6 days · 5 nights · Private road safari

Complete Mara Explorer

Spend 6 days in the Maasai Mara on a private safari from Nairobi, with 5 nights at your selected camp, professional guiding and a day-by-day wildlife itinerary.

6 days / 5 nights

Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Nairobi

From USD3,000per person sharing

Prices vary by season.
6 days: A young male lion in profile beside green grass

Duration

6 days / 5 nights

Start & finish

Nairobi

Travel style

Private 4×4 & professional guide

Stay options

Budget to ultra-luxury

Five nights at one well-chosen Mara base

This Reserve-based private safari gives you time to explore over several days from one camp in the Reserve or nearby Greater Mara. It includes a river-sector excursion, a hosted community visit and a bush breakfast. Keeping one base leaves more of your stay for wildlife rather than repacking and transferring between camps.

The plan does not include a private conservancy stay, night drive or walking safari. Your daytime route is shaped around the camp location, access rules and conditions. It is suitable for travellers who value time to revisit habitats and wait at sightings; the word Explorer describes the pace and range of interests, not exclusive access to private wildlife areas.

Elephants moving through golden grass in the Maasai Mara

Professional guiding, your own pace

A dedicated guide and vehicle support your party’s wildlife interests within the agreed itinerary and Reserve rules.

Time to explore the Reserve

Daytime wildlife routes, meals and camp time are planned together for this safari duration.

5 nights at your selected camp

Choose an accommodation level and a suitable base; the written quote identifies the camp and room.

Your 6 days private safari itinerary

This longer private Mara safari gives you time for open plains, river wildlife, the hosted bush breakfast and a Maasai community visit. Migration interests follow the actual herds; resident wildlife provides interest throughout the stay.

Wildlife is free-ranging: sightings and migration crossings are not guaranteed. Your guide follows permitted routes and adapts viewing to conditions.

  1. Nairobi pickup
  2. Mara camp · 5 nights
  3. Nairobi return
A safari vehicle following a track through dry grassland

Day 1

Nairobi to the Mara and an introductory game drive

Activities: Meet your private driver-guide at the agreed Nairobi pickup, then travel to the Mara with a lunch stop and breaks along the way. Check in at your selected camp and settle into your room. If arrival and entry arrangements allow, head out for an introductory afternoon game drive, stopping to watch wildlife before returning to camp for dinner.

Wildlife to look for: Look for zebra, giraffe and gazelles on the open plains. Elephants, buffalo or lions may also feature on the first drive; the afternoon's viewing depends on what your guide encounters.

Meals: Lunch · dinner

Stay: Selected Mara camp

Elephants walking through golden grass

Day 2

Open plains and resident wildlife

Activities: Set out after breakfast for a private game drive across the open plains. Observe the distribution of grazing herds and spend time with any predators your guide locates. Where migratory herds are present, watch their movement and grazing; otherwise explore the resident wildlife on these same plains. Break for lunch at camp or take a picnic when the agreed route suits a longer outing. Continue wildlife viewing in the afternoon, looking at different grassland areas before returning for dinner. Your guide chooses permitted routes around the day's sightings and your camp location.

Wildlife to look for: Look for zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, gazelles, elephants and buffalo. Lions, cheetahs and spotted hyenas are possible encounters. Resident wildlife remains the focus even outside the main migration period.

Meals: Breakfast · lunch · dinner

Stay: Selected Mara camp

Zebras grazing on open plains below wooded hills

Day 3

River wildlife and the surrounding plains

Activities: Take a daytime drive towards an accessible river sector, with wildlife stops on the surrounding plains. Watch the water and banks from permitted viewing places, then explore nearby grassland and woodland routes with your guide. Use the planned picnic lunch or camp break to fit the route. When herds are present near an accessible river sector, allow patient observation from a permitted vehicle position. Keep crossing approaches clear and follow the guide’s directions. A gathering herd may wait or turn away; the day can continue on the surrounding plains without a crossing.

Wildlife to look for: Look for hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds around the river, plus elephants or buffalo nearby. Zebra and wildebeest may gather on the plains; migration crossings depend on herd movements and conditions.

