A first Maasai Mara safari comes down to three choices: the month, the way in from Nairobi, and where you sleep. The reserve covers 1,510 square kilometres in Narok County, south-west Kenya, and its southern edge runs into Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, according to the Maasai Mara entry on Wikipedia.
Table Of Content
It is run in two parts. Narok County Government manages the Narok sector, and the Mara Conservancy manages the Mara Triangle on the county’s behalf. You will see both names on tickets and gate signs.
Best Months to Go
July to October is the main migration window, and January to June is the cheaper, quieter half of the year. The herds, which Wikipedia puts at around 1.3 million blue wildebeest plus hundreds of thousands of other grazers, usually arrive from the Serengeti in July depending on the weather and head back south around October.
The timing moves from year to year. In July 2025, Governor’s Camp’s game report recorded Mara River crossings into the Mara Triangle, with a large one on 20 July. Two years earlier the Mara Conservancy’s August 2023 report called it “a surprisingly poor migration” after very dry weather, with wildebeest numbers in the Triangle never going above 100,000. Booking a longer stay gives you better odds than picking one exact week.
| Period | What to expect | Non-resident adult fee per day |
|---|---|---|
| January to February | Between the two rainy seasons | USD 100 |
| March to May | The “long rains” | USD 100 |
| June | After the long rains; herds usually arrive in July | USD 100 |
| July to September | Migration window; busiest months | USD 200 |
| October | Herds usually head south; the short rains begin | USD 200 |
| November to December | The “short rains” | USD 200 |
The rainy seasons in the table follow VOA’s summary of Kenya’s two main rainfall periods, “the ‘long rains’ season of March to May, and the ‘short rains’ season of October to December”. Fees are from the Mara Conservancy table covered below.
Peak months are crowded. The Mara Conservancy counted 14,007 non-resident adult visitors to the Triangle in July 2023, a record for that month.
How to Get There From Nairobi
You can drive or fly, and the choice usually comes down to budget and time. The reserve’s easternmost border is 224 km from Nairobi by Wikipedia’s figure, and Narok is the nearest town on the road in.
By road
Road safaris from Nairobi go by way of Narok, the main town on the route. In June 2024 Narok County banned private cars from game drives in the reserve and allowed only safari trucks, Land Cruisers and safari vans, Kenyans.co.ke reported. The ban was challenged at the time, so check the current rule before you plan a self-drive.
By air
Scheduled light aircraft fly from Nairobi to airstrips in and around the reserve; Safarilink, one of the airlines on the route, is based at Wilson Airport. Arrange the transfer from the airstrip with your camp before you fly. Pack light: Safarilink’s baggage page says the allowance is “STRICTLY limited to 15 kgs per person” for most routes, including hand baggage, and bags must be soft. Other airlines set their own limits, so check yours.
Park Entry Fees
A non-resident adult pays USD 100 per day from January to June and USD 200 per day from July to December. These figures come from the Mara Conservancy’s conservation fee page, whose table is labelled 2024 and was last updated in July 2024 (checked on 4 October 2026). The same non-resident rates for the Narok side, effective 1 July 2024, were reported by Kenyans.co.ke. Check the official site before you book, because fees change.
| Visitor (per person, per day) | 1 Jan to 30 Jun | 1 Jul to 31 Dec |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident adult | USD 100 | USD 200 |
| Non-resident child, 9 to 17 | USD 50 | USD 50 |
| Child, 0 to 8 | Free | Free |
| Kenyan citizen adult | KSh 1,500 | KSh 3,000 |
| East African resident adult | KSh 2,500 | KSh 5,000 |
A few rules matter more than the headline price:
- A ticket covers one day, not 24 hours. The Mara Conservancy says the 12-hour ticket runs “from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, notwithstanding the time of entry into the park”. A late-afternoon arrival still uses up a full day’s fee.
- No cash in the Mara Triangle. The Conservancy accepts M-Pesa and card only. Tickets are sold online through KAPS or at Purungat Bridge, Oloololo Gate and Serena Airstrip.
- Bring ID. Citizen and resident rates need proof, such as a passport or national ID.
- Fees apply wherever you sleep. The table covers non-residents staying inside and outside the reserve alike.
If you book a package, ask the operator whether park fees are included and get the answer in writing.
Lodges, Tented Camps and Conservancies
There are three main places to stay: inside the reserve, just outside its gates, or in a private conservancy next to it. The choice affects your price, the number of other vehicles you see, and what activities are allowed.
Inside the reserve
Lodges and tented camps inside the reserve mean you start each game drive already in the park, with no drive to a gate first. Compare their rates against camps outside before you decide, as prices vary widely by month.
Outside the gates
Camps and lodges on the edge of the reserve drive guests in through a gate. You pay the same daily entry fee as guests inside, and because of the 6 am to 6 pm ticket rule, an early start and a full day in the park get the most from each ticket.
Conservancies
Conservancies are areas of Maasai community land set aside for wildlife, where camps lease the land from the owners. The Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association says it works with 24 conservancies, 16,530 landowners and 50 tourism partners, and that each landowner gets a guaranteed lease fee. Activities differ from one conservancy camp to the next, so ask each camp what it offers.
A Simple Planning Checklist
- Pick your months: July to October for the migration, January to June for lower fees.
- Decide between road and air, and check your airline’s baggage limit.
- Choose inside the reserve, outside the gates or a conservancy.
- Budget for the daily entry fee for each day you enter, and confirm it on the official site.
- Carry a card or M-Pesa for any fees you pay yourself, plus your passport or ID.
Book early for the migration months, the busiest period in the Conservancy’s visitor counts, and check every fee with the reserve or your operator before you pay.
Sources
- Maasai Mara (Wikipedia)
- Conservation fees (Mara Conservancy, Mara Triangle), checked 4 October 2026
- Foreign tourists begin paying Ksh26,500 to access Maasai Mara (Kenyans.co.ke, 24 July 2024)
- Mara Monthly: August 2023 (Mara Conservancy)
- Masai Mara weather and wildlife, July 2025 (Governor’s Camp)
- What’s behind the catastrophic rainfall in Kenya? (VOA, 4 May 2024)
- Baggage allowance (Safarilink)
- Narok County Govt bans private cars at Maasai Mara (Kenyans.co.ke, 4 June 2024)
- Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association