Mid-range7-Day Mid-Range Kenya Safari
$2,070 / personPrivate
View itinerary
Kenya
7-Day Shared Budget Kenya Safari
Five of Kenya's best known wildlife areas in one week, travelled in a shared pop-up-roof 4x4. Out of Nairobi and back to Nairobi, with two nights each in the Maasai Mara and Amboseli.
Trip overview
Seven days linking five of Kenya’s best known wildlife areas in a single circuit: the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha, then Amboseli under Kilimanjaro. The route runs out of Nairobi and returns there, and it is priced as a budget trip without cutting the parks short.
The vehicle is a 4×4 with a pop-up roof, shared with a maximum of seven travellers and run by a professional driver-guide. Holding the route and the accommodation fixed is what keeps the rate where it is, although airport transfers and extra nights either side can be added.
Departure is normally from Nairobi city centre, at Mama Ngina Street, and a departure from Mombasa can be arranged instead. The rate is US$931 per person from January to June and US$1,043 per person from July to December, the same figure for solo occupancy as for two or more sharing.
CountryKenyaMaasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Hell's Gate · Naivasha · Amboseli
Duration7 days6 nights
ArrangementShared vehicleseat in a shared vehicle
Starts & endsNairobi
Best timeJan to Feb, Jul to Oct
From$931per person, estimated
How this price works. Per person in US dollars, the same rate for one traveller or for two or more sharing. From $931 applies 1 Jan to 30 Jun 2027; $1,043 from July to December. Subject to availability. All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote. Payment and cancellation terms
Map route
Route overview
1
Nairobi
Day 1 · Starts here
2
Maasai Mara
Days 1 to 3 · 2 nights
3
Lake Nakuru
Day 3 · 1 night
4
Hell's Gate & Lake Naivasha
Day 4 · 1 night
5
Amboseli
Days 5 to 7 · 2 nights
6
Nairobi
Day 7 · Ends here
Wildlife you are likely to see
Elephant
Lion
Buffalo
Zebra
Giraffe
Wildebeest
Hippo
White rhino
Flamingo
Cheetah
Leopard
Black rhino
Solid tone means often seen on this route. Outline means possible, and worth the patience. Sightings vary with season and luck, and nothing wild is guaranteed.
Best months to travel
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best
Quieter
Green season
Photos
Photos from this route
Itinerary
Day by day itinerary
Each day lists the route, the meals included and the lodge for that night. Lodges are as proposed for your dates and are confirmed by name in your written confirmation.
Main transfers on this trip
- Day 1: Nairobi to Maasai Mara
- About 5 to 6 hours by road (estimate)
- Day 7: Amboseli to Nairobi
- About 4 to 5 hours by road (estimate)
Road times are estimates without game drives or stops. Traffic, weather, road works and border queues can add time, and your guide plans comfort breaks along the way. Flight times depend on the airline schedule for your date.
Day 1: Nairobi to Maasai Mara
The safari sets off from Mama Ngina Street in Nairobi city centre, the standard departure point, and the city thins out quickly on the road west. Not far out, the ground drops away at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, and the stop there gives the first real sense of scale: the valley floor far below, the dormant cone of Mount Longonot, and the road ahead winding down into it.
After roughly six hours on the road, camp is reached around lunchtime, in time to check in and eat. The afternoon is free at Miti Mingi Eco Camp, with an optional walking safari for anyone keen to stretch out after the drive, payable directly. Dinner and the first night follow at camp, with the sounds of the reserve close by.
About 6 hours drivingGreat Rift Valley viewpoint
Day 14 photos
Open plains as far as the light goes
A lion pair resting in the long grass, Maasai Mara
Impala, zebra and wildebeest sharing the same stretch of plain
The herds moving across open ground, vehicles at the tree lineAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
3 photos
Miti Mingi Eco Camp
Outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Narok County Tented camp · 3 photos
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Miti Mingi Eco Camp is a simple tented camp in Narok County, outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, about half an hour’s drive from a park gate and next to a Maasai village. Its value lies in its location: it offers an affordable base for travellers who plan to spend their days out on game […]
Lunch and dinner included, breakfast is not included on this day. Drinking water is provided, other drinks are not.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Day 2: Full day in the Maasai Mara
Breakfast is early, so the vehicle is through the gate soon after the reserve opens, while the light is still soft and the cats are still moving. With a picnic lunch on board there is no reason to come back before the afternoon, and the day ranges across several different sections of the Maasai Mara, from open plains to thickets and the lines of trees along the streams.
The drive reaches the Mara River, where hippos crowd the pools and crocodiles lie out on the sandbanks. Late in the afternoon the vehicle turns back toward camp, with time for an optional activity before dinner and a second night.
Full day game drivePicnic lunchMara River
Day 24 photos
The river crossing, July to October
The herds crossing the Mara River
Hippos and crocodiles on the bank of the Mara River
Wildebeest and zebra move togetherAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 1: Miti Mingi Eco Camp. See photos and details on Day 1.
