Your Africa, beautifully told. Tailor-made East African journeys
Lioness with cub cuddled close in grass

Kenya / Wildlife region

THE MARA.
STAY A LITTLE LONGER.

Beyond the first game drive. Beyond the photograph. Find your own rhythm in the Mara.

Include Maasai Mara in my journey
A LITTLE CLOSER / MAASAI MARA
Suggested stay3–5 nights
Trip rhythmWildlife & camp time
Getting hereRoad or air, by arrangement
Pair withKenya’s coast or north

Go beyond the first impression

The reason to go.
The reasons to stay.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is the Kenyan reserve at the northern end of the wider Serengeti–Mara ecosystem. Its grasslands, river corridors and resident wildlife make it a natural centrepiece of an unrushed Kenya safari.

Morning light moves across the plains, a herd gathers beside the river, and a game drive becomes a story you could never script. Slow down, look for resident wildlife and follow what the day brings.

Migration is one chapter, not the whole journey. River crossings depend on herd movements and conditions and cannot be scheduled. Begin with the reserve; a neighbouring conservancy adds separately arranged stays and permitted activities.

Cape buffalo lying on green grass looking at camera

TIME TO LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER

What to experience

Things to do here

Explore the reserve and the wider Mara, with conservancy activities arranged as a separate chapter.

When to go

Best time to visit

The Mara rewards travellers year-round. Choose the season for the wildlife, landscape and camp rhythm you want.

A closer look at Maasai Mara

Typically drierLonger rainsMore variable

Jul / A popular wildlife window

Time out on the plains.

The Mara’s main drier period makes this a popular time to plan wildlife-focused days. No month promises a migration crossing or a particular sighting.

Broad Mara guidance—not a forecast, availability calendar or country-wide rating.

Late June–October · January–February

The dry seasons

Thinner bush and wildlife gathering around water favour game viewing. Migration-focused Mara journeys usually favour July–October, with busier camps and higher rates. Leave time for resident wildlife too; river crossings and particular sightings cannot be promised.

November–May

The green season

Lush landscapes, newborn wildlife and rich birdlife reward a quieter journey, often at gentler rates. Short rains commonly fall around November; longer rains around April–May. Plan the route and pace around conditions at your chosen stays.

19 places to stay

Where to stay

From Essential to Private Collection — find the stay that feels right for your journey.

19 stays · All stays

The practical details

The things worth getting right.

Reserve or conservancy?

The national reserve and neighbouring conservancies are distinct places with different access arrangements. Staying in one does not automatically confer access to the other. We make the distinction clear in your itinerary and quote.

Walking, riding and night drives

These are not permitted inside the national reserve under its management plan. A separately planned conservancy stay may offer suitable activities, subject to that location’s current rules and operator arrangements.

Getting here

Travel by road or air as appropriate to the itinerary. Transfer times depend on the route, airstrip and conditions; current access and charges are reviewed for your quote.

How it fits into your journey

Make the reserve the heart of a Kenya safari, or pair it with Amboseli, Laikipia, Samburu or the coast. A conservancy extension has its own accommodation and activity arrangements.

Maasai Mara National Reserve fees and entry rules

Good questions. Straight answers.

Is the reserve the same as the conservancies?

No. They are separate areas with different management and visitor arrangements. Your itinerary specifies where you stay and where activities take place.

Can I walk, ride or take a night drive inside the reserve?

The reserve management plan does not permit walking safaris, horseback safaris or night drives inside the reserve. We can discuss suitable conservancy options and confirm their permitted arrangements.

Can you guarantee a river crossing or a particular animal?

No. Wildlife movements and sightings vary. We plan around your interests and the season without promising an event on a particular day.

Can I combine the reserve with a conservancy?

Yes. A tailored itinerary can consider both, with accommodation, access and activities reviewed separately.

Journey ideas featuring Maasai Mara

Give this place a chapter.

Suggested routes. A starting point, never a fixed way to travel.

All journeys

Use the left and right arrow keys, or swipe, to browse the journeys.

Helpful stories & guides

Maasai Mara travel guides

Useful reads to help you compare places, think through the timing and imagine how your journey could come together.

Use the left and right arrow keys, or swipe, to browse the stories.

Pair it with

Add another chapter.

Give your time in the Mara another dimension. We’ll help you consider the connections and the time each place deserves.

Aerial of surf, sand and green trees along a beach

A journey made around you

Your next chapter
starts with a conversation.

Tell us what has caught your attention. We’ll start with that, and build from there.

Begin your journey