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Kenya Safari Circuit - 6 Days (Nairobi, Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara & Mara River)

4.0(15 reviews)6 daysStart and end in the trailhead
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Six days, three parks, a full day with the big cats. The same parks on a shared minibus with lodges outside the gates, which costs an hour of driving at each end of the day.

Dust & Thorn
Runs this trip
Wildlife & birdwatching
Six days, three parks, a full day with the big cats
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers

Top Highlights

  • Nairobi National ParkNairobi has a national park inside the city limits, which is not true anywhere else.
  • Lake NaivashaNakuru is fenced and holds both black and white rhino, which makes it the most reliable rhino sighting in East Africa.
  • Masai MaraThe last two hours of road are bad and nobody has fixed them in decades.
  • Mara RiverA full day beats two short ones — you can sit with a cheetah for an hour instead of racing back for lunch.
  • Big cats

Itinerary

What's included

Included in the price

Accommodation
  • 5 nights accommodation as listed: hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Transport
  • Shared airport transfer both ways
  • All internal transport as listed: coach, train or shared jeep
Meals
  • Meals listed on each day
  • All meals from dinner on day one
Guide
  • Trip leader throughout, 1 guide per 15
  • Pop-top 4x4 with a professional driver-guide throughout
Activities
  • A full-day Mara game drive with packed lunch
Permits & fees
  • All entry tickets and permits listed in the day-by-day
Additional services
  • All park and conservancy fees, which are most of the cost

Not included

Insurance
  • Travel insurance
Optional
  • International or domestic flights to the start point
  • Personal expenses and tips
  • International flights to Nairobi
  • Driver-guide tips
Additional Services
  • 5% GST and any applicable TCS
  • Most meals
  • Upgrades from shared transport to private
  • Kenya e-visa
  • Hot air balloon over the Mara

Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.

Where you'll stay

All accommodations are subject to change

Nairobi Hostel

Hostel

Day 1

Lake Nakuru Hostel

Hostel

Day 2

Masai Mara Hostel

Hostel

Days 3, 4

Amboseli Hostel

Hostel

Day 5

What you'll eat

5 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 5 dinners across 6 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 6.

  • DinnerServed on days 1–5
  • BreakfastServed on days 2–6
  • LunchServed on days 2–5

14 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking

Operator

Dust & Thorn
4.0 (15)

Based in Arusha

Profile
One other operator runs this tripThe same trip, at their own price, group size and refund window.Acacia Line₹2,47,999See all 2Compare

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Customer reviews

Overall rating
4.0/5
Based on 15 reviews
Review summary
Food
3.9/5
Guide
4.0/5
Itinerary
3.8/5
Transport
4.0/5
Accommodation
3.8/5
Tour operator
3.9/5
Sort by:Recommended
3
R
Rahul Menon – Indore2026-06-07 · Verified booking

Sightings were thin on our dates, which is luck, but the drives felt rushed. The lead was calm and knew when to slow the group down.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.

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4
P
Priya Nair – Chandigarh2026-06-07 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area.

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3
P
Priya Nair – Lucknow2026-06-07 · Verified booking

Sightings were thin on our dates, which is luck, but the drives felt rushed. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.

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5
A
Arjun Pillai – Ahmedabad2026-06-07 · Verified booking

Early starts, but that's where the wildlife is. Well run. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Good value for what's included.

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5
P
Priya Nair – Chennai2026-06-07 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Simple food, well made, and enough of it. Solid operator.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.

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5
T
Tara D'Souza – Hyderabad2025-09-12 · Verified booking

Early starts, but that's where the wildlife is. Well run. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Crew were professional without being stiff about it. Solid operator.

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5
R
Rahul Menon – Jaipur2025-09-12 · Verified booking

Excellent sightings and the guides clearly knew the area. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves. Good value for what's included.

Reply from Dust & Thorn

Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.

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5
E
Elena Petrova – Singapore2025-09-12 · Verified booking

Rift Valley & Mara was quieter than I expected and the camp was comfortable. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Would send friends their way.

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Questions people ask

One other operator runs this trip. See all 2 side by side →

₹1,68,599per personNext 6 NovEMI from ₹14,050/mo