5 Days New Year Premium Safari: Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru

Road to the Celebration

Pickup from JKIA, Wilson Airport or an agreed Nairobi hotel takes place at approximately 6:30–7:00 a.m. Travel 250–280 km through the Great Rift Valley and Narok, allowing 5–6½ hours plus refreshment, viewpoint and holiday-traffic stops. Your guide will review the game-drive schedule and any confirmed New Year’s Eve arrangements. Reach the premium Mara camp between 12:30 and 2:00 p.m. for check-in, lunch and rest.

Last Sunset of the Year

Leave around 3:30 p.m. for a 2½–3-hour drive through open plains, acacia country or river habitat. Enjoy the natural final sunset of the year while maintaining reserve rules and respectful distance from wildlife. Return around 6:00–6:30 p.m. for dinner. If this is New Year’s Eve, join only the programme confirmed by the lodge; timing and entertainment differ between properties.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Lunch, Dinner

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First Safari of the Year

Guests who joined a late countdown may begin at approximately 6:30–7:00 a.m., while those preferring sunrise can leave around 6:15 a.m. with prior arrangement. The morning drive lasts about 2½–3 hours and searches nearby habitats according to wildlife movement. Safety and adequate rest take priority; nobody who has consumed excessive alcohol should disrupt the vehicle or other guests.

New Year Brunch and Rest

Return around 9:30 a.m. for breakfast or a confirmed New Year brunch. Spend the midday hours resting, contacting family or enjoying lodge facilities. Lunch timing and special menus vary, but a typical meal is around 1:00 p.m.

Afternoon Renewal

Depart around 3:30 p.m. for another 2½–3-hour game drive. The guide may explore a different nearby section before returning around 6:30 p.m. for dinner and a quieter second evening in the Mara.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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A Fresh Start across the Plains

Begin around 6:15 a.m. with a packed breakfast or an early lodge meal. This 8–10-hour drive provides the route’s most extensive continuous exploration, allowing access to habitats farther from camp when roads permit. Your guide will interpret tracks, animal behaviour and seasonal landscape changes while keeping expectations realistic.

Picnic and Patient Viewing

Have lunch at an authorised picnic site around 12:30–1:00 p.m. Green-season vegetation, rain clouds and migratory birds can add interest, although January conditions vary from year to year. The famous wildebeest movement continues elsewhere in the larger ecosystem and a Mara river crossing should not be promised at New Year.

Final Mara Evening

Continue until approximately 6:00–6:30 p.m., then return for refreshments, dinner and overnight. This unhurried full day complements the lighter New Year’s Day schedule.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Mara Leisure Camp

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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Scenic Transfer North

Breakfast is served around 6:30 a.m. before check-out at approximately 7:30 a.m. Travel 235–270 km from the Mara to the Lake Nakuru area, normally requiring 5–6½ hours plus a meal or refreshment stop. Holiday traffic, rain and roadworks may change the arrival time, so the guide will communicate progress throughout the journey. Reach the selected premium property during the mid-to-late afternoon.

Nakuru Wildlife Option

If the lodge is inside Lake Nakuru National Park and arrival occurs early enough, depart at about 3:30 p.m. for a 2–2½-hour drive through accessible grassland, woodland and lakeshore habitat. Guests staying outside will rest and enter the park on Day 5. Birds, buffaloes, giraffes and rhinos may occur naturally, but no sighting is guaranteed. Return for dinner and a relaxed first-week-of-the-year evening.

Destination:

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Overnight:

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge

  premium luxury 5 star lodge

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

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A Conservation-Focused Finale

After breakfast from approximately 6:00 a.m., check out and begin a 3–4-hour park drive around 6:30–7:00 a.m. Explore Lake Nakuru’s varied habitats while learning about rhino protection and the changing lake environment. Flamingos and other waterbirds move according to water depth and food conditions, while rhino visibility varies naturally.

Back to Nairobi

Exit at approximately 10:30–11:00 a.m. and stop for lunch in Nakuru or Naivasha around noon. Drive 165–180 km to Nairobi, normally taking 3–4 hours before serious congestion. Arrival is expected between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Your guide can drop you at JKIA, Wilson Airport or an agreed Nairobi hotel or residence. Flights should preferably depart after 8:00 p.m., and a Nairobi night offers a calmer end to the holiday.