7 Days Masai Mara and Samburu Safari: 2027 Route, Itinerary & Prices
7 Days Masai Mara and Samburu Safari: Three nights each in Samburu and the Mara with 11 to 13 game drives, and a bush flight between the two parks on Day 4. Non-residents pay USD 3,180 to USD 6,500 in low season (USD 5,070 to USD 9,300 in peak season). Kenyan residents pay KES 413,000 to KES 845,000 in low season (up to KES 1,209,000 in peak). You get the Special Five in Samburu, the Big Five in the Mara, and enough buffer days that missing one sighting does not ruin the trip.
What This Guide Covers
7 Days Masai Mara and Samburu Safari is where this trip stops feeling like a race. Three nights in each park. Time to follow up on sightings. Time to try a balloon safari without sacrificing a game drive. Time to actually relax by the pool in Samburu when it hits 36°C instead of rushing to the next destination.
7-Day Itinerary At A Glance
- Day 1: Nairobi to Samburu, arrival, afternoon game drive
- Day 2: Full day Samburu, Special Five, Ewaso Nyiro River
- Day 3: Full day Samburu, leopards, cultural visits, relaxation
- Day 4: Samburu to Masai Mara, bush flight via Wilson, afternoon drive
- Day 5: Full day Mara, Big Five, river if migration season
- Day 6: Full day Mara, different sectors, optional balloon
- Day 7: Morning game drive for inside lodges, return to Nairobi
What It Costs
What It Costs
| Days & Park | Core Wildlife Focus | Pacing & Expert Pointer |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 3: Samburu Reserve | Samburu Special Five & river elephants | Two full days double your tracking window for leopards along the Ewaso Nyiro. |
| Day 4: Samburu to Masai Mara | Scheduled bush flight via Wilson Airport | Flight included in every tier. Avoids an impossible 11-hour road transit and guarantees a 3:30 PM afternoon game drive in the Mara. |
| Days 5 to 6: Masai Mara | Big Five & migration river crossings | Two full days allow dedicated tracking in both the open plains and the Talek riverine belt. |
| Day 7: Mara to Nairobi | Departure morning & return journey | Mara Crossing and Il Moran guests must clear the gate by 10:00 AM. Outside lodges depart after breakfast. |
Two sharing. Private Land Cruiser.
Park Fees (Non-Resident, USD)
- Samburu: USD 85 per adult per day (all year), USD 50 per child aged 3 to 17. Paid cashless by card or M-Pesa to Samburu County at the gate.
- Masai Mara: USD 100 per adult per day (January to June) or USD 200 (July to December). Children aged 9 to 17 USD 50, under 9 free. Paid via Narok County at Sekenani, Talek and Oloolaimutia, or KAPS if entering the Mara Triangle. Full detail on our park fee page.
Non-Residents (USD per person)
| Tier | Low Season | Peak Season | Lodges & Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $3,180 | $5,070 | Lion King Bush Camp + Crocodile Camp. Road Nairobi to Samburu and Mara to Nairobi, flight Samburu to Mara |
| Mid-Range | $3,540 | $5,490 | Samburu Sopa Lodge + Mara Sopa Lodge. Road Nairobi to Samburu and Mara to Nairobi, flight Samburu to Mara |
| Luxury | $4,740 | $6,810 | Samburu Intrepids + Mara Crossing Camp. All flying, airstrip pickups in open-roof Land Cruisers |
| Super Luxury | $6,500 | $9,300 | Soroi Larsens Camp + Governors’ Il Moran. All flying, airstrip pickups in open-roof Land Cruisers |
Kenyan Residents (KES per person)
| Tier | Low Season | Peak Season | Lodges & Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | 413,000 | 659,000 | Lion King Bush Camp + Crocodile Camp. Road both ends, flight Samburu to Mara |
| Mid-Range | 460,000 | 714,000 | Samburu Sopa Lodge + Mara Sopa Lodge. Road both ends, flight Samburu to Mara |
| Luxury | 616,000 | 885,000 | Samburu Intrepids + Mara Crossing Camp. All flying |
| Super Luxury | 845,000 | 1,209,000 | Soroi Larsens Camp + Governors’ Il Moran. All flying |
Every tier includes the Day 4 bush flight from Samburu to the Mara via Wilson. Luxury and Super Luxury also include the Wilson to Samburu flight on Day 1 and the Mara to Wilson flight on Day 7, so those two tiers never touch the road.
