Enjoy a 7-Day Kenya Safari for Big 5, Culture and Family Fun

A Week in Kenya; The Best 7-Day Kenya Safari Itinerary

A 7-Day Kenya Safari is an unforgettable 7-day Kenya Safari crafted by Mpenzi Safaris Africa for families, couples, and budget-conscious travelers. Kenya’s national parks are legendary – from the snow-capped Kilimanjaro with abundant elephant herds at Amboseli, to the pink-rimmed Lake Nakuru packed with flamingos, to the famous Maasai Mara with plentiful Big Five Game.

In just one week, it is possible to see legendary Big Five Animals of Africa (lions, elephants, buffalo, rhinos, leopards), watch the Great Migration when it is in season, and have cultural excursions to the Maasai villages and the tribal homesteads of Nairobi. Prices of mid-range safari itineraries range around $300–$350 per person per day (full board including park charges, guide and transport)

Budget-Friendly Safari styles and group tours can be very affordable ($180–220 per day), but the amenities will be minimal. Like this a 7-Day Kenya Safari, the budget group tour will be around $1,880 per person, a mid-range group safari will be $3,113 per person

Most of the packages include park fees. For instance, the cost of Masai Mara is approximately $236 per day per adult during the peak season.

Summary of 7-Day Kenya Safari Itinerary

• Day 1 – Nairobi to Amboseli National Park.
• Day 2 – Full Day at Amboseli National Park
• Day 3 – Amboseli → Lake Nakuru National Park
• Day 4 –Lake Nakuru → Masai Mara National Reserve
• Day 5 -6 – Whole Day in Masai Mara – Wildlife & Maasai Community
• Day 7 – Say Goodbye to Kenya

Detailed Itinerary of 7-Day Kenya Safari

Your 7-day Kenya Safari begins in Nairobi. You will be picked up early and drive south to Amboseli National Park (4–5 hours). Along the way, you may pause at the lookout of the Great Rift Valley or the Thompson’s Falls lookout point to take some photos. You will arrive at Amboseli in the afternoon, famous for the views of Mount Kilimanjaro and herd sizes of elephants that it offers.

The afternoon game drive gives you a glimpse of the park wildlife: Large African elephants with long tusks, herds of black-and-white striped zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, giraffes, and long-legged antelopes roaming the floodplains. (Hear the sound of elephant trumpet as the morning or afternoon sunlight strikes the snowy peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro.) You might also see the lion prides, spotted hyenas, and occasional cheetahs. Wildlife viewing at Amboseli is incredible, especially around the muddy waterhole where the animals congregate.
Return to the camp at dinner time and watch the sunset over Kili.

Highlights: Scenic drive from Nairobi; afternoon game drive in Amboseli. Elephants against Kilimanjaro – buffalo herds, zebras, and antelopes.

Accommodation: Mid-range tented camp or lodge within easy reach of Amboseli (all inclusive).

On the Second day of your 7-day Kenya Safari, Take a full day exploring Amboseli. Morning and late afternoon wildlife excursions offer the best light and wildlife activity. You will be on the hunt for the park’s legendary “Big Five” (all except rhino) – lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and hyena – against the shadows of acacia trees and the savanna dryness. Amboseli is especially famous for huge male elephants and calves.

In the marshes, you may also spot hippos and bright colonies of pelicans on the water. It can be hot mid-day; back at the camp, you can rest or visit the nearby Maasai community (many of the Amboseli lodges have the optional walk to a Maasai village, but these will often be organized via the lodge). Children will enjoy the information on the Maasai herders – you may visit one of the manyatta villages to get a glimpse of the traditional huts and dances.

In the late afternoon of your 7-Day Kenya Safari, take an excursion out for another game drive. Catch some of Africa’s most famous views: elephant families bathing, lion cubs at play, and gorgeous sunsets over Kili.

Activities: Morning and afternoon game drives in Amboseli; cultural visit to Maasai village (optional, on an extra cost).

Wildlife: “Big Five” but no rhino, giraffe, hippo, wildebeest, zebra, and hyena. Good birding (flamingos may gather along the shoreline).

On the 3rd day of your 7-Day Kenya Safari After breakfast, our guide will move you on to the next park. Drive northwest through The Great Rift Valley to Lake Nakuru National Park (approximately 7–8 hours with stops). Along the journey, tea plantations and hill country will be seen. You can have lunch at the Great Rift cliff face or lookout over Nakuru.

In the afternoon, arrive at Lake Nakuru National Park, a shallow saline soda lake renown for colonies of pink flamingos. You will drive along the lakeshore on the afternoon game drive: thousands of flamingos often give the water edge a rosy pink hue.

The park also shelters black and white rhinos, giraffes, buffalo, baboons, and waterbuck. Keep an eye out for leopards basking in the shade of the trees. You will also get to spot lions and hyenas roaming the open grassy forest. Plains game like buffalo and wildebeest, zebra, Thompson’s and Grant’s Gazelles can be spotted quite frequently.

Highlights: Afternoon game drive around Lake Nakuru. Spot pink flamingos and coastal birds, Go rhino searching down by the waterhole.

Accommodation: Camp or lodge near Lake Nakuru (full board).