Miti Mingi Eco Camp, budget tented camp just outside the reserve. All meals included, plus drinking water. Other drinks are not included.
Day 3: Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru
The morning offers a choice, both optional and payable directly: a visit to a Maasai village, or a nature walk with Maasai warriors, who read the bush for tracks and point out the plants their families have used as medicine for generations.
Then it is back to camp to check out, and on to Lake Nakuru, about six hours away, with lunch taken on the road. Check in at Cedar Ridge Resort is in the afternoon, which is left free, and dinner and the night follow at the hotel.
About 6 hours drivingOptional Maasai village visit
Day 32 photos
The soda lake and its shoreline
Game drive tracks through the parkAccommodation
One night
5 photos
Cedar Ridge Resort
Hotel · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
All meals included, plus drinking water. Other drinks are not included.
Lake Nakuru to Lake Naivasha
Day 4: Lake Nakuru to Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha
Breakfast is early for a morning game drive of around four hours in Lake Nakuru National Park, one of the most important rhino sanctuaries in Kenya. Black and white rhino both live inside its fence, along with Rothschild's giraffe, buffalo grazing on the lake shore, and in good years, flamingos massed in the shallows.
Around midday the road turns south for Lake Naivasha, with a stop for lunch on the way. The afternoon holds optional experiences: a boat ride among the hippos on Lake Naivasha, and a visit to Crescent Island, where giraffe, zebra and wildebeest graze with no predators to worry them. All meals are included, and the night is spent at Leisure Apex Resort.
Four hour morning game driveOptional boat ride
Day 44 photos
Rhino and flamingo share the same shoreline
Flamingos along the shallows
Hippos alongside a boat on Lake Naivasha
A hippo in the shallows, flamingos on the far shoreAccommodation
One night
5 photos
Leisure Apex Resort
Moi South Lake Road, Naivasha Hotel · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Leisure Apex Resort is a comfortable, good value hotel on Moi South Lake Road in Naivasha, around a kilometre from the shores of Lake Naivasha and roughly two hours’ drive from Nairobi. Its location makes it a handy base for exploring one of the Rift Valley’s most popular areas. A boat trip on Lake Naivasha […]
All meals included, plus drinking water. Other drinks are not included.
Hell's Gate to Amboseli
Day 5: Hell’s Gate and Naivasha to Amboseli
Hell's Gate comes first, straight after an early breakfast: a small national park of sheer red cliffs, rock towers and a deep gorge, with plumes of geothermal steam drifting on the skyline. It is a very different Kenya from the plains of the last few days.
Then comes the long drive south toward Amboseli, with lunch taken on the road. The park is reached in the evening, and if the cloud lifts at dusk, Mount Kilimanjaro stands over the plains, the highest mountain in Africa and a sight worth the whole day in the vehicle. Check in at Nyati Safari Camp is followed by dinner and the night.
Long driving dayKilimanjaro on arrival
Day 53 photos
An elephant crossing below Kilimanjaro, Amboseli
Elephants at the swamps, Kilimanjaro behind them
An elephant bull with Kilimanjaro behind itAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
2 photos
Nyati Safari Camp
Kimana Gate, outside Amboseli National Park Tented camp · 2 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Nyati Safari Camp sits beside Kimana Gate, one of the main entrances to Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, which puts the park’s open plains, swamps and big elephant herds only minutes away. The camp is roughly 240 kilometres from Nairobi by road, and Amboseli airstrip is a short transfer away for those who prefer […]
All meals included, plus drinking water. Other drinks are not included.
Amboseli National Park
Day 6: Full day in Amboseli National Park
Amboseli gets the whole day. With a packed lunch on board no time is lost going back to camp, and the drive works through the park's different faces: the dry bed of the old lake, where the heat shimmers and dust devils spin; the open grassland; and the green swamps, fed from underground by water off Kilimanjaro, where the elephants come to drink and wade.
The large elephant herds are what people come for, and they are rarely out of sight for long. Lion, buffalo, zebra, wildebeest and a long list of birds fill the gaps. The vehicle returns to Nyati Safari Camp for dinner and a second night.
Full day game drivePacked lunch
Day 64 photos
An elephant family on the plains
An elephant herd moving across Amboseli after rain
A cheetah crossing open ground
Open plains beneath KilimanjaroAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 5: Nyati Safari Camp. See photos and details on Day 5.
Nyati Safari Camp, budget tented camp just outside the park. All meals included, plus drinking water. Other drinks are not included.
Day 7: Amboseli to Nairobi
Amboseli is left the slow way after a last early breakfast, with a game drive on the way out of the park and a final look back at the mountain. The road north to Nairobi follows, with lunch taken en route, and arrival is expected in the late afternoon.
