Luxury 5-Day Luxury Kenya Safari with Hell’s Gate
$2,248 / personPrivate · lowest rate, US$, subject to availability
View itinerary
Kenya
5-Day Luxury Kenya Safari
An elegant five-day private safari through Lake Nakuru's rhino country, the Maasai Mara and the calm of Lake Naivasha.
Duration5 days4 nights
From$2,076per person in US$, based on 6 people, Nov 1 to Dec 14, 2026. Estimate, subject to availability
Trip overview
An elegant five-day private safari bringing together three of Kenya’s most compelling landscapes. The route opens in rhino country at Lake Nakuru, continues into the wildlife-rich Maasai Mara for immersive game viewing, then slows the pace beside Lake Naivasha before the return to Nairobi.
Luxury lodges and tented camps carry the trip throughout, with airport pickup and drop-off included.
Departures run on any day subject to availability, and the trip suits solo travellers and children of all ages, with under fours travelling free. Rates are dated and depend on party size; see the schedule below.
CountryKenyaLake Nakuru · Maasai Mara · Lake Naivasha
Duration5 days4 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
From$2,076Per person in US dollars. From $2,076 applies to 6 people, Nov 1 to Dec 14, 2026. 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.
Map route
The route, stop by stop
1
Nairobi
Day 1 · Departs Nairobi
2
Lake Nakuru
Day 1 · 1 night
3
Maasai Mara
Days 2 to 4 · 2 nights
4
Lake Naivasha
Day 4 · 1 night
5
Nairobi
Day 5 · Ends here
What you are likely to see
Elephant
Lion
Buffalo
Zebra
Giraffe
Wildebeest
Rhino
Flamingo
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.
Gallery
The ground this safari covers
Day by day
5 days, in order
Each day lists the route, the meals included and the lodge for that night. Ask us for the expected driving time on any day.
01
Nairobi to Lake Nakuru
Nairobi to Lake Nakuru
A representative and a private driver-guide are waiting in the arrivals hall at Jomo Kenyatta International, and within the hour the city is behind the vehicle. The road climbs through the highlands and then drops over the edge of the Great Rift Valley, the valley floor opening up below, until Lake Nakuru comes into view, shining silver in its basin.
Lunch is at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, on the hillside above the lake. In the afternoon the first game drive goes out and stays out until sunset. Nakuru is a fenced sanctuary for both black and white rhino, so the odds of seeing them are unusually good, and lion and leopard move through the same woodland. It is a strong first day on safari, and the light over the lake at the end of it is hard to beat.
Afternoon game driveLunch and dinner
Day 12 photos
Accommodation
One night
6 photos
Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge
Inside Lake Nakuru National Park, on the slopes above the lake Lodge · 6 photos
View lodge & photosClose
The only lodge on Lion Hill itself, inside the park, so the game drives start at the door. Chalets step down the ridge and look across the soda lake.
02
Lake Nakuru to the Maasai Mara
Lake Nakuru to Maasai Mara
After breakfast the road heads west, back across the Rift Valley and on through Narok, until the farmland thins and the long grass of the Maasai Mara takes over. This is the reserve that gives Kenya its reputation, with an extraordinary concentration of large animals and a starring role in the annual wildebeest migration.
Lunch is at Tipilikwani Mara Camp, a luxury tented camp inside the reserve, where the sounds of the plains carry straight into the tents. As the heat fades, the evening game drive heads out across the rolling savannah, the light turning gold and the animals beginning to move again.
Evening game driveAll meals
Day 22 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2
5 photos
Tipilikwani Mara Camp
North bank of the Talek River, just outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Tipilikwani Mara Camp stands on the northern bank of the Talek River, just outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with its own footbridge across the river leading directly into the reserve. Game drives therefore start almost at the door, usually exploring the Sekenani sector, with morning, afternoon and full-day outings possible. The camp has twenty […]
03
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Maasai Mara National Reserve
A whole day to discover the Mara in depth. The drives follow the rhythm of the plains: elephant families crossing between the thickets, giraffe browsing the lone acacias, impala and topi grazing in the open, and lions, usually resting, occasionally hunting, always worth waiting for. The birdlife is rich too, from secretary birds striding through the grass to vultures circling overhead.
