Itineraries. Updated November 2026. 5 min read.
One week, three landscapes: elephant families walking under Kilimanjaro, flamingos and hippos on a Rift Valley lake, and lions on the Mara's open grass. This is the classic Kenya week, the one we plan more often than any other for Americans on their first safari, and the order you do it in matters as much as the places.
Here is the plan in two sentences. Two nights in Amboseli, one night on Lake Naivasha or Lake Nakuru, and two nights in the Maasai Mara, with a night in Nairobi to land and a flight from the Mara to go home. By road it starts at about $2,600 per person sharing; fly two legs and it starts at about $3,600. It is a sample route we tailor to you, not a fixed departure, so we move nights, camps and flights around your dates.
Who this week suits
- First-time safari travelers with one week of vacation, which is most of the people who write to us
- Couples and pairs of friends who want variety: mountain views, a lake and the big cats
- Families with children old enough for a few long drives, usually 8 and up; younger children do better with the fly-in version
- Photographers who want three very different backdrops in one trip
If you have only five days, our 5-day route keeps the Mara and Naivasha and drops Amboseli. If you have ten, our 10-day route adds three nights on the beach at Diani. And if you are still deciding how long to go, our guide to how many days of safari you need sets out the trade-offs in a page.
Why this order works
We start in Amboseli and finish in the Mara for three reasons. First, distance: Amboseli is south of Nairobi near the Tanzanian border, and the Mara is west, so doing Amboseli first and the Mara last means you only pass back through Nairobi once, on the long day 4. Second, you build up to the best: Amboseli's elephants and mountain are spectacular, but the Mara's density of predators is the high point, and ending there means the trip gets better each day instead of fading. Third, the flight home is easy: the Mara airstrips connect to Wilson in about 45 minutes, so you can game drive at dawn on your last morning and still make an evening international flight from JKIA.
The lake night in the middle is not filler. It breaks a road journey that would otherwise be 10 hours or more, gives you a boat ride and a walk after two days in a vehicle, and adds hippos, waterbirds and, at Nakuru, rhinos you will not see in the Mara. Altitude helps too: Naivasha sits around 1,900 meters, cooler at night than Amboseli, and a good place to sleep well before the early Mara starts.
Drive and flight times, leg by leg
| Leg | By road | By air | Our advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi to Amboseli | 4 to 5 hours via the Namanga road | About 40 minutes from Wilson | Drive if you want to see the country; fly if you have children |
| Amboseli to Naivasha or Nakuru | 6 to 7 hours via Nairobi | Fly Amboseli to Wilson, then about 2 hours by road | The hardest day; the one most worth flying |
| Naivasha to the Maasai Mara | 4 to 5 hours via Narok | Not usually flown | Leave after the sunrise boat ride |
| Maasai Mara to Nairobi | 5 to 6 hours | About 45 minutes to Wilson | Fly for an afternoon departure, drive for an evening one |
The price difference between road and fly-in is mostly the two light-aircraft legs and the cost of meeting a vehicle at the other end. On a one-week trip, flying the Amboseli leg alone saves most of a day, and that is the swap we suggest first if your budget stretches. Our fly-in or road guide explains how the bush flights work, and our luggage page covers the 15 kg soft-bag rule most airlines apply.
Three alternates we often build
| Swap | What you gain | What you give up | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Nakuru instead of Naivasha | Black and white rhinos, lions in the acacia woods, flamingos when water levels allow | The Naivasha boat ride and Crescent Island walk | Wildlife-first travelers |
| Ol Pejeta in Laikipia instead of Amboseli | Chimpanzees, the last two northern white rhinos, night drives; about 3.5 hours north of Nairobi | Kilimanjaro views and Amboseli's big tuskers | Repeat visitors, rhino lovers |
| Green-season week, January to March | Lower park and camp rates at many places, fewer vehicles, newborn animals | The wildebeest river crossings, which usually start in late July | Budget-minded travelers, photographers |
When to go
July to October is the peak: dry, clear and, in the Mara, usually the months of the Great Migration and the Mara River crossings. It is also when camps fill first, so book six to nine months ahead. January to March is our favorite value window: dry enough for good game viewing, with Kilimanjaro often clear at dawn and dusk. November and early December bring short rains, mostly afternoon showers. April and May are the long rains, when some camps close and road days get slower, but prices are at their lowest. The month-by-month seasons pages go deeper.
What is included
- Airport pickup on arrival and transfer back to JKIA or Wilson for your departure
- Six nights in the tier you choose: a Nairobi hotel, then camps and lodges on full board on safari
- A private safari vehicle with a pop-up roof and a professional Kenyan driver-guide for the whole road route
- Light-aircraft flights on the fly-in version, with ground transfers at each end
- Park and conservancy fees for every day on the plan
- Game drives, the Naivasha sunrise boat ride or the Nakuru park drive, and Observation Hill in Amboseli
- Drinking water in the vehicle and our 24-hour support in Kenya
What is not included
- International flights to Nairobi
- Kenya eTA, vaccinations and travel insurance
- The balloon flight over the Mara (about $450 to $550 per person) and a Maasai village visit (about $30 to $50)
- Tips for your guide and camp teams
- Premium drinks, laundry where it is charged, and personal items
How to book this week
Start with your dates and what matters most: elephants, cats, rhinos, a beach, or the lowest price. We tailor the route, choose camps for your budget, and send a written quote that lists park fees, flights and what is not included, so there are no surprises at the gate. Fees and fares change, and we price each trip on the day you ask. You can pay in full or monthly with no deposit. If you want a group on fixed dates instead, see our dated departures on the trips page. For what drives the cost up or down, read our Kenya safari cost guide.
