5-Day Private Masai Mara & Amboseli Safari

Day-by-day itinerary

Route: Nairobi → Masai Mara → Amboseli → Nairobi

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to Masai Mara

   You leave Nairobi after breakfast and head for Masai Mara, descending the wall of the Great Rift Valley and passing through Narok and Maasai farming country. Once you reach Masai Mara there is time to check in before heading out among open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game. The reserve is best known for its big cat densities, and between roughly July and October the wildebeest migration commonly moves through the ecosystem. The vehicle and driver-guide are private to your party throughout. The evening is spent at your Masai Mara accommodation, with dinner and overnight there.

2. Day 2

   Full-Day Masai Mara Safari

   An unhurried full day in Masai Mara gives your guide room to follow whatever the morning turns up. Your route takes in open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem, with your guide reading recent movement to decide where to spend time. Sightings may include lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game, depending on season and conditions. A full day allows morning and late-afternoon drives when animals are most active, with the option of a picnic lunch out in the reserve. The reserve is best known for its big cat densities, and between roughly July and October the wildebeest migration commonly moves through the ecosystem. The vehicle and driver-guide are private to your party throughout. The evening returns you to your Masai Mara accommodation for dinner and overnight.

3. Day 3

   Masai Mara to Amboseli

   The day opens in Masai Mara with a morning departure for Amboseli, travelling south past Kajiado and through Maasai rangeland toward the Tanzanian border country. Lunch and check-in come first, then an afternoon drive through open plains, dust flats and spring-fed swamps beneath the bulk of Kilimanjaro. There is the possibility of seeing large elephant herds, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and abundant water birds around the swamps, depending on movement and conditions on the day. Amboseli is known for its free-ranging elephant families, and on clear mornings Mount Kilimanjaro often rises above the plains, though cloud can hide it. Dinner and overnight are at your camp or lodge in Amboseli.

4. Day 4

   Full-Day Amboseli Safari

   A full day in Amboseli allows you to explore well beyond the areas reached on a short visit. The drives cover open plains, dust flats and spring-fed swamps beneath the bulk of Kilimanjaro, moving between habitats as conditions change. Sightings may include large elephant herds, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, and abundant water birds around the swamps, depending on season and conditions. The swamps stay green through dry months, drawing elephants and plains game into concentrated, highly photographable groups. Amboseli is known for its free-ranging elephant families, and on clear mornings Mount Kilimanjaro often rises above the plains, though cloud can hide it. You return to your camp or lodge for dinner and a second night at Amboseli.

5. Day 5

   Amboseli to Nairobi

   Breakfast is taken before you set out from Amboseli for the drive to Nairobi, returning through the highland approaches to the city. Arrival is followed by check-in and a first drive into Kenya's highland capital and the usual start and end point for road safaris. Nairobi is the arrival and departure hub for most Kenyan safari itineraries. The day ends with a drop-off in Nairobi at your hotel or the airport.