Itineraries. Updated November 2026. 4 min read.
You flew 15 hours for a meeting in Nairobi. Four more days turns that ticket into a safari. This route is built for business travelers and anyone adding days to a work trip: one full day of Nairobi's best, then a three-day safari by air to the Maasai Mara or Amboseli, home on the evening flight.
Day 1 is Nairobi: the elephant orphans at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the Giraffe Centre, the Karen Blixen Museum and a proper dinner. Days 2 to 4 are two nights on safari, flown both ways from Wilson Airport so you lose no time on the road. It starts at about $1,500 per person sharing, excluding international flights. It is a sample plan we tailor to your meetings, not a fixed departure.
Who four days suits
- Business travelers finishing a conference or meetings in Nairobi
- Teams adding a short safari to a company trip; ask us about group pricing
- Travelers on a long stopover who want more than a layover day
- People with a week of leave that includes the flights
If you have only a day or a long layover, our Nairobi layover guide is the page for you. If you have five days, our 5-day route spends them in the Mara and on Lake Naivasha. And if you want only the safari part, our 3 days in the Maasai Mara page goes hour by hour.
Before or after the meetings?
After, almost always. Safari days start before 6am and finish with dinner by a fire; that is a poor preparation for a board presentation, and the jet lag is easier to carry through a day of meetings than through a dawn game drive. Put the Nairobi day first after your last meeting, as a gentle bridge, then fly out to the bush. The exception is a long-haul arrival with a free weekend before the conference starts: then the safari can go first and the meetings after.
A Nairobi day that works
| Time | What | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00am | Giraffe Centre in Lang'ata | Feed Rothschild's giraffes from a raised platform |
| 11:00am | Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant nursery | The late-morning visiting hour; book ahead online |
| 1:00pm | Lunch in Karen | Ten minutes from both |
| 2:30pm | Karen Blixen Museum | The Out of Africa farmhouse below the Ngong Hills |
| 4:00pm | A craft market or a coffee tasting | Or a nap; you have an early start tomorrow |
| 7:30pm | Dinner | Nyama choma or a Westlands restaurant, then early to bed |
Stay in Karen for this day if you can. It is close to all four stops and to Wilson Airport for tomorrow's flight, and it is calmer than the business districts. Our Nairobi stay guide compares Karen, Westlands and the areas near the airports.
Mara or Amboseli for three days?
| Maasai Mara | Amboseli | |
|---|---|---|
| Flight from Wilson | About 45 minutes | About 40 minutes |
| What it is best for | Big cats, and the migration from about late July to October | Elephant families under Kilimanjaro, and the mountain at dawn and dusk |
| Reserve or park fee, adult | $100 a day January to June, $200 July to December | Kenya Wildlife Service rate; see our park fees page |
| Good to know | The strongest choice for a first safari | Kilimanjaro hides in cloud through the middle of the day |
For a first safari we usually pick the Mara, because the density of predators is hard to beat in two days. Choose Amboseli if elephants are your animal, if you have seen the Mara before, or if you want the Kilimanjaro photograph on your office wall.
Practical notes for business travelers
- Luggage: light aircraft take about 15 kg per person in a soft bag. Leave the suit, the laptop bag and the rest at your Nairobi hotel; most will store it for you
- Work: many camps have Wi-Fi in the main area, but signal in the field is patchy. A local SIM or eSIM helps; see our connectivity page
- Paperwork: one Kenya eTA covers your whole stay; give the purpose of your trip honestly on the form. Add Kenya's $44 inbound health insurance on eCitizen
- Paying: you can pay in full or monthly with no deposit, and we can itemize the quote per traveler for expense claims
- Clothes: neutral colors for the bush, a warm layer for early drives, and nothing you mind getting dusty
When to go
You probably do not choose your conference dates, and that is fine: both parks are good all year. Late July to October is peak season in the Mara, so book the safari part as soon as your meeting dates are firm. January to March is dry and good value in both parks. April and May bring the long rains; flights still run, but some camps close.
What is included
- Airport and hotel transfers in Nairobi, and transfers to and from Wilson
- A full Nairobi day with a driver and entry to the Giraffe Centre, Sheldrick and the Karen Blixen Museum
- Return flights to the Mara or Amboseli
- Two nights in a tented camp or lodge, full board, with game drives and park fees
- Our 24-hour support
What is not included
- International flights and your hotel nights before the trip starts
- Kenya eTA, Kenya's inbound health insurance and travel insurance
- Dinner in Nairobi, the balloon flight and other extras
- Tips and personal items
How to book
Send us your meeting dates and your flight home, and we will fit the four days around them, with the safari flight timed to your last meeting. We send a written quote that lists every fee. Fees and fares change, so we price on the day you ask.
