Nairobi: The Full 7-Day Itinerary
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Safety note: Nairobi has real street crime, mugging, carjacking, and smash-and-grab at traffic lights, plus a background terrorism risk, alongside millions of trouble-free visits a year. Use Uber, Bolt, or Little rather than walking, stay in Westlands, Karen, Gigiri, Kilimani, or Lavington rather than the CBD after dark, and check your government’s current travel advisory before you go.
A week is enough to do Nairobi properly and still get real time in both the Maasai Mara and Amboseli, rather than picking just one. Apply for Kenya’s eTA at etakenya.go.ke well ahead, around $30 and roughly 72-hour processing.
Day 1: Arrival and Nairobi National Park
Arrange your airport transfer in advance, then spend the afternoon on a game drive at Nairobi National Park, around $80/adult non-resident (verify current KWS rate). Lions, black rhino, buffalo, and zebra are common; elephants aren’t resident here, the park’s only wildlife corridor runs south into Kitengela. Tip for the day: book a driver-guide through your hotel rather than self-driving.
Day 2: The Karen loop
Hand-feed giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, around KES 1,500, tour the Karen Blixen Museum, and add Kazuri Beads if time allows. Tip for the day: these Karen sights are a short drive apart, not walkable between each other.
Day 3: Fly to the Maasai Mara
Transfer to Wilson Airport, Nairobi’s dedicated domestic and safari-charter airport, for a roughly 45-minute flight to the Mara, or drive 5-6 hours. Arrive in time for an evening game drive. Tip for the day: budget extra transfer time between JKIA and Wilson, they’re different airports across town from each other.
Day 4: A full day in the Mara
Spend the day on game drives; if your trip overlaps late July through September, this is peak Great Migration season for the Mara River crossings. Tip for the day: an early-morning start gives the best predator activity before the heat builds.
Day 5: Fly to Amboseli
Transfer, likely via Nairobi, to Amboseli National Park, roughly 4-5 hours by road or a shorter flight, for dawn-friendly views of Mount Kilimanjaro over large elephant herds. Tip for the day: mornings offer the clearest Kilimanjaro views, afternoon cloud usually builds over the peak.
Day 6: A full day in Amboseli, then back to Nairobi
Spend the morning on a final game drive before heading back to Nairobi in the afternoon or evening. Tip for the day: pack a fleece for Amboseli’s surprisingly cool mornings and evenings.
Day 7: The elephant nursery and departure
If your booking allows, close out the trip with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust’s 11am-noon window, around $20/person, a fitting bookend to a week that started with the national park. Tip for the day: leave for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at least three hours before an international flight, given Nairobi’s traffic.
Read more: our main Nairobi guide has the full city rundown, and the day trips guide covers the Mara and Amboseli extensions in more depth.