Best Masai Mara Safaris 2025, Costs & Safari Planner Tanzania.
Cost of Lodging in the Masai Mara
Super Luxury Lodges have nightly rates starting at $1000 (USD).
The price of mid-range lodges starts at $500 (USD) per night.
Nightly rates for mid-range hotels start at $150 (USD).
Low-cost lodging and camping starts at $50 (USD) per night.
The cost of lodging will be largely influenced by the amount of comfort you want to experience during your vacation because Masai Mara offers a range of lodging options with varying degrees of quality. They include cozy luxury amenities, mid-range facilities, and then reasonably priced budget facilities.
Additionally, there are safe public and private camping spots that are ideal for tourists on a tight budget who are visiting the Masai Mara. The luxury hotels and lodges are best suited for vacationers who are willing to spend more money, and they provide excellent comfort and service to all of their guests. On the other hand, the mid-range lodging options are primarily found in small lodges and tented camps, and they offer a respectably comfortable safari experience.
From the expense of transportation, meals, and lodging, the Masai Mara safari may be somewhat pricey, particularly if you are traveling alone. When only one individual goes on a safari by themselves, it’s called a solitary safari. However, traveling in a group of friends, family, or lovers, going on a scheduled or group safari, or going on a self-guided safari—which gives you the freedom to drive through the Masai Mara without any restrictions—are some of the best ways to travel on a budget in the reserve.
In Masai Mara, how many days are required?
The bare minimum for a tour should be three days on a safari in the Masai Mara.
One of the main factors influencing the total cost of your Masai Mara safari vacation is the number of days you spend on safari. It goes without saying that the longer your safari, the more expensive your itinerary will be; a three-day Masai Mara safari is less expensive than a five-day one. This is because the cost of lodging, the many safari activities, and the meals will be higher.
The price of additional Masai Mara safari activities
The price per person for a Masai Mara balloon safari is $450 (USD).
Each Bush Dinner costs $60 (USD).
Masai Village Tours: $30 (USD) for the duration of the trip, friends
The Masai Mara Game Reserve offers a variety of activities, each with varying prices. It is strongly recommended that you carefully consider how many game drives and other activities are included in your itinerary. When visiting this National Park, if the total cost of your tour is large, you should make sure that you have a lot of safari activities to get the most out of your money.
The price of hiring a Masai Mara safari guide
The cost of an English speaking guide is approximately $30 per day.
It is recommended that non-native English speakers choose a guide who speaks their language, which will undoubtedly raise the price of their Masai Mara safari. Having a guide will make your safari trip more enjoyable since they will provide you with all the information you require about the various animals, vegetation, and the people’s history and culture.
While the upscale, professional guides who also act as interpreters (for languages including German, Japanese, Russian, French, and Chinese) can cost up to $180 per day, an English-speaking tour from the park headquarters costs around $30 per day.
The Ideal Season to Visit Masai Mara
Another factor that affects the cost of your safari is the season you select to visit the Masai Mara National Reserve. The months of July through October are the busiest travel times, sometimes referred to as the high season. Luckily, this falls during the globally recognized great wildebeest migration. Thousands upon thousands of tourists travel to the Masai Mara during this time of year, increasing demand for lodging and other amenities and driving up the cost of safari packages overall.
Because safari trip rates tend to rise as the day of the tour approaches, it is recommended for budget-conscious vacationers who wish to visit during this time of year to book their safari many months in advance. As an alternative, budget travelers are encouraged to go between October and December, when the country experiences brief rains, as this is the low-travel season. There aren’t many vacationers in the reserve at this time of year, so rates are typically lower because less people are visiting, but the game viewing area is still worthwhile.
The Masai Mara provides incredible views of wildlife, making it a year-round destination. However, you can visit between July and October, when the animals are in the reserve, to have a chance to witness the great wildebeest migrations, which include almost two million animals (including zebras, wildebeests, gazelles, and numerous predators like lions, hyenas, and cheetahs that follow this herd).
Part of the Great Rift Valley, the Masai Mara (Maasai Mara) is situated in southwest Kenya. Together with Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, it makes up one of the most amazing, diverse, and amazing ecosystems in the world—not just in Africa.
The Masai Mara National Park is one of the world’s best places to go on a wildlife safari because of its diverse landscape, which includes hills, plains, marshes, and vast grasslands that support a lot of wild animals, birds, and the migration of wildebeest. It is 580 square miles (1510 square kilometers) in size and ranges in elevation from 1500 to 2170 meters above sea level.
