3 Days Kenya Safari: Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru National Park.
Some of Kenya’s most rewarding wildlife experiences sit within easy reach of Nairobi, and this 3 days Kenya safari combines two of the Great Rift Valley’s most beautiful lakes into a perfectly paced short tour. Lake Naivasha’s papyrus-fringed shores and Crescent Island Wildlife Sanctuary pair naturally with Lake Nakuru National Park’s famous flamingo concentrations, white and black rhino populations, and resident Big Five game viewing, delivering a diverse and deeply satisfying Kenyan safari experience that starts and ends in Nairobi city.
Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Nairobi pickup — Lake Naivasha Crescent Island visit — transfer to Lake Nakuru
- Day 2: Full-day Lake Nakuru National Park game drive
- Day 3: Return transfer to Nairobi
Detailed safari
Day 1: Lake Naivasha, Crescent Island & Transfer to Lake Nakuru
Your Kenya safari begins with an early morning pickup from your Nairobi hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, followed by a 1- to 2-hour scenic drive through the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha. On arrival, a short boat trip across the lake delivers you to Crescent Island Wildlife Sanctuary, a unique peninsula game sanctuary where giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, eland, waterbuck, and impala roam freely and can be observed on foot in complete safety. With over 200 recorded bird species, including African fish eagle, osprey, lily trotter, black crake, and numerous heron species, Crescent Island is one of the finest Kenyan birding safari experiences in the Rift Valley. The lake’s resident hippo pods are easily spotted from the island shoreline.
Following a lunch stop en route, continue to Lake Nakuru National Park, one of Kenya’s most rewarding wildlife destinations and home to the famous flamingo-fringed soda lake, reliable white and black rhino sightings, and resident lion, leopard, buffalo, and giraffe. An evening game drive on arrival offers an excellent introduction to the park before dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Meals: Lunch and dinner Accommodation: Luxury — Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, The Cliff | Mid-range — Lake Nakuru Safari Lodge, Nakuru Sopa Lodge | Budget — Ziwa Bush Lodge
Day 2: Full-Day Lake Nakuru National Park Game Drive
An early breakfast precedes a full morning game drive through Lake Nakuru National Park’s diverse habitats, acacia woodland, open grassland, and the famous soda lake shoreline where flamingo concentrations can number in the thousands, turning the lake margins a vivid, shimmering pink. Lake Nakuru is one of the most reliable white rhino viewing destinations in East Africa and one of the very few Kenyan national parks where both white and black rhinos are regularly encountered on the same game drive.
Wildlife sightings throughout the day include lions, leopards resting in acacia trees, spotted hyenas, buffalo herds, Rothschild giraffe, zebra, impala, and waterbuck across the park’s varied terrain. The afternoon drive focuses on the lakeside zones where flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, and a remarkable variety of waterbird species line the soda lake shores in extraordinary concentrations, delivering some of the finest Kenya wildlife safari photography conditions available anywhere in the Rift Valley. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Full board
Day 3: Return Transfer to Nairobi
After breakfast and checkout, your driver-guide transfers you back to Nairobi through the open Rift Valley savannah and colourful Maasai pastoral landscapes. Depending on available time, optional Nairobi visits to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Centre, or Nairobi National Park can be arranged before your final drop-off at the airport or any preferred Nairobi location.
Meals: Breakfast
End of the 3 days Kenya safari.
Included
- Lake Nakuru National Park entrance fees and Crescent Island sanctuary fees
- Lake Naivasha boat trip
- All meals as specified per day
- Full-board accommodation throughout
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Dedicated 4×4 Land Cruiser safari vehicle
- Complimentary bottled mineral water
- All Nairobi airport and hotel transfers
- Government taxes
Not Included
- International flights and Kenya visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Gratuities for guide and lodge staff
- Personal expenses and laundry
- Optional Nairobi activities on Day 3
