- Tour code
KENADV01
- Start
Nairobi
- End
Nairobi
- Min. age
16 years old
- Group size
Max 6-16 travellers
- Trip style
Explorer
- Trip pace
Active
- Language
English
The Great Rift Valley sets the scene early on this week in Kenya. On day two you pedal through Hell's Gate National Park between red cliffs, past zebra and giraffe, then settle at a lodge on the shores of Lake Naivasha.
From there it's on to the Maasai Mara, where a boutique tented camp inside the reserve is home for three nights. Game drives at dawn and dusk, when animals are most active, give you the best odds of seeing lions, elephants, leopards and cheetahs on the open grassland that runs south into Tanzania's Serengeti.
Between drives, you'll visit a Maasai manyatta to learn about village life and traditions, followed by a bush dinner by lantern light. The trip ends on a high: six zipline runs in Kereita Forest, then a farewell dinner at Carnivore back in Nairobi.
Why This Journey
A safari can easily become a week of sitting in a vehicle. This one mixes it up: you see Hell's Gate from a bicycle saddle, sleep under canvas in the Mara, meet the Maasai on their own land and finish flying through the forest canopy on a zipline.
Three nights in the reserve give the guides time to find the animals rather than rush between sightings, and with a small group the vehicle conversations become half the fun. It suits first-time safari travelers, solo travelers who want company in the bush, and anyone who would like Kenya's wildlife with a bit of adventure on the side.
Where You'll Stay
Nairobi (2 nights): Sarova Stanley, in the city center. Lake Naivasha (1 night): Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort, on the lakeshore with wildlife in the grounds. Maasai Mara (3 nights): Ashnil Mara Camp, a tented camp on the Mara River inside the reserve. Proposed accommodation (or similar), subject to confirmation. Rooms are based on two people sharing a double room with two beds.
Getting There
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travellers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Fly into and out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi; arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
What you will see and do
Pedal past zebra and giraffe on a cycling safari in Hell's Gate
Fall asleep to the sounds of the bush at a boutique tented camp in the Maasai Mara
Ride Africa's longest zipline through the Kereita Forest canopy
What's included
All activities mentioned on the itinerary
Accommodations in double rooms
Experienced Soca Islands Host with you throughout the trip
One farewell group activity when possible
Arrival and departure airport transfers
Group transportation
What's excluded
- International flights (travellers arrange their own)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Optional boat trip on Lake Naivasha
- Drinks and meals not listed in the itinerary
- Single room supplement (single rooms on request, subject to availability)
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Group itinerary
Your Soca Islands airport transfer meets you at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and takes you to your hotel. Take a little time to rest after the flight.
Then it's dinner with the group, Kenyan style, with a cold Tusker, Kenya's best-known beer, to toast the week ahead.
Hell's Gate is one of the few Kenyan parks you can explore by bike, and that's exactly how you'll see it this morning: riding between towering cliffs and rock columns while watching for zebra, giraffe and klipspringer.
Afterward you reach your lodge on the shores of Lake Naivasha, where zebras wander the grounds. After lunch, choose between an optional boat trip on the lake to look for hippos and fish eagles, or an easy afternoon by the pool.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve, stage for the great wildebeest migration, is today's destination. Check in to your boutique tented camp inside the reserve and have lunch.
Then it's out on your first game drive. Your guide knows where to look for the Big Five, from elephant herds to the rarely seen black rhino, so keep your camera ready.
Morning light reveals rolling hills and acacia-studded grassland that runs south to Tanzania's Serengeti.
You'll head out at dawn and again at dusk, when animals are most active, returning to camp for dinner with the sounds of the bush all around.
More drives today improve your odds of spotting leopard, cheetah and the critically endangered black rhino.
You'll also visit a Maasai manyatta, or homestead, and learn how the community lives and keeps its traditions going. Your last Mara night ends with a bush dinner, lanterns glowing under the stars.
Kereita Forest has six zipline runs, including one of the longest in Africa, and you'll fly along them this morning over the forested valleys of the Aberdare foothills.
Back in Nairobi, the farewell dinner is at Carnivore, the city's famous grill restaurant. Expect ostrich and crocodile on the menu, plus good vegetarian choices.
Time to say goodbye to your group after breakfast and head to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) for your flight home. Your Soca Islands Host will help with the timing of your departure.
