6 Day Samburu and Masai Mara Safari

Our Samburu and Masai Mara safari links Kenya's wild, sun-baked north with its world-famous southern savannah in six remarkable days. You begin among the rare Special Five of Samburu National Reserve, cross the Equator to see rhinos at Lake Nakuru, and finish with big cats, vast herds and a Maasai village visit in the Masai Mara, before returning to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

This Samburu and Masai Mara safari is perfect for travellers who want more than the classic southern circuit, combining species found only in the north with the drama of the Mara. Prices for 2, 4 and 6 guests sharing a double room are shown in the table above for low, mid and peak season.

In This Guide

• Safari at a Glance
• Day-by-Day Itinerary
• Where You Stay
• The Destinations
• Wildlife You Can Expect
• What Is Included
• Seasons and When to Go
• Tips for Your Safari
• Frequently Asked Questions

Samburu and Masai Mara Safari at a Glance

• Duration: 6 days, 5 nights
• Route: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Samburu (2 nights), Lake Nakuru (1 night), Masai Mara (2 nights), JKIA
• Accommodation: Samburu Sopa Lodge, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge and Masai Mara Sopa Lodge, all on full board
• Vehicle: private 4x4 pop-up roof Land Cruiser with a professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Highlights: the Samburu Special Five, river elephants, rhinos at Lake Nakuru, big cats in the Mara and a Maasai village visit
• Group sizes priced: 2, 4 or 6 guests sharing double rooms
• Best for: wildlife enthusiasts, photographers and repeat visitors to Kenya

The route of this Samburu and Masai Mara safari follows a natural line from north to south. Lake Nakuru sits halfway between the two reserves, turning what would be a very long transfer into two comfortable drives with an extra park and a rhino sanctuary in between.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Nairobi (JKIA) to Samburu National Reserve

An early pick-up at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport starts your Samburu and Masai Mara safari. Your driver-guide heads north through the farmland of central Kenya, where the peaks of Mount Kenya often appear above the clouds. You cross the Equator near Nanyuki, with time for a photo at the sign, before descending into the dry country beyond Isiolo.

You arrive at Samburu Sopa Lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon you set out on your first game drive in Samburu National Reserve, searching for reticulated giraffes, Grevy's zebras and elephants making their way to the Ewaso Ng'iro River. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Meals: lunch and dinner. Overnight: Samburu Sopa Lodge.

Day 2: A Full Day in Samburu

Today is devoted to Samburu, with morning and afternoon game drives or a full day with a picnic lunch. Your guide will search for all of the Special Five: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich. Along the river, elephants drink and bathe, crocodiles bask on sandbanks and leopards rest in the riverine trees. Lions and cheetahs also hunt in the reserve. Return to the lodge for dinner under the northern stars.

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overnight: Samburu Sopa Lodge.

Day 3: Samburu to Lake Nakuru

After breakfast, you drive south-west, crossing the Equator again and descending into the Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park. You check in at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you explore the park on a game drive, looking for white and black rhinos, Rothschild's giraffes, buffaloes and, with luck, lions and leopards. Pelicans gather along the shore, and Baboon Cliff gives a breathtaking view over the lake. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overnight: Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge.

Day 4: Lake Nakuru to the Masai Mara

After breakfast, you head south through Narok to the Masai Mara, arriving at Masai Mara Sopa Lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you set out on your first game drive in the reserve, looking for lions, elephants, giraffes and herds of zebra and topi as the evening light turns golden. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Overnight: Masai Mara Sopa Lodge.

Day 5: A Full Day in the Masai Mara and a Maasai Village Visit

Spend the whole day exploring the Mara with a picnic lunch, following the latest sightings of lions, cheetahs, leopards and elephants. Between July and October, you may visit the Mara River hoping to witness a wildebeest crossing. In the late afternoon you visit a Maasai village, where your hosts share their songs, dances and traditions. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Meals: breakfast, picnic lunch and dinner. Overnight: Masai Mara Sopa Lodge.

Day 6: Masai Mara to Nairobi (JKIA)

After breakfast, you drive back to Nairobi, stopping for lunch en route. Your Samburu and Masai Mara safari ends with a drop-off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Meals: breakfast and lunch en route.

