The Masai Mara is the safari most people picture when they think of Kenya: rolling golden grassland, flat-topped acacias, big skies and some of the highest predator densities in Africa. It lies in south-western Kenya, where it joins Tanzania’s Serengeti to form one continuous ecosystem.
The Mara is excellent all year. From roughly July to October it hosts the Great Migration, when huge herds of wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara and Talek rivers. Outside migration season the resident lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants and buffalo stay put, prices are lower and the reserve is quieter.
Why visit Masai Mara National Reserve
The Mara combines open plains that make game viewing easy with an extraordinary density of lions, cheetahs and leopards. Few places in Africa let you see so much in so little time.
Beyond the national reserve, private conservancies such as Mara North, Olare Motorogi and Naboisho limit vehicle numbers and allow night drives and guided walks — a very different, more exclusive experience.
Animals you can see
- Lion — including well-known prides
- Cheetah and leopard
- Elephant and Cape buffalo
- Wildebeest and zebra (Great Migration, roughly July–October)
- Hippo and Nile crocodile in the Mara River
- Topi, eland, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle
- Maasai giraffe, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal
- Black rhino (rare, mainly the Mara Triangle and east)
- Over 450 recorded bird species
Best time to visit
July to October: Great Migration season. River crossings are most likely from late July to September, but they depend on rain and cannot be guaranteed on a particular day.
January to March: dry, green and quieter, with excellent predator viewing and many young animals.
April and May: the long rains. Some roads get muddy, but lodges offer their lowest rates and the Mara is lush and empty.
How many days do you need?
We recommend 3–4 days (2 nights minimum) in Masai Mara National Reserve.
Things to do
- Morning, afternoon and full-day game drives
- Hot-air balloon safari at sunrise with a bush breakfast
- Mara River crossings during migration season
- Night drives and guided bush walks (conservancies only)
- Visit to a Maasai village
- Photography safaris with extended time at sightings
Where to stay
Options range from budget tented camps just outside the reserve gates to midrange tented camps along the Talek and Mara rivers and luxury lodges and camps inside private conservancies. Staying close to the part of the reserve where the herds are — the north in July, the Mara River area in August and September — saves hours of driving during the migration.
AA Lodge Masai Mara – Safari Accommodation Near Sekenani Gate
AA Lodge Masai Mara offers a convenient base for exploring Kenya’s celebrated Maasai Mara. Located approximately four kilometres…
Jambo Mara Safari Lodge – Masai Mara Accommodation
Jambo Mara Safari Lodge combines cottage-style accommodation with facilities for relaxing between game drives. Set in the Maasai…
Mara Chui Resort – Masai Mara Safari Accommodation
Mara Chui Resort offers cottage-style accommodation in the Oloolaimutia area, east of Maasai Mara National Reserve. Its wooded…
Zebra Plains Mara Camp
Zebra Plains Mara Camp offers a welcoming tented safari stay beneath Oldonyo Oloip Ridge in Kenya’s Maasai Mara…
Karen Blixen Camp – Luxury Maasai Mara Safari Accommodation
Karen Blixen Camp offers an exceptional luxury safari experience in the Mara North Conservancy, part of the greater…
Mara Sopa Lodge – Midrange Maasai Mara Safari Accommodation
Mara Sopa Lodge offers comfortable midrange safari accommodation for travellers exploring Kenya’s world-famous Maasai Mara. With its safari…
Mara Ntulele – Affordable Budget Maasai Mara Accommodation
Mara Ntulele offers affordable safari accommodation for travellers looking to experience the Maasai Mara while keeping their Kenya…
All camps & lodges in Masai Mara National Reserve →
Getting there
By road: about 5–6 hours from Nairobi in a 4×4 safari vehicle, via the Great Rift Valley viewpoint.
By air: scheduled flights from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport take about 45–60 minutes to the Mara airstrips, where your guide meets you.
