Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

The Masai Mara National Reserve covers about 1,500 km² of rolling grassland, acacia country and riverine forest in south-western Kenya. It is the northern end of the same ecosystem as Tanzania's Serengeti, and the two are joined with no fence between them. Around the reserve, Maasai landowners have leased their land into private conservancies, which together add a large area of wildlife country with fewer vehicles.

Masai Mara key facts

Wildlife in the Masai Mara

The Mara is one of the best places in Africa to watch big cats. Lions are common and live in large prides, cheetahs hunt on the open plains, and leopards use the trees and thickets along the rivers. Elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, topis, zebras, hippos and crocodiles are all easy to see. Black rhinos live here too, but in small numbers, so they are a lucky sighting rather than something to count on.

The Great Migration in the Masai Mara

Each year well over a million wildebeest, with large numbers of zebras and gazelles, follow the rains between the Serengeti and the Mara. The herds usually arrive in the Mara around July and stay until about October, when they move back south. While they are here, they cross the Mara River again and again, and these crossings, with crocodiles waiting in the water, are what most people come to see.

The timing changes from year to year with the rain, so no one can promise a crossing on a particular day. Staying three nights or more, and choosing a lodge near the river, gives you the best chance. Outside the migration months the Mara is still excellent for resident wildlife and is quieter. See our month-by-month guide to the Great Migration in the Masai Mara.

Reserve or conservancy?

Inside the reserve you can drive anywhere on the tracks, and in the migration months the river crossing points can get busy with vehicles. The private conservancies around it, such as Mara North, Olare Motorogi and Naboisho, limit the number of guests, and they allow walking safaris, night drives and off-road driving to sightings, which the reserve does not. Many visitors split their stay between the two.

The Mara Triangle

The western part of the reserve, between the Mara River and the Oloololo Escarpment, is called the Mara Triangle and is managed separately. It has fewer lodges, good roads and some of the main river crossing points, which makes it a good choice in migration season.

Things to do

How to get to the Masai Mara

By road, the drive from Nairobi takes about 5–6 hours, down the escarpment into the Great Rift Valley and through Narok town. Most road safaris stop at a Rift Valley viewpoint on the way. By air, scheduled light aircraft fly from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to several airstrips in and around the reserve in about 45–60 minutes. Flying saves a long day on the road and is the usual choice when Kenya is added to a Uganda or Rwanda trip.

Where to stay

There are lodges and tented camps for every budget, from simple camps near the Talek and Sekenani gates to classic tented camps on the Mara River. Where you stay matters: in migration season a camp near the river saves driving time, while a conservancy camp gives a quieter experience. See the Masai Mara section of our Kenya safari lodges guide.

How long to stay

Two nights is the minimum to see the Mara properly. Three nights is better, and in migration season it gives you a real chance of a river crossing. If you are flying in from Uganda or Rwanda, three nights in the Mara is a good add-on to a gorilla trek.

Best time to visit the Masai Mara

The migration months, from about July to October, are the busiest and most dramatic. January and February are also dry, with good game viewing and fewer vehicles. The long rains, usually April and May, make some tracks muddy and a few camps close, but prices are lower and the grass is green. Big cats live in the Mara all year.

Frequently asked questions