Where You Stay

Samburu Sopa Lodge (2 nights)

Samburu Sopa Lodge lies inside Samburu National Reserve, with warm, earthy cottages, a swimming pool and a waterhole that attracts wildlife. Because it is inside the reserve, reserve fees apply for each night you stay, and these are included in your price.

Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge (1 night)

Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge sits on the western escarpment inside Lake Nakuru National Park, with balconies overlooking the lake. Park fees for the night you stay are included.

Masai Mara Sopa Lodge (2 nights)

Masai Mara Sopa Lodge stands on a hillside near the Oloolaimutia gate, with thatched round cottages and a swimming pool. The reserve management treats it as part of the reserve, so reserve fees apply for each night, and these are included.

All meals on your Samburu and Masai Mara safari are on a full board basis, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are covered at every lodge.

The Destinations

Samburu National Reserve

Samburu National Reserve covers about 165 square kilometres of semi-arid land along the Ewaso Ng'iro River, managed by the Samburu County Government. Its dry climate supports the Special Five and healthy populations of elephants, lions and leopards. Read our guide to Samburu National Reserve and the Special Five.

Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park, managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service, is a fenced rhino sanctuary around a shallow alkaline lake and part of the Kenya Lake System UNESCO World Heritage Site. Read our guide to flamingos in Lake Nakuru National Park.

The Masai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara National Reserve covers about 1,510 square kilometres of savannah managed by Narok County Government, with the Mara Triangle run by the Mara Conservancy. It is famous for big cats and the Great Migration. Read our Masai Mara safari guide.

Wildlife You Can Expect on a Samburu and Masai Mara Safari

• The Samburu Special Five: Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich.
• Big cats: lions, leopards and cheetahs in both Samburu and the Mara.
• Rhinos: white and black rhinos at Lake Nakuru.
• Elephants and buffaloes: along the Ewaso Ng'iro River and across the Mara.
• Giraffes: three kinds in one trip: reticulated in Samburu, Rothschild's at Nakuru and Masai giraffes in the Mara.
• Birds: vulturine guineafowl in Samburu, pelicans at Nakuru, and secretary birds and vultures in the Mara.

Seeing three different giraffe types and all of the Big Five is possible on a Samburu and Masai Mara safari, which is one reason wildlife enthusiasts love this route. See our guide to the Big Five in Kenya.

What Is Included in Your Samburu and Masai Mara Safari

Included

• Airport pick-up and drop-off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
• All accommodation: 2 nights at Samburu Sopa Lodge, 1 night at Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge and 2 nights at Masai Mara Sopa Lodge, sharing a double room
• Full board meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, including a picnic lunch on the full Mara game-drive day
• En route lunch on the last day before your airport drop-off
• All park and reserve entry fees for Samburu National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park and the Masai Mara National Reserve
• Activity fees, including the Maasai village visit
• Transport in a private 4x4 pop-up roof Land Cruiser
• Services of a professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Drinking water in the vehicle during the safari

Not Included

• International and domestic flights
• Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) and travel insurance
• Drinks at the lodges, tips and items of a personal nature
• Optional activities such as a hot air balloon safari
• Room upgrades, suites and festive or Easter season supplements

Before you travel, apply for your Kenya eTA and read our Kenya visa guide.

Seasons and When to Go

The price table at the top of this page shows rates for three seasons, based on the dates used by the lodges:

• Low season: 1 April to 31 May, the green season during the long rains.
• Mid season: 2 January to 31 March, 1 to 30 June and 1 November to 21 December.
• Peak season: 1 July to 31 October and 22 December to 1 January.

Masai Mara reserve fees are higher from July to December, so guests travelling between 1 November and 21 December pay a small supplement per person, shown in the note under the price table. The dry seasons from June to October and January to March are the best time for a Samburu and Masai Mara safari, when animals gather near water in Samburu and the migration fills the Mara from July. The green season offers lush scenery and fewer visitors.

See our guide to the best time to visit Kenya month by month.

Tips for Your Samburu and Masai Mara Safari

• Prepare for heat in Samburu: light clothing, a hat and sunscreen are essential.
• Bring a warm layer: Lake Nakuru and the Mara can be cool in the early morning.
• Drink plenty of water: drinking water is provided in the vehicle throughout.
• Book early flights: the drive to Samburu takes about six hours, so arrive at JKIA early in the morning.
• Bring binoculars: the north is excellent for birdwatching.
• Ask before taking photos of people: especially in Samburu and Maasai communities.