Adding Lake Nakuru? Add USD 180 / KES 23,000 (budget) to USD 280 / KES 36,000 (luxury) for one night including park fees.
What Is Included
- Private 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof
- English-speaking driver-guide throughout
- Fuel for all transfers and game drives
- Full board accommodation (all meals)
- Park entry fees: Samburu (3 days) and Masai Mara (3 days)
- Bottled drinking water during drives
- AMREF Flying Doctors emergency evacuation cover
- Airport/hotel pickup and drop-off in Nairobi
- Samburu to Mara bush flight via Wilson on Day 4 (all tiers)
- Wilson to Samburu and Mara to Wilson flights (Luxury and Super Luxury tiers)
What Is Not Included
- Tips for driver-guide (USD 15 to 20 / KES 2,000 to 2,500 per day)
- Tips for lodge staff
- Tips for local spotters (USD 4 to 8 / KES 500 to 1,000, tip them directly, they know the dens)
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
- Travel insurance (required)
- Kenya eTA, USD 34 via etakenya.go.ke
- Personal expenses: laundry, souvenirs
- Hot air balloon in the Mara (USD 550 / KES 71,500)
- Samburu or Maasai village visits (USD 25 to 40 / KES 3,000 to 5,000)
- Camel rides in Samburu (USD 30 / KES 4,000)
- Buffalo Springs permit if crossing (USD 80 adult, USD 45 child, a separate Isiolo County ticket)
- Optional flight upgrades for Budget and Mid-Range tiers, Nairobi to Samburu or Mara to Nairobi, priced on request
- Lake Nakuru extension (priced separately above)
What 7 Days Gets You That Shorter Trips Don’t
I run 5, 6, and 7-day versions of this route at Masaimara.co.ke. Here’s the honest difference:
5 Days | 6 Days | 7 Days | |
Samburu nights | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Mara nights | 2 | 3 | 3 |
Total game drives | 6-7 | 9-11 | 11-13 |
Zero-travel days | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Can you add Nakuru? | No | Tight | Yes |
Pacing | Rushed | Comfortable | Relaxed |
The extra Samburu night is the real difference. On shorter trips, you get one full day in Samburu. Morning drive, afternoon drive, done. On 7 days, you get two full days. That is four game drives in Samburu instead of two.
Why does that matter? Because Samburu is harder. The animals are more dispersed. The terrain is bigger. Finding the Special Five, reticulated giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, gerenuks, oryx, Somali ostriches, takes time. Finding a leopard in the Doum palms takes patience. With one day you might get lucky. With two days, your odds go way up. Our Masai Mara vs Samburu guide goes deeper on how the two parks differ.
Day-By-Day
Day 1: Nairobi To Samburu
Luxury and Super Luxury guests fly, 90 minutes from Wilson Airport to Samburu Airstrip, with a Land Cruiser waiting at the strip. Budget and Mid-Range guests drive, 5 to 6 hours through Nanyuki and Isiolo.
If you are driving, stop at Barney’s near Nanyuki Airstrip for lunch. Good food, reliable Wi-Fi (rare once you are in the bush), and a chance to send any work emails before you go offline. The Equator crossing photo stop is along the way. A guy does a water demonstration claiming to show the Coriolis effect. It is scientifically nonsense but a fun USD 5 photo op.
Also if you are driving: buy a Safaricom eSIM at JKIA before you leave. Even in Samburu’s “dead zones,” Safaricom sometimes has signal near the Ewaso Nyiro River when lodge Wi-Fi (usually satellite-based) fails during afternoon heat.
