Kenya · Group joining · Budget safari
Kenya's essential circuit in a week
A week covering four of Kenya's best-known destinations: the Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha with Crescent Island, and Amboseli beneath Kilimanjaro.
From USD 840 pp
The journey in brief
The experience
Our seven-day budget circuit is one of the most complete short Kenya safaris. It suits solo travellers, couples and friends who want to see a lot without paying for private transport.
You spend two nights in the Maasai Mara, cross the Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha, including a walk on Crescent Island, then finish with two nights in Amboseli.
Full days in the Maasai Mara and Amboseli
Rhinos and lakeshore birdlife at Lake Nakuru
Guided walk on Crescent Island, Lake Naivasha
Kilimanjaro views from Amboseli
The route
Nairobi
Maasai Mara
Nakuru
Lake Naivasha
Amboseli
Nairobi
Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Nakuru → Lake Naivasha → Amboseli → Nairobi
Day by day
Timings are approximate. Your guide adjusts each day around road and wildlife conditions.
Day 1 / Nairobi → Maasai Mara
Meet your group in central Nairobi and depart around 8am. The Maasai Mara lies roughly 250–280 km to the west, about five hours with stops at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint and in Narok, where there is time to stretch your legs. After lunch and check-in at Miti Mingi Eco Camp, head out on an afternoon game drive until sunset, the start of a week that takes you across the floor of the Rift Valley to the foot of Kilimanjaro.
Day 2 / Maasai Mara National Reserve
Take packed lunches and spend the full day in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Your guide plans the route around where animals are being seen, reading the landscape for clues, and the day includes the Mara River area, where hippos and crocodiles live. In between, the open plains offer chances to observe lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo and the great herds of grazers, with the light changing from the soft morning glow to the bright clarity of midday.
Day 3 / Maasai Mara → Nakuru
After breakfast, there is time for an optional visit to a Maasai community before leaving the Mara. The drive back through Narok climbs into the Rift Valley and heads north, with an optional stop at Lake Naivasha, before reaching Nakuru for the night at Buraha Zenoni. It is a travel day, but a scenic one, with volcanoes, farmland and lakes along the valley floor.
Day 4 / Lake Nakuru National Park → Lake Naivasha
A morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park, from about 7:30am to midday, looking for rhinos, Rothschild's giraffe and the waterbirds of the lakeshore. Then continue to Lake Naivasha for the night at Leisure Apex. The afternoon is free for optional visits, such as Elsamere, the former home of Joy Adamson on the lakeshore and now a museum, or a lakeshore wildlife sanctuary.
Day 5 / Lake Naivasha → Crescent Island → Amboseli
Cross Lake Naivasha by boat to Crescent Island, a small sanctuary where you walk with a guide among giraffes, zebras and waterbuck, an unusual chance to be close to these animals on foot. Back on the mainland, begin the drive south to Amboseli, leaving the Rift Valley for the dry plains near the Tanzanian border and arriving at Nyati Safari Camp in the late afternoon.
Day 6 / Amboseli National Park
A full day in Amboseli National Park with packed lunches. The park is best known for its elephant families, which move between the dusty plains and the green swamps fed by water from Kilimanjaro. Spend time at the swamps, where buffalo, hippos and wading birds also gather, and cross the open plains, where zebras, wildebeest and gazelles graze. Lunch is a picnic in view of Kilimanjaro, cloud permitting.
Day 7 / Amboseli → Nairobi
A short morning game drive, then the return to Nairobi, aiming to reach the airport by about 2pm for onward flights. If you are continuing to Arusha, you can be dropped at the Namanga border instead for the onward journey into Tanzania. Either way, it is a relaxed finish to a week that has covered the Mara, the Rift Valley lakes and the foot of Kilimanjaro.
Where you stay
This budget safari uses the camps and hotels listed below. Where a stop says 'camp/lodge', we confirm the property with your quote.
Maasai Mara · 2 nights
The budget tented camp used for Absolute's Maasai Mara budget safaris, close to the reserve.
About Miti Mingi Eco Camp
Nakuru · 1 night
The Nakuru hotel used for overnight stays before or after a Lake Nakuru National Park game drive.
About Buraha Zenoni
Lake Naivasha · 1 night
The Naivasha base for budget safaris that include Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate.
About Leisure Apex
Amboseli · 2 nights
The budget camp used for Amboseli nights, with views towards Kilimanjaro on clear days.
About Nyati Safari CampAccommodation pattern: Budget · Miti Mingi Eco Camp + Buraha Zenoni + Leisure Apex + Nyati Safari Camp.
Prices are in US dollars per person. Your written quote confirms the final price for your dates and party size.
Prices can depend on travel dates, party size, accommodation availability and changes to park fees. All terms are confirmed in writing before you book.
The details
On your terms
The former home of Joy Adamson on the shore of Lake Naivasha, now a museum and conservation centre.
Look for hippos, fish eagles and pelicans from the water.
Before you travel
Check passport validity and entry requirements for every country on your route with official government sources before you travel.
Ask a travel-health professional about vaccinations and malaria precautions, and take out travel insurance that covers your activities.
A soft bag is easiest in safari vehicles. If any part of your trip includes light-aircraft flights, baggage limits apply.
Weather and wildlife movement change through the year. Tell us your dates and we will explain what to expect.
Questions travellers ask
Group-joining safaris follow the published route so everyone travels together. If you want changes, ask us about running the route privately.
Yes. Prices are in US dollars per person, as published in our catalogue. Your written quote confirms the final price for your dates and party size.
We reply with availability, any suggestions for your dates and a written quote. Nothing is booked until you have agreed the quote and booking terms.
No. Wildlife is free-ranging and sightings vary. Your guide will plan each day around conditions to give you the best chances.
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The next step
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability and send a written quote; nothing is booked until you agree.
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7 days · Kenya
From USD 840 pp
