2 Day Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru Safari

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A 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari is the easiest way to see Kenya’s wildlife on a weekend. The roads are good, the drives are short and the animals are close.

• FromUSD 370per person sharing, budget tier, 6 people, low season
• Duration2 days, 1 night
• StartsNairobi
• Best forWeekend breaks, first timers, families and residents who want a short, easy safari
• StylePrivate 4×4, your own driver guide

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Rated 4.9 on Google from 47 reviews. Price confirmed in writing before you pay.

Title sponsor

Alumni Golf Challenge

We are the title sponsor this year.

Golf is part of who we are, so we put our name behind the Alumni Golf Challenge. Want more golf after the day? Tell us when you are free. We book your tee time at Karen, Muthaiga or Vipingo Ridge and sort the transfers and the stay.

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You travel from Nairobi in a private pop up roof 4×4 with a driver guide. Day one covers Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate, then Lake Nakuru National Park in the evening. Day two starts with a sunrise game drive before the easy road home.

This page gives you the plan hour by hour, the prices for each tier, the park fees and the choices that shape a good 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari.

Highlights

• Hell’s Gate National Park, where you can walk or cycle among zebra and giraffe
• A boat ride on Lake Naivasha with hippos and fish eagles
• Rhino sanctuary at Lake Nakuru, with both black and white rhino
• Rothschild giraffe, buffalo and many birds, including flamingos in good years
• Short drives, with Nakuru just over two hours from Nairobi
• Private 4×4 with a pop up roof

Day by day plan

1. Day 1

   Nairobi, Naivasha, Hell’s Gate and Lake Nakuru

   You leave Nairobi at 6:30 am and drive down into the Rift Valley, stopping at the viewpoint above the escarpment. You reach Lake Naivasha by 9 am. Choose Hell’s Gate for a walk or cycle through the gorge, or take a boat ride on the lake past hippos and fish eagles. After lunch you drive about an hour to Lake Nakuru National Park. You take an afternoon game drive for rhino, giraffe and buffalo and reach your lodge or camp at dusk.

2. Day 2

   Lake Nakuru and back to Nairobi

   You rise early for a sunrise game drive at Lake Nakuru. You visit Baboon Cliff for a view across the lake and look for lion, leopard and waterbuck in the woodland. After breakfast you check out and drive back to Nairobi, about 3 hours. You arrive in the early afternoon. We drop you at your hotel or the airport and your 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari ends there.

2 Day Naivasha Nakuru Safari, guide price per person sharing, USD, low season

• Guide price per person sharing, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before any payment
• Low season (Apr to Jun, Nov) shown, park fees about USD 90 at Nakuru
• Jul to Oct and Dec add about USD 30 to 80 per person for camp rates
• Christmas and New Year dates carry a surcharge, confirm at booking

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What a 2 Day Naivasha Nakuru Safari Offers

Two lakes, two parks and one night. That is the whole plan and it is why a 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari suits busy travellers. You get a real safari without a long road trip or a big bill.

The route is also friendly to children and older travellers. The parks are small, the roads are good and the lodges are close to the gates. For more on the individual stops, see our Lake Nakuru day trip and Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha day trip.

If you only have a weekend, this is the trip we recommend. If you have three days, a third night lets you add a Mara style game drive in a bigger park, such as in our 4 day Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru safari.

You also get time to enjoy it. The first night is spent near the lake, with a quiet evening and the second morning starts with the best light of the trip.

How Much Does a 2 Day Naivasha Nakuru Safari Cost?

Prices start at USD 370 per person for six people sharing a budget tier in low season. Two people in mid range pay about USD 540 each and two people in luxury pay about USD 625.

The price covers the vehicle, guide, one night on full board and the park fees. Compare it with our longer Lake Nakuru and Naivasha safari if you can spare a third day.

Prices fall as the group grows, because the vehicle cost is shared. A family of four pays about USD 400 each in the budget tier. Two travellers pay more per person, but still get the same private vehicle, guide and schedule.

Fees on the Route

Fees are paid per adult for non residents and they are included in our price. They are approximate, so confirm the current rate at booking.

Children 9 to 17 pay about half the park fee and children 8 and under enter free at most KWS parks. Residents and citizens pay lower fees in Kenya shillings. See the Kenya park entry fees guide for the full list.

• Lake Nakuru National Park: about USD 90 per day
• Hell’s Gate National Park: about USD 50 per day
• Lake Naivasha boat ride: about USD 25 to 30 per person
• Bike hire at Hell’s Gate: about USD 15 to 25
• Crescent Island entry and walk: about USD 25 extra

Hell’s Gate or a Boat Ride

Hell’s Gate is one of the few Kenya parks where you can walk or cycle among wildlife. You ride past zebra, giraffe, gazelles and baboons, with red cliffs on both sides. The gorge walk takes about 2 hours.

