4-Day Masai Mara & Nakuru Migration Safari

Masai Mara National Reserve

Rates From $2,615

About This Tour

This migration safari balances the high energy of the Masai Mara with the quiet birdlife and rhino sightings of Lake Nakuru National Park. It is designed for travellers who want a short but deep immersion into Kenya’s most famous wildlife regions. The journey suits couples and small groups looking for a focused and efficient route.

The trip moves from the open plains of the Mara to the wooded shores of the Great Rift Valley. It follows a steady rhythm that allows for extensive game viewing without long, draining transitions. Guests experience a mix of iconic savannah landscapes and serene lakeside environments.

Travel is steady and reliable throughout the journey. The sequence of destinations ensures that the intensity of the Mara is followed by the calm of Nakuru. This flow provides a sense of balance and completeness for a four-day escape.

Our Community Impact

JohnBow prioritises lodges that employ staff from local communities. This safari supports the Maasai people through conservancy fees and employment at Entim Mara. We believe in travel that provides direct economic benefits to the people living alongside wildlife.

Our Sustainability Promise

We partner with camps that use solar power and manage waste responsibly. Our guides follow strict off-road driving rules to protect the fragile savannah soil. We aim to leave a minimal footprint while providing an authentic nature experience.

Why This Safari Works

The itinerary follows a logical path that minimises travel time and maximises wildlife sightings. By starting in the Masai Mara, the trip captures the heart of the migration early while energy levels are high. The move to Lake Nakuru offers a change in scenery and a more relaxed pace to conclude the journey. This structure works well for those with limited time who still want to see diverse ecosystems.

Your Trip at a Glance

A snapshot of your entire experience, from key highlights to where you'll stay and what to expect each day.

  • All-Inclusive Meals
  • Big Five Experience
  • Bird Watching
  • Couple
  • Cultural Visits
  • Family
  • Full Board
  • Game Drives
  • Great Migration
  • Hot Air Balloon Safari
  • Private Safari
  • Road Transfer

Trip Summary

  • Day 1: Nairobi to Masai Mara
  • Day 2: Full Day Safari, Masai Mara
  • Day 3: Masai Mara to Lake Nakuru via Maasai Village
  • Day 4: Lake Nakuru to Nairobi via Lake Naivasha

Destinations

  • Masai Mara National Reserve
  • Lake Nakuru National Park
  • Lake Naivasha (Stopover)

Where You Stay

  • Entim Mara (2 Nights)
  • Sarova Lions Hill Game Lodge (1 Night)

Safari Highlights

  • Crossing the Great Rift Valley
  • Open plains of the Masai Mara
  • Watching the Great Migration herds
  • Soft morning light on game drives
  • Searching for the elusive leopard
  • Rhino sightings at Lake Nakuru
  • Lakeside calm at Nakuru
  • Boat ride at Lake Naivasha

Featured Destinations

Where You Stay

Route Map

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Itinerary Highlights

  • Drive across the Great Rift Valley floor.
  • Afternoon game drive in the Mara.

Itinerary information

The journey begins with a drive from Nairobi, descending the escarpment into the Rift Valley. The landscape changes as the vehicle enters the Masai Mara National Reserve. After lunch, the first game drive explores the rolling hills and grasslands. Guests can see herds of zebra and wildebeest scattered across the plains. The day ends with a quiet evening at the camp as the sun sets over the horizon.

  • Meals: Lunch and Dinner

  • Accommodation: Entim Mara

Itinerary Highlights

  • Full day of wildlife viewing.
  • Picnic lunch in the wild.

Itinerary information

This day is dedicated to exploring the vast reaches of the Masai Mara. The vehicle travels to different sectors of the reserve to track predators and the migration herds. Guests spend the hours observing animal behaviour in its natural state. A picnic lunch is served under a lone acacia tree in the middle of the savannah. The pace is steady, allowing for long periods of observation and photography.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Accommodation: Entim Mara

Itinerary Highlights

  • Visit to a Maasai Village.
  • Afternoon game drive in Lake Nakuru.

Itinerary information

The morning begins with a cultural visit to a Maasai village to learn about local traditions. Afterward, the journey moves north toward Lake Nakuru National Park. The environment shifts from open plains to yellow-fever acacia woodlands. An afternoon game drive focuses on finding white and black rhinos near the lakeshore. The atmosphere here is peaceful, with many water birds lining the banks.

  • Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
  • Accommodation: Sarova Lions Hill Game Lodge

Itinerary Highlights

  • Morning game drive in Nakuru.
  • Boat ride at Lake Naivasha.

