About this safari
This 5 day Kenya family safari introduces wildlife at a gentle pace before building toward the Masai Mara. Your first night is beside Lake Naivasha, where a lakeside stay provides space to recover from travel. Lake Nakuru then adds a contrasting day of woodland and lakeshore game viewing before two nights in the Mara bring the holiday to its wildlife centrepiece.
The route is designed for travellers who want more than a direct drive to one reserve. Naivasha offers a change of scenery, Nakuru brings opportunities to search for rhinos, and the Mara provides a full day dedicated to the savannah. A private vehicle keeps the road itinerary exclusive to your household, with rest stops and viewing choices discussed with your guide.
Optional lake boating can be quoted separately, with suitability checked for the ages in your group and the prevailing conditions. Overnight stays use hotels, lodges or permanent tented accommodation rather than camping equipment. Explore Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara before planning your family departure.
Why travellers choose this journey
- A lakeside first night at Naivasha
- Lake Nakuru wildlife viewing focused on rhinos and bird habitats
- Two nights in the Masai Mara
- An optional boat excursion quoted separately
- Four nights in comfortable accommodation without camping
Follow your journey through Kenya
A clear look at where the safari begins, the destinations you visit and where the journey ends.
How this journey is designed
These categories describe the style of safari you are booking.
Your safari itinerary
Open each day to view the route, activities, meals, transport and accommodation details.
Depart Nairobi after meeting your driver guide and discussing the journey ahead. The drive to Naivasha is comparatively short, leaving time for a scenic stop where conditions allow. Reach your lakeside hotel or lodge for lunch, then use the afternoon to settle in and enjoy the grounds within the property’s visitor rules.
Your guide can help identify birds from a safe viewing area and explain why hippos must be watched at a distance, especially near the water after dark. A boat excursion is an optional addition, booked separately with a suitable operator, life jackets and an assessment of weather and child suitability. The standard afternoon remains free for rest. Enjoy dinner and an overnight stay beside the lake.
Have breakfast before the short transfer toward Nakuru. Carry your camera and binoculars in the vehicle so the first wildlife drive can begin without unnecessary unpacking. Depending on the lodge location, lunch is taken at the property or as a packed meal at an authorised stop inside the park.
Explore Lake Nakuru’s different habitats with your guide, looking for rhinos in open areas and giraffes near wooded ground. Children can compare the animals’ browsing and grazing habits while adults enjoy the changing views across the lake. Flamingo numbers are influenced by lake conditions and cannot be promised. Keep a flexible pace through the afternoon, then continue to your accommodation for dinner and your second safari night.
After breakfast, follow the road toward the Masai Mara with planned breaks to keep the journey manageable. Your guide will explain how the Rift Valley landscapes give way to the grasslands associated with Kenya’s great wildlife herds. Lunch is included, with the timing organised around road conditions and your accommodation’s meal schedule.
Check into your lodge or permanent tented room, where your family stays for two nights. An introductory game drive follows if you arrive early enough for reserve entry and unhurried viewing. Even familiar species such as zebra and impala can tell a new story here as their habitats and herd sizes change. Return to your accommodation for dinner, with the next day kept free of long road transfers.
Today is devoted to the Mara. Leave after breakfast and follow a flexible wildlife route chosen by your guide, who considers animal movements, weather and the family’s interests. There is time for patient observation at a lion resting place, an elephant herd or a busy patch of grazing animals when sightings allow.
Choose a longer drive with packed lunch at a designated picnic area or discuss a return to the lodge for a break before going out again. The aim is a rewarding safari day that children can enjoy without being exhausted. Seasonal migration activity may be encountered but is never guaranteed. Cultural visits and balloon flights are optional services outside the standard programme and must be booked separately. Dinner and overnight are at the same accommodation.
Take breakfast at your accommodation and prepare for the return journey to Nairobi. Your driver arranges comfort stops along the road, with room to stretch and refresh during the transfer. The day is primarily for travelling back, so there is no additional reserve game drive included before departure.
Your private safari ends at your chosen Nairobi hotel or the agreed airport drop off point. Breakfast is included while lunch and any accommodation after the safari are arranged separately. Share onward flight details before confirmation so the team can recommend a sensible departure time or an extra Nairobi night. An evening international flight gives more flexibility than a tight afternoon connection.
Know before you go
Accommodation and family rooms
Accommodation uses hotels, lodges or permanent tented rooms with beds and private bathroom facilities. You do not pitch tents or carry camping equipment. Properties, room types and their child policies are confirmed in your written quotation, subject to availability. Family rooms, connecting rooms, swimming pools and childcare are not guaranteed unless specifically confirmed.
Road travel and daily timing
Driving estimates exclude comfort stops, wildlife viewing, traffic and weather delays. Safari tracks can be rough. Your guide adjusts the schedule within park opening times and confirmed entry arrangements. Tell us about motion sickness, mobility requirements and preferred rest intervals before booking.
Children and activities
Provide each child’s age at the time of travel so accommodation and entry arrangements can be checked. Children remain under their accompanying adult’s supervision. Specialist walks, boating and balloon flights require separate suitability checks. Tell us about any child seat requirement before confirmation.
Meals and dietary requests
Lunch and dinner are included on the first day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on intermediate days. Breakfast is included on the final day. Lunch can be a packed meal or a scheduled stop. Please share dietary requirements before booking so the selected properties can confirm what they can provide.
Wildlife and seasons
Animal sightings, migration herds, river crossings, flamingo numbers and mountain views depend on natural conditions. No particular sighting is guaranteed. Discuss your travel dates with us so the itinerary can be matched to current conditions and your priorities.
Arrival and departure
The road itinerary starts with a morning collection in Nairobi. Travellers arriving later may need a separately arranged Nairobi overnight. The return drop off is at an agreed Nairobi hotel or airport. Send flight details before confirmation so sufficient road travel time can be planned.
What is included
- A private road safari vehicle with a viewing roof for your party during the itinerary, with fuel and the services of an English speaking driver guide.
- 4 nights in the lodge, hotel or permanent tented room accommodation confirmed in your written quotation.
- Meals as listed for each day, including lunch and dinner on day one, all three meals on intermediate days and breakfast on the final day.
- Standard entry fees for the scheduled visits to Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park, Masai Mara National Reserve, based on the ages and residency details supplied for the quotation.
- Game drives and road transfers described in the daily programme, within park opening times and the confirmed access arrangements.
- Morning collection from an agreed Nairobi hotel or airport point and the return drop off at an agreed Nairobi hotel or airport terminal.
- Drinking water carried in the safari vehicle during transfers and game drives.
- An included lunch arrangement on transfer days, with packed meals or suitable meal stops organised around the route.
- Accommodation reservations and safari coordination for the itinerary confirmed with Esperanza Tourism.
What is excluded
- International flights and any domestic flights not expressly added to the written quotation.
- Entry authorisation or visa charges, passports and personal travel documentation.
- Travel insurance, personal medical expenses and any emergency service not expressly included in the written quotation.
- Nairobi accommodation before or after the safari, early check in and late check out.
- Breakfast before the first day’s collection, and lunch or dinner on the final day.
- Alcohol, soft drinks and other beverages apart from drinking water carried in the safari vehicle.
- Tips, gratuities, laundry, souvenirs and personal shopping.
- Balloon flights, cultural visits, lake boating, guided walks and other optional activities.
- Special conservancy encounters, private conservancy access and activities beyond the standard game drives described.
- Accommodation upgrades, additional nights and transfers outside the agreed itinerary unless added to the quotation.
