The Maasai Mara is Kenya's most celebrated safari destination — roughly 1,510 square kilometres of open savanna where big cats, elephants and over a million wildebeest share the plains.
Bordering Tanzania's Serengeti, the reserve is the northern stage of the Great Migration. Between July and October, herds cross the Mara River in one of the planet's greatest wildlife spectacles. Year-round, resident lion prides, cheetah, leopard and elephant make game drives extraordinary.
Why visit Maasai Mara
Over a million wildebeest cross the Mara River, July–October.
Among the highest lion, cheetah and leopard densities in Africa.
From classic tented camps to cliff-edge design lodges.
Visit communities and walk with Maasai guides.
Getting there
Most travellers fly from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to a Mara airstrip (Keekorok, Ol Kiombo or Musiara) in about 45 minutes. Road transfers take 5–6 hours by 4x4.
Best time to visit
Local tips
- Pack neutral colours & a warm layer for dawn drives
- Book Migration-season camps 6–12 months ahead
- Bring binoculars and a long lens