This six-day Masai Mara safari package invites you to witness the Great Migration unfold across the sweeping grasslands of Masai Mara National Reserve. Each July through September, over 1.5 million wildebeest—also called gnus—alongside tens of thousands of Grant’s gazelles and plains zebra surge northward across the Mara River from Tanzania’s Serengeti into Kenya’s Masai Mara.
Overview & Timing
Offered during peak migration season (mid-June to October), this Masai Mara tours vacation follows vast herds of migrating animals as they fan out in search of fresh grazing and water. Be prepared for dramatic river crossings, where crocodiles lurk beneath the surface and predators lie in wait on the banks.
Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Pickup in Nairobi and transfer to Masai Mara
- Day 2: Full-day game drives in Masai Mara
- Days 3–4: Day-long safari tracking the migration
- Day 5: Journey to Lake Naivasha
- Day 6: Return to Nairobi
What’s Included
- Nairobi pickup/drop-off (hotel or airport)
- Private, multilingual guide
- Round-trip 4×4 transport with pop-up roof
- Choice of budget, midrange or luxury lodging
- Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner as noted)
- Masai Mara reserve fees
- Bottled water on game drives
- Daily Masai Mara safaris and Lake Naivasha boat excursion
What’s Excluded
- Passport/visa charges
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses (laundry, bar items, etc.)
- Tips and gratuities
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Nairobi → Masai Mara
After breakfast at your Nairobi hotel or upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, meet your safari guide for a brief orientation before a roughly five-hour drive to Masai Mara National Reserve. En route, pause at a Rift Valley viewpoint to admire the escarpment panorama. Arrive at your lodge in time for lunch and check-in. Later, embark on an afternoon game drive to spot lions, topi, waterbuck, warthogs, hartebeests, and other plain-dwelling species. Return for dinner and an overnight stay. Accommodation Options:
- Budget: Enchoro Wildlife Camp
- Midrange: Keekorok Lodge
- Luxury: Sand River Masai Mara by Elewana
Day 2: Full-Day Game Drives in Masai Mara
Following breakfast, set out with a packed lunch for dawn-to-dusk safari in search of elephants, leopards, buffaloes, black rhinos, and additional plains wildlife. Head to the Mara River to watch migrating herds navigate crocodile-inhabited waters while predators circle the shores. Enjoy riverside lunch under acacia shade before more game viewing. Return at sunset for dinner and overnight.
Days 3–4: Tracking the Great Migration
Spend two consecutive days following the migrating herds across Masai Mara safaris territory. After an early breakfast, drive into the reserve with picnic lunches to enjoy at designated bush sites. Observe massive columns of wildebeest, Grant’s gazelle, Burchell’s zebra and other herbivores on the move, while lions, hyenas, cheetahs and jackals tail the procession. Evenings conclude with dinner and rest at your lodge.
Day 5: Masai Mara → Lake Naivasha
Depart Masai Mara after breakfast and journey to Lake Naivasha. Upon arrival, check in and dine before an afternoon boat trip to Crescent Island. There, you’ll find elands, impalas, waterbuck, giraffes and other resident species grazing among a multitude of flamingos. After exploration, return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight. Accommodation Options:
- Budget: Lake View Resort
- Midrange: Naivasha Kongoni Lodge
- Luxury: Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort
Day 6: Masai Mara → Nairobi
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then depart for Nairobi, stopping en route for lunch. Arrive by mid-afternoon for drop-off at your hotel or airport—concluding your six-day Masai Mara vacation filled with epic wildlife spectacles and Tanzania-bordering plains adventure.
