KENYA // MIGRATION SEASON
7 Days Wildebeest Migration Safari
The Aberdare forest, the flamingo lake at Bogoria, Hell’s Gate on a bicycle, then three full nights in the Masai Mara for the wildebeest migration.
7 Days / 6 Nights
DURATION
$1,290
FROM, PER PERSON
Aberdare, Bogoria, Naivasha, Mara
DESTINATIONS
2 to 6
GROUP SIZE
ABOUT THIS SAFARI
About This Wildebeest Migration Safari
This wildebeest migration safari is built around one idea: give the Mara enough time. Most short trips arrive, drive for a day and leave. Here you spend three nights in the Masai Mara, which means two full days out on the plains with a packed lunch, following the herds with a guide who is in radio contact with others across the reserve.
The four days before the Mara are not filler. You start at a tree lodge in the Aberdare forest, where elephant, buffalo and giant forest hog come to the floodlit waterhole after dark. From there you pass Thomson’s Falls to Lake Bogoria and its hot springs, cross the equator, and spend an afternoon cycling through Hell’s Gate after a boat trip among the hippo on Lake Naivasha.
River crossings are never guaranteed and nobody honest will promise one. What is certain between July and October is the sheer number of animals on the plains, and the predators that follow them. The migration timing is managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service and Narok County, and we plan your Mara days around where the herds are that week.
AT A GLANCE
Trip Summary
| Detail | This safari |
|---|---|
| Price from | USD 1,290 per person |
| Duration | 7 days / 6 nights |
| Safari style | Migration and Wildlife |
| Countries | Kenya |
| Parks visited | Aberdare, Lake Bogoria, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate and the Masai Mara |
| Starts | Nairobi |
| Ends | Nairobi |
| Group size | Private departure. Typically 2 to 6 guests per vehicle |
| Best time to go | Jul to Oct for the migration |
| Difficulty | Easy |
ITINERARY AT A GLANCE
Your Route, Day By Day
| Day | Route | Overnight | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nairobi to the Aberdare Forest | Tree lodge, Aberdare | L, D |
| 2 | Thomson’s Falls to Lake Bogoria | Resort, Lake Bogoria | B, L, D |
| 3 | The Equator, Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate | Lodge, Lake Naivasha | B, L, D |
| 4 | Naivasha to the Masai Mara | Tented camp, Masai Mara | B, L, D |
| 5 | Full Day in the Masai Mara | Tented camp, Masai Mara | B, L, D |
| 6 | Second Full Day in the Masai Mara | Tented camp, Masai Mara | B, L, D |
| 7 | Masai Mara to Nairobi | Departure | B, L |
B breakfast, L lunch, D dinner. Accommodation is shown by type and area. We confirm the exact camp or lodge in writing with your quote.
DAY BY DAY
The Full Itinerary
Leave Nairobi after breakfast and drive north through tea and coffee country to Nyeri. After lunch at the base hotel you transfer into the forest to a tree lodge built over a waterhole. Spend the evening on the viewing decks as elephant, buffalo, bushbuck and giant forest hog come in to drink under the floodlights.
Meals: Lunch and dinner · Overnight: Tree lodge, Aberdare
Stop at Nyahururu for the 72 metre drop of Thomson’s Falls, then continue down into the Rift Valley to Lake Bogoria. After lunch, an afternoon drive along the shore takes in the hot springs and geysers, and in the right conditions the flamingo flocks that feed on the soda lake.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner · Overnight: Resort, Lake Bogoria
Cross the equator at Mogotio on the way south to Lake Naivasha. A boat trip on the freshwater lake gets you close to hippo, fish eagle and pelican. In the afternoon you cycle through Hell’s Gate National Park between the cliffs and steam vents, with an optional walk into the gorge with a local guide.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner · Overnight: Lodge, Lake Naivasha
Drive through Narok and the wheat country to the Masai Mara, arriving for lunch. After a rest, your first evening game drive heads out into the reserve as the light softens and the predators start to move.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner · Overnight: Tented camp, Masai Mara
A full day on the plains with a picnic lunch. In migration season your guide works with others across the reserve to track the herds towards the Mara River, where crocodile and hippo wait. An optional hot air balloon flight at dawn can be added on this day.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner · Overnight: Tented camp, Masai Mara
Another full day to follow the herds and look for lion, cheetah and, with luck, leopard. In the late afternoon there is an optional visit to a Maasai village to meet the community before a final drive back to camp.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner · Overnight: Tented camp, Masai Mara
After breakfast, drive back through Narok and climb the Rift Valley escarpment, passing the small chapel built by Italian prisoners of war. Farewell lunch in Nairobi, then a transfer to your hotel or the airport.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch · Overnight: Departure
THE ROUTE
Where This Safari Takes You
Nairobi → Aberdare → Lake Bogoria → Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate → Masai Mara → Nairobi. Roughly 1,000 km of driving in total.
WHAT IS COVERED
Included and Not Included
Included
- All park and reserve entrance fees
- Professional English speaking driver guide
- 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
- Full board accommodation as specified
- Lake Naivasha boat trip
- Hell’s Gate bicycle hire
- Bottled drinking water throughout
- Airport or hotel transfers
Not included
- International flights and visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Soft and alcoholic drinks
- Hot air balloon flight
- Maasai village visit
- Tips and gratuities
NO OBLIGATION
Enquire About This Safari
Send us your dates and we will confirm availability and a firm price within 24 hours.
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TAILOR MADE SAFARI
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