On this 4th Day of the 7-Day Kenya Safari, enjoy an early game drive at the Nakuru National Park to spot buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and perhaps lions. Breakfast later, then departure to the Masai Mara, which will be a 4 to 5-hour drive via Narok. The terrain transforms from acacia tree area to the well-known Mara savanna. You may get to see Maasai villages on the way, indicating that you get closer to Maasai territory. Arrive at the Masai Mara National Reserve by early afternoon. Mara is the finest area for wildlife in Kenya and is reputed to be one of the finest safari destinations globally.

In one game drive, you will see the Big Five, the cheetah, the hyena, the jackal, and several others on the wide plains. Spend the afternoon on an open-vehicle safari on a first game drive.

Mara has many animals, such as great elephant herds, hunting lions, and wary giraffes. Return to your Mara camp for dinner and dine al fresco amidst the stars, perhaps listening to the hyenas’ night-time calls.

Route: From Ngorongoro drive to Narok and on to Masai Mara National Reserve (the Kenyan portion of the Serengeti ecosystem).

Highlights: First Mara game drive looking for lions, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo. View grazing zebra, gazelle, antelope against acacia-dotted hills.

Wildlife: Abundant Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard, as well as cheetahs, topis, hartebeest and warthogs

You will spend two consecutives days (Day 5 and 6) on the Mara. Today, wake early for a pre-dawn game drive – the prime time to watch predators. You may get to watch a pride of lions or a stealthy leopard. During the peak season (July–October), you might also get a chance to witness The Great Wildebeest Migration when the herds stream down the valley.

Back to the camp for lunch and relaxation. Afternoon game drive. Mara is famous for the many elephants and cape buffalo, usually in large herds of males. As the sun goes down, head out on a sundowner (a drink on a hill) and watch the sky come alive.

In the afternoon, you can have a cultural activity as well: visit a nearby Maasai village, or “manyatta,” on the periphery of the reserve.

Maasai guides will demonstrate the traditional Maasai huts, jewelry, and dances. It is a quick, interactive hour that gives you an overview of the Maasai life and culture. Many of the tours offer this as a Mara experience. Afterwards, head back to the camp for dinner and astronomy.

Highlights: Full-day game drives (Big Five and predators) throughout the day. Time permitting, see river crossings of the wildebeest or zebra. Half-day hot-air balloon safari at sunrise (supplement) option.

Cultural: Visit a Maasai village to learn how the tribe lives. See how the Maasai live in bomas and get to join a warrior dance.

Wildlife: As above, plus hyenas, jackals, warthogs and plentiful birdlife.

On the final morning of your 7-Day Kenya Safari, have one last early short game drive as you leave the Mara. You might follow a hunting cheetah or watch a leopard dozing in a tree as it warms up. Leave the reserve and begin the drive to Nairobi (around 5–6 hours). (Flying Mara to Nairobi is an option if the schedule and budget permit – can save time – otherwise by road is taken by the majority of budget tours.) Return to Nairobi by early evening or catch your flight to conclude your 7-Day Kenya Safari.

Final Stops: Possible quick stop at Narok to get a cup of chai. Final wildlife viewing on the exit (wildebeest, hartebeest).

Arrive in Nairobi by late afternoon. The safari terminates after breakfast or lunch depending on the itinerary.

End of 7-Day Kenya Safari

Cultural Side-Trips

In case you get there early or have some free time, Nairobi has family-friendly cultural attractions. One attraction that is popular is the Bomas of Kenya – a cultural village that presents Kenya’s 42 community groups by dances and by homestead displays,. Children can visit model mud huts and watch energetic traditional dances at Bomas.

Another attraction is the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage (an elephant sanctuary) and the Giraffe Manor Centre, where you can feed the giraffes with your own hands. You can visit these Nairobi sights on the way down to the safari or on the return up (the cost is typically not included with our standard tour prices). Airport pickup and a welcome briefing come with all the tours that include a lodge during this 7-Day Kenya Safari

Cost Estimates

• Cost Range: Budget group tours can start as low as $180–$220 per day per person
• (Many days camping, shared cars). Budget private safaris also cost between $300–$350 per person per day.
• A 7-Day Kenya Safari midrange 4×4 Safari trip from Nairobi, which takes one to Amboseli, Nakuru, and Mara, will cost approximately $3,113 per person.
• A 7-day Kenya Safari economy plan (tented camps) is available at $1,880 per person.  Remember, high season (Jul–Oct) and holiday periods will cost more.

Safari Includes

• As indicated, the tours also include all ground transport (4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof)
• An English-speaking driver/guide
• Park entrance fees
• Accommodation at a full-board lodge or tented camp
• Bottled water
• Meals.
• Airport transfers

Safari Excludes

• International flights to/from Nairobi
• Kenyan visas
• Insurance against travel
• Tip allowance (tip guide $10–$15/day is standard practice),
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, beverages at lodges), and extras.

Extras usually paid for include Maasai village entrance fees ($25–$50 per person), hot air balloon excursions ($400–$500 per person), or something of the like. These options appear on the itineraries but aren’t accounted for in base prices.

Best time to Visit

• Dry season (June–October) offers the best game viewing and the Great Migration in the Mara.
• The shoulder months (June or November) have fewer visitors and prices that are worthwhile.
• The “short rains“ (November–December) have wonderful game viewing with fewer visitors.
• Note that the long rains (April–May) can make some roads challenging.

Health & Safety

• Malaria is present throughout the lowland area (we recommend taking precautions against it).
• Tap water is unpurifiable – bottled drinking water will be available.
• It is safest to follow the advice of your guides at all times (e.g. staying inside the vehicles at night).