6 Days Kenya Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli: The Complete Big Five Itinerary

The 6 Days Kenya Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli leads travelers to three of Kenya’s most celebrated wildlife destinations in a single, perfectly paced trip.

Starting from Nairobi, this Kenya safari itinerary takes you to the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve, the flamingo-filled shores of Lake Nakuru National Park, and finishes with the elephant herds and Kilimanjaro views of Amboseli National Park — three genuinely different ecosystems, one unforgettable 6-day Kenya wildlife safari.

Masai Mara National Reserve, in the country’s southwest, spans over 151,000 hectares of rolling savannah plains and stands among the seven natural wonders of Africa, first established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1961.

If your dream African safari has always centered on encountering an extraordinary concentration of wildlife, the Mara delivers the Big Five — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and both black and white rhinoceros — alongside Masai giraffes, Grant’s zebras, Thomson’s gazelles, wildebeests, hippos, cheetahs, and dozens of other species that make this reserve one of the greatest game-viewing destinations on Earth.

6 Days Kenya Safari: Tour at a Glance


Duration	6 days, 5 nights
Parks Visited	Masai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Amboseli National Park
Highlights	Big Five game drives, Great Migration territory, flamingo viewing, Mount Kilimanjaro views
Starting Point	Nairobi City or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Ending Point	Nairobi City
Transport	Private 4×4 safari vehicle throughout
Best Season	July–October (Great Migration); December–February (predator sightings)
Accommodation	Choice of luxury, midrange, or budget camps at each destination
Ideal For	First-time Kenya visitors, Big Five enthusiasts, birders, families

Tour Highlights: 6 Days Kenya Safari

Masai Mara National Reserve game drives
Amboseli’s free-ranging elephant herds beneath Mount Kilimanjaro
Watching flamingos and rhinos at Lake Nakuru National Park
Guided nature walks
Spotting the Big Five across three parks
World-class birding, with over 300 species recorded at Lake Nakuru alone

Brief Itinerary: 6 Days Kenya Safari

Day 1: Nairobi City/Airport to Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 2: Full-day Masai Mara game drive
Day 3: Masai Mara National Reserve to Lake Nakuru National Park
Day 4: Lake Nakuru National Park to Amboseli National Park
Day 5: Full-day wildlife viewing in Amboseli National Park
Day 6: Amboseli National Park to Nairobi City — departure

Lake Nakuru National Park Entrance Fee

Detailed Itinerary: 6 Days Kenya Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli

Day 1: Nairobi City/Airport to Masai Mara National Reserve

Your 6 Days Kenya Safari begins with a meet-and-greet from your private safari driver, either on arrival into Kenya or at your Nairobi lodging. After introductions and a trip briefing, you’ll leave Nairobi behind and drive southwest toward the Masai Mara, departing by around 7:00am and passing through the dramatic Great Rift Valley for your first photography stop of the trip.

You’ll arrive at your reserved Kenya Safari Camp by afternoon for lunch, settle in, and relax before your first Masai Mara game drive that evening.

The Masai Mara is home to lions, Masai giraffes, yellow baboons, leopards, warthogs, African bush elephants, Defassa waterbucks, Cape buffaloes, bushbucks, impalas, wildebeests, Grant’s zebras, gazelles, lesser kudu, and Roan antelopes — many of which you’ll likely encounter on this very first drive, before returning to camp for dinner.

Overnight: Luxury — Ol Seki Hemingway’s Mara Camp or Angama Mara. Midrange — Oldarpoi Mara Camp or Talek Bush Camp. Budget — Enchoro Wildlife Camp or Semadep Mara Camp. Meals: Lunch and dinner.

Day 2: Full-Day Masai Mara Game Drive — Tracking the Big Five

This is the day dedicated entirely to the Masai Mara Big Five safari experience. After breakfast at camp, you’ll venture into the heart of the reserve with a packed lunch, searching for klipspringers, cheetahs, gazelles, leopards, jackals, lions, black rhinos, African bush elephants, hippos, dik-diks, Roan antelopes, bushbucks, and more.

Picnic lunch is enjoyed right in the middle of the wilderness, and the game drive continues until evening, when you return to camp for dinner and a well-earned rest.

Overnight: Same camp options as Day 1. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 3: Masai Mara National Reserve to Lake Nakuru National Park

Your next destination is Lake Nakuru National Park, one of the Great Rift Valley’s most celebrated birding destinations and home to both lesser and greater flamingos.

The day starts early with breakfast, followed by a long drive that still delivers more wildlife sightings — lions, klipspringers, dik-diks, cheetahs, zebras, gazelles, and black rhinos — as you exit the Mara.

You’ll arrive at your Lake Nakuru lodge or camp for lunch, with two nights here offering the chance to add birding, game viewing, and hiking to your itinerary.

Overnight: Luxury — Flamingo Hill Tented Camp or Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge. Midrange — Ziwa Bush Lodge or Lakira Camp. Budget — Lake Nakuru Lodge or Kambi Amani Eco-Camp. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 4: Lake Nakuru National Park to Amboseli National Park

Wake to the sounds of the African wilderness at Lake Nakuru with a hearty breakfast, before searching for hippos, black rhinos, Masai giraffes, Cape buffaloes, Grant’s zebras, white rhinos, and leopards on a final morning game drive.]

