Luxury 5-Day Luxury Kenya Safari
$2,076 / personPrivate · lowest rate, US$, subject to availability
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Kenya
5-Day Luxury Kenya Safari with Hell’s Gate
A polished five-day circuit through the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha, with a Maasai cultural visit, a Crescent Island boat crossing and a walk through Hell's Gate.
Duration5 days4 nights
From$2,248per person, US$, lowest date and party-size rate. Estimate, subject to availability
Trip overview
A polished five-day journey through some of Kenya’s most compelling landscapes, combining the wildlife of the Maasai Mara with the rhino-rich shores of Lake Nakuru and the calm of Lake Naivasha. The route builds in a Maasai cultural visit, a boat crossing to Crescent Island and a guided walk through Hell’s Gate.
The safari is private throughout, travels in a pop-up-roof 4×4, and includes airport transfers at both ends. It begins and ends in Nairobi and is built to balance strong wildlife viewing with variety and comfort.
Departures run on any day subject to availability. Solo travellers are welcome, and children aged two and over can join. Groups of five or more are not available. The published rate runs from US$2,248 to US$4,503 per person, depending on travel dates and party size.
CountryKenyaMaasai Mara · Lake Nakuru · Lake Naivasha · Hell's Gate
Duration5 days4 nights
ArrangementPrivateyour own vehicle and guide
Starts & endsNairobi
From$2,248Per person in US dollars, from $2,248 up to $4,503 depending on travel dates and party size. 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
Maasai Mara
Days 1 to 3 · 2 nights
3
Lake Nakuru
Day 3 · 1 night
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 the Maasai Mara
Nairobi to the Maasai Mara
Collection is from a Nairobi hotel or the airport, and the road runs west toward the Mara, around 225 kilometres and five to six hours. The first stop is the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, where the escarpment drops away to the valley floor, and there is an optional stop in Narok for the local market.
A welcome lunch is waiting at Sarova Mara Game Camp, and then comes the first game drive across the Mara's open grassland, with lion, elephant and zebra all likely. The vehicle returns at sunset for dinner and a briefing around the campfire.
Rift Valley viewpointFirst game driveLunch and dinner
Day 12 photos
Accommodation
Night 1 of 2
4 photos
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 4 photos
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A luxury tented camp inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Canvas tents on raised decks with hardwood floors, four poster beds under netting and a private veranda facing the bush.
02
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Full day in the Maasai Mara
The start is early, to catch the predators while they are still active and the light as it changes over the plains. The drive works toward the Mara River, and lunch is a picnic in the open, far from any building.
An optional hot air balloon safari can be arranged at extra cost, best flown at first light, when the air is still and the herds below are just beginning to move.
Full day game driveOptional hot air balloonAll meals
Day 22 photos
Accommodation
Night 2 of 2
4 photos
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Maasai Mara National Reserve Tented camp · 4 photos
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A luxury tented camp inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Canvas tents on raised decks with hardwood floors, four poster beds under netting and a private veranda facing the bush.
03
Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru
Maasai Mara to Lake Nakuru
The day opens with a visit to a Maasai village, with traditional dance and a close look at the beadwork and ornaments made there by hand. Then the road runs north to Lake Nakuru, and check in at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge.
After lunch, the afternoon game drive looks for flamingo, black and white rhino, giraffe and gazelle, and finishes at Baboon Cliff, where the whole lake is laid out below in the evening light, before dinner.
Maasai village visitAfternoon game driveAll meals
Day 32 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
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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.
04
Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate
Lake Nakuru to Lake Naivasha & Hell’s Gate
Lake Naivasha is around two hours away, with check in at Enashipai Resort & Spa. A twenty minute boat ride then crosses to Crescent Island for a two hour guided walk among Thomson's gazelle, Maasai giraffe, impala, bushbuck, bat eared fox and Cape buffalo, all on foot and at close range.
In the afternoon the day moves on to Hell's Gate, for a guided walk through its gorges, with zebra grazing nearby and steam rising from the geothermal vents, before the return to the resort for dinner.
Crescent Island boat tripGuided walkAll meals
Day 42 photos
Accommodation
One night
4 photos
Enashipai Resort & Spa
Lake Naivasha, about 90 minutes from Nairobi Hotel · 4 photos
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A resort and spa on the Naivasha shoreline, with wide gardens under acacia and fever trees and rooms finished in warm timber and terracotta tones.
05
Lake Naivasha to Nairobi
Lake Naivasha to Nairobi
A leisurely breakfast, and then a short walking safari along the Naivasha shoreline, where giraffe and waterbuck often come close to the water and fish eagles call from the acacia trees.
The drive to Nairobi climbs back up the Rift Valley escarpment, with optional stops at the roadside curio stalls for beadwork and carvings. Nairobi is reached around midday or early afternoon, for drop-off at a hotel or the airport.
Lakeside walking safariRoad to NairobiBreakfast
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 specifically marked optional
- All accommodation unless listed as an upgrade
- A professional driver-guide
- All transportation unless specifically marked optional
- All taxes and VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals as specified in the itinerary
- Drinking water on all days
Not included
Budget for these separately.
- International flights
- Additional accommodation before or after the safari
- Tips
- Personal items, souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees
- Government-imposed increases in taxes or park fees
- Any meals not specifically listed as included
Rates by travel date
| Rate range | Per person |
|---|---|
| From | $2,248 |
| Up to | $4,503 |
The published rate depends on both the travel dates and the size of the party; groups of five or more are not available on this safari.
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 with Hell’s Gate
Dates are held for 72 hours without payment while you check flights. Nothing is charged until the itinerary is confirmed in writing.
From
$2,248
Per person in US dollars, from $2,248 up to $4,503 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.
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