Several Maasai Conservancies, including Kimintet, Koiyaki, Oloirien, Lemek, Kerinkani, Ol Chorro Oirowua, Ol Derkesi, Mara North, Naikara, Siana, Olkinyei, and Maji Moto, as well as the Mara Triangle, make up the broader Mara eco-system.
The Masai Mara is regarded as a year-round safari destination with exceptional wildlife vistas. Vacationers who want to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration, however, are encouraged to go between July and October, when the herd has crossed from the Serengeti. The reserve experiences warmer temperatures from October to March and somewhat colder weather from June to August.
The Masai Mara experiences the dry season from June to October, when day temperatures are relatively pleasant and there is typically little rainfall. On the other hand, there are two distinct seasons for the rains: the long rains, which start in March and last until April, when it is the wettest, and the short rains, which start in November and last until December.
Road and plane transportation are the two ways to get to the Masai Mara National Reserve. The flight from Nairobi to the Masai Mara takes around 40 to 45 minutes, while the road transit route is 270 kilometers, the equivalent of 4.5 to 5 hours of driving. You can travel from Narok town to the park via the Sekanani Gate and then a dusty, but well-maintained, dirt road. As an alternative, you could travel the winding route via the settlements of Aitong and Lemek.
Lions, leopards, buffaloes, black jackals, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, foxes, spotted hyenas, and many other species are among the diverse fauna that can be seen in the Masai Mara before the Great Migration begins.
Because the Masai Mara is one of the greatest places in Africa to observe the Big Five—African lions, African elephants, Cape buffalo, and leopards—with rhinos being a little harder to spot, the sheer number of species there is astounding. Along with having one of the largest lion populations in the world, the Mara reserve is also well-known for its many large cats, including cheetahs, leopards, and other predators like the black-backed jackal, spotted hyena, and giant bat-eared fox. On a Masai Mara Safari in Kenya, one can readily view a variety of grazers, including impalas, topis, Thomson’s gazelles, elands, and reed bucks, in addition to browsers like the Masai giraffe.
A Monthly Guide to Masai Mara Activities
Here is a list of things you can do when visiting the Masai Mara throughout the year. The Masai Mara is a great area to visit, and you can go on safari there at any time of year.
January is Calving Time at the Masai Mara Safari, which is a terrific time to view birds and lions.
This is a great month to visit the Masai Mara if you enjoy bird viewing. The Little Bittern, African Darter, ostriches, long-tailed cormorant, dwarf bittern, little grebe, intermediate egret, Rufous Bellied Heron, and many other unique bird species can be seen relaxing in the park, even though January does not receive as much rainfall as December.
January is also known to be a birthing month for many animals, so there will be plenty of time and opportunity to witness the baby animals taking their first steps on the planet. Additionally, it’s a great time to witness lions and other predators making their prey. Because they are easier to observe during this time of year, some tour companies sometimes refer to this as the “lion month.”
February Masai Mara Safari: Wildebeest calving and bird viewing
February experiences an average of 17 rainy days, which is same to January. If you enjoy game viewing, you may witness the many baby animals in the area. It’s also a great time to see the various indigenous birds present in the Masai Mara National Park, including the migratory birds from Asia and Europe.
However, keep in mind that thunderstorms are likely to occur around this period, so it’s best to pack suitable safari attire. Additionally, the majority of the wildebeest animals that participate in the big migration are born during this month.
Bird gazing during the Masai Mara Safari in March (with a lot of rain)
March is a great time to go on a safari in the Masai Mara, especially if you don’t want to deal with large crowds. The roads in the Masai Mara grow muddy and are inaccessible because of the heavy rains that fall there nearly every day during this month. You may witness the various migratory birds that come into the country during this month, although some camps and lodges also close because of the terrible weather.
April Masai Mara safaris are ideal for low-budget vacationers.
Following calving, the herds begin to migrate northward from Ndutu and the Serengeti in April. It is the wettest month of the year and receives a lot of rainfall, so if you don’t mind crowds, now is the ideal time to go. Not to mention the discounts offered to guests from the many camps and lodges, April is the month with the fewest visitors. If you go during this time, you will get a peek of the beginning of the migration and a few animal sightings with less people.
May Masai Mara safari (with a lot of rain)
Since many of the roads leading to the Masai Mara are muddy and nearly impassable, it is not wise to go on a safari there in May. Only the lodges lower their rates in May, but some of them close because of the intense rains. Therefore, avoid scheduling your Masai Mara safari around the month of May.
June Masai Mara safari
Compared to the previous three months, June is a little drier. The busiest season begins in June, when the days in Masai Mara are cooler. Even if the majority of the animals from the big wildebeest migration have not yet reached Masai Mara National Park, you may still observe the variety of wildlife that can be found there.