From here, you’ll begin the long transfer to Amboseli National Park, famous above all for its unmatched views of the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. The rest of the day is reserved for relaxing at your lodge after lunch, ahead of a candle-lit dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight: Luxury — Tortilis Camp or Kibo Safari Camp. Midrange — AA Lodges, Sentrim Amboseli Camp, Kimana Amboseli Cultural Camping, or Masai Simba Camp. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 5: Full-Day Wildlife Viewing in Amboseli National Park

Though one of Kenya’s smaller safari destinations, Amboseli National Park consistently punches above its weight. After breakfast, your wildlife viewing begins right from camp, with sightings of free-ranging elephants, leopards, hippos, Grant’s zebras, Masai giraffes, Cape buffaloes, and rhinos — all set against the far-flung backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.

After lunch at your lodge, the afternoon is dedicated to a visit to a nearby Masai village and community, where you can join in traditional dances, tour authentic homesteads, and learn about Masai art and craft traditions.

Overnight: Same lodge options as Day 4. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Best National Parks in Kenya

Day 6: Amboseli National Park to Nairobi City — End of Safari

Your final morning delivers one last game drive before sunrise, giving you a final chance to spot the big cats before departing for Nairobi. Lunch is enjoyed en route at Emali Town, with arrival at the airport or your Nairobi hotel by late afternoon — marking the end of your 6 Days Kenya Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli.

End of the 6 Days Kenya Safari.

What’s Included in the 6 Days Kenya Safari

Your Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli safari package includes all meals as indicated in the day-by-day plan, entrance fees for every National Park and Reserve visited, 5 nights’ accommodation as specified in the itinerary, the services of a professional private driver, all relevant government taxes (including VAT), airport transfers, all activities except those marked optional, and ground transport throughout in a comfortable 4WD vehicle.

Not included: domestic or international flights, hotel fees for Nairobi before and after the safari, and personal items such as visa fees, cigarettes, medical and travel insurance, drinks, souvenirs, laundry fees, and telephone calls.

Best Time for a Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli Safari

Timing this 6-day Kenya safari well makes a genuine difference to the wildlife you’ll see. July to October marks the peak of the Great Wildebeest Migration in the Masai Mara, when millions of animals cross the plains in search of fresh grazing — an unmissable spectacle for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts.

December to February offers excellent predator sightings, particularly lions, cheetahs, and leopards, while the rainy season from March to June still delivers strong wildlife viewing, albeit with muddier roads.

For a deeper breakdown of timing across the Mara specifically, see our guide on the 12-hour rule for Masai Mara, which also covers park hours and seasonal planning tips.

Why This 6 Days Kenya Safari Works So Well

Few itineraries pack three such distinct ecosystems into a single week as efficiently as this one. The Masai Mara delivers the sweeping savannah and Big Five density that most people picture when they imagine an African safari; Lake Nakuru shifts the experience entirely toward birding and rhino conservation, with over 300 recorded bird species including lesser and greater flamingos, African fish eagles, and Goliath herons; and Amboseli closes the trip with arguably the most photogenic elephant-and-mountain backdrop anywhere in Kenya.

For more detail on how these parks compare to Kenya’s wider safari circuit, see our guide to the top safari parks in Kenya.

Family-Friendly and Budget Options

This itinerary works well for families, too — many of the lodges featured across all three parks offer genuinely kid-friendly setups, an angle we cover in detail in our guide to kid-friendly adventures in the Masai Mara.

Travelers working with a tighter budget should also see our overview of Masai Mara safari packages and our Kenya safari all-inclusive packages guide, both of which break down how pricing shifts across our luxury, midrange, and budget camp tiers.

Extend Your Kenya Safari or Combine with Gorilla Trekking

If six days isn’t quite enough, this itinerary extends naturally into a longer trip. Our 7 Days Best of Kenya Safari adds Lake Naivasha’s boat safaris to the same core route, while travelers wanting to combine Kenya’s savannah wildlife with East Africa’s other bucket-list experience should look at our 8 Days Bwindi Gorillas and Masai Mara Safari or 7 Days Gorilla Trek and Wildebeest Migration packages.

For a genuinely comprehensive regional trip, our 11 Days Kenya and Tanzania Safari adds the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater to the mix.

FAQ: 6 Days Kenya Safari to Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli

What is the best time of year for this safari? July to October for the Great Migration, or December to February for the best predator sightings.

Can I see the Big Five on this itinerary? Yes — lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and both black and white rhinos are all present across the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, and Amboseli.

Is this safari suitable for families with children? Yes, many of the featured lodges are genuinely family-friendly, with shorter, tailored game drives available for younger travelers.

Are international flights included? No — this package covers ground transport, park fees, meals, and accommodation, but international and domestic flights are arranged separately.

Which park offers the best flamingo viewing? Lake Nakuru National Park, home to both lesser and greater flamingos alongside over 300 other recorded bird species.