For anyone who wants it, the day can begin in a hot air balloon, lifting off at dawn and drifting silently over the herds before landing for a champagne breakfast on the plains. A visit to a Maasai village, to meet the families who share this land with the wildlife, is also available. Both are optional and at extra cost.
Full day game driveOptional hot air balloonAll meals
Day 32 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2
5 photos
Tipilikwani Mara Camp
North bank of the Talek River, just outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 5 photos
View lodge & photosClose
Tipilikwani Mara Camp stands on the northern bank of the Talek River, just outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with its own footbridge across the river leading directly into the reserve. Game drives therefore start almost at the door, usually exploring the Sekenani sector, with morning, afternoon and full-day outings possible. The camp has twenty […]
04
Maasai Mara to Lake Naivasha
Maasai Mara to Lake Naivasha
The Mara is left after breakfast, and the road climbs back into the Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake lying beneath the old volcano of Mount Longonot. Lunch is at Muthu Lake Naivasha Country Club, on the shore.
The afternoon is gentle and green after the dust of the Mara. A walk along the lakeside comes first, among fever trees and birdsong, and then a boat carries the party across to Crescent Island, where giraffe, zebra and antelope graze with no predators to trouble them. Fish eagles call from the treetops, hippos surface close to the boat, and the views across the water to the surrounding hills are superb.
Lakeside walkCrescent Island boat tripAll meals
Day 42 photos
Accommodation
One night
4 photos
Muthu Lake Naivasha Country Club
South Lake Road, Lake Naivasha Hotel · 4 photos
View lodge & photosClose
A 1930s colonial country house and its cottages, set in gardens of yellow fever acacia that reach the lake. Zebra, waterbuck and colobus move across the lawns.
05
Lake Naivasha to Nairobi
Lake Naivasha to Nairobi
After a last breakfast by the lake, the road climbs the wall of the Rift Valley. Near the top there is a stop at the escarpment for one final look back: the valley floor stretching away, Mount Longonot standing in the middle of it, and the lakes glinting in the distance.
From there the road levels out through Kikuyu farmland and tall eucalyptus plantations, and on into Nairobi, reaching Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in good time for the onward flight.
Rift Valley escarpmentBreakfast and lunch
The price
The price, in full
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 transfer
- 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 Oct 31, 2026 | $4,976 | $3,358 | $3,258 | $2,879 | $2,914 | $2,718 | Quote |
| Nov 1 to Dec 14, 2026 | $4,047 | $2,714 | $2,520 | $2,236 | $2,214 | $2,076 | Quote |
| Dec 15 to 31, 2026 | $4,976 | $3,358 | $3,258 | $2,879 | $2,914 | $2,718 | Quote |
| Jan 1 to Mar 31, 2027 | $4,047 | $2,714 | $2,520 | $2,236 | $2,214 | $2,076 | Quote |
| Apr 1 to Jun 30, 2027 | $4,976 | $3,358 | $3,258 | $2,879 | $2,914 | $2,718 | Quote |
| Jul 1 to Oct 31, 2027 | $4,976 | $3,358 | $3,258 | $2,879 | $2,914 | $2,718 | Quote |
Rates are per person in US dollars and exclude international flights. Bookings of seven or more are quoted on request.
Before you book
Questions, answered
What travellers ask us most about a safari like this one. Anything else, ask below and a specialist in Nairobi replies within one business day.
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. 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 Toyota Land Cruiser from Volcan’s own fleet, in the company’s colours, 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 within one business day 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
5-Day Luxury 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
$2,076
Per person in US dollars. From $2,076 applies to 6 people, Nov 1 to Dec 14, 2026. 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.
Similar safaris
You might also consider
Luxury 
Luxury 7-Day Luxury Kenya Safari Beyond the Main Circuit
$1,965 / personPrivate · lowest rate, US$, subject to availability
View itinerary
Luxury 6-Day Luxury Amboseli, Lake Naivasha & Maasai Mara Safari
$1,890 / personPrivate · lowest rate, US$, subject to availability
View itinerary
All prices shown are estimates. Your final price is confirmed in your written quote.
