The Ultimate Guide to Masai Mara Safari Packages

Why Masai Mara Safari?

One of Africa’s premier national parks, the Masai Mara in Kenya is arguably the most famous African safari destination.

The world-renowned Masai Mara National Reserve is Kenya’s flagship national park. With sweeping plains that seem to stretch to the end of the world, abundant wildlife – including the Big 5 – and the breathtaking annual Great Migration, the Masai Mara is a dream safari destination.

• Size of Masai Mara National Reserve: 583 mi² (1510 km²)
• Location: southwest Kenya, along the border with Tanzania
• Terrain: wide-open savannahs, low hills, and fertile riverine woodlands
• Ecosystem: forms a continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania
• Wildlife: Big 5, prolific birdlife, abundant wildlife year-round, the Great Migration, and predators (especially lions and cheetahs)
• Cultural Highlights: the traditional Maasai tribe of Kenya
• Scenery: stunning open landscapes and unforgettable sunsets

Masai Mara Flying Safaris

Masai Mara Fly-in or “Flyng Safaris,” as these are often known, are the standard for some of the most distant Maasai Mara Safari Camps or those that only provide bundled accommodations with safari drives. They make it convenient to go from Nairobi to the Masai Mara in just one hour. Twice daily flights leave from Wilson Airport in Nairobi, and upon arrival at the Mara’s airstrip, passengers are welcomed and taken to their appropriate Camp or Lodge in time for lunch. The property offers game drives in 4×4 safari tour vehicles.

Masai Mara Safaris

Masai Mara Safaris with Kabira Safaris range from 3-day Camping Safaris to epic Overland Africa Tours traveling through east and southern Africa for over a month. There are many different types of safaris to Masai Mara in Kenya, including Camping Overland Tours, Accommodated Overland Tours, Exclusive Overland Safaris, Budget Camping Safaris, and Budget Lodge Safaris.

Comfortable 4×4 safari vehicles are used on game drives in the Masai Mara and accommodation is selected for its remoteness and value for money.

Hot-air balloon safaris can be arranged on most of our ultimate Masai Mara Safaris as optional extras. Hot-air balloon safaris in Masai Mara offer an unforgettable way of viewing the grassland plains and abundant wildlife. The balloon rides over the vast Masai Mara are followed by a champagne breakfast in a beautiful setting, completing this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Masai Mara offers exceptional photographic opportunities attracting photographers from across the world. From the brightly-robed Maasai people and the wide open savannahs to the abundance of wildlife and birds, and the Great Migration, Masai Mara is ideal for photography.

View our Budget Masai Mara Safaris or read our Kenya Safari Travel Guide for more details.

Find out more with our Masai Mara safari travel guide page.

Best Month to Visit Masai Mara

Masai Mara is known to have excellent wildlife viewing all year round. However for those looking for an opportunity to watch as the great wildebeest migration unfolds the best time to visit the Mara is from July to October.

(Best time to visit Masai Mara) The lion season falls when most big plain game wildlife like the wildebeest, zebras are giving birth to their young ones. A few weeks at the start of the year, Maasai Mara is dotted with young ones tagging along after their mothers. Along with the overwhelming numbers of newborn calves come the predators.

Maasai Tribe Facts, Culture, Language, Religion & Clothing

The nomadic and pastoral Maasai people are a Nilotic ethnic group that inhabits some but significant portions of northern, central, and southern Kenya as well as across the border in northern Tanzania. They are one of the most well-known tribes in Africa. Due to their historical origins in the regions surrounding the Masai Mara Game Reserve and Amboseli, which are close to the Tanzanian border, the Maasai are arguably the more well-known ethnic group in East Africa.

Masai Mara Lodges, Camps, Hotels

One of the top safari destinations in the world is Kenya’s Masai Mara, so called because it was originally home to the Maasai people and because the name “Mara” (meaning “spotted” in Maa) describes the country’s outcrops of acacia trees, depressions, and craters when seen from a distance. From around July to November, tourists can see the Wildebeest Migration, one of nature’s biggest spectacles, and engage in genuine cultural exchanges with the Maasai people. When you consider that the Masai Mara is home to some of the best game watching in Africa at any time of year and that there is a vast array of accommodations suitable for families, couples, and honeymooners, it becomes clear why this flagship conservation area of Kenya is a popular safari destination. Here are the top Masai Mara lodges.