The safari ends with a drop-off in Nairobi city centre, on Mama Ngina Street. An airport drop-off can be arranged at an additional cost. Breakfast and lunch are included on this final day, dinner is not.
Game drive out of the parkLate afternoon arrival
Price
Price and what is included
Written plainly so there are no surprises at the airport. Anything optional can be added to the quote before you pay.
Included
Already in the price you see.
- Park entrance fees at non-resident rates
- All scheduled activities, other than those marked optional
- All accommodation as listed, unless an upgrade is requested
- A professional safari driver-guide
- All scheduled transport, unless marked optional
- Applicable taxes and VAT
- Meals as set out in the day by day itinerary
- Drinking water throughout the safari
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights into and out of Kenya
- Round trip airport transfers
- Accommodation before and after the safari, unless arranged separately
- Tips. The guideline is US$10 per person per day
- Personal expenses such as souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees
- Any government increase in taxes or park fees
- Optional activities, where the itinerary marks them payable directly
Rates by travel date
| Travel period | Single, one room | Two or more sharing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul to 31 Dec 2026 | $1,043 | $1,043 |
| 1 Jan to 30 Jun 2027 | $931 | $931 |
| 1 Jul to 31 Dec 2027 | $1,043 | $1,043 |
| 1 Jan to 30 Jun 2028 | $931 | $931 |
Per person, in US dollars. The rate is the same for solo occupancy as for two or more sharing, in a shared vehicle of up to seven travellers. International flights are not included.
Before you book
Frequently asked questions
What travellers ask us most about a safari like this one. Anything else, ask below and a specialist in Nairobi replies during office hours, Monday to Saturday.
Is this a private safari?
No. This one is a small-group safari: the vehicle is shared with other travellers, as the trip details above set out. If you would rather have a vehicle and guide to yourselves, ask us to quote it as a private safari.
How do we book, and how much is the deposit?
Press Book this safari. You can hold your dates for three days without paying while a specialist checks availability with the lodges and parks, or pay a deposit of 30, 40 or 50 percent, or the full amount, by credit or debit card through Pesapal. You can also pay by bank transfer, or in person at our Nairobi office by card. The standard schedule is a 30 percent deposit to confirm and the balance 60 days before arrival; bookings made within 60 days of departure, and gorilla or chimpanzee permits, are paid in full at booking. Card details go to Pesapal, never to Volcan.
Will we see the Great Migration and a river crossing?
The herds usually reach the Maasai Mara around July and stay until about October, crossing the Mara River many times in that period. For the rest of the year they are in the Serengeti in Tanzania. The timing is set by the rains, so no operator can promise a crossing on a given day, but our guides follow the reports every morning and position you as well as experience allows.
Do we need a visa?
Kenya: most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), applied for online before travel at etakenya.go.ke, together with the mandatory Kenyan inbound travel health insurance (bought during the eTA application or on the eCitizen portal). Rules depend on your passport and change from time to time, so check them before you book flights, and always apply through the official government portal, never a third-party agent. We tell you what applies to your route when we confirm your trip.
Which vaccinations and health precautions do we need?
See a travel clinic at least six weeks before you go. Malaria is present in most safari areas of East Africa, so ask about antimalarials, insect repellent and cover-up clothing for the evenings. A yellow fever certificate can be required depending on your route and where you arrive from.
Can children come on this safari?
Yes. Child rates depend on the lodges, and some camps and activities set minimum ages, so tell us the ages of everyone travelling and we confirm what applies before you pay anything.
What happens if we need to cancel?
Tell us in writing as early as possible. The cancellation charges for your trip are set out in your written booking confirmation. Gorilla permits, internal flights and non-refundable lodge deposits already paid on your behalf cannot be recovered, so they are charged in full. Refunds go back to the card or account the payment came from. The detail is in our Booking & Payment Terms.
Do we need travel insurance?
Yes. Comprehensive travel insurance covering medical treatment, emergency evacuation and cancellation is a condition of travelling with us. Check that your policy covers everything on the itinerary, such as trekking.
Enquire
Plan this safari with us
Send your dates and who is travelling. A specialist checks availability with the lodges and parks and replies during Nairobi office hours, Monday to Saturday, with an itemised price.
- Free, and no obligation
- Ask about changing the dates, lodges or pace
- Answered by the team in Nairobi who plan the trip
Availability
7-Day Shared Budget Kenya Safari
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$931
Per person in US dollars, the same rate for one traveller or for two or more sharing. From $931 applies 1 Jan to 30 Jun 2027; $1,043 from July to December. Subject to availability. All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
Prices are for guidance and are confirmed against current lodge and park rates before any payment.
Enquire first for questions and a written quote, with no commitment. Book this safari asks us to hold your dates for 72 hours without payment. Your booking is confirmed only when we confirm it in writing and your deposit is received under our booking terms.
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All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