You arrive in Samburu late afternoon. The heat hits you. Samburu sits lower than Nairobi and it is properly hot, mid-30s most days. The air has this dry, thin quality.
Bring a buff or silk scarf for game drives. Not for style, for breathing. Samburu’s red dust is high in iron and extremely fine. Within 48 hours it can cause what locals call “safari cough.” Cover your face during dusty stretches.
Afternoon game drive. First look at the Ewaso Nyiro River.
Day 2: Full Day Samburu
Early start. 6 AM.
You are looking for the Special Five. Reticulated giraffes with their sharp geometric patterns, different from Masai giraffes, and once you see them together you will never confuse them. Grevy’s zebras, larger than plains zebras with thin stripes and huge ears. According to recent Kenya Wildlife Service surveys, maybe 2,000 to 3,000 left in the wild. Gerenuks standing on their hind legs like something out of a fever dream. Beisa oryx. Somali ostriches with blue necks instead of pink.
Between 10 and 11:30 AM, a hot wind picks up along the river. Most guides head back to the lodge. But here is what I have learned: that wind is ideal for finding leopards. The rustling Doum palm fronds mask the sound of a cat moving. Look up into the thickest, shaggiest palms during this window.
Watch the Vulturine Guineafowl, the bright blue ones. If they suddenly stop chattering and all look in one direction, a predator is nearby. Same with the Red-billed Hornbills. In dense scrub where leopards are nearly invisible, Hornbills will hop nervously between branches making a clucking sound while tracking movement you cannot see. Stop the engine. Wait. Look exactly where the bird is looking.
Keep your camera in a pillowcase between sightings. Not a camera bag, the zippers jam from Samburu’s fine grit. A loose pillowcase lets you draw the camera quickly without mechanical failure.
Back to the lodge for lunch and pool time. Afternoon drive exploring different sectors.
Day 3: Full Day Samburu
Target Wildlife | Park Ecosystem | Hidden Environmental Cue |
Hidden Leopards | Samburu Reserve | Look up in shaggy Doum palms when mid-morning winds pick up. |
Predator Proximity | Samburu Reserve | Stop engine if Vulturine Guineafowl or Hornbills freeze and stare. |
River Crossings | Masai Mara | Monitor crocodile positioning along the Mara River (July–October). |
Active Lions | Masai Mara | Follow background static/grunting of wildebeest herds at dawn. |
This is the day that shorter trips do not have.
Maybe you did not see Grevy’s zebras yesterday. Now you have another chance. Maybe you spotted a leopard in a tree but the light was wrong. Go back.
Or use this day for a cultural experience. The Singing Wells happen in dry season (January to March). Samburu warriors bring cattle to hand-dug wells and sing to them by name while drawing water. It is not a tourist show. A word of warning: you are often forbidden from taking photos or videos. Many tourists arrive expecting Instagram content and are told to put cameras away. Go for the sound. The syncopated chanting is the experience, not the visual.
Or cross into Buffalo Springs. It is a different reserve, run by Isiolo County, and your Samburu permit does not cover it, so budget for a separate ticket, USD 80 per adult and USD 45 per child. There is a Natural Swimming Pool there, a crystal-clear volcanic spring enclosed by walls. Safe from crocodiles. But do not swim at dusk. Elephants often come to the exterior walls to drink at that hour, and being trapped inside the pool area when they arrive is intimidating.
Evening drive. Your last in Samburu.
Day 4: Samburu To Masai Mara
This is the biggest transition of the trip, and it is a flight day for every tier. The two parks are more than 550 km apart, and no road transfer gets you there in one day with any safari time left.
Morning game drive in Samburu, your last chance for anything you missed. Then a mid-morning bush flight from Samburu Airstrip to Nairobi Wilson Airport on Safarilink or AirKenya, about 80 to 90 minutes. You connect at Wilson onto the 1:00 PM or 1:30 PM flight to the Masai Mara, 45 to 60 minutes, and touch down on the Mara plains by 2:30 PM. Your Land Cruiser meets you at the airstrip and you are on a late-afternoon game drive by 3:30 PM.
