A Masai Mara safari delivers the quintessential East African experience. Its tented camps overlook sprawling plains studded with acacia trees and grazing antelope. Red-robed Maasai herdsmen tend their cattle on the savannah, co-existing with the wildlife and celebrating their passage into manhood with the famous ‘jumping dance’. And from June to November the biggest show on earth arrives: the migration – over a million wildebeest returning to the Masai Mara from the Serengeti. Forced across the crocodile-filled rivers that stand in their way, the herds provide a thrilling spectacle of nature at its rawest. Back in the Masai Mara, the wildebeest face the attention of more predators – big cats, spotted hyenas and wild dogs – making it one of Africa’s must-see destinations for safari travellers.
You don’t have to visit the Masai Mara in migration season to guarantee a memorable safari. Its abundant resident wildlife provides year-round game viewing while out-of-migration-season travellers enjoy the advantage of fewer other visitors, lower accommodation prices and a lush and green landscape.
The Masai Mara is a safari destination with broad appeal. Activities range from game drives and cultural tours to hot-air balloon safaris. Honeymooners and couples will love the Mara’s more intimate and exclusive camps; parents will be pleased to find camps with babyminders, activities for children, and 4-sleeper family suites.
During the migration months, when visitor numbers are highest, we recommend beating the crowds by staying at a Masai Mara concession. The privately-run reserves are home to excellent accommodation and offer everything the Masai Mara delivers plus night drives, nature walks and exclusive, off-road wildlife sightings.
Talk to Safari Online about a Masai Mara safari. We’ll recommend the best tour or accommodation for your requirements. We can also tailor-make an itinerary for you including Tanzania’s Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater or experiences such as gorilla trekking and beach holidays.
Kenya is a rewarding safari destination throughout much of the year, but the best time to travel depends on the regions you want to visit and whether the Great Migration is part of your plan. Different seasons bring different strengths, from dramatic migration crossings to greener landscapes and excellent value periods.
The dry season, broadly from June to October, is one of the most popular times for Kenya safaris. Wildlife viewing is strong, conditions are generally good, and the Masai Mara becomes especially sought after during the migration months. This is also peak season, so planning well in advance is important for the best camps and locations.
The months from January to March can also be excellent, with warm weather, good wildlife viewing and often fewer crowds than the peak migration period. The green season brings lush scenery, strong birding and a quieter atmosphere in some regions, although travel conditions vary by area and timing.
If the Great Migration is your priority, the Masai Mara usually becomes the focus. If you want a broader Kenya safari with private conservancies, elephants, northern wilderness or a safari and beach combination, there may be several good windows to consider. The best time to visit Kenya is the one that matches the experience you actually want.
Our selection of Masai Mara lodges ranges from deluxe to delightful. There are classic ‘Out of Africa’ tented camps as well as thatched lodges with a swimming pool and spa. Some lodges specialise in discreet romance, others welcome families with children. There are larger budget-friendly lodges too, balanced by camps in sole-use concessions, offering exclusive, crowd-free safaris. All camps and lodges have one thing in common: prime position on the path of the migration. The famous wildebeest migration is a seasonal affair so you’ll need to check your timing if you want to see it. On the other hand, the game viewing is excellent all year round and an out-of-season Masai Mara lodge is more affordable with fewer other visitors.
Browse our recommended Masai Mara camps and lodges below. Each has a wide range of activities from game drives and guided walks to hot-air balloon safaris and visits to the local Maasai community. If you’d like more advice on the most suitable accommodation for your needs, simply contact us.
A small boutique camp, Elephant Pepper Camp's spacious canvas tents are stylishly furnished with Indian “Raj campaign furniture”, feature en-suite bathrooms.
Porini Lion Camp is located in the exclusive 33,000 acre Olare Motorogi Conservancy. With 10 luxury guest tents the camp is very exclusive and giving you a real in the bush experience.
Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp offers a quintessential game viewing experience, with sweeping vistas of the Masai Mara or the Sabaringo River.
An age-old crossing point on the Talek River is just 150 metres away from our dining area, and the Mara River is an easy drive from camp. It is these mighty rivers that are the greatest obstacles for the hundreds of thousands of wildebeest on their journey north.
Set among forests on the very edge of the Masai Mara, the intimate Bateleur Camp reflects the ambiance of Kenyan explorers of old. Here, amidst the reserve’s astounding year-round concentration of animals, including the Great Wildebeest Migration, guests can experience an unsurpassed wildlife experience.
A Masai Mara safari can be considered a stand-alone destination. Itineraries begin in Nairobi where you’ll fly in. You may need to spend a night in the capital; there is good accommodation set in the quiet suburbs. Most of our tours then fly from Nairobi to a private airstrip in the Masai Mara, maximising your safari experience. It’s also simple to add a beach holiday onto your Masai Mara safari: Kenya’s glittering Indian Ocean coast sits a short flight away from the Mara plains.
But the Masai Mara’s close proximity to Kenya’s other top safari destinations such as Amboseli and the Mount Kenya region means rewarding combination safaris. And with Tanzania’s fabled Serengeti lying across the Masai Mara’s southern border, a Masai Mara and Serengeti safari guarantees you the wildebeest migration as well as superb game viewing. Add on the Ngorongoro Crater and you have the very best of East Africa in a single itinerary. Browse our recommended tours below or simply contact us for more advice and information. We can easily tailor-make a Masai Mara safari to suit your needs ad budget; let us show you how.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
Such is the scale of the Masai Mara’s wildlife that it can stand-alone as a single destination but it is usually combined with other safari destinations in East Africa. Kenya’s other parks such as Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and the Samburu Reserve are among the most popular but with Tanzania lying next door, many travellers add the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater to the mix. It’s easy to finish off with a beach holiday too: Kenya’s mainland and Indian Ocean island beaches are a short flight away – ask us how.
