10-Day Classic Kenya Safari: Amboseli, Naivasha, Nakuru & Maasai Mara
Kenya's classic road circuit in ten days — Amboseli's elephants beneath Kilimanjaro, a boat on Lake Naivasha, rhino at Lake Nakuru and three nights in the Maasai Mara, with full days in each.
About this safari
Ten days is enough to drive Kenya's classic circuit without rushing it. Amboseli opens the safari with big elephant herds on the plains at the foot of Kilimanjaro. The Great Rift Valley comes next, with two of its lakes: Naivasha, a freshwater lake explored by boat and on foot on Crescent Island, and Nakuru, a fenced rhino sanctuary where both black and white rhino are among the reasons to come.
The Maasai Mara closes it, 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. Each park gets at least one full day rather than a drive-through. 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.
What makes this one special
- Elephant herds on the plains beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli
- A boat ride among the hippo on Lake Naivasha, and a walk on Crescent Island
- Black and white rhino in the fenced sanctuary of Lake Nakuru
- Three nights inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve
- A full day in each park rather than a drive-through
- 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 Lake Nakuru
A relaxed 8:00am start for the short drive further into the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park. Lunch at the lodge, set on a hillside above the lake, then at 4:00pm an afternoon drive through the acacia woodland and along the shore for rhino, Rothschild's giraffe, waterbuck and lion.
A full day at Lake Nakuru
Morning and afternoon game drives from the fever-tree forest to the open grassland. Lions here sometimes climb into the trees; leopard, big buffalo herds and, when the water levels suit them, flamingos and pelicans along the lake edge complete the day. Lunch and a rest between drives, with the view over the lake from the lodge grounds.
Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
Away at 7:30am, south-west through the Rift Valley to the Maasai Mara, arriving at camp for lunch. At 4:00pm the first Mara game drive across the tree-dotted plains, tracking lion, cheetah, leopard and the plains herds until sunset.
A full day in the Maasai Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives across one of the richest wildlife areas in Africa, looking for lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and cheetah among the herds, with hyena close by. 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, the Carnivore and home
A slow breakfast, then the drive back to Nairobi with lunch on the way in Narok. A farewell dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant, then your driver takes you to JKIA for an evening flight home.
How this journey unfolds — 5 stops in 10 days
- 1Nairobi
- 2Amboseli
- 3Lake Naivasha
- 4Lake Nakuru
- 5Maasai 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. Nakuru's rhino and the resident predators are there 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.
A first Kenya safari with time to see the country properly, keen photographers and birders, and families who like a change of scene.
Nairobi city hotel, lakeside and safari lodges
Questions travellers ask
- Is ten days a good length for a Kenya safari?
- For a first visit by road it is a comfortable length. It covers Amboseli, two Rift Valley lakes and the Maasai Mara with at least one full day in each, so the drives sit between full days of game viewing rather than eating into them.
- How long are the drives?
- Nairobi to Amboseli is roughly four to five hours, and Amboseli to Lake Naivasha is the longest day at roughly six to seven hours with stops. Naivasha to Nakuru is short, around an hour and a half, Nakuru to the Mara roughly five to six, and the Mara to Nairobi roughly five to six with lunch in Narok.
- Will I see the Big Five?
- This route gives you a good chance at all five. Amboseli is known for elephant and buffalo, Lake Nakuru is one of the surest places in Kenya to see both black and white rhino, and the Maasai Mara holds lion and leopard. Wildlife is never guaranteed on a given day, which is why each park has a full day.
- What is the difference between this and the 8-day safari?
- Two extra nights at Lake Nakuru. That adds the rhino sanctuary, Rothschild's giraffe and the Rift Valley birdlife, and it splits the drive from Naivasha to the Mara into two short legs.
- Can we add a beach stay at the end?
- Yes. A short flight from Nairobi reaches Diani, Watamu or Lamu on the Indian Ocean coast, and many guests add three to five nights. Tell us your dates and we will plan the safari and the beach together.