Luxury4-Day Luxury Maasai Mara & Lake Nakuru Rhino Safari
$1,629 / personPrivate
View itinerary
Kenya
3-Day Luxury Fly-in Maasai Mara Safari
A short, fast fly-in safari built for maximum time in the Maasai Mara, with two extras that only a private conservancy offers: a White Rhino Sanctuary and night game drives.
Trip overview
A sophisticated short safari designed for maximum time in the Maasai Mara. The flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to the Mara takes around forty-five minutes, landing close to Mara Elatia Camp, an intimate luxury tented camp with elevated tents and balconies over the Mara River.
The private conservancy setting adds two experiences not available inside the main national reserve: access to a protected White Rhino Sanctuary, and night game drives run with filtered spotlights.
Departures run on any day subject to availability, and the route can be customised. The trip is not available to children, and groups are capped at four. The published rate runs from US$1,620 to US$2,559 per person, depending on travel dates and party size.
CountryKenyaMaasai Mara · Private Conservancy
Duration3 days2 nights
ArrangementPrivate, some activities sharedprivate vehicle, some camp activities shared
Starts & endsNairobi
From$1,620per person, estimated
How this price works. Per person in US dollars, from $1,620 up to $2,559 depending on travel dates and party size. 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
Nairobi
Day 3 · Ends here
Wildlife you are likely to see
White rhino
Lion
Elephant
Zebra
Buffalo
Leopard
Honey badger
Aardvark
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.
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 the Maasai Mara
- Scheduled flight, as set out in the day below
- Day 3: Maasai Mara to Nairobi
- Scheduled flight, as set out in the day below
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.
Nairobi to the Maasai Mara
Day 1: Fly to the Maasai Mara
The morning flight from Nairobi crosses the Great Rift Valley, a view that is hard to take in from the ground, and lands on an airstrip in the Mara. A camp representative is waiting, and the drive to camp is a game drive, with zebra and elephant both possible before check in at Mara Elatia Camp, whose raised tents look out over the Mara River.
Lunch overlooks the escarpment, and a late afternoon game drive follows. As the light fades it continues into a night game drive, using filtered spotlights to look for leopard, honey badger, aardvark and eagle owl. Dinner is around the campfire.
Morning flightNight game driveLunch and dinner
Day 12 photos
The herds crossing the Mara River
The herds moving across open ground, vehicles at the tree lineAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
10 photos
Mara Elatia Camp
Oloololo Escarpment, Mara Triangle, overlooking the Mara River Tented camp · 10 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Mara Elatia Camp sits on the Oloololo Escarpment in the Mara Triangle, the northwestern part of the Maasai Mara, with wide views over the Mara River and the Kalema Hills. Its name means the good neighbour in the Maa language. The Mara Triangle is known for its open grasslands and well managed roads, and from […]
Private Conservancy, Maasai Mara
Day 2: White Rhino Sanctuary & full Mara experience
Coffee first, and then out into the Mara Triangle, known for its strong concentrations of predators and for the Mara River that runs along its edge. The drive continues to the private White Rhino Sanctuary within the conservancy, for a close encounter with animals at the centre of Kenya's conservation story.
After lunch, the afternoon returns to the savannah for more game viewing and the Big Five, staying out until the sun goes down.
Mara TriangleWhite Rhino SanctuaryAll meals
Day 22 photos
Hippos and crocodiles on the bank of the Mara River
Rhino and flamingo share the same shorelineAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 1: Mara Elatia Camp. See photos and details on Day 1.
Maasai Mara to Nairobi
Day 3: Final sunrise and flight to Nairobi
The final morning is relaxed, with a visit to the Kalema Hills, associated with the film Out of Africa, and the long views over the plains. Then comes check out and the transfer to Kichwa Tembo Airstrip for the return flight, which lands at Wilson Airport in the afternoon.
Relaxed final morningFlight to Wilson AirportBreakfast
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 fees for non-residents
- All listed safari activities
- All listed accommodation
- A professional driver-guide
- All listed transportation and the air transfer
- Taxes and VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals as specified
- Drinking water on all days
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari
- Tips
- Personal expenses, travel insurance and visa fees
- Government-imposed increases in taxes or park fees
- Meals not specifically listed as included
Rates by travel date
| Rate range | Per person |
|---|---|
| From | $1,620 |
| Up to | $2,559 |
The rate depends on travel dates and party size, and includes a fixed budget for safari flights; a higher actual flight cost is reflected in the final quotation. Not available for children, and groups are capped at four.
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?
The trip is arranged for your party alone, but at the camps on this route the game drives and activities are run by the camp and can be shared with other guests, as the trip details above explain. Ask us if you would like a private vehicle at the camps.
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.
Is there a luggage limit on the flights?
Light aircraft on safari routes usually allow about 15 kg per person, hand luggage included, in a soft-sided bag without wheels or a frame. We confirm the exact allowance for your flights, and anything you do not need on safari can usually be stored until you return.
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, and a private vehicle makes it easy to set the pace around them. 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.
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
3-Day Luxury Fly-in Maasai Mara Safari
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$1,620
Per person in US dollars, from $1,620 up to $2,559 depending on travel dates and party size. 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.
