7 Day Kenya Safari: Amboseli, Naivasha, Nakuru and Masai Mara

A seven day Kenya safari across four of the country's best known parks, from the elephant herds and Kilimanjaro views of Amboseli to the flamingos and rhinos of Lake Nakuru and the big cats of the Masai Mara, with a boat trip on Lake Naivasha along the way. Full board throughout at Sopa Lodges.

GENERAL

ITINERARY

ALLOCATION

INQUIRY

WHY US?

7 Day Kenya Safari Overview

This 7 day Kenya safari visits Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara, covering the country’s classic southern and Rift Valley circuit from Nairobi. The route moves from the elephant country beneath Mount Kilimanjaro up through the Great Rift Valley lakes to Kenya’s most famous reserve.

Amboseli National Park is known for large, free-ranging elephant herds and for its views of Mount Kilimanjaro across the Tanzanian border, with swamps fed by underground water from the mountain that hold wildlife year round. Two nights here allow a full day of game drives across the park’s varied habitats, from the dry bed of Lake Amboseli to the sulphur springs and acacia woodland.

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake in the Rift Valley, where a boat trip brings you close to hippos, pelicans and African fish eagles. A guided walk on Crescent Island follows, one of the few places in Kenya where you can walk unfenced among giraffe, zebra and waterbuck.

Lake Nakuru National Park holds both black and white rhino along with Rothschild’s giraffe, and its alkaline lake draws flamingos and pelicans when water levels suit them. The Masai Mara National Reserve closes the itinerary with two nights and the highest predator density in Kenya, and between July and October it receives the wildebeest herds moving north from the Serengeti.

Price Per Person (7-Day Safari)


1 Pax	2 Pax	3 Pax	4 Pax	5 Pax
$325	$290	$240	$200	$180

Safari Highlights

Safari Highlights Map

DAY TO DAY ITINERARY

You are collected in Nairobi and depart for Amboseli National Park at 7:00 am, a drive of around four hours covering 240 kilometres south towards the Tanzanian border. You arrive at Amboseli Sopa Lodge in time for check-in and lunch.

The afternoon is spent on a game drive in Amboseli, a park known for its big game and for a landscape dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro rising across the border. Elephant, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and impala are commonly seen, and leopard is present though harder to find. You return to the lodge in the evening.

Meals: Lunch, dinner and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge

You are likely to spot elephant, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, impala, and leopard. In the evening, you return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Lunch, Dinner, and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge.

The day begins with an early morning game drive, returning to the lodge for breakfast. You then set out again with packed lunch boxes for a full day in the park.

Amboseli holds five distinct habitats within a compact area: the dry bed of Lake Amboseli, wetlands fed by sulphur springs, open savannah, acacia woodland and swamp. The swamps draw underground water from Kilimanjaro and hold wildlife year round, which is why sightings here are unusually reliable. Birdlife is exceptional, with pelican, bee-eater, kingfisher, African fish eagle and pygmy falcon among the species regularly recorded.

There is also the option to visit a Maasai community living around the park boundary, where you can see how families live alongside the wildlife.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight at Amboseli Sopa Lodge

After breakfast you check out and depart at 6:30 am for Lake Naivasha, a drive of roughly six to seven hours through Nairobi and up into the Great Rift Valley. You arrive at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort for check-in and lunch.

In the afternoon you take a two hour boat trip on Lake Naivasha, one of only two freshwater lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Hippos are seen at close range from the water, along with pelicans, herons and African fish eagles.

The boat continues to Crescent Island, a private sanctuary on the lake with no predators, where a guided walking safari brings you on foot among giraffe, zebra, waterbuck and eland. Walking unfenced among plains game is possible in very few places in Kenya. You return to the lodge in the evening.

Meals: Lunch, dinner and overnight at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort

After breakfast you check out and depart at 8:00 am for Lake Nakuru National Park, a drive of around two hours north along the floor of the Rift Valley. You arrive at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge for check-in, then leave with packed lunch boxes for a full day in the park.

The morning is spent along the lake shore looking for flamingo, white pelican, ibis, plover, stork and heron. Flamingo numbers rise and fall with the lake’s salinity, so the size of the flocks varies considerably from season to season. Lunch is taken at the Makalia Falls campsite in the south of the park.

The afternoon game drive covers the wider park, which holds both black and white rhino, along with lion, buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffe, waterbuck, reedbuck, leopard and baboon. You return to the lodge in the evening.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

After breakfast you check out and depart at 7:00 am for the Maasai Mara National Reserve, a drive of around five to six hours with a stop at Narok, the last town before the reserve. You arrive at Masai Mara Sopa Lodge in the afternoon for check-in and lunch.

At 4:00 pm you take your first game drive in the Maasai Mara, one of East Africa’s foremost wildlife destinations and the reserve with the highest predator density in Kenya. You return to the lodge in the evening, where a bonfire and Maasai storytelling follow dinner.

Meals: Lunch, dinner and overnight at Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

A full day in the reserve with morning and afternoon game drives across the open grassland.

Giraffe, gazelle, impala, hyena, cheetah, leopard, lion, zebra, hippo and topi are all seen regularly here. Black rhino are present but harder to find, and are usually seen at a distance.

Between July and October the Maasai Mara receives the wildebeest migration, when over a million wildebeest, together with several hundred thousand zebra and gazelle, move north from the Serengeti in search of grazing and water. The herds cross the Mara River during this period, though crossings are unpredictable and cannot be guaranteed on any given day.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight at Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

After breakfast you depart the Maasai Mara for Nairobi, a drive of around five to six hours. On arrival you are transferred to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your onward flight.

Meals: Breakfast at Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

COST COVERAGE

Safari Cost Includes

All park fees, entrance fees, and Government Taxes
Certified and experienced English-speaking safari guide
Comfortable Land Cruiser 4x4s with pop-up roof
All transfers described on the program
Full board during your safari
Pickup and airport transfer
Bottled water and soft drinks throughout the tour
24/7 phone support
All accommodations

Safari Cost Excludes

Air tickets
Insurance
Tips for your safari guide
Visas & vaccinations
Balloon Safari in the Serengeti (Optional $600)
Lunch and dinner in the hotel (only before and after safari)

INQUIRIES & FAQ's

Inquiry Space

Safari FAQ's

Why is Amboseli famous?

Amboseli National Park is known for large, free-ranging elephant herds and for its views of Mount Kilimanjaro rising across the Tanzanian border. The park's swamps, fed by underground water from Kilimanjaro, hold wildlife year round and make sightings unusually reliable.

Can you see Kilimanjaro from Amboseli?

Yes, Amboseli offers the most famous view of Mount Kilimanjaro despite the mountain being in Tanzania, since the park sits directly across the border on the Kenyan side. The peak is most often clear in the early morning and late afternoon, and cloud commonly obscures it during the middle of the day.

What wildlife is in Lake Nakuru?

Lake Nakuru National Park is known for rhino, both black and white, along with Rothschild's giraffe and large numbers of flamingos when water levels suit them. Flamingo numbers fluctuate significantly with the lake's salinity, so they cannot be guaranteed in any given season.

When is the best time to see the migration?

The best time depends on which phase you want to see, since the herds move through the ecosystem across the whole year. River crossings in the northern Serengeti and Masai Mara typically occur between July and October, while calving on the southern Serengeti plains happens around January to March.

Do you need a visa for Kenya?

Kenya replaced its visa system with an Electronic Travel Authorisation in January 2024, and most international visitors must obtain an approved eTA online before boarding their flight. Visa on arrival is no longer available, citizens of East African Community states are exempt, and applications are made through the official government portal.