Meals: Breakfast · lunch · dinner

Stay: Selected Mara camp

A safari vehicle following a track through dry grassland

Day 4

Morning game drive, bush breakfast and a Maasai community visit

Activities: Begin with a morning wildlife drive and the included hosted bush breakfast at the arranged location, subject to suitable conditions. Continue to the confirmed Maasai community visit, where your hosts introduce their traditions and daily life. Ask before taking photographs and follow the hosts' programme. Fit lunch and a further wildlife outing around the arranged visit, then return to camp for dinner. The order of these included activities follows the confirmed host and camp arrangements.

Wildlife to look for: Look for elephants, giraffe, zebra and plains antelope during the game drives. Birds and possible predator sightings add interest along the route. The community visit is a hosted cultural experience, separate from wildlife viewing.

Meals: Breakfast · lunch · dinner

Stay: Selected Mara camp

Elephants walking through golden grass

Day 5

Favourite sightings and a final full wildlife day

Activities: Use this final full day to respond to the latest observations: revisit an accessible herd area if migration activity warrants it, or explore a contrasting habitat for resident wildlife. Discuss the balance between patient river observation and plains viewing with your guide before setting out. Follow your interests with the private guide: spend longer watching an elephant family, a grazing herd or predators already located. Break for the included lunch, then continue an afternoon drive with time for birds and smaller subjects. Return to camp for dinner and your final evening at this safari base.

Wildlife to look for: Look for elephants, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and gazelles, with possible lion, leopard or cheetah sightings. River wildlife and birds may feature where the day's agreed route reaches their habitat.

Meals: Breakfast · lunch · dinner

Stay: Selected Mara camp

Zebras grazing on open plains below wooded hills

Day 6

Breakfast, checkout and the return to Nairobi

Activities: Have breakfast, check out and begin the direct early road journey to Nairobi. Take suitable road breaks, then continue to the agreed drop-off; lunch is not included. This standard departure is a transfer day, with no game drive or departure-day Reserve entry. Inside camps follow the confirmed early-exit and sector conditions; outside camps return without entering. A final morning drive can be added only through a separate quote covering applicable entry and revised logistics, subject to the return itinerary.

Expected sights: Enjoy changing countryside along the road journey. No Reserve wildlife viewing is planned today; the focus is your Nairobi return and any agreed onward connection.

Meals: Breakfast; lunch not included

Stay: Safari ends in Nairobi

One private safari. Four ways to stay.

Choose the accommodation style that suits your travel priorities. Every option includes the scheduled ground safari, professional tour guide, private wildlife vehicle, stated meals and applicable park charges. Private return road transfers from Nairobi are included.

Prices vary by season. Starting prices are for two adults sharing; your final quote depends on dates, accommodation and party size. The comparison uses non-resident adult park fees; resident and child arrangements receive their own quote.
A timber walkway leading to tents beneath trees

Budget

Simple comfort, more time outside

Full-board tented accommodation with the essentials for your safari.

From USD3,000per person sharing

Twin beds inside a canvas tent with a timber floor

Mid-range

A comfortable Mara base

A comfortable tented camp with inviting rooms and communal spaces.

From USD4,400per person sharing

A tent bedroom opening onto a green landscape

Luxury

Classic safari hospitality

A characterful camp with attentive service and a relaxed safari atmosphere.

From USD6,950per person sharing

A spacious tent suite with seating and a view over the plains

Ultra-luxury

Space, privacy and considered service

An exceptional suite and personalised camp service for a more indulgent stay.

From USD13,850per person sharing

Prices vary by season. Your final quote depends on dates, accommodation and party size. Photographs illustrate stay styles; the written quote names your camp and room. The per-person starting comparison uses adults sharing a double or twin room.

What your land package covers

Included

Excluded

“All-inclusive” covers the listed itinerary. Compulsory selected-property charges are included in the quoted total. Optional extras and changes to the plan are priced separately.

A glimpse of your time in the Mara

Three elephants walking through golden grass
Zebras grazing on open plains below wooded hills
A safari vehicle following a track through dry grassland

Choose your season with care

Accommodation tariffs and Reserve entry charges follow different seasonal calendars. The written quote uses your actual dates, including any change of rate during the trip. Read the best-time guides for the seasonal wildlife and weather context.

Quieter tariff periods

Some camps reduce accommodation rates outside their busiest periods. Availability and camp closures still shape the choice.

Migration travel

A migration-focused trip follows seasonal movement. A river excursion creates an opportunity to watch; it cannot guarantee a crossing.

Festive stays

Festive rates can begin on different dates at each property. A trip spanning a boundary is costed night by night.

