Front three-quarter view
Our Toyota Land Cruiser Safari is the car to hire when you want to go on safari in your own vehicle. It is the only car in our fleet that may be taken on game drives in the Maasai Mara and Kenya's other parks and reserves: collect it in Nairobi, drive out to the park, and set off on game drives on your own timetable.
Who the Land Cruiser Safari suits
- Families and friends who want a safari at their own pace, stopping as long as they like at a lion kill or a river crossing.
- Returning Kenyans who grew up hearing about the Mara and want to show it to their children.
- Photographers who need time and position, not a fixed lodge schedule.
- Groups combining a safari with family visits upcountry, in one strong vehicle.
Every other car we hire out stays on paved roads and may not be taken on a game drive. If you only need to get to a lodge that runs its own game drives, a Land Cruiser V8 or Toyota Prado is a more comfortable road car.
Seats, fit-out and luggage: ask us
Safari vehicles are fitted out in different ways, from the seating layout to the roof and luggage space. Ask us about the Land Cruiser Safari available for your dates, including how many seats it has, before you book. Tell us how many people are travelling and how much luggage you are bringing, and we will tell you whether it suits your group. Soft bags pack far better than hard suitcases on safari.
Handed over at JKIA
Many safari trips start the day you land. Add your flight number when you book and we track your flight; the evening before, we send your driver's name and number on WhatsApp, and your driver meets you in the arrivals hall at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) with a sign bearing your name. We film a walk-round video together and show you the fuel level, spare wheel and jack. Delivery to JKIA is KES 1,000. Read our airport promise.
The Maasai Mara and other parks
The Mara is about 260 to 280 kilometres (160 to 175 miles) from Nairobi, usually five to six hours on the road, with Narok as the natural halfway stop. Our road trips from Nairobi guide covers the route and park tickets. Tell us which parks you are visiting, and where you are staying, when you book: we confirm your route and any areas that are off-limits at the time of booking.
On game drives
- Follow the park rules, stay on the tracks, and keep to the opening hours.
- Carry your park tickets, your driving licence and the rental agreement.
- Fill up in Narok or the last big town before the park; fuel stations are few inside.
- Keep our 24/7 number to hand. If the car breaks down, we arrange a replacement.
Like every car we hire out, it stays in Kenya: no trips into Tanzania, Uganda or any other country.
With a chauffeur
Prefer to watch the animals rather than the track? Add one of our chauffeurs for KES 5,000 a day outside Nairobi, plus your driver's food and overnight accommodation. Want a guide who knows the park as well? Ask us what we can arrange for your dates.
What a safari trip costs
The table below works out 3, 7 and 14 days all in, from today's daily rate, with delivery and collection in Nairobi, the cleaning and service fee and VAT. Park tickets, fuel and accommodation are on top.
Compare with
- Land Cruiser V8: the most comfortable road car for the drive to a lodge.
- Toyota Prado: a lighter 4x4 for long paved drives.
- Guide: Land Cruiser V8 vs Prado, if the road car matters more than game drives.
What the Toyota Land Cruiser Safari costs for a real trip
All in, self-drive: the daily rate, delivery and collection in Nairobi (JKIA included), the cleaning and service fee, and VAT at 16%. Fuel is extra, and you return the car with the same fuel level.
| Hire | Total, VAT included |
|---|---|
| 3 days | KES 125,280 ≈ $965 USD / £730 GBP / €861 EUR |
| 7 days | KES 287,680 ≈ $2,217 USD / £1,676 GBP / €1,978 EUR |
| 14 days | KES 571,880 ≈ $4,407 USD / £3,332 GBP / €3,932 EUR |
The refundable security deposit is on top, and is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection.
With every Urban Escape car
A 2019 model or newer, serviced and cleaned before each hire, with comprehensive insurance, unlimited mileage, GPS tracking, 24/7 help and a replacement car if the car has a manufacturer (mechanical) issue. Add a vetted chauffeur for KES 4,000 a day in Nairobi or KES 5,000 outside. It stays in Kenya. Pay a refundable reservation deposit within 2 hours of booking (we send a card payment link, or M-Pesa details by WhatsApp, phone or email), then the balance when you see the car, by M-Pesa, bank transfer, credit card or cash. Free cancellation until the car is handed over.
Why clients choose the Land Cruiser Safari
- The only car in our fleet allowed on game drives
- Land Cruiser four-wheel drive and ground clearance
- Game drives on your own timetable
- Self-drive or with a chauffeur
Ideal for
- Self-drive safaris in the Maasai Mara
- Game drives in Kenya's other parks and reserves
- Families who want their own safari vehicle
- Long drives upcountry
Toyota Land Cruiser Safari hire: questions
Can I take the Land Cruiser Safari on a game drive?
Yes. It is our game-drive vehicle and the only car in our fleet allowed on game drives, in the Maasai Mara and other parks and reserves. Tell us which parks you are visiting when you book.
How much does the Land Cruiser Safari cost?
The daily rate is at the top of this page, before 16% VAT, and the table above works out 3, 7 and 14 days all in. Park tickets, fuel and accommodation are extra.
How many seats does the Land Cruiser Safari have?
Ask us about the one available for your dates, and tell us how many are travelling and how much luggage you have. We will tell you whether it suits your group.
Does the Land Cruiser Safari have a pop-up roof?
Ask us about the fit-out of the vehicle for your dates, including the roof, seating and luggage space, before you book.
How long is the drive from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara?
Usually five to six hours, about 260 to 280 kilometres (160 to 175 miles), with Narok as the halfway stop. Times vary with roadworks and traffic.
Can I hire the Land Cruiser Safari with a driver?
Yes. A chauffeur costs KES 5,000 a day outside Nairobi, plus your driver's food and overnight accommodation. Ask us if you would like a guide as well.
Deposit: when your money comes back
You see the exact security deposit for your car in your quote before you book, and again on your booking page. It is fully refundable and due with your remaining balance by handover. It is not an extra charge: it is returned when the car is returned. Your security deposit is refunded immediately after the return handover inspection. It comes back the same way you paid it: by M-Pesa to the number it came from, to the bank account you paid from, back to your card, or in cash. We check the car together and film it, just as we did at handover, and you get a written return receipt. If nothing is owed, you get it all back.
Only these can be taken off:
- fuel below the level you received, at the pump price
- traffic and speed camera fines, parking and tolls, at cost
- a late return, after the 1-hour grace period
- new damage shown on the handover and return videos, up to your Excess Fee for Damage
Anything taken off is on a written list, with the video or a receipt to show it, and there are no admin or processing fees.
Booking with a chauffeur? With one of our chauffeurs driving there is no security deposit and no Excess Fee for Damage. Read our fair damage promise, the rental terms in plain words, every car's price and deposit, and how JKIA airport handover works.
Planning the safari itself? Our sister company Urban Escape Kenya has a Maasai Mara guide covers when to go, where to stay and park tickets.