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3-Day Kenya Safari Tours
An African safari, even for three days, is a dream come true for many people. This incredible experience was pioneered by Kenya, which still ranks as one of the top safari countries today. With its long history of catering for the safari industry, Kenya has something to offer everyone. Whether you’re embarking on your first trip into Africa, or you’re a seasoned traveler feeling the call of Africa over and over again. A 3-day safari is short, but you’ll no doubt make some precious memories. The key to a successful trip is to plan your time carefully and not be overambitious with what you want to achieve. Avoid too much driving from place to place. It’s better to have one in-depth experience than to try to tick off a checklist of highlights.
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Best Seller
3-Day Masai Mara Super Luxury Fly-in Shared Game Drives
$2,211 to $3,168 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 7 people per vehicle)Luxury+Tented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Hyrax Safaris
5.0/5 – 292 Reviews
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Best Seller
3-Day Masai Mara Mid Range Safari at Jambo Mara Lodge
$501 to $823 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 6 people per vehicle)
Mid-range ResortYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Karibu Safaris In Kenya
4.8/5 – 1,463 Reviews
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3-Day Masai Mara Budget Safari Tour Kenya 2024 - 2025
$395 to $605 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Bienvenido Kenya Tours and Safaris
4.7/5 – 103 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day The Famous Mara - Mid-Range
$1,130 to $1,370 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Spirit of Kenya
5.0/5 – 550 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Adventure in Masai Mara
$396 to $616 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 7 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Jocky Tours and Safaris
4.9/5 – 1,886 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Safari Landcruiser Masai Mara Joining Group
$374 to $583 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Axis Africa Expedition & Safaris
4.9/5 – 1,420 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Masai Mara Budget Safari Holiday
$424 to $638 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 7 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Lenchada Safaris
4.9/5 – 880 Reviews
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3-Day Jambo Mara Lodge Daily Joining Masai Mara Safari
$495 to $897 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)
Mid-range ResortYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Safari Update Travels
4.9/5 – 196 Reviews
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3-Day Masai Mara Join-in Safari with a Landcruiser
$517 to $715 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 8 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Keshi Tours
5.0/5 – 44 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Taste of Masai Mara Safari
$979 to $1,540 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Beacon Safaris
4.9/5 – 302 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Thrilling Masai Mara Jeep Safari Spectacle
$529 to $760 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 7 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Super Eagles Travel and Tours
4.8/5 – 337 Reviews
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3-Day Amboseli National Park Private Budget Safari
$484 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourBudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Amboseli NP, Nairobi (End)
Buffalo Steps Adventures
5.0/5 – 10 Reviews
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3-Day Honey Moon Mara Package
$1,173 to $1,892 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Antonio Safaris
5.0/5 – 88 Reviews
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3-Day Samburu Sopa Lodge Private Tour
$572 to $645 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Samburu NR, Nairobi (End)
Balu Travel
4.8/5 – 82 Reviews
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3-Day Masai Mara Joining Safari
$825 pp (USD)
Kenya: Shared tour (max 7 people per vehicle)BudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Platonic Tours and Safaris
5.0/5 – 1 Reviews
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3-Day Maasai Mara Classic Safari
$847 to $1,441 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Peafowl Tours
4.9/5 – 37 Reviews
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3-Day Mara Safari--Nyani Safari by Jeep
$853 to $1,513 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range Tented CampYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Natural Track Safaris
5.0/5 – 4 Reviews
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3-Day Masai Mara Midrange Jeep Private Safari
$1,265 to $1,301 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range ResortYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Across Horizon Safaris
4.8/5 – 26 Reviews
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3-Day 2 Nights Maasai Mara Safari
$1,760 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Queen Roseline Safaris
5.0/5 – 3 Reviews
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3-Day Luxury Expedition and Magical Mara Bliss
$1,399 to $1,697 pp (USD)
Kenya: Private tourLuxuryTented Camp
You Visit: Nairobi (Start), Masai Mara NR, Nairobi (End)
Apodiformes Adventures
4.5/5 – 238 Reviews
5 Questions About 3-Day Kenya Safaris
Answered by
Ariadne van Zandbergen
Ariadne is a renowned Africa expert and photographer. She and her husband form a team who write and update many travel guides. She first visited Kenya 25 years ago. Since then she has been back many times to explore the country’s parks and reserves.› More about Ariadne
5 Questions About 3-Day Kenya Safaris
Is a 3-day safari in Kenya worthwhile?
“Although a 3-day safari in Kenya is quite short, it is definitely worthwhile. If you have the option, I would recommend adding a few extra days though. Additional time gives you a chance to get into the rhythm of the bush and settle in. However, if time or budget constraints allow only a short trip, you should still go. You can see a lot on a 3-day safari, and you’ll have an opportunity to get a feel for what it is all about. Hopefully you’ll be able to return one day to spend more time on safari. However much time you have available, try not to cram too much into your itinerary. With only 3 days, you might be tempted to race between destinations. But remember that less is often more, and there is no point in spending most of your safari traveling between places rather than taking time to savor them. As long as you are practical about what you can achieve on a 3-day safari, it is certainly worth going.”
1Where should I go on a 3-day safari in Kenya?
