6-Day Kenya Family Safari: Nairobi, Lake Naivasha & Maasai Mara

Day-by-day itinerary

Route: Nairobi → Lake Naivasha → Maasai Mara → Nairobi

1. Day 1

   Arrival in Nairobi

   Meet the Land Rail team for a family transfer and a relaxed first day, with any Nairobi activity selected around arrival time and the children’s energy. Nairobi is 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 vehicle and driver-guide are private to your party throughout. Dinner and overnight are at your hotel in Nairobi.

2. Day 2

   Nairobi to Lake Naivasha

   Breakfast is taken before you set out from Nairobi for the drive to Lake Naivasha, following the Rift Valley escarpment road with its long views over the valley floor. You arrive in time to settle in, and the day continues with a game drive across a freshwater Rift Valley lake fringed by papyrus, fever trees and flower-farming country. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes hippo, waterbuck, colobus and an exceptional range of resident and migratory waterbirds. Naivasha is one of the few freshwater lakes in the Rift Valley, which is why boat trips and walking safaris are possible here rather than vehicle drives alone. Dinner is served at your Lake Naivasha camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

3. Day 3

   Lake Naivasha Family Day

   Choose from confirmed age-appropriate lake or nearby activities, keeping the afternoon flexible for rest and time together. This is a freshwater Rift Valley lake fringed by papyrus, fever trees and flower-farming country. Species commonly associated with the area include hippo, waterbuck, colobus and an exceptional range of resident and migratory waterbirds. Dinner and overnight are at your accommodation in Lake Naivasha.

4. Day 4

   Lake Naivasha to Maasai Mara

   The morning starts in Lake Naivasha, from where you continue overland to Maasai Mara, descending the wall of the Great Rift Valley and passing through Narok and Maasai farming country. You arrive in time to settle in, and the day continues with a game drive across open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem. Your guide works the area for lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game, with sightings varying by season and conditions. The reserve is best known for its big cat densities, and between roughly July and October the wildebeest migration commonly moves through the ecosystem. Dinner and overnight are at your camp or lodge in Maasai Mara.

5. Day 5

   Full-Day Maasai Mara Safari

   Use shorter morning and afternoon wildlife drives, with a proper midday break and plans adjusted to the children’s comfort. Much of the day is spent among open savanna grassland, acacia stands and the rolling country of the greater Mara ecosystem. There is the possibility of seeing lion, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, buffalo and large herds of plains game, though wild sightings are never guaranteed. 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. Dinner and overnight are again at your Maasai Mara camp or lodge.

6. Day 6

   Maasai Mara to Nairobi

   Bags are loaded after breakfast and you depart Maasai Mara bound for Nairobi, returning through the highland approaches to the city. The drive brings you back into Nairobi in the afternoon, where the safari comes to a close. 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.