Masai Mara Conservancies

the secret entrance to the Masai Mara conservancies’ greatest areas. Today, there are very few locations where you can still see unspoiled, natural beauty and wildlife. places that arouse your senses and give you a chance to enter a world populated by lions that are mighty, elephants that are majestic, and darting gazelles. Welcome to the Masai Mara conservancies, which may be the world’s most abundant wildlife preserves. The Masai Mara conservancies are community-owned and privately-managed territories that border the Masai Mara National Reserve. They were created to help local Maasai communities and improve animal conservation. Mara North, Mara Naboisho, Ol Kinyei, and Olare Motorogi are just a few of the conservancies that prioritize sustainable tourism and provide a more intimate safari experience.

Activities in Masai Mara National Reserve

Game drives and witnessing the Great Wildebeest Migration are two of the most popular activities offered by the Masai Mara National Reserve. Hot air balloon safaris, birdwatching, nature hikes, and cultural exchanges with the indigenous Maasai people are other activities available to tourists.

Masai Mara Safari Cost

How to Calculate Masai Mara Safari Cost in Kenya. The price of a mid-luxury Masai Mara safari package starts from $600 per person sharing per day. This cost is inclusive of accommodation on a full-board basis. One of the best wildlife reserves in Kenya, if not the entire globe, is the Masai Mara Reserve, which is well-known for hosting the annual big wildebeest migration.

Distance Between Masai Mara to Serengeti By Flight/Road

Here is a list of the best routes from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, or Masai Mara to Serengeti National Park. While the Masai Mara National Reserve and the Serengeti National Park are close to one another and only divided by the Tanzania–Kenya border, traveling from one side of the road to the other is more difficult than it appears on the map.

Nairobi City Tour

Best Nairobi City Tour (Visiting Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Centre) -Which are the greatest spots in Nairobi to see if visitors have a day or even a little more than 4 hours before their flight? The David Sheldrick Elephant Animal Orphanage and the Giraffe Center are two of Nairobi’s top tourist attractions, and they are both included on our custom Nairobi City Tour.

Things To Do In Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi, a major African city and cosmopolitan center with a diverse population, offers visitors a wide range of amazing attractions and things to do, including going to museums, national parks, animal sanctuaries, and local African markets, as well as participating in a variety of sports like golf and enjoying Nairobi’s delectable cuisine at some of the best restaurants in East Africa.

Is Masai Mara Safe For Tourists

Masai Mara National Reserve, widely regarded as one of the best wildlife reserves in Kenya and the entire world, is home to an incredible variety of mammals, from large herds of herbivores like the wildebeest, zebra, and Thompson’s gazelle to the famous “big five” (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo).

How to Book Masai Mara Safari

For the first-time traveler, deciding on the specifics of a Masai Mara Safari in Kenya can be challenging. Some of these include picking a travel agency, lodging options, transportation strategies, additional activities, methods of payment, and packing and documenting all the essentials. Each of these issues will be addressed in turn below.

Basics Of Booking A Safari

Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya should be your top choice for your next safari vacation. Kenya’s flagship conservation reserve and one of Africa’s premier wildlife sanctuaries. The reserve’s rich population of game, including elephants, buffalo, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, elands, gazelles, and the Mara’s famous big cats, makes for superb game viewing throughout the year.

Once you’ve decided where to go on vacation, the next step is to find a reliable tour operator in Kenya or back home who can provide you with a quote and help you organize your trip. In order to make an inquiry with a tour operator, you will need to provide them with some basic information, which we will detail below.

• Choose your travel dates: Your trip dates, even down to the month, are needed so that we can provide you an accurate quote for your Safari vacation. To that end, when would you recommend going to Masai Mara? Because of its mild temperatures and high concentration of animals, Masai Mara is a popular safari destination at any time of year. However, if you are planning on visiting the reserve for the Great Wildebeest Migration, the best time to visit Masai Mara for this spectacular event is between late July/early August to mid October which also coincides with the peak season. Prices tend to higher during the Peak season due to large numbers of visitors making it more expensive to secure rooms due to the high demand. Therefore, if you are on a limited budget its best to avoid peak and plan on visiting during the low ( April to June ) or the shoulder season ( January to March ) when the prices are lower and rooms are readily available.
• Group Size: Providing your tour operator with information about the number of people in your party and, if applicable, the ages of any children in your party will go a long way toward facilitating the organization of your Safari tour. There is plenty of options for lone travelers as well.
• Room Plan: Please indicate your desired room configuration (single, double, twin, triple, or family) based on the number of guests in your party. This is useful information when determining a tour fee.
• Mode of Transport: You can take a road Safari in a Safari Tour Van or a 4×4 Land Cruiser Jeep, or you can fly in style on a luxury Fly-in Safari that leaves from Nairobi and ends in the Masai Mara.

