Kilimanjaro to the Mara | 7-Day Kenya Safari from Nairobi

Kilimanjaro to the Mara: 7-Day Kenya Safari Through Amboseli, Lake Naivasha & the Maasai Mara

About This 7-Day Kenya Safari

Kilimanjaro to the Mara is a private 7-day Kenya safari that covers the country’s three best-known landscapes:

• Amboseli National Park, for elephant herds against the snow-capped peak of Mount Kilimanjaro
• Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, for hippos and abundant birdlife
• The Maasai Mara National Reserve, for lions, cheetahs, leopards and the Big Five

The trip starts and ends at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages, on the coffee farm that inspired Out of Africa. In between, you stay at well-located lodges inside the parks, so you spend less time on the road and more time on game drives. A professional driver guide takes you throughout in a 4WD safari vehicle with a pop-up roof for game viewing.

Seven days is enough to see Kenya’s three classic landscapes without rushing, which makes this an ideal first Kenya safari. The Out Of Africa Experience is a Nairobi-based safari operator that has run private safaris since 2005, and we can adjust this itinerary to your dates, group size and interests.

7-Day Kenya Safari Itinerary: Day by Day

Day 1: Arrive in Nairobi and Stay at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages

Our driver meets you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and takes you to Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages for the night, with breakfast included.

About Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages: The cottages sit on part of Karen Blixen’s original coffee farm estate, on the site of the original farmhouse. They are set in mature gardens in the quiet suburb of Karen, about half a mile from the Karen Golf and Country Club. It’s a peaceful, historic place to recover from your flight before the safari begins.

Day 2: Drive from Nairobi to Amboseli National Park and Take an Afternoon Game Drive

After breakfast, drive to Amboseli National Park, which takes about 4–5 hours. Check in at Ol Tukai Lodge, inside the park, in time for lunch. In the afternoon, take a game drive until sunset.
Dinner and overnight: Ol Tukai Lodge

About Amboseli National Park: Amboseli lies at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain at 5,895 metres, just across the border in Tanzania. Snowmelt from the mountain feeds underground springs that fill Amboseli’s swamps and marshes, which support large elephant herds and abundant birdlife all year. It is the best place in Kenya for the classic photo of an elephant or giraffe in front of snow-capped Kilimanjaro.

Day 3: Take a Sunrise Game Drive with Kilimanjaro Views and Spend a Full Day in Amboseli

Set out before dawn on a game drive. Early morning is when Kilimanjaro is most often clear of cloud and the animals are most active. Return to the lodge for breakfast and a relaxed morning. After lunch, take another game drive to look for elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, hyenas and, with luck, lions.
All meals and overnight: Ol Tukai Lodge

Day 4: Drive from Amboseli to Lake Naivasha and Take a Boat Ride

After breakfast, drive north through Nairobi to Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley. This is the longest drive of the trip, at about 6–7 hours. Check in at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort. In the afternoon, take a boat ride on the lake to see hippos up close.
All meals and overnight: Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort

About Lake Naivasha: Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley, and one of Kenya’s best places for birdwatching, with more than 400 bird species recorded. Cormorants breed here all year. Pelicans and spoonbills perch on dead acacia trees along the shore, and you will almost certainly see the African fish eagle.

Day 5: Drive from Lake Naivasha to the Maasai Mara and Take an Afternoon Game Drive

Leave at about 8:00 am for the Maasai Mara. The drive passes through Great Rift Valley escarpment scenery. You take a short game drive on the way in, arriving at Sarova Mara Game Camp in time for lunch. In the afternoon, take your first game drive in the Maasai Mara National Reserve to look for lions, cheetahs and other predators.
All meals and overnight: Sarova Mara Game Camp

Day 6: Spend a Full Day in the Maasai Mara or Take an Optional Balloon Flight

After breakfast, set out on a game drive to see the Mara’s resident wildlife. If you’re lucky, you may see a hunt. Return to camp for lunch, then take an afternoon game drive to look for the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and, rarely, rhino.

Optional: Maasai Mara hot air balloon safari (extra cost)
Get up before dawn for a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Maasai Mara:

• Balloons usually take off at about 6:30 am, and you can watch the crew inflate them.
• The flight lasts about an hour, following the wind over the Mara plains, and gives you a bird’s-eye view of the wildlife below.
• After landing, you have a champagne bush breakfast on the plains and receive a flight certificate from your pilot.

If you choose the balloon flight, your evening game drive goes ahead as normal.
All meals and overnight: Sarova Mara Game Camp

Day 7: Drive from the Maasai Mara to Nairobi and Have Lunch at Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens

After breakfast, drive back to Nairobi, which takes about 5–6 hours. On arrival, there’s time for last-minute shopping, then lunch at Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens. Afterwards, we take you to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your flight home, or drop you at your Nairobi hotel or home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can you see on a 7-day Kenya safari?
This 7-day Kenya safari covers Amboseli National Park, Lake Naivasha and the Maasai Mara. You can expect elephants beneath Mount Kilimanjaro, hippos and over 400 bird species at Naivasha, and lions, cheetahs, leopards and the Big Five in the Mara.

Is 7 days enough for a Kenya safari?
Yes. Seven days is the most popular length for a first Kenya safari. It gives you two full days in both Amboseli and the Maasai Mara, the two parks most visitors come for, with Lake Naivasha as a scenic stop in between.

Can you see Mount Kilimanjaro from Kenya?
Yes. Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania, but Amboseli National Park in Kenya has the best views of it. The mountain is usually clearest at sunrise and late afternoon, which is when this itinerary’s game drives are scheduled.

What is the best time for this Kenya safari?
The safari runs all year. July to October is peak season in the Maasai Mara, when the wildebeest migration arrives. January to March is also dry, with excellent game viewing and clear Kilimanjaro views.

Does this safari involve climbing Kilimanjaro?
No. This is a wildlife safari that includes views of Kilimanjaro from Amboseli. We can arrange a Kilimanjaro climb in Tanzania as a separate trip.

Book Your Kilimanjaro to the Mara Safari

Contact our Nairobi team or use the Plan My Trip form. We reply within 24 hours, and every itinerary can be adjusted to your dates, group size and budget.