You arrive in the Mara and the landscape shift is immediate. Red earth and doum palms become green savanna and scattered acacia. You have crossed into different country.
Your 3:30 PM afternoon game drive uses the first of your three included Masai Mara calendar-day permits (covering Day 4 afternoon, Day 5 full day, and Day 6 full day). Each permit runs 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on its date. For guests at Mara Crossing Camp and Governors’ Il Moran, your landing at Olkiombo or Musiara airstrip puts you directly inside the reserve, so your guide validates entry immediately on arrival.
Day 5: Full Day Mara
Dawn drive. The Mara wakes up loud, especially during migration when there is a constant low grunting from the wildebeest herds. It is background noise until you leave and notice how quiet everywhere else is.
You are looking for the Big Five now. Lions are common. You will almost certainly see them. Elephants, yes. Buffalo, yes. Leopards are harder but the Mara has decent odds, especially around the Talek River area. Rhinos are rare, maybe a couple of sightings per week across the whole reserve.
Mara River if you are here July to October. Hippo pools. Crocodiles. And if luck is with you, a crossing.
Watch for tsetse flies near the rivers. They are attracted to dark colors. Blue and black mimic buffalo hide. Standard bug spray does not work well. Get Nodor or high-DEET from a Nairobi pharmacy before you travel. And if a fly gets in the vehicle, do not swat it against your skin. They have a hard shell. Crush them against the seat.
Day 6: Full Day Mara
Another full day. This is what makes 7 days worth it.
Maybe you do a balloon safari at dawn. 5 AM pickup, float over the savanna as the sun rises, champagne breakfast after landing. About USD 550 / KES 71,500 extra. Worth it if you have never done one.
Afternoon in a different sector. The Mara is large enough that you can spend days without repeating areas. Talek for leopards. Sand River near Tanzania where it is quieter. The main plains for big herds.
Day 7: Mara To Nairobi
How your final morning runs depends strictly on your lodge location.
Inside the reserve (Mara Crossing Camp and Governors’ Il Moran, along the Mara River): your Day 6 permit covers your overnight stay. Head out for a sunrise drive along the river, return for a quick breakfast, and make sure your Land Cruiser clears the airstrip or the reserve exit gate before 10:00 AM sharp. Miss it and Narok County levies another full calendar day, USD 100 in low season or USD 200 in peak. I have had clients miss flights arguing about this at the gate.
Outside the reserve (Mara Sopa Lodge near Oloolaimutia Gate, Crocodile Camp outside Talek): your park ticket expired at 6:00 PM on Day 6. Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the lodge before checking out for the 5 to 6 hour drive back to Nairobi. There is no in-reserve morning drive without an additional calendar-day permit.
Luxury and Super Luxury flights leave the Mara airstrip late morning and land at Wilson Airport early afternoon.
The Lake Nakuru Option
If you prefer to drive the entire safari and drop the inter-park flight, we convert this into an 8-day itinerary (or a 2-night Samburu, 1-night Nakuru, 3-night Mara split) by adding a stopover at Lake Nakuru to break up the drive. Instead of one impossible 10+ hour day, you get two reasonable drives. The Samburu, Nakuru and Mara pages lay out that version.
Nakuru gives you rhinos. Both black and white. The Mara rhino sightings are rare and unpredictable. Nakuru is reliable. If rhinos matter to you, this is worth considering.
It also gives you flamingos, sometimes. Their presence depends on water chemistry and food availability. Some years they are there in huge numbers, some years they are elsewhere. Lake Bogoria sometimes has them when Nakuru does not. No guarantees.
Adding this night costs USD 180 to 280 per person including park fees and accommodation:
- Budget: USD 180 / KES 23,000 extra
- Mid-Range: USD 230 / KES 30,000 extra
- Luxury: USD 280 / KES 36,000 extra
Includes one night accommodation, park fees (USD 90 non-resident, valid 24 hours from entry via KWS eCitizen), and game drives.
