3 Days Masai Mara Big Five Safari

This 3-day itinerary is built around maximizing game-drive time in the Masai Mara, with both a morning and an afternoon drive each day, timed around when predators are most active. The Mara sees two dry windows well suited to this itinerary, June through September and January through February, though it’s worth checking recent rainfall with your operator regardless of season.

3 Days Masai Mara Big Five Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Masai Mara & Afternoon Game Drive

A scenic drive or short flight from Nairobi brings you into the Masai Mara, with an afternoon game drive on arrival as your guide gets an early read on where the Big Five have been active. Guides here typically read fresh tracks and circling vultures as the first clue to recent predator activity, well before any radio call comes through.

Day 2: Full Day Masai Mara Game Drives

A full day is spent tracking lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino across the reserve’s open plains and riverine forest, with your guide radioing other vehicles for recent sightings throughout the day. The Mara’s grid of well-used tracks means guides can reposition quickly once a sighting is reported, often reaching a fresh kill or a hunt in progress within minutes.

Day 3: Morning Game Drive & Return to Nairobi

A final morning game drive rounds out your sightings before the drive or flight back to Nairobi. Vehicle positioning matters as much as spotting here, and experienced guides tend to approach sightings from angles that avoid crowding other vehicles already on scene.

What’s Included

• Airport pickup and drop-off in Nairobi
• Private safari vehicle with pop-up roof and professional driver-guide
• Park, reserve and conservancy entrance fees
• Accommodation as specified, on a full-board basis unless otherwise stated
• Game drives as per the itinerary
• Bottled drinking water during game drives
• All applicable government taxes

What’s Excluded

• International flights
• Kenya visa or eTA fees
• Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Personal travel and medical insurance
• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary
• Items of a personal nature (laundry, souvenirs, phone or internet charges)
• Optional activities not listed in the itinerary