How many days in Kenya? 7 days, Nairobi, the Masai Mara and the Rift Valley lakes
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Most first safaris in Kenya follow the same sensible shape: a day in Nairobi, three nights in the Masai Mara, then the lakes of the Great Rift Valley on the way back. Seven days is enough to see the big cats, elephants and, from July to October, the wildebeest migration, without spending every day in a vehicle. Game drives start at dawn, rest is at midday, and the light and the animals return in the late afternoon; plan every day around that rhythm.
Short answer
Four days is enough for Nairobi and two nights in the Mara by light aircraft. Seven adds a third Mara day, the boat safari on Lake Naivasha and rhinos at Lake Nakuru.
The 7-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Nairobi: elephant orphans and giraffes
Morning. Book the 11:00 visit to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage on the edge of Nairobi National Park, where keepers bottle-feed baby elephants rescued from the wild (about KSh 2,000-2,500, booked online). Arrive by 10:45.
Afternoon. Drive 20 minutes to the Giraffe Centre in Langata (about KSh 1,500 for non-residents) to feed endangered Rothschild's giraffes from a raised platform. Then visit the Karen Blixen Museum (about KSh 1,200), the farmhouse of the 'Out of Africa' author.
Evening. Eat at Carnivore, the meat restaurant where waiters carve roasted meat at the table (about KSh 4,500-6,000), or at a restaurant in Westlands.
Nairobi traffic is heavy at rush hour. Use Uber or Bolt (most rides KSh 400-1,200) and allow an hour for any cross-town trip.
Day 2: Into the Masai Mara
Morning. Fly from Wilson Airport to an airstrip in the Masai Mara (about 45-60 minutes, roughly US$200-300 one way), or drive about 5-6 hours via the Rift Valley escarpment viewpoint and Narok, the last town before the reserve.
Afternoon. Lunch at camp, then your first game drive from about 16:00. The Mara is home to all of the Big Five, though rhinos are rare, and to some of Africa's densest populations of lions, leopards and cheetahs.
Evening. Dinner at camp. Most Mara camps are unfenced, so staff walk you to your tent after dark; you will hear hyenas and lions at night.
Mara reserve fees for foreigners rose sharply in 2024: about US$200 per person per day from July to December and about US$100 the rest of the year. Check whether your safari price includes them.
Day 3: A full day in the Mara
Morning. Leave camp at 6:00 for a dawn drive, the best time for lions on the move and cheetahs hunting. Optional: a hot-air balloon flight at sunrise (about US$450-550) with a champagne breakfast in the bush.
Afternoon. Take a picnic lunch to the Mara River, where from roughly July to October the Great Migration of over a million wildebeest and zebras crosses from Tanzania, with crocodiles waiting in the water.
Evening. Return to camp by 18:30, when vehicles must leave the reserve roads. Sit by the fire for sundowners; ask your guide about what you saw.
River crossings are unpredictable: herds can gather on the bank for hours and then turn back. Bring patience, a long lens and water.
Day 4: Mara conservancies and a Maasai village
Morning. Drive into a private conservancy bordering the reserve, such as Olare Motorogi or Naboisho, where vehicle numbers are limited, off-road driving and walking safaris are allowed, and the land is leased from Maasai families.
Afternoon. Visit a Maasai village (about US$20-30 per person, paid to the community), to see how homesteads (manyattas) are built from mud and cow dung and the jumping dance, the adumu.
Evening. A last sunset drive. Many camps finish with a bush dinner or a night drive in the conservancies, where they are permitted.
Ask your guide or camp to arrange the village visit through a community-run programme, so the money goes to the families rather than to middlemen.
Day 5: Lake Naivasha: boats and hippos
Morning. Drive about 4-5 hours to Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake in the Rift Valley ringed by yellow fever trees, at about 1,890 metres. Stop at the escarpment viewpoint above the valley floor.
Afternoon. Take a 1-hour boat ride (about KSh 3,000-5,000 per boat) to see hippos, fish eagles and pelicans, then walk on Crescent Island, a private sanctuary where giraffes, zebras and wildebeest graze with no predators (about US$30-40).
Evening. Stay in a lodge on the lakeshore; hippos often come out to graze on the lawns after dark, so stay on the paths.
Hippos are dangerous on land. Never walk between a hippo and the water, and keep 30 metres or more away.
Day 6: Hell's Gate and Lake Nakuru
Morning. Cycle or drive into Hell's Gate National Park (about US$30 for non-residents), where you can ride a bike among zebras and buffalo past the tall cliffs of Fischer's Tower. Walk into the Ol Njorowa Gorge with a ranger.
Afternoon. Drive about 1.5 hours to Lake Nakuru National Park (about US$60) for an afternoon drive. The park is fenced and one of Kenya's best places to see both black and white rhinos, plus Rothschild's giraffes and lions in the acacia trees.
Evening. Stay in or near the park; from the Baboon Cliff viewpoint, the lake turns gold at sunset.
