wines, spirits and cocktails at lodges and camps.
- Tips - driver-guide and camp staff gratuities.
- Optional extras - balloon or scenic flights, extra nights, luxury camp tier, beach or trekking extensions.
Parks and guides
Samburu | Amboseli | Lake Naivasha | Masai Mara
Back to hub | Style hub | Customize any itinerary
Related safaris
3-Day Kenya Safari from Nairobi: Mara + Naivasha
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4-Day Kenya Safari from Nairobi
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FAQs
Can we customise the route?
Freely - add nights, upgrade camps, swap parks or append beach and trekking. Request a proposal and we re-quote line by line.
Do we need a visa?
Most visitors need one: Tanzania offers visas on arrival for many nationalities, Kenya uses an eTA applied for online before travel, Uganda an e-visa. We confirm the current rule for your passport before you fly.
One decision per country, and they differ. Tanzania sells visas on arrival for most passports - US$50, US$100 for United States citizens - or by eVisa in advance. Kenya has issued only the eTA since 2024, at US$32.50 online at least three days before departure. Uganda runs an e-visa printed before you fly, and the US$100 East African Tourist Visa folds Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda into a single stamp. Six months of passport validity covers all three. Send us passport details at proposal stage and we confirm every rule for your nationality before you commit to flights.
Traveling solo - how do single supplements work?
All itineraries run solo. Expect a 20 to 50 percent supplement where lodges charge per room; vehicles cost the same whether one or six ride. Ask for the honest supplement math per trip.
Is a balloon flight worth adding?
Once, yes: a dawn flight over the Serengeti or Mara with a bush breakfast runs 550 to 600 dollars and minimum ages apply. Book at proposal stage - seats sell out months ahead in season.
How far ahead should we book?
Peak Migration and gorilla-permit months need 6 to 12 months. Green season often works with 2 to 4 months notice.
Is this trip suitable for children?
With a private vehicle and pools at stops, yes for most routes. Gorilla trekking has a strict minimum age of 15.
How much should we tip?
As a guideline: 15 to 25 dollars per day for your driver-guide (per group, not per person), 10 to 15 dollars per day into camp communal tip boxes, and 20 to 30 dollars for a gorilla porter. Restaurants 10 percent where service is not included.
Can dietary needs be handled in bush camps?
Yes - vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and most allergies are routinely catered with advance notice. Remote camps need 30 days notice for specialist supplies; tell us at proposal stage.
Camps cook from scratch, so most requests are a kitchen question rather than a supply one. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free are routine; halal and kosher products have to be imported in the remotest valleys, which is where the 30-day notice applies - Skeleton Coast, northern Uganda, the deeper Okavango camps. Menus are planned per group before the first grocery run, so tell us at proposal stage rather than on arrival. Guides carry your dietary notes on every drive, and camps refill filtered water wherever possible instead of trucking in bottles.
Can older travelers or limited mobility join?
Often yes: game drives are vehicle-based, many lodges have ground-floor rooms with walk-in showers, and we grade walking and trekking honestly. Tell us constraints and we design around them - except gorilla trekking, which demands real hill fitness.
Request this safari
Your dates, your camp tier - reply within 24 hours.