Itinerary information

The final morning includes a drive through the park to catch the early light on the lake. The route then heads to Lake Naivasha for a boat excursion to see hippos and eagles. After a relaxed lunch, the vehicle climbs the escarpment back toward Nairobi. The safari concludes with a transfer to the airport or hotel. The transition back to the city is smooth and unhurried.

  • Meals: Breakfast
  • Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)

JohnBow Safari Expert Insight

❝ We designed this route to offer a high-impact wildlife experience for guests with limited time. It balances the Mara’s intensity with the calm of the Rift Valley lakes. ❞

~Johnbow Safari Expert Team

Rates

Competitive rates for unforgettable experiences

SeasonDate Range2 Guests4 Guests6 Guests
Peak Migration SeasonJuly – Sept, 2026$2,990$2,700$2,615

Important Rate Notes

  • Rates vary based on seasonal availability and room types.
  • A single room supplement applies for solo travellers.
  • Child policies differ by lodge and require confirmation at booking.
  • Similar standard lodges may be used if the listed ones are full.

What's Included

  • All accommodations during the safari
  • Transportation on a safari Jeep 4x4.
  • Game drives
  • Meals
  • Park Entry fees
  • Government Taxes/VAT
  • Professional tour driver/guide
  • Mineral-bottle drinking water

Optional Addons

  • Hot Air Balloon Safari in Masai Mara
  • Horseback riding at Naivasha
  • Maasai Village cultural visit
  • Guided nature walk

What's Not Included

  • International flights
  • Tips and gratitude for guides and staff
  • Boat Rides
  • Tips and gratitude for guides and staff
  • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour

Ready to start planning your Safari? Tell us your travel dates, who you are traveling with, and what matters most to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest drive is about five to six hours between Nairobi and the Mara.
Yes, children are welcome and will enjoy the diverse wildlife and boat rides.
A private four-by-four Land Cruiser is provided for all transfers and game drives.