July Masai Mara safari: the start of the busiest time of year
In addition to being one of the busiest months in the Masai Mara, this is also one of the greatest times of year to visit the region since some of the animals from the massive wildebeest migration begin to arrive. When you arrive in July, you will have a chance to see the eighth wonder of the world. The issue with traveling during this time is that sightings may get very crowded, and because of the high volume of visitors, pricing for camps and lodges increases. Hot air balloon rides are among the extra things to do during this season.
August Masai Mara safari: observing the migration of wildebeest
When it comes to Masai Mara safaris, August is the most costly and crowded month. The Great Wildebeest Migration is at its height during this time, and because of the area’s diminishing vegetation, visitors may easily spot the animals as they go from one location to another.
Tourists get the best game view in the Masai Mara because of the diminishing foliage brought on by the arid circumstances in the area, which forces the animals to wander about in search of food and water. Hot air balloon rides are among the extra things to do during this season.
September Masai Mara safari: observing the migration of wildebeest
With a temperature of 27 degrees Celsius, September is marginally warmer than August. Since most of the animals have already crossed from the Serengeti and are now traveling through the Masai Mara, the weather during this time allows for a large number of animals to move about the area, giving you a clear and good view of the Great Wildebeest Migration in full action.
A little rain is expected, which could briefly interfere with game watching. If you want to visit during this time, be sure to pack accordingly and keep in mind that camps and lodges raise their rates in September because of the high volume of visitors. Hot air balloon rides are among the extra things to do during this season.
Game gazing during an October Masai Mara safari
In the Masai Mara, the dry season ends in October and the brief rainy season begins. Some animals may still be seen crossing the Mara River into Kenya during this period, but the herds will begin returning to the Serengeti in Tanzania via the Loliondo Game Reserve-controlled area.
Because of the extremely sparse foliage in October, you will be able to see the animals more easily and even see some that are still crossing the river. Keep in mind that once the rains begin, the great wildebeest migration begins to depart Kenya.
November Masai Mara safari: cultural tours and bird viewing
The Great Wildebeest Migration comes to Tanzania’s Serengeti every November, when the heavy rains start, and you may catch a glimpse of the creatures making their way back. In addition to being a great month for bird viewing, you may stroll through nearby towns, interact with the residents, learn about their diverse cultures, and purchase a variety of trinkets.
December Masai Mara safari
Additionally, December experiences a lot of rain, which causes the foliage to grow wildly and makes it difficult to view the animals. Though you should plan for the weather and keep in mind that Christmas is always a busy time of year, this season is great for birdwatchers because you may see the various bird species in the Masai Mara.
In the Masai Mara, birdwatching
In addition to the many wild animals, the Masai Mara is home to more than 500 different species of birds that live in its various habitats, which include grasslands, riverine forests, swamps, and the Kori bustard, long-tailed cormorant, dwarf bittern, little grebe, intermediate egret, Rufous Bellied Heron, ostriches, saddle-billed storks, ground hornbills, Ross’s turaco, various vultures, a number of kingfishers, 57 different species of raptors, and a variety of migratory birds that arrive in this reserve beginning in November.
One of the most well-known and breathtaking wildlife events in the world occurs every year: the Great Wildebeest Migration. Every year, nearly 2 million animals—including 1.5 million wildebeests, 300,000 gazelles, and roughly 200,000 zebras—enter the Masai Mara reserve from the nearby Serengeti National Park. As part of this enormous procession, the animals cross the river Mara, which is rife with hungry crocodiles.
The scene is incredibly dramatic and ideal for photography. As a result, many tourists travel to the Masai Mara on a Kenya Safari Holiday in order to be amazed by this abundantly resourceful location. Numerous predators have trained this sizable herd, providing tourists with a wonderful opportunity to see nature.
Things to bring on a Masai Mara safari
An excellent manual
Hiking boots or other comfortable, long-lasting shoes for outdoor activities like guided nature excursions and cultural tours, as well as flip-flops for the evenings back at your lodge
Binoculars and a camera to record wonderful moments on your safari (with additional batteries)
Jacket made of fleece or sweat for chilly nights and early mornings
safari attire that is both comfortable and suitable for the season you are traveling. Because the Masai Mara is located in remote Kenya, stay away from wearing white or other brightly colored clothing that could readily catch or reveal dirt.
a wind jacket or raincoat, particularly if you plan to travel during the chilly wet season.
Sunglasses and a sun hat to shield you from the intensely hot African sun
Use sunscreen to prevent sunburns.
A little extra for the evenings
Pack additional face masks and hand sanitizers, along with an alcohol-based (60 percent alcohol) sanitizer.