The boat ride suits those who prefer a gentler morning. You see hippos, pelicans and fish eagles. If you leave by 6:30 am, you can do a short Hell’s Gate walk and a boat ride on the same day.

Hell’s Gate is also home to the Olkaria geothermal field, where steam rises from vents in the ground. Cyclists can ride past Fischer’s Tower, a volcanic plug that rises about 25 metres and stop at the Obsidian Caves.

Crescent Island is a quieter alternative. You walk among giraffe, zebra and wildebeest with no predators, which makes it a favourite for families. See our Lake Naivasha boat ride and Crescent Island page.

Lake Nakuru and Its Rhinos

Lake Nakuru National Park is small and fenced, with about 190 square kilometres of lake, grassland and woodland. It is one of Kenya’s most important rhino sanctuaries, with both black and white rhino.

Flamingos come and go with the lake level, so we never promise them. Rothschild giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck and baboons are reliable. Lions and leopards live in the woodland and your guide will look for them at dawn.

Baboon Cliff gives the best view across the lake and Out of Africa Hill gives a view of the south. The park also has a forest of yellow barked acacia, called fever trees, where leopards rest during the day.

Night drives are not allowed in Nakuru, so the sunrise and late afternoon drives are the best times. Lions are rare here but do appear and leopards are seen now and then by lucky guests.

Best Time for a 2 Day Naivasha Nakuru Safari

Jun to Oct and Jan to Feb are dry, with the easiest roads and the best game viewing. Nov and Dec bring short rains and green views. Mar to May are wet, with the lowest prices and fewer vehicles.

Both lakes are good all year, so the season matters less here than at the Mara. Read our Kenya safari month by month guide if you want to check the weather before you pick dates.

The altitude keeps both lakes cool compared with the coast, with day temperatures of 22 to 27 degrees. Evenings drop to about 10 degrees, so a jacket is essential on a 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari.

A 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari also works as a first test of safari life for children, since the days are short and the weather is mild.

Where You Stay and Weekend Trips for Residents

Budget tiers use simple camps and small lodges near the Nakuru gate, with hot meals and clean beds. Mid range uses larger rooms with a pool and a garden. Luxury uses upscale lodges inside or beside the park, with lake or forest views.

The lodge matters on a 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari, because you only spend one night. A lodge inside the park saves the gate queue and lets you start the game drive early.

If you live in Kenya, you pay lower resident fees at Nakuru and Hell’s Gate, in shillings. Our Naivasha getaway packages and weekend getaways from Nairobi show resident prices.

The route also works for team outings. See our team building packages for group options.

Meals are a hot breakfast, a light lunch and a three course dinner. Tell us about vegetarian or allergy needs when you book and we pass them to the lodge.

Hour by Hour on a 2 Day Naivasha Nakuru Safari

Here is how a typical 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari flows. You leave Nairobi at 6:30 am and reach the Rift Valley viewpoint at 7:15 am. You arrive at Naivasha at 9 am, with 2 hours at Hell’s Gate or on the lake. Lunch is at 12:30 pm.

At 2 pm you drive to Nakuru and enter the park at 3 pm. You take a game drive until 6 pm, then check in and have dinner. On day two you leave at 6 am for a game drive, return for breakfast at 9 am and leave for Nairobi at 10 am. You arrive by about 1 pm. Timing shifts with traffic and sightings.

What to Pack

Pack for cool mornings and warm afternoons. Naivasha and Nakuru sit at about 1,800 metres, so evenings are cold.

• A warm layer and a light rain jacket
• Closed shoes for walking and cycling
• Sunscreen, hat and sunglasses
• Binoculars for birds and distant rhino
• Our Kenya safari packing checklist covers the rest

Book Your 2 Day Naivasha Nakuru Safari

Send your dates, group size and tier on WhatsApp at +254 720 731957. We reply with a written quote, usually within a few hours.

Weekend dates fill fast, especially around holidays. Book two to four weeks ahead for Fri to Sun trips and earlier for long weekends.

Tell us if you are travelling with children or older guests. A 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari suits both and we can change the pace to match.

How to book your 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari

Booking your 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.

1. Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
2. Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
3. Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
4. Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
5. Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.

What every trip with us includes

Every 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.

We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.

Why book with a Nairobi team

We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good 2 day Naivasha Nakuru safari into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 4.9 from 47 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.

Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.

Questions people ask

Official information: Kenya Wildlife Service.

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