8-Day Wilderness Classic Kenya Safari: Amboseli, Naivasha & Maasai Mara
Elephants beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, a boat on Lake Naivasha among the hippo, then three nights in the Maasai Mara — an eight-day road safari through three of Kenya's classic landscapes.
About this safari
Three landscapes, each different from the last. Amboseli comes first: dusty plains and spring-fed swamps at the foot of Kilimanjaro, where big elephant herds move across the open ground with the mountain behind them. Then north into the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake where an afternoon boat ride takes you close to the hippo and the fish eagles, and a walk on Crescent Island puts you on foot among zebra and giraffe.
The Maasai Mara closes the safari, with three nights and two full days for the big cats, the plains herds and — between July and October — the Great Migration on the Mara River. You travel in your own 4×4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and the same driver-guide throughout, and the trip ends with a farewell dinner at the Carnivore in Nairobi before an evening flight home.
What makes this one special
- Elephant herds on the plains beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli
- Two nights at Ol Tukai Lodge, inside Amboseli National Park
- A boat ride among the hippo on Lake Naivasha
- A guided walk on Crescent Island among zebra and giraffe
- Three nights inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve
- A farewell dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi
The journey, morning by morning
Arrival in Nairobi
Met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by our airport representative and driven privately to your hotel beside the airport. A quiet evening to rest before the safari begins the next morning.
South to Amboseli, the home of giants
Away at 7:30am, south across the open Athi Plains to Amboseli National Park, the land of the Maasai at the foot of Kilimanjaro, known for its free-roaming elephant herds. Lunch at the lodge and a rest through the heat of the day, then at 4:00pm the first game drive across the plains for elephant, lion and giraffe, back at sunset.
A full day beneath Kilimanjaro
Choose an early game drive and breakfast back at the lodge, or a full day out in the park with a packed breakfast and lunch. Elephant feeding in the swamps with Kilimanjaro behind them is the sight people come for; the mountain clears most often at dawn and late afternoon. After a rest at the lodge, out again at 4:00pm for the evening light.
Amboseli to Lake Naivasha
Away at 7:30am after breakfast, north through the Great Rift Valley to the shores of Lake Naivasha — the longest drive of the trip. Lunch at the lodge and an afternoon rest, then at 4:00pm a boat ride on the lake among the hippo pods, pelicans, fish eagles, cormorants and kingfishers, and a guided walk on Crescent Island among zebra, giraffe and impala.
Lake Naivasha to the Maasai Mara
Away at 7:30am, south-west to the Maasai Mara, named for the Maasai who live here and the Kenyan half of the Serengeti ecosystem. Into camp for lunch, then an afternoon game drive across the tree-dotted plains for lion, cheetah, leopard and the plains herds.
A full day in the Maasai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives across one of the richest wildlife areas in Africa, looking for the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and the scarce black rhino — alongside cheetah, hyena and the herds. Lunch back at camp between drives, or out on the plains.
The Mara River and the plains
A second full day, shaped around what the guides are seeing. A picnic lunch on the banks of the Mara River, watching the hippo and the crocodiles, and time to wait at a sighting rather than move on. Between July and October this is where the migration herds gather to cross.
To Nairobi and departure
A slow breakfast, then the drive back to Nairobi, with lunch on the way or in the city. A farewell dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant, then your driver takes you to JKIA for an evening flight home.
How this journey unfolds — 4 stops in 8 days
- 1Nairobi
- 2Amboseli
- 3Lake Naivasha
- 4Maasai Mara
The year on this safari, month by month
July to October for the Great Migration in the Mara, and June to October and January to February for the clearest views of Kilimanjaro from Amboseli. The trip runs year-round; April and May bring the long rains and slower roads.
Indicative pattern for Kenya's safari circuit. The long rains (around March–May) and short rains (around November) shift year to year.
Conditions along the route
Live readings where this safari spends its days.
The world this journey moves through
Photography of the landscapes and wildlife along this route — tap any photo to view it full screen.
Included and not included
Included
- Airport meet and assist
- Private transfers as per the itinerary
- Service of an English-speaking professional driver-guide
- Game drives in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
- Accommodation as listed
- Meals as listed in the day-by-day
- Boat ride on Lake Naivasha and a guided walk on Crescent Island
- Farewell dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant, Nairobi
- All park entrance fees and government taxes as per the itinerary
- Driver-guide salary, allowances and vehicle park fees
- Bottled drinking water in the vehicle on safari
Not included
- International flights
- Visas, vaccinations and any required tests
- Travel, medical and cancellation insurance
- Optional hot-air balloon safari
- Tips and gratuities
- Telephone calls, room service and items of a personal nature
- Increases in park fees or other charges beyond our control
What a journey like this costs
Indicative all-inclusive rates per person, per night. Your own quote is built from your dates, your camps and the size of your party, and holds once agreed.
- Mid-rangeUS$450 – US$950per person, per night
Comfortable park lodges and permanent tented camps, road transfers between parks, shared game drives, all park fees.
Comfort · Classic camps and lodges
- LuxuryUS$950 – US$1,500per person, per night
Fly-in bush transfers, boutique tented camps, shared or private 4×4 vehicles, all park fees, fine dining.
Luxury camps and lodges
- Ultra-luxuryUS$1,600 – US$3,200+per person, per night
Private charter flights, exclusive-use conservancy lodges, a dedicated private guide and vehicle throughout.
Ultimate luxury camps and lodges
See the camps and lodges behind these bands
*Correct as at September 2026. Third-party costs such as park fees, gorilla permits, balloon flights and lodge rates are set by others and can change — we will quote the current price at the time of confirmation.
Travellers who want variety on a first Kenya safari — elephants, a lake and the big cats — and families who like regular changes of scene.
Nairobi city hotel and safari lodges
Questions travellers ask
- When can you see Kilimanjaro from Amboseli?
- The mountain is often hidden by cloud in the middle of the day and clears most often at dawn and in the late afternoon, which is when the game drives run. The drier months, June to October and January to February, give the best odds, but no month promises a clear view.
- How long are the drives on this safari?
- Nairobi to Amboseli is roughly four to five hours. Amboseli to Lake Naivasha is the longest day, roughly six to seven hours with stops, because the road runs back past Nairobi. Naivasha to the Mara is roughly four to five, and the Mara to Nairobi roughly five to six. Each drive leaves after breakfast and arrives in time for lunch.
- What is Crescent Island?
- A private sanctuary on a peninsula in Lake Naivasha with no big predators, so you can walk with a guide among giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and impala. It comes straight after the boat ride and is one of the few places on a Kenya safari where you are on foot among plains game.
- Can we fly one of the legs instead?
- Yes. The longest days are the drives in and out of Amboseli and back from the Mara, and either can be replaced with a scheduled flight to or from Wilson Airport in Nairobi. Our fly-in safaris cover the same parks by air if you would rather not drive at all.
- Is this safari suitable for children?
- Yes. The lodges are family-friendly with pools, the boat ride and the Crescent Island walk break up the game drives, and a private vehicle means you set the pace and stop when the children need to. Tell us their ages and we will check room configurations.