Accommodations
Here's a glimpse of the hotels we selected for this adventure.
Sarova Stanley
Nairobi's oldest hotel, opened in 1902, on the corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Kimathi Street in the city centre. Its Thorn Tree Café, long a meeting point for travellers crossing East Africa, is where Ernest Hemingway once wrote.
It works well as a starting point for an overland journey: rooms are well equipped, there are meeting rooms for a group briefing, and the central location makes it easy to find for arrivals at different times.
Rooms are 23–39 m² (248–420 ft²), with twin or double beds.
Hotel websiteLake Naivasha Sopa Resort
A lakeside resort on the southern shore of Lake Naivasha, set in wide grounds of acacia and lawn running down to the water, where zebra, waterbuck and giraffe often graze between the cottages. Hell's Gate National Park is a short drive away.
Rooms are in two-storey cottages around the gardens, with a restaurant, bar and swimming pool, and boat trips on the lake can be arranged from the shore.
Hotel websiteAshnil Mara Camp
A tented camp on the banks of the Mara River in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, within reach of the river crossing points used during the annual migration.
Tents have private bathrooms and river-facing verandas, and the camp has a restaurant, bar and pool.
Rooms
You'll stay at Trip Hotel.
- Included
Shared double
Shared with the person you book with, or a fellow traveller of the same sex.
- +$1,317 per person
Single room
A room to yourself, subject to availability.
Room prices are per person for the Jun 6, 2027 departure and can differ on other dates. You choose your room when you book.
Tour FAQS
Fly into and out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi.
Proposed accommodation is Sarova Stanley in Nairobi (2 nights), Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort at Lake Naivasha (1 night) and Ashnil Mara Camp in the Maasai Mara (3 nights), or similar, subject to confirmation.
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travellers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
Yes. Arrival and departure airport transfers between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and your Nairobi hotel are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 6 dinners: dinner on Day 1, all three meals on Days 2 to 6 (including the bush dinner in the Mara and the farewell dinner at Carnivore), and breakfast on Day 7. Drinks and other meals are at your own cost.
Extra nights can be requested, subject to hotel availability; contact our Customer Experience team for a quote.
There are no scheduled activities on the final day, so feel free to book your departure at your own convenience.
We recommend arriving before 3 pm on Day 1 to make it in time for the welcome event. But don’t worry no matter when you land, we’ll have an airport transfer ready for you.
Please Refer to your government’s travel advice or consult your local consulate. Remember, passport and visa requirements can change, so make sure to stay updated.
Excluding alcohol, we suggest budgeting around USD $40.00 per day for extras.
While we’re not medical professionals, we want to help you prepare for a safe and healthy adventure. Here are some tips:
- Consult with a healthcare professional: Schedule an appointment with your travel nurse or doctor at least eight weeks before your adventure to get any necessary vaccines or medications.
- Up-to-date medical advice:
- US residents: Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- UK residents: Visit the NHS Fit For Travel website.
- Australian residents: Refer to the Smart Traveler Health website.
3. Government travel advice:
- US residents: Consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
- UK residents: Check the FCDO Travel Advice.
- Australian residents: Visit the Smart Traveler website.
4. Medication tips: If you take prescription medication, bring enough to last the entire trip, plus a few extra days in case of delays. Carry a copy of your prescription in case you need to visit a clinic abroad.
We hope this helps you prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Please keep in mind that our itinerary, activities, and hotels might change. These adjustments could happen with little notice due to factors like availability, weather conditions, seasonal shifts, or other circumstances beyond our control. Rest assured, we always aim to minimise any impact on your experience. Occasionally, we may tweak the itinerary to try out fresh ideas and keep the adventure exciting.
We believe solo travelers shouldn’t have to pay extra to explore the world. That’s why our group trips are designed around shared accommodation and do not include a single supplement. Solo travelers joining our group trips are paired in twin or multi-share rooms with another traveler of the same sex for the duration of the trip.
Some of our Independent trips are structured differently. For these itineraries, solo travelers will need to book at the single occupancy rate.
Tips are not included in the cost of this tour. Remember, tipping is entirely at your discretion and based on what you feel comfortable with.
Would you like to learn more or customise our Kenya: Maasai Mara Safari trip?
Have questions about accommodations, accessibility, group preferences, or dietary needs? Complete the form below and our team will get back to you shortly.
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