The famous pink flamingo shores of Nakuru have shrunk as the lake level rose; you may see more at Lake Bogoria, about 2 hours north.
Day 7: Back to Nairobi, or on to the coast
Morning. Take a final early drive in Lake Nakuru, then return to Nairobi (about 3-3.5 hours). In the city, visit the Nairobi National Museum (about KSh 1,200) for its human origins hall.
Afternoon. Shop for kikoi cloth and soapstone at the Maasai Market, which moves between malls on different days, and have coffee at a Kenyan roaster.
Evening. Fly home from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or take the Madaraka Express train to Mombasa (about 5-6 hours) or a 1-hour flight for beach days at Diani.
Allow at least 1.5-2 hours from central Nairobi to the airport at evening rush hour, plus security checks at the airport entrance.
Only have 4 days?
With 4 days, spend Day 1 in Nairobi and fly to the Mara for three nights. You lose the Rift Valley lakes, but gain an extra full day of game drives.
Got extra days?
Add 2-3 days at Amboseli (about 4-5 hours from Nairobi) for elephants under Mount Kilimanjaro, Samburu in the north for rare species such as Grevy's zebra, or 3-4 days on the beach at Diani, Watamu or Lamu.
Where to stay in Kenya
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Mara budget camps outside the gate / Nairobi Westlands | Fixed tents near Talek or Sekenani gates; guesthouses in Nairobi. | KSh 6,000-12,000 |
| Mid-range | Mara reserve tented camps | Inside or on the edge of the reserve, all meals and drives included. | KSh 30,000-60,000 |
| Mid-range | Lake Naivasha lodges | Lakeshore gardens with hippos at night, close to Hell's Gate. | KSh 15,000-30,000 |
| Comfort | Mara conservancy camps | Small, exclusive camps with walking safaris and few vehicles. | KSh 100,000-250,000 |
Getting around
Most visitors book a safari package with a driver-guide and a pop-up roof 4x4 or Land Cruiser, priced per person per day (budget group safaris from about US$150-250 per day, mid-range US$350-600). Light aircraft from Wilson Airport save 5-6 hours each way to the Mara. Roads from Nairobi to Narok and Naivasha are paved; the last stretch into the Mara is bumpy. In Nairobi, use Uber or Bolt. Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) applied for online before travel.
What to eat in Kenya
Safari camps usually serve full board, from breakfast in the bush to three-course dinners. In Nairobi, try nyama choma (grilled goat or beef) with ugali (stiff maize porridge) and kachumbari (tomato-onion salad), sukuma wiki (spiced greens) and Swahili dishes such as pilau and biryani from the coast. Chapati and mandazi (sweet fried dough) are everyday snacks. Drink Kenyan tea with milk, and Tusker beer for about KSh 300-500. A local meal costs KSh 500-1,200.
Best time to visit
July to October is the dry season and the migration in the Mara, with the highest prices. January to February is also dry, warm and good for game viewing. The long rains fall from about late March to May, when some camps close and roads turn to mud, but prices drop. Nairobi, at 1,800 metres, is mild all year, around 22-26°C by day and cool at night.
Month-by-month weather for Kenya →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | KSh 5,000 | KSh 20,000 | KSh 70,000 |
| Food & drink | KSh 2,500 | KSh 5,000 | KSh 12,000 |
| Sights & tickets | KSh 10,000 | KSh 18,000 | KSh 28,000 |
| Local transport | KSh 7,000 | KSh 15,000 | KSh 40,000 |
| Total per person, per day | about KSh 24,500 | about KSh 58,000 | about KSh 150,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Kenyan shillings (about KSh 130 to US$1), averaged over the trip; park fees are set in US dollars and the Mara is the most expensive at about US$100-200 per day, while the eTA costs about US$30-35.
Before you go
Common questions
When is the Great Migration in the Masai Mara?
The herds usually arrive from Tanzania's Serengeti around July and stay until about October, with river crossings on the Mara River most likely in August and September. Timing depends on the rains and varies each year. Even outside these months, the Mara has resident wildlife all year, including big cats, elephants and large herds of antelope.
Should I fly or drive to the Masai Mara?
Driving takes 5-6 hours each way from Nairobi, with the last part on rough roads, but is cheaper and lets you stop in the Rift Valley. Flying from Wilson Airport takes about 45-60 minutes and costs about US$200-300 each way, with luggage limits of about 15 kg in soft bags. Many travellers drive in and fly out.
Is Kenya safe for a safari?
Safari areas such as the Mara, Naivasha, Nakuru and Amboseli are safe and very used to visitors. In Nairobi, take taxis after dark, keep phones out of sight and avoid walking alone at night downtown. Some border areas with Somalia and parts of the north are covered by government travel warnings; check current advice before going.
What vaccinations do I need?
A yellow fever certificate may be required if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, and is recommended for many areas. Most visitors also take malaria tablets for the Mara and the coast. Talk to a travel clinic six to eight weeks before you leave, and check that routine vaccinations are up to date.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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