Packing for Two Climates
Gear / Preparation | Target Hazard | Direct Expert Rule |
Earth-Toned Clothes | Samburu Volcanic Dust | Never wear pure white; fine red iron grit stains it permanently. |
Canvas Trousers | Mara Tsetse Flies | Avoid blue or black; flies bite straight through thin leggings. |
Silk Pillowcase Wrap | Fine Desert Grit | Protect camera zoom lens focus rings between sightings. |
Direct Cook Alert | Transfer Day Box-Lunches | Inform lodge cooks directly the night before if you are vegetarian. |
Samburu is hot. Mid-30s. Light clothes. Bring a buff or scarf for dust.
The Mara can be cold. 12 to 15°C early mornings. Bring a fleece.
Avoid pure white clothing. Samburu’s red volcanic dust will stain it orange permanently. Stick to tan, khaki, olive.
Avoid blue and black near rivers. Tsetse flies. Standard DEET does almost nothing to them. Local guides swear by Dettol mixed with water in a spray bottle, or a Kenyan brand called Nodor. Avoid leggings or thin yoga pants. Tsetse flies bite through them easily. Loose-fitting canvas trousers are better.
Buy a Maasai shuka early in the trip. But choose the color wisely. The bright red ones look great for photos but can make animals skittish on walking safaris. Red signals “Maasai warrior” to predators. For walking, an olive or neutral-checkered shuka blends better with bush shadows and keeps you clear of the tsetse problem that blue invites. Our full packing list covers the rest.
Bring a silk pillowcase for camera gear. Never change lenses outside the lodge in Samburu.
If you use a CPAP or need to charge heavy drone batteries, tell the lodge manager on arrival. Many camps run on solar and cut power at 11 PM.
Vegetarians: tell the lodge cook directly the night before transfer days. Do not just tell the booking office. The standard “picnic lunch box” for travel days is 90% meat-based (cold chicken, sausage). Operators often forget to pass dietary requests to the kitchen. I have had vegetarian clients go hungry on the 6-hour road transfer back to Nairobi. Make sure the cook knows. Bring protein bars as backup.
Problems
The Transfer Day. Day 4 is the weak point. Samburu to Mara is far. The flight solves it, and it is built into the price. The only road alternative is adding Nakuru as a break, which adds a night. There is no perfect solution, just trade-offs.
Samburu Heat. I keep warning people. Mid-30s Celsius. Bring more water than you think. Schedule pool time.
7 Days Feels Long For Some. Not everyone wants a week of safari. If you get restless easily or have kids with short attention spans, consider 5 or 6 days instead. But if you want to see both ecosystems properly without rushing, 7 is right.
Questions
How much does a 7-day Mara-Samburu safari cost? USD 3,180 to 6,500 for non-residents in low season, USD 5,070 to 9,300 in peak. KES 413,000 to 845,000 for Kenyans in low season. Depends on lodges and season. The Day 4 bush flight is included in every tier.
Is 7 days too long? For some people, yes. For people who want both parks without rushing, no. It depends on you.
What wildlife will I see? Samburu: reticulated giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, gerenuks, oryx, Somali ostriches, elephants, sometimes leopards. Mara: lions, elephants, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, hippos, wildebeest.
Best time? January to March for dry conditions in both parks. July to October for migration.
Can I add Lake Nakuru? Yes. It makes the drive easier and adds rhinos. USD 180 to 280 / KES 23,000 to 36,000 extra.
First safari? 7 days is a solid first safari. Not too rushed. If budget is tight, start with 3 to 4 days in the Mara only.
Why is peak season more expensive? Mara park fees double from USD 100 to USD 200 per day. Vehicle rates increase significantly. Samburu stays at USD 85, so that portion does not jump as much.
Related
Written by David Njunge, TRA-licensed safari guide with over 10 years in the Masai Mara. Edited by Cess Wambui, travel consultant, BSc Tourism and Hospitality Management. Park fees are set by the Narok County Government, Samburu County and KWS. Verified for the 2027 season.
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