Choose A Tour Operator

Think long and hard about which travel company you want to work with before entrusting them with your Safari trip. If you do your homework and choose a Tour Operator that is both based in Kenya and a member of KATO (the Kenyan Assosiation of Tour Operators), you can rest assured that you will get your money’s worth. in this case Kabira Safaris & Tours Africa. & The Bespoke African Safari Co.

Select Level Of Luxury

The Masai Mara National Reserve is home to some of the world’s finest hotels, with room rates and amenities to suit travelers of all means. There are a wide variety of places to stay, from basic tents at campgrounds to upscale safari hotels. That’s why it’s crucial that you designate the style of lodging you desire, bearing in mind that your option needs to be financially feasible. Camps and lodges range from the inexpensive to the luxuriously expensive.

• Boutique-style luxury tents and lodges are often tiny in size, blend in with their natural environments, and adhere to the strictest environmental policies. The concept is to provide high-end amenities without sacrificing proximity to nature.
• Camps in the middle of the range This includes a number of Masai Mara lodges and camps. Tourists may expect a high-quality stay at a reasonable price from them. These camps are often much larger than the more intimate exclusive or mobile campers, and they often have lodge-style amenities including swimming pools, vast common rooms, gift shops, and even Spas.
• Budget campgrounds are designed for those on a tighter budget. Most low-cost hotels are situated beyond the main Masai Mara Reserve boundary.

Add Optional Activities

There are additional expenditures beyond those covered by the basic Masai Mara Safari package, which typically includes lodging, food, transportation to and from Nairobi, game drives, and park admission. A hot air balloon safari, maasai village visit, nature and bush walks, and bush lunches and sundowners are just some of the optional extras you can add to your trip. All of these extras are thrilling and worth doing to get the most out of your Safari, but they will cost you.

Get A Quote

You can now get an itinerary-based quote after supplying the aforementioned details. Make sure that the price covers all you need. Make sure you know if you’ll be staying on a full-board, half-board, or bed and breakfast basis.

Road safaris can be booked in either a Safari Tour Van or a 4×4 Land Cruiser Jeep, both of which can seat up to seven people. Because of their lower price tag, tour vans are the most popular means of transportation for safari visitors. Since the 4×4 Toyota Landcruisers are larger and more comfortable on difficult roads due to their four-wheel-drive systems, they are priced higher than the Tour Vans.

Book Your Masai Mara Safari

Select a tour at a price you’re comfortable with. The standard booking terms include a down payment with the remaining balance due a month before the arrangements begin. Your travel agent will provide you with information on how to make a reservation, such as how much of a deposit is required and what the cancellation policy is.

Payment

Safari companies in Kenya commonly accept Visa and Mastercard using a secure online payment method, as well as PesaPal.

After a sales representative confirms your reservation and sends you an invoice through email, you’ll get a notification that includes a link to a safe online payment portal. There is a fee added to all credit card transactions ranging from three percent to seven percent.

Debit cards can be used in the same way as credit cards can, albeit there will be additional fees associated with the bank transfer of 3-5%.

Documentation

Always request a receipt after making a payment. After completing a full payment, you should collect all relevant paperwork, including a copy of your itinerary, a Covid indemnity form, and a copy of the Terms & Conditions for your booking.

Check your passport, health card (vaccination certificates as required), airline ticket, credit cards, and insurance documents before you leave for your safari. Keep everything updated and in order. Two blank pages and a minimum of six months remaining on your passport after leaving Kenya are required.

Entry Requirement To Kenya

After completing your flight reservation, please fill out this online health surveillance form before arriving in Kenya. You will receive a QR code through email after submitting the form; provide this to port health officials before proceeding to arrival immigration.

A negative COVID-19 PCR test within 96 hours after departure is also required. Here is where you can find the list of nations that do not require a quarantine upon arrival.

If you need a visa to enter Kenya and plan to visit Masai Mara, you may get one easily and quickly using the Kenya evisa website. As of January 2021, visas cannot be obtained upon arrival. Two working days are required to process an e-visa application.

Visitors interested in renting a safari car and a driver/guide in Nairobi can plan an independent trip around Kenya.