5 Days Kenya Safari: Masai Mara, Nairobi National Park & More

5 Days Kenya Safari: Masai Mara, Nairobi National Park & Lake Nakuru

Overview

Imagine the sun slipping behind acacia-dotted plains, casting golden light on a pride of lions as they stretch and yawn. Picture yourself cruising through Nairobi’s wild backyard, spotting endangered rhinos in the shadow of skyscrapers.

Feel the cool breeze as you drift along Lake Nakuru’s shores, a haze of pink flamingos reflecting off the water.

This 5-day safari takes you from the urban wilds of Nairobi National Park to the iconic Masai Mara and the bird paradise of Lake Nakuru — a journey packed with raw, unforgettable encounters.

Step off the plane and straight into a wildlife mash-up where city skyscrapers share a skyline with giraffes. One minute you’re tracking rhinos against Nairobi’s glass towers, the next you’re rattling across the Mara’s open plains while a cheetah turns dust into thunder.

Finish at Lake Nakuru, where flamingos paint the water pink and hippos patrol the shallows. Five days, three ecosystems, endless stories for the flight home.

Summary Itinerary

•  Arrival in Nairobi – Nairobi National Park Game Drive
• Drive to Masai Mara – Evening Game Drive
• Full Day Game Drive in Masai Mara
• Drive to Lake Nakuru – Afternoon Boat Ride
• Lake Nakuru Game Drive – Return to Nairobi

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi – Nairobi National Park Game Drive

You land in Nairobi, a city where skyscrapers share space with roaming lions and grazing buffalo. Touchdown, passport stamp, city traffic in the rear-view mirror.

Ten minutes after the hotel coffee you’re rolling into Nairobi National Park: lions lounging under flight paths, rhinos grazing with office blocks as backdrops. Sunset lays gold across the grass—and somehow the city noise never follows you past the gate.

Overnight:

• Budget: Nairobi Transit Hotel – Standard Room (BB)
• Standard: Eka Hotel – Superior Room (BB)
• Luxury: The Emakoko – River Suite (FB)

Day 2: Drive to Masai Mara – Evening Game Drive

After breakfast, the road to Masai Mara stretches ahead like a promise. The landscape changes from bustling city to rolling savannas.

By late afternoon the Mara swallows you whole: zebra herds ripple like living stripes, elephants claim right-of-way, and if luck tips your way a cheetah will prove 0-to-100 km/h means nothing to gravity.

Lions lounge in the shade, elephants graze in the distance, and if you’re lucky, a cheetah sprints after its prey in a burst of raw speed.

Overnight:

• Budget: Mara Explorer Backpackers – Basic Tent (FB)
• Standard: Jambo Mara Lodge – Deluxe Tent (FB)
• Luxury: Mara Serena Safari Lodge – Private Suite (FB)

Day 3: Full Day Game Drive in Masai Mara

Today is a feast for the senses. Spend the day surfing wildlife moments: lion cubs testing their roar, hippos arguing over river real estate, leopards melting into shadow. Picnic on the hood of the 4×4 and let the plains provide the soundtrack.

By evening, you return to camp, the sky ablaze with a thousand stars.

Overnight:

• Budget: Mara Explorer Backpackers – Basic Tent (FB)
• Standard: Jambo Mara Lodge – Deluxe Tent (FB)
• Luxury: Mara Serena Safari Lodge – Private Suite (FB)

Day 4: Drive to Lake Nakuru – Afternoon Boat Ride

Leave the Mara’s wild expanse behind and travel to Lake Nakuru, where flamingos line the shore in a vibrant display of pink and white. In the afternoon, you’ll glide across the water on a boat ride, eyes peeled for hippos and fish eagles.

The lake, a birdwatcher’s paradise, teems with over 450 species of birds. By afternoon you’re skimming the calm water: pink flamingo clouds, fish eagles on impromptu dive-bombs, hippos grunting like old diesel engines.

As the sun sets, the sky reflects in the water, creating a mirror of vivid colors.

Overnight:

• Budget: Lake Nakuru Backpackers – Standard Room (BB)
• Standard: Sarova Lion Hill Lodge – Deluxe Room (FB)
• Luxury: The Cliff Nakuru – Luxury Tent (FB)

Day 5: Lake Nakuru Game Drive – Return to Nairobi

Wake to the haunting call of fish eagles as you embark on one last game drive in Lake Nakuru. Spot rare Rothschild’s giraffes towering above the acacia trees and rhinos lumbering through the grass.

By midday, you’re back on the road to Nairobi, carrying with you memories of Kenya’s untamed beauty — the lions, the leopards, and the never-ending horizon.

Overnight:

• Budget: Drive to Nairobi – Day Room at Nairobi Transit Hotel (BB)
• Standard: Drive to Nairobi – Day Room at Eka Hotel (BB)
• Luxury: Drive to Nairobi – Day Room at The Emakoko (FB)