Details that make the trip work

Use the full wildlife days to follow the balance between herds on the plains and accessible river viewing. When herds are present, your guide can allow patient observation rather than rush between crossing points. Camp location, permitted access and that day’s conditions determine which sectors are practical.

A longer stay gives more opportunities to observe changing conditions; it cannot secure a crossing. If herds are elsewhere, the same drives explore resident mammals and birds. The hosted bush breakfast and Maasai community visit named in the itinerary remain included; their order follows the confirmed camp and host arrangements.

Your private driver-guide collects you at the agreed Nairobi pickup point. Share international arrival details before booking: a late arrival may require a different departure plan. Road travel, breaks and check-in take up part of the first day; the introductory drive runs only when arrival and Reserve access allow. The quote confirms the camp, vehicle and pickup arrangements.

The standard road departure includes breakfast, checkout and the direct early return to Nairobi. It includes no departure-morning game drive or departure-day Reserve entry. Outside camps return without entering; inside camps follow the confirmed early-exit and sector conditions without game viewing. A previous day’s ticket does not automatically cover the next day, and free departure is not assumed.

A final morning drive costs extra, including applicable entry and changed guiding or transfer costs. It must fit the return journey and appear in the written quote. Final-day road lunch and late checkout are excluded. Share your onward flight details so the return can be planned realistically.

Scheduled ground transfers, wildlife drives, vehicle and professional guiding are private to your party. Some properties use a separate private camp vehicle and guide after a handover. Dining rooms, pools and other communal areas may be shared with other guests; exclusive use of the camp is a separate arrangement.

The quote names the property, room and board plan. Camp location affects which wildlife areas are practical to reach. Accommodation photographs illustrate the style of stay rather than a guaranteed room. A family room, single supplement, accessible room or adapted vehicle must be confirmed for the actual party; a comfort tier alone does not establish these facilities.

The meals listed for each itinerary day are included. A packed lunch can replace camp lunch on an agreed longer outing; it is taken at a permitted stopping place. Bottled drinking water is included. House drinks and laundry follow the selected camp’s quoted package; premium drinks and personal purchases are extra unless listed.

Tell us about allergies, dietary requirements and preferred rest breaks before booking. A specially hosted bush meal is included only when named in this itinerary; an ordinary picnic does not imply a separately hosted dining experience.

Mara drives explore grassland, woodland edges and accessible river habitats according to your camp location and interests. Grazing herds, elephants, birds and predators offer different subjects; named animals, hunts and repeat encounters cannot be guaranteed. River outings depend on a practical route and permitted access, rather than being an automatic visit to every crossing point.

Migratory herds respond to rainfall and grazing, and a river crossing has no fixed timetable. Outside the migration period, drives focus on resident wildlife. Your guide follows the applicable routes and viewing rules; private transport gives you a flexible pace, not unrestricted access. See the migration guide when choosing dates.

Bring layers, comfortable footwear, sun and insect protection, familiar binoculars or camera equipment, and protection from dust and rain. Keep essential medication and travel documents accessible. Discuss mobility needs before selecting the camp and vehicle. Check nationality-specific entry requirements and exemptions through Kenya’s eTA portal; document charges and comprehensive travel, medical and evacuation insurance are outside the package price.

Additional Nairobi accommodation and ground transfers outside the listed itinerary are separate unless expressly included. Share onward connections before booking so the return plan allows for the relevant roads, airport transfers and check-in arrangements.

Prices vary by season. The displayed From amounts are adult per-person sharing starting prices, not a child rate or a total for the whole family. Dates, accommodation availability, party size and rooming determine the final offer. Scheduled entry and compulsory selected-property charges belong in the quoted total; optional extras are identified separately.

An optional balloon flight normally uses a shared basket, even on a private ground safari. Eligibility, weather decisions and cancellation or rescheduling terms follow the selected operator. Community visits, spa treatments and other additions are included only when expressly listed.

MaasaiMara.ke quotes and books through authorised tour operator partners. You pay the operator named in the written offer, which plans and fulfils the trip. Review the named accommodation, meals, transport, access, payment and cancellation terms before confirming.

Use the form below to tell us your preferred dates, party size, rooming and interests. A written quote sets out the accommodation and the full price for your trip, so your safari is planned around the arrangements you choose.

Plan your Complete Mara Explorer

Share your travel dates, number of adults and children, preferred accommodation level and wildlife interests. We will prepare a private safari quote with the camp, itinerary and full inclusion list.

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