Wildlife Safaris

6-Day Kenya Safari: Aberdare, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara

Nairobi, Aberdare, Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara, Kenya 6 day(s) Easy

Duration

6 day(s)

Country

Kenya

Type

Wildlife Safaris

Group Size

1-12

Best Months

July - October for the Great Migration; dry seasons (Jun-Oct, Jan-Feb) for the clearest game viewing

A 6-day, 5-night circuit that adds the forested highlands of Aberdare National Park to the classic Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara route - night-time waterhole game viewing, a rhino sanctuary, and two full days chasing the Big Five on the Mara plains.

Itinerary

Download Itinerary (PDF)

DAY BY DAY

Itinerary at a Glance

Nairobi Aberdare National Park Lake Nakuru National Park Masai Mara National Reserve

6 days 4 stops 3 stays

Day	Destination	Travel	Key Sightings	Overnight	Meals
1	Nairobi Arrival in Nairobi	Drive	-	-	B L D
2	Aberdare National Park Nairobi to Aberdare National Park	Drive	African Elephant Cape Buffalo Bongo Antelope +1	The Ark, Aberdare	B L D
3	Lake Nakuru National Park Aberdare to Lake Nakuru National Park	Drive	White Rhinoceros Black Rhinoceros Flamingo	Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge	B L D
4	Masai Mara National Reserve Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara	Drive	Lion African Elephant Topi	Mara Sopa Lodge	B L D
5	Masai Mara National Reserve Full Day in Masai Mara	Drive	Lion Leopard Cheetah +1	Mara Sopa Lodge	B L D
6	Nairobi Departure	Drive	Lion African Elephant	-	B L D

Full Day-by-Day Itinerary

1 Day

Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and transfer to your hotel. Overnight on a bed and breakfast basis.

Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya

2 Day

After breakfast, drive north through rolling farmland and coffee plantations to Aberdare National Park. Check in to a forest lodge built around a floodlit waterhole, where elephant, buffalo, bushbuck and, if you're fortunate, the rare bongo antelope come to drink after dark. Overnight on a full-board basis (lunch, dinner and breakfast). A warm jacket is recommended for the cool highland evenings.

Accommodation

Primary The Ark, Aberdare

Accommodation is subject to availability. We can suggest similar-level alternatives or tailor options to suit your budget.

B, L, D Aberdare National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya

African Elephant Cape Buffalo Bongo Antelope Bushbuck

3 Day

Drive south through the Great Rift Valley, with views of Mount Longonot and Lake Naivasha en route, to Lake Nakuru National Park. Afternoon game drive around the lake shore for its rhino sanctuary and, in good years, dense flocks of flamingos. Overnight on a full-board basis.

Accommodation

Primary Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

Accommodation is subject to availability. We can suggest similar-level alternatives or tailor options to suit your budget.

B, L, D Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya

White Rhinoceros Black Rhinoceros Flamingo

4 Day

Continue west across the Rift Valley to the Masai Mara, the northernmost extension of the Serengeti ecosystem, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive. Overnight on a full-board basis.

Accommodation

Primary Mara Sopa Lodge

Accommodation is subject to availability. We can suggest similar-level alternatives or tailor options to suit your budget.

B, L, D Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya

Lion African Elephant Topi

5 Day

A full day of game drives across the Mara's plains, with the best chance of the trip for lion, leopard, cheetah and, in season, the Great Migration. An optional Maasai manyatta visit or sunrise hot air balloon safari can be arranged locally. Overnight on a full-board basis.

Accommodation

Primary Mara Sopa Lodge

Accommodation is subject to availability. We can suggest similar-level alternatives or tailor options to suit your budget.

B, L, D Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya

Lion Leopard Cheetah African Elephant

6 Day

Final morning game drive, then depart the Masai Mara for Nairobi and your transfer to JKIA for departure.

B Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya

Lion African Elephant

Best Time to Visit

July - October for the Great Migration; dry seasons (Jun-Oct, Jan-Feb) for the clearest game viewing

High Season - Jun-Oct & Jan-Feb

Dry weather makes for the clearest game viewing, with animals gathering at rivers and waterholes. Masai Mara river crossings peak July-October. Expect busier parks and the highest rates of the year.

Low Season - Mar-May & Nov

The "green season" brings lush scenery, dramatic skies and newborn wildlife, with far fewer visitors and the lowest accommodation rates. Expect afternoon showers, muddier roads and a handful of camps closed for maintenance.

What to Expect

This circuit adds Kenya's central highlands to the classic Rift Valley and Mara route:

Nairobi is your arrival and departure point, and the usual base for onward transfers to the parks that follow.

Aberdare National Park is a forested mountain range in Kenya's central highlands, known for its unique tree-lodge style of game viewing - guests watch a floodlit waterhole through the night from the comfort of the lodge, with visits from elephant, rhino, buffalo and, occasionally, the elusive bongo antelope. It's a cooler, greener contrast to the open plains that follow.

Lake Nakuru National Park is a compact, fenced sanctuary built around its alkaline lake in the Great Rift Valley. Expect a strong chance of seeing both black and white rhino, along with leopard, buffalo and, in good years, dense flocks of flamingos along the shoreline.

The Masai Mara is Kenya's best-known reserve, part of the same ecosystem as Tanzania's Serengeti. Visitors come for the Big Five, resident prides of lion, and - from around July to October - the Great Migration, when huge herds of wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River in search of fresh grazing. A visit to a local Maasai village or a sunrise balloon safari over the plains are popular optional additions here.

Route Map

Approximate route followed during this safari.

What's Included

All transport in a 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
Park entry fees for Aberdare, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara
5 nights' accommodation as per itinerary (bed & breakfast Day 1, full board Days 2-6)
Professional English-speaking driver-guide