5-Day Aberdare · Lake Nakuru · Maasai Mara

Day by day

5 days in East Africa.

1. Day 1

   Nairobi – Aberdare National Park / Treetops

   After breakfast at your Nairobi lodge, drive north towards the Aberdare range, arriving at the base hotel outside the park in time for lunch. In the afternoon the transfer continues into Aberdare National Park to a tree lodge built beside a floodlit waterhole and salt lick. Game viewing here is from the lodge itself: elephant, buffalo, bushbuck and, with luck, a giant forest hog or rhino visit through the evening and night. Dinner and overnight at the tree lodge.

   Overnight

   KWS public campsite, AberdareThe Ark, Aberdare

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner

2. Day 2

   Aberdare National Park – Lake Nakuru National Park

   Leave the tree lodge after breakfast and drive west across the highlands and down into the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park, arriving in time for lunch at the lodge. The afternoon is spent on a game drive in the 4x4 Land Cruiser around the lake and its wooded slopes, looking for rhino, buffalo, waterbuck and the flamingos that gather on the alkaline shoreline in varying numbers. Return for dinner and settle in for the evening.

   Overnight

   Buraha Zenoni, Lake NakuruLake Nakuru Sopa Lodge

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner

3. Day 3

   Lake Nakuru – Maasai Mara

   Breakfast is followed by a final game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park before leaving for the Maasai Mara. The route runs south-west through Narok and onto the open grassland of the reserve, arriving at the lodge in time for lunch. An afternoon game drive gives a first look at the Mara's plains, river lines and resident wildlife as the day cools. The day ends with dinner and time to unwind.

   Overnight

   Miti Mingi Camp, Maasai MaraZebra Plains Mara Camp

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner

4. Day 4

   Maasai Mara Full Day

   A long morning game drive in the 4x4 Land Cruiser covers the reserve while animals are active, followed by a restful afternoon by the pool or a second drive if you prefer. The Mara is the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem, and when the wildebeest migration is resident, generally between July and October, huge herds spread across much of the reserve. A dawn balloon flight is available as an optional extra on request. Meals are provided and the evening is yours before the night.

   Overnight

   Miti Mingi Camp, Maasai MaraZebra Plains Mara Camp

   Meals

   Breakfast, lunch and dinner

   

5. Day 5

   Maasai Mara – Nairobi

   Start with a pre-breakfast game drive while the plains are still cool and the cats are most likely to be on the move, then return to the lodge for breakfast and check-out. The drive back to Nairobi climbs out of the Mara through Narok and up the Rift Valley escarpment, arriving in the afternoon. Drop-off is at your hotel or the airport, so share your flight details when booking and we will time the departure from the Mara to suit them.

   Meals

   Breakfast

Your questions, answered.