For a complete checklist, read our Kenya safari packing list.

Why Choose This Samburu and Masai Mara Safari

A Samburu and Masai Mara safari shows you the full range of Kenya's wildlife in under a week. The northern reserve offers species and scenery you will not find in the south, with far fewer vehicles, while the Mara delivers classic big cat action. Lake Nakuru in the middle adds rhinos and birdlife and breaks the journey into easy stages.

All three lodges are inside or treated as inside their parks, so you are close to the wildlife from the moment you wake up. A private Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and an experienced driver-guide make every game drive comfortable and flexible.

The Maasai village visit adds a cultural highlight, and your guide will share insights about the Samburu people of the north as you travel through their homeland.

North Versus South: Two Kenyas in One Trip

One of the joys of a Samburu and Masai Mara safari is the contrast between the two regions. Samburu is hot and dry, with red earth, rocky hills and doum palms lining a river that is the lifeline of the reserve. Wildlife concentrates near water, and the animals are adapted to arid conditions: gerenuks that browse standing on their hind legs, oryx that can survive without drinking for long periods, and zebras with narrow stripes and large ears.

The Masai Mara is cooler and greener, with rolling grasslands that support enormous numbers of grazing animals and the predators that follow them. Here the drama is in the numbers: herds stretching to the horizon, prides of lions and the possibility of the Great Migration. Experiencing both on one Samburu and Masai Mara safari gives you a much deeper understanding of East African ecosystems than visiting either region alone.

Between them, Lake Nakuru shows yet another habitat, with fever tree forest, cliffs and a soda lake, home to rhinos and countless water birds. Three parks, three landscapes and one memorable Samburu and Masai Mara safari.

Travelling Responsibly

We plan every Samburu and Masai Mara safari to respect the wildlife and communities you visit. Your guide keeps a careful distance from animals, never drives off permitted tracks and switches off the engine at sightings to reduce disturbance. Guests are asked not to feed animals, to keep noise low and to take all litter back to the lodge.

The park and reserve fees included in your package fund rangers, anti-poaching patrols and conservation work in three protected areas. In Samburu, community conservancies around the reserve allow pastoralists to benefit from wildlife, while in the Mara, revenue from tourism supports Maasai landowners and local schools. By choosing lodges that employ local people and buying crafts directly from the communities you meet, you help make conservation worthwhile for the families who live alongside Kenya's wildlife.

If you would like to learn more, ask your guide about the conservation projects in each area. Many guests finish their Samburu and Masai Mara safari with a new appreciation of how tourism, people and wildlife depend on one another.

Photography Highlights

Photographers will find something special in every part of this route. In Samburu, the red earth and blue skies frame reticulated giraffes and elephants beautifully, and the river creates reflections at dawn. At Lake Nakuru, rhinos are often close to the tracks, and the view from Baboon Cliff is a favourite at sunset. In the Mara, big cats on termite mounds, herds on the horizon and dramatic storms make every Samburu and Masai Mara safari a photographer's dream. Read our Kenya photography safari tips before you go.

Extend Your Safari

• Add Lake Naivasha and an extra Mara night with our 8 Day Kenya Safari: Samburu to Masai Mara
• Add Amboseli with our 10 Day Kenya Safari: The Grand Sopa Circuit
• Visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy on the way north
• Finish on the beach using our Kenya safari and beach holiday guide

Frequently Asked Questions

How long are the drives on this Samburu and Masai Mara safari? JKIA to Samburu takes about six hours, Samburu to Lake Nakuru about five to six hours, Nakuru to the Mara about five to six hours, and the Mara to JKIA about five to six hours.

Why is Lake Nakuru included? It sits between Samburu and the Mara, breaking the journey and adding rhinos and birdlife.

Can children join this safari? Yes. The lodges offer reduced rates for children sharing with adults. Contact us for a family quote.

Will we see the Great Migration? The herds are usually in the Mara between July and October, but timing depends on the rains.

Is the vehicle private? Yes. Your group has its own 4x4 pop-up roof Land Cruiser and driver-guide throughout.

Book Your Samburu and Masai Mara Safari

Ready to explore Kenya from the wild north to the Mara plains? Check the price table above for your travel dates and group size, then send us a booking request using the form below, or contact us with any questions. You can also browse more Kenya safari packages.