Masai Mara Safari

Masai Mara Safari

Masai Mara Safaris

Check out our recommended masai mara safaris itineraries and packages or talk to one of our safari experts for tailor-made masai mara safari holidays.

World renowned for the breathtaking spectacle of ‘the greatest wildlife show on earth’, the awe inspiring annual migration of the wildebeest, the Mara is Kenya’s most visited protected area. Technically an extension of Tanzania’s renowned Serengeti National Park, the Mara constitutes only 4% of the entire Serengeti ecosystem but its rolling grasslands, meandering rivers and towering escarpments offer one of the world’s most rewarding and evocative wildlife arenas.

Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve is without doubt one of Africa’s classic safari destinations and thus features on most of our top recommended Kenya safari tours. It’s also extremely popular the world over we recommend you book your Masai Mara tour or safari well in advance – especially if you want to see the migration.

Game Viewing and Game Drives

Game viewing in the Masai Mara is excellent all year around thanks to the diverse population of resident game, including the Big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino – plus popular species like zebra, giraffe, hyena, eland and gazelle. The Mara’s big cats are even the stars of a popular wildlife TV series.

Best Time To Visit Masai Mara

Generally the best wildlife viewing months in Kenya are during the Dry season from late June to October. The wildebeest migration usually reaches the Masai Mara in July when the wildebeest cross the mara river and remains until October or late November when they move back to the Serengeti in Tanzania. This is often determined by the rains. If your intent is not the annual migration then you will find wildlife viewing is good year-round. Also the low season can actually reduce the cost of your masai mara safari given the fact that during the low seasons hotels and lodges in the mara cost considerably less. 

Weather & Climate – Masai Mara

Masai Mara, Amboseli, Meru, Samburu and Tsavo are at a lower altitude and, therefore, warmer in comparision to the Aberdares and Laikipia Plateau which are in the highlands, and a bit colder. The highlands receive a great deal of rain and are very cold in the evening and morning. The climate is pleasantly warm, with cool nights, all year round. Temperatures are slightly higher from October to March, while they are slightly cooler from June to August. At night it can be a bit cold, and the temperature can drop below 10 °C (50 °F), especially from June to August.

Masai Mara Wildebeest Migration

The annual Great Wildebeest Migration rolls in between July and October unimaginable numbers of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles flood into the Masai Mara from the Serengeti where they gather to graze and relax on the Mara’s plains, which – at about one third of the size of the enormous Serengeti National Park – is more manageable from a game-viewing point of view.

And what a view: the Masai Mara’s open grasslands teem with wildlife in every direction, leaving even seasoned safari-goers open-mouthed in disbelief. Read our month-by-month guide to the migration for details and get your timing right with our when to go section for a perfectly timed Masai Mara safari holiday.

Masai Mara Safari Holidays

Not everything migrates.  Africa’s biggest wildlife attractions: predators are abundant – lion sightings in particular are incredibly common – and other members of the Big 5 are encountered around almost every corner.

It’s important to remember that the Mara River is a permanent water source for the area’s animals and so even when the very last wildebeest has tardily set off for the southern Serengeti, massive resident herds remain: a Masai Mara Safari Holiday offers visitors everything they could want to see on an African safari.

Thus, a Masai Mara safari holiday provides a year-round safari experience that will live in your memory long after the dust of Africa has settled.

Masai Mara Safari Cost

Several factors influence the cost of your masai mara safari.  Park fees – Kenyan residents are charged $12 park fee while non residents $70 per night.

Transportation – We can get you to masai mara by air from nairobi or mombasa or we can drive you there. Our visitors have the option of a safari van or a safari jeep.

Accommodation type – Mara has a lot of accommodation options for the Kenya safari traveler. From the most luxurious tented camps and lodges the likes of Cottar’s 1920’s Camp, Elephant pepper Camp, and Karen Blixen Camp to mid range and budget camps.

Your Travel Season – Depending on when you travel your accommodation cost may vary. Traveling during the low season offers you the opportunity to save on camp and lodges and also avoid the crowds, whereas traveling during the high season offers you the opportunity to experience the annual wildebeest migration. 

We’ll be happy to recommend Masai Mara travel itineraries that put you at the heart of the migration action but safaris in the Masai Mara also include romantic and intimate escapes where you’ll enjoy opulent tented camps set in private concessions.

We highly recommend taking a hot-air balloon flight and experiencing an authentic cultural interaction with the Maasai people. Our 4 Day Masai Mara On Wings or Our Romantic Masai Mara Safari are just some of the itineraries that take you to maasai mara. Others like Kenya Wildlife And Beach Safari combine a mara safari and a beach vacation. Talk to one of our safari experts about combining a Mara safari with Kenya’s other top destinations, such as Amboseli National Park or a beach break to the glorious sun-drenched islands of Zanzibar or a Seychelles Vacation.