Quick answer
A 6-day Kenya safari works best as one night in Nairobi, three nights in the Maasai Mara with a full day at the Mara River, and one night at Lake Naivasha for a boat ride and walking safari before flying home. Mid-range land costs start at about ₹1,55,000 per person, including park fees.
The route
- Nairobi
- Maasai Mara
- Lake Naivasha
- Nairobi
Day-by-day plan
- 1
Day 1
Arrive in Nairobi
Morning: Land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and meet your driver-guide. If you arrive early, head for the Sheldrick elephant orphanage's 11 am visit.
Afternoon: Feed Rothschild's giraffes at the Giraffe Centre in Karen, then rest at the hotel.
Evening: Early dinner; Nairobi's Westlands area has several Indian and Gujarati restaurants.
Stay: Westlands or Karen, Nairobi
Sheldrick visits need advance online booking and run for one hour only.
- 2
Day 2
Drive to the Maasai Mara
Morning: Leave at 7 am. Stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, then continue through Narok town.
Afternoon: Reach camp for lunch, then your first game drive from about 4 pm until the gates close at dusk.
Evening: Dinner at camp; listen for lions and hyenas at night.
Stay: Maasai Mara (Talek or Sekenani area)
The drive is 5–6 hours with a rough final stretch. Flying from Wilson Airport takes under an hour.
- 3
Day 3
Full day in the Mara
Morning: Out at 6.30 am, when cats are most active, with a packed breakfast.
Afternoon: Picnic lunch near the Mara River. From July to October, wait for a wildebeest crossing.
Evening: Back at camp by sunset. Sundowner by the campfire.
Stay: Maasai Mara (Talek or Sekenani area)
Carry a hat, sunscreen, binoculars and a dust cover for your camera.
- 4
Day 4
Balloon flight and a Maasai village
Morning: Optional sunrise hot-air balloon with bush breakfast, or a morning game drive.
Afternoon: Rest at camp, then visit a Maasai homestead for the jumping dance and fire-making.
Evening: Final sunset game drive.
Stay: Maasai Mara (Talek or Sekenani area)
Balloon flights cost about USD 450–550 and sell out in peak season; book with your lodge.
- 5
Day 5
Lake Naivasha
Morning: Short early game drive, then about 4–5 hours by road to Lake Naivasha.
Afternoon: Boat ride among hippos and fish eagles, then a walking safari on Crescent Island among giraffe and zebra.
Evening: Dinner at a lakeside lodge.
Stay: Lake Naivasha
- 6
Day 6
Hell's Gate and departure
Morning: Optional cycling in Hell's Gate National Park, or a slow morning by the lake.
Afternoon: Drive about 2.5–3 hours to Nairobi; lunch and souvenir shopping at a Maasai craft market.
Evening: Transfer to the airport for your flight to India.
If your flight leaves late at night, add Nairobi National Park in the afternoon; it is next to the airport.
Is 6 days enough for a Kenya safari?
Yes, for a first safari. Three nights in the Maasai Mara gives you around six game drives, which is usually enough to see lions, elephants, giraffe, buffalo and cheetah, with fair odds of leopard. In migration season, the full day on Day 3 gives you the best chance of a river crossing. Lake Naivasha breaks the long drive back and adds a boat ride and a walking safari.
With eight or nine days, add two nights in Amboseli for elephants under Kilimanjaro, or Lake Nakuru for rhinos.
How this route works
Most packages use a 4x4 Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof and the same driver-guide throughout. The drive into the Mara is long and bumpy. Flying from Nairobi's Wilson Airport saves a day of travel and adds roughly ₹35,000–55,000 per person return.
What this itinerary costs
Mid-range land costs start at about ₹1,55,000 per person, twin sharing, for five nights with full-board lodges, park fees, a private vehicle and guide. The balloon flight and flights from India are extra. Travelling from January to June cuts the Mara park fee roughly in half. See the Kenya trip cost for all tiers.
India requires a yellow fever vaccination certificate from travellers arriving from Kenya. Get the jab at an authorised centre at least ten days before you fly.
Before you book
Apply for your eTA through the Kenya visa guide, check migration timing, and read the vegetarian food guide to Kenya. More ideas are on things to do in Kenya.
Frequently asked questions
Is 3 nights in the Maasai Mara enough?
Can I do this Kenya itinerary with young children?
Can I swap Lake Naivasha for Amboseli?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