See What Our Travellers Have To Say

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Dorcas Munga profile picture
Dorcas Munga
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Great planning and communication. My trips have been smooth. All expectations met 💯
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Mike Bourassa profile picture
Mike Bourassa
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Our driver, Patrick, made the experience even more special with his outgoing personality and his knowledge of each park. He always made certain that he positioned his vehicle just right so we could get a perfect photo. He shared a lot about African culture an answered our questions. His keen eye spotted a cheetah from a long distance and we experienced the animal stalk and catch his prey (only to have a hyena steal it from him at the end). The accommodations were excellent at Massai Mara but were a bit too primitive at Amboseli. The large openings between the sleeping area and the bathroom brought way too many bugs into the tent. Wonderful memories of the entire experience!! We hope to come back next year and Patrick will be our choice of guide.
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Kate Mandere
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Wonderful team, very warm, helpful and well coordinated!
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Emmy Chepkoech
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I recently booked my 1st trip with Johnbow Tours and Travel and it was an outstanding experience from the start to finish. The team was professional, well-organised, helpful and incredibly friendly. Transfer to my hotel room and back was handled smoothly allowing us to relax and enjoy our journey. The fact that they allow lipa mdogo mdogo was not overwhelming paying for the package...I can't wait to book again with Johnbow 😊
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Gloria Kikete
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Jonbow has offers seamless travel service with a personal touch.
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Lolo Chgn
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Safaris de 5 jours depart Nairobi et arrivée à Diani beach Visite des parcs d’amboseli, tsavo ouest et est , t.hills Découverte d une faune magnifique Notre chauffeur Chombo a tout fait pour rechercher les animaux et il était à notre écoute ! Dépaysement total garanti Les hôtels étaient tout confort avec des conditions d’alimentation en eau et électricité précaire ! Nous remercions vraiment Morris et Chombo pour ce magnifique Safari
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Irene Nduku
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Excellent services, the team was friendly, efficient and went above and beyond to meet my need.Their service was prompt and effective. I highly recommend
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Cheyenne van den B profile picture
Cheyenne van den B
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We had a two day tour with Johnbow Tours & Travel to Tsavo West. The park itself is not that good to be honest, but we stayed at Salt Lick lodge and that was amazing. The animals are coming so close to the lodge, it is really beautiful to see. The driver Pius was also really nice and he had a lot of knowledge about the animals. I have been in contact with Morris and that was also really pleasant because of the arrangement we had.
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virginia mumo
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As a team of 12pax..we had an exceptional good experience with the Johnbow team. Well informed and humble team who contributed a lot to an enjoyable trip and creating memories.
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Stay06810033473
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Customer Servive Customer service was great!Communication was timely and effective especially as there were some flight changes.Either way the bookings were perfect, customer service was exceptional and we even got a treat for our anniversary, at no extra costElijah and Sam were very helpful.
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Annette M profile picture
Annette M
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Exceptional Experience with Johnbow Tours and Travel! I had an unforgettable trip to Bali and Thailand, the guides were amazing, the places beautiful and the itinerary on point. Bali has very many temples and beautiful rice terraces, the swings and sunset views unforgettable. thank you Johnbow for the tour.
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KSP
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Memorable Safari with a Great Team and Guide We had a really good experience with Johnbow Tours during our Kenya safari. Morris, our main point of contact, was communicative and professional throughout. He stayed in touch via WhatsApp both before and during the trip, answering all our questions quickly and clearly, which gave us a lot of confidence going in.The pricing felt fair for what we received, and the Land Cruiser was comfortable, especially considering the long drives. They also provided snacks at the start of the trip upon request, which was thoughtful.Our guide, Paul, was very knowledgeable. He had a sharp eye for spotting animals and shared interesting facts about everything we saw. We had plenty of game drives and were lucky to spot a wide variety of wildlife.The only small issue was around water. We had been told water would be included throughout, but at a couple of the lodges, we were charged for drinking water, tea, or coffee during meals. It wasn’t a big deal, but having clarity on that from the start would’ve been helpful.Overall, it was a smooth and enjoyable safari. The team was dependable, the schedule was well planned, and we felt taken care of from start to finish. I’d absolutely recommend Johnbow to anyone planning a private safari in Kenya.
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Alain V profile picture
Alain V
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A great experience, a must for everyone who reads this Jonbow, our driver who has the same name as the agency, took very good care of us. He was on time for the appointment. Once on the road he was super attentive. In the park he was always the first to spot the game. He gave us very good explanations about all the animals we saw. No effort was too much to make us spot all the game. Super friendly and helpful guy. He operates from Mombasa/Diani Beach. He made sure that our safari will remain unforgettable.
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winnie a
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Dubai tour 2024 was a birthday gift to my son who turned lucky number seven. I writing to thank you for coordinating our trip to UAE, dubai. Everything was perfect; the flight, the hotel was clean and all staff were friendly and professional. Special thanks to Mary Gathua as she was the one who coordinated everything for us.The tour guides were excellent! They made things as easy for us as possible. I really appreciate these and that indicate the quality services that they provide.We had dubai town tour and our guide, Mr. Albert did exceptionally well. We learnt about the origin of UAE and the important features in dubai. We had dhow cruise with dinner, and the dessert safari with dinner.Desert safari was the best of the trip (the driver , Mr . Zaheer was very professional, and the overall experience was thrilling and amazing). The desert safari remains in my priority to do list when I visit dubai next.I would certainly recommend Johnbow Tours and travel to anyone wanting to visit Dubai. Thank you again and look forward to plan our next vacation with you.
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maryanne o
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Awesome Best tour company ..travelled to Dubai in Emirates .Booked the best hotel in Dubai..Johnbow staff are friendly and accommodatve I rate them10/10 they're affordable too .
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M A
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Superb service Happy New Year! Eunice managed our travel plans superbly, and I’m grateful. Our stay at Pride Inn was delightful; the staff’s service, food, attention, and entertainment made our holiday special and memorable. Thanks again for your excellent services.
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gladys n
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Efficient Eunice of John Bow ,was pretty helpful from getting us a hotel to SGR tickets, and transfers to the hotel.She also called to ensure we arrived safely.I loved the seamless process and especially because we chat on whatsapp mostly. Johnbow tours keep their word! I would choose them again.
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Christine N profile picture
Christine N
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Awesome experience This travel company was very efficient. I engaged them on whatsapp in the morning and by afternoon they had finalised everything including the sgr tickets. Their staff Eunice was readily available even at night because we did night travel. And early morning at 4 am, she called to find out if the driver had picked us. I would recommend them anytime
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Sabina M
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It was a time of relaxation and fun. The trip was well planned from Nairobi to Maasai Mara. We had so much fun and took so many photos. We saw lions, cheetahs, elephants and other animals. If we could do it again, we would still chose Johnbow tours and travel.
info@johnbowtoursandtravel.com
Kenya Cinema Plaza, 3rd Floor Room 3-8. Moi Avenue, Nairobi