Masai Mara National Reserve

Park entry is $82 USD per person per day. A typical safari costs $250–$500 per person per day total, including accommodation (budget tented camps $80–$150/night; mid-range lodges $150–$300/night; luxury $300+/night), meals, and game drives. Three-day safari packages start around $1,200–$1,500 per person; seven-day multi-park itineraries range $2,000–$3,000+. Prices vary by season (peak July–October costs 20–30% more) and operator.

July to October is peak season for the Great Migration and predator sightings, when 1.3 million wildebeest cross the Mara River in dramatic river crossings and lions hunt concentrated prey. November to June offers excellent wildlife viewing with fewer crowds—December to February features resident animals and calving season attracting predators, while March to June brings lush green landscape and migratory birds. June is driest for game viewing; avoid April–May when heavy rains make roads impassable and lodges often close.

Masai Mara is home to all of Africa's Big Five: lion (3,000+), leopard, elephant, buffalo, and black/white rhino (rare, mainly in Mara Triangle). The reserve also hosts 500+ cheetahs, 1.3 million wildebeest, 200,000 zebra, hippos, giraffes, hyenas, and 400+ bird species including martial eagles and secretary birds. The annual Great Migration (July–October) brings the largest terrestrial animal movement on Earth, with river crossings attracting crocodiles and predators.

Most visitors fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi (250 km south), then take a 45-minute charter flight to Seronera Airstrip within the reserve. Alternatively, drive 5–6 hours from Nairobi via the B3 highway to Narok, then C12 to the reserve entrance (requires 4WD vehicle). Some visitors use Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania (335 km southeast) as an alternative gateway. Most safari packages include airport transfers and inter-park transportation.