Luxury4-Day Luxury Lake Nakuru & Maasai Mara Safari
$1,096 / personPrivate
View itinerary
Kenya
3-Day Private Luxury Maasai Mara Safari from Nairobi
A short private safari by road from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara, with comfortable accommodation.
Trip overview
An elegant, private escape into the Maasai Mara, designed for a concentrated safari experience without compromising on comfort. The route travels by private 4×4 from Nairobi, pausing at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, before settling into a luxury lodge inside the reserve for two nights: an afternoon game drive on arrival, a full day in the reserve and a final drive on the way out.
Departures run on any day subject to availability and the route can be customised on request. Solo travellers are welcome, and children aged two and over can join. Rates are dated and depend on party size; see the schedule below.
CountryKenyaMaasai Mara National Reserve
Duration3 days2 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
From$950per person, estimated
How this price works. Per person in US dollars. From $950 applies to 6 people, Jan 1 to Jun 30, 2027. Rates change with travel dates and party size and are 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
Elephant
Lion
Buffalo
Zebra
Giraffe
Wildebeest
Cheetah
Leopard
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
- About 5 to 6 hours by road (estimate)
- Day 3: Maasai Mara to Nairobi
- About 5 to 6 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 the Maasai Mara
The private 4×4 leaves Nairobi at around seven in the morning, and within the hour the ground drops away at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, the first stop and the first photographs. The road then crosses the valley floor and climbs on to the Maasai Mara.
Lunch is at Mara Serena Safari Lodge, and the afternoon game drive runs from around four until half past six, when the light is at its best and the animals are on the move.
Rift Valley viewpointAfternoon game driveLunch and dinner
Day 12 photos
Open plains as far as the light goes
The herds moving across open ground, vehicles at the tree lineAccommodation
Night 1 of 2
1 photo
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Mara Triangle, Maasai Mara National Reserve, hilltop above the Mara River Lodge · 1 photo
View lodge & photosClose
Built into a ridge inside the reserve, above the bend of the Mara River where the crossings happen. Rooms are shaped after a Maasai manyatta and every one of them faces the plains.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Day 2: A full day in the Maasai Mara
A whole day on the reserve, with a picnic lunch, is the best way to search for the Big Five, and the Mara's vast open grassland gives them few places to hide. The morning drive leaves early, while the predators are still active, and the day follows the animals wherever they lead.
In season, the wildebeest migration adds its own spectacle, the herds stretching across the plains and gathering at the Mara River. Lunch is taken out in the reserve, in the shade of an acacia, before the afternoon's exploring carries on until the light begins to fade.
Full day game drivePicnic lunchAll meals
Day 22 photos
Impala, zebra and wildebeest sharing the same stretch of plain
The migration herds filling the plain, July to OctoberAccommodation
Night 2 of 2Same lodge as Day 1: Mara Serena Safari Lodge. See photos and details on Day 1.
Day 3: Maasai Mara to Nairobi
A relaxed breakfast and check out, and then a final game drive on the way out of the reserve, a last chance for lion or elephant. Lunch is taken en route, and the drive continues to Nairobi, for drop-off at a hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Final en-route game driveBreakfast and lunch
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 activities unless marked optional
- All accommodation unless listed as an upgrade
- A professional driver-guide
- All transportation unless marked optional
- All taxes and VAT
- Round-trip airport transfers
- Meals as specified
- Drinking water throughout the tour
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari
- Tips, published guideline US$10 per person per day
- Personal items, souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees
- Government-imposed increases in taxes or park fees
Rates by travel date
| Travel dates | Solo | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | 7+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1 to Dec 31, 2026 | $2,267 | $2,084 | $1,763 | $1,718 | $1,672 | $1,431 | Quote |
| Jan 1 to Jun 30, 2027 | $1,763 | $1,328 | $1,168 | $1,042 | $1,013 | $950 | Quote |
| Jul 1 to Dec 31, 2027 | $2,267 | $2,084 | $1,763 | $1,718 | $1,672 | $1,431 | Quote |
Rates are per person and exclude international flights. Not available to groups larger than 30 people. Children aged 2 and above are accepted; under 12s receive a discount and under 4s travel free.
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?
Yes. This safari is private: your own vehicle and guide for the whole trip, and we never merge your party with another to cut costs.
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.
What vehicle will we travel in?
A pop up roof 4x4 safari vehicle, usually a Toyota Land Cruiser, provided through the licensed Kenyan transport partners we contract and work with regularly, with the same driver guide from the first day to the last. It is yours alone for the whole safari, and every vehicle carries reusable water bottles.
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 Private Luxury Maasai Mara Safari from Nairobi
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$950
Per person in US dollars. From $950 applies to 6 people, Jan 1 to Jun 30, 2027. Rates change with travel dates and party size and are 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.