“Many 3-day safari packages are on offer in Kenya, giving you a variety of options on where to go on your trip. As you will be away for only two nights, I would recommend sleeping both nights in the same place. The most popular option for a 3-day Kenyan safari is the Masai Mara National Reserve. The flight from Nairobi gets you there in about 45 minutes, but a road safari is also feasible. With an early start, you should be in the Mara in time for an afternoon game drive. A 3-day safari to Amboseli National Park, at the base of Mt Kilimanjaro, is also a good option. While the Mara is best for big cats, you can expect elephant sightings in Amboseli. And on clear days, Kilimanjaro creates a perfect backdrop for your photographs. Another option is to head for the highlands of Laikipia Plateau. There are several excellent private reserves worth visiting here, but Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a great choice. It’s home to all the Big Five, and offers easy encounters with both black and white rhino. People on a beach holiday around Mombasa or elsewhere on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline often opt to add a short safari to their itinerary. The most popular choices for this are Tsavo East or West National Parks, which together form the largest protected area in Kenya. The vast open spaces of Tsavo give an opportunity to see far and wide. Elephant and giraffe are usually within sight.”
2What accommodation can I expect?
“Kenya, with its established tourism industry, has accommodation options to suit everybody’s needs. For a 3-day safari, you can choose from camping or high-end luxury accommodation, and everything in between. For the budget-conscious, camping is a popular option. The campsites are often in prime locations and you’ll feel totally in tune with nature. If camping isn’t your thing, you can also opt for a budget lodge tour. These usually use lodges that are located just outside the parks, which can be an effective base for game drives. You can spend a bit more for mid-range accommodation, offering more comfort with great locations inside or outside the parks and reserves. When it comes to luxury lodgings, the sky is the limit, especially where food and service are concerned. Some of Kenya’s most exclusive lodges are rustic in feel and blend into the bush with a minimal footprint. Others are more conventionally luxurious with all the mod cons including air-conditioning and swimming pools. These high-end lodgings are usually booked on a fly-in safari package. ”
3Which animals am I likely to see?
“Which animals you’re likely to see on a 3-day Kenyan safari depend on which parks or reserves you visit. Kenya offers incredible wildlife viewing. The Masai Mara NR is home to all of the Big Five. You’ll see lots of lion in the Mara, and leopard sightings are quite common too. Rhino are more difficult to find. To see rhino in Kenya, you should consider going to one of the reserves in Laikipia. Amboseli NP is great for elephant, giraffe and buffalo, but big cat sightings are less common here and rhino is absent. Tsavo is an amazing wilderness area with all of the Big Five present, but wildlife densities are lower. Even so, you’re likely to see elephant, giraffe, several antelope species and maybe lion. ”
4How much will this safari cost?
“Expect a starting price of US$400 per person for a 3-day Kenyan budget camping tour, going up to US$700 per person for a mid-range lodge tour. Luxury tours start at around US$900 per person. The price of a 3-day safari in Kenya depends on a lot of factors. The level of accommodation has a big influence on the overall cost. Most cost-effective is a camping safari, but there are budget lodge safari options too. A high premium is paid for top-of-the-range luxury lodgings on a fly-in safari. Road safaris are generally cheaper than fly-in safaris. The price will also depend on whether you go on a group safari where costs are shared, or a private safari. A great way to save costs is to visit out of the high season. The shoulder months are often a good compromise, but you can even choose to go in the low season, which corresponds with the rains. Although wildlife is harder to find at that time, it’s a beautiful season and you might even have the place to yourself. It’s always a good idea to get a few quotations from a variety of operators before making a decision.”
5Kenya Reviews
Nana is a travel writer and author of multiple guidebooks, including the Lonely Planet guides to Africa, Zambia & Malawi and South Africa.
From game-packed hotspots to little known wilderness
Kenya’s stunning landscapes include rainforest, beaches, deserts and mountains, but it’s the first class wildlife watching that keeps so many visitors flocking back. Not only is it one of the best places in Africa to see the Big Five,...
Stuart is a travel writer and author of numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including 'Kenya', 'Rwanda' and 'Tanzania'.
East Africa’s Most varied Nation
Kenya is the original home of the safari. This is the land of the world renowned Masai Mara National Reserve where tawny coloured lions feast off the hundreds of thousands of wildebeest that annually migrate into the country from...
Fantastic experience
It was a fantastic experience. We had booked a private 3-day safari in Tsavo East National Park with Buffalo Steps Adventures. Saw a lot of animals and spent the night at beautiful locations (Voi Safari Lodge and Salt Lick Safari Lodge).
Constantly amazed by the amount of wildlife around!
We had an excellent trip! 5 days in Nairobi followed by a 4 day 3 night safari. We toured during the short rainy season/ end of high season and the resorts were amazing! There were hardly any guests at the resorts and our tour operator...
Magical scenery and lovely people
We loved our trip to Kenya. We landed in Mombasa, and took the train to Voi for the parks. The train station was modern (but it took some time to enter as there are multiple security checks with long lines), trains were very clean,...
Wonderful holiday
We did Masai Mara and Nairobi National Park, we spotted all the animals we expected to see. If you want to see them hunting, ideally you’d better be staying in a lodge inside the reserve so you start the game drive early in the morning. ...