How Much Does a Masai Mara Safari Cost?

How much does a Masai Mara safari cost? Well, it ain’t cheap, but read on for why it’s worth it and tips to make it cheaper.

The Masai Mara National Reserve. Images of rolling hills, plains of swaying grass, and vast herds of wildebeest crossing crocodile-infested rivers. 

The Masai Mara Kenya, known globally for its huge gathering of animals, is both one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a best safari in Africa. A gathering of predatory carnivores and their terrified prey come together in numbers so vast that the hills and rivers are black with cattle. The fight for survival is a spectacle few have the privilege of seeing.

A Masai Mara safari can cost as little as $100 to tens of thousands of dollars. Masai Mara camps can range from basic catering camp sites to the best lodges on earth. In this blog, I look at how much it costs to visit the Masai Mara and, more importantly, how to do it cheaply.

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The Maasai Mara Reserve – The Seventh Natural Wonder of The World

I’ve heard about the Masai Mara (Maasai Mara) since I was a little girl. My childhood images of Kenya were a kaleidoscope of dusty savannah, panicked animals and lone Maasai Morans. The Masai Mara animals are indeed panicked and bloody, but the topography of the Masai Mara is far more gentle. The Masai Mara location is a landscape of placid hillocks and meandering valleys. Even the Mara River itself, in my mind a torrent of water rushing wildebeest to their death, is deceptively calm. Its surface is broken by belly-fat hippos and crocodiles rather than rapids. 

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Masai Mara Animals – A Kenyan Safaris Fiercest Predators

Yes, the Masai Mara at first glance could be the quintessential English country scene with its glorious sweeping views, the patchwork of fields and clumps of trees, but this tender beauty is deceptive; it’s a country idyll packed to the core with killers. The Masai Mara animals are so dangerous that it’s illegal to even lean out your car window. Need the loo? Suck it up because behind every bush and up every tree is a cat that would happily make you lunch. And even if they don’t get you, the park rangers brandishing eye-watering fines will.

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The Masai Mara Migration

It’s the wildebeest, buck and zebra that impress most during the Masai Mara migration. Approximately 1.5 million wildebeest, 350,000 Thomson’s gazelles, 200,000 zebra and 12,000 eland migrate to the  580 square miles of Masai Mara during the Kenyan winter. 

These peaceful fields are teeming with groaning, honking, rutting, munching hoards of animals. The area is filled with the smell of dung and hot cattle. The wildebeest move as one, the visual feast of 10,000 cattle sprinting in unison as something spooks them raises hairs on your arms. The majesty is in the numbers and in being so close to this epic adventure, so much so that you almost forget your other game.

Masai Mara Big Cats

The Masai Mara National Reserve is known for its big cat sightings: lion, leopard and cheetah. Where there is so much food easily available, predator numbers soar. The Masai Mara has one of the highest numbers of lion in the world, and they are hard to miss: the 30 strong pride sunbathing in the grass, the mum herding her cubs, Simba stalking his supper. For the best way to spot a lion, then take note of where the animals are looking. If 1000 zebra are staring at a ridge, you can be damn sure there is a predator up there. Leopard and cheetah exist in larger numbers that most places on the planet. The sight of five cheetah brothers playing less than a metre from my car will never leave me. Look for smaller cats too.

Crossing the Masai Mara River

At the Masai Mara River, the density of migratory animals increases; the dusty riverbanks buckle under the weight of a million wildebeest that cross one way and then return months later. River crossings are frequent and impossibly exciting. Cars patrol the river bank, hoping to be the first to spot wildebeest tiptoeing down to the water’s edge, attempting to cross a river which is thick with crocodiles. The frisson of excitement as the crocs casually slip into the water. Marvel at the slate grey hippos, which appear oblivious to the masses that approach. The Masai Mara herds put on a show of bravery that can go on for hours.

Without warning, they go! Hippos bellow and bite and animals leap off their backs in a frenzied panic. The maelstrom is black with the crush of sweat-soaked wildebeest, the whites of their eyes vivid in their tortured state. The air fills with dust and the panicked bleating of animals is deafening. Watch babies a few months old struggle through the water. A crocodile approaches and the entire crowd veers to the right in a desperate attempt to avoid capture. When one animal is taken, it means another chance at life for the rest. 

In just 10 minutes, the crossing is over, the wildebeest collapse in exhaustion on the plains … the water stills. A drowned wildebeest baby bobs up from the water and begins a slow journey downstream. Crocs crack ribs or return to sunbath on the banks, hippos honk in anger and return to favourite wallowing spots. Further down the river at the Mara Bridge, the air is rank with the smell of rotting corpses; bloating bodies float towards the rocky dams under the bridge. The air is wild with 100’s of vultures that feast on the decomposing bodies and sun themselves on the rocks. No need to hunt out the dead when the river itself delivers lunch.  

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Masai Mara Safari Cost

A Masai Mara safari cost can be very expensive. There are a limited number of safari camps and lodges within the reserve, and most will cost upwards of 500 USD per person per night. The Masai Mara lodges, which are outside the reserve, are cheaper, but you may end up driving for hours to get to the Mara Triangle, and the migration locations.

The best Masai Mara lodges are world famous. They occupy the top locations, offer fully equipped safari tents decorated with high count cotton sheets, Persian rugs and hot showers. Fine dining and free flowing alcohol are the norm. A visit to a Masai Mara lodge or camp is a once in a lifetime dream for most people, but not all of us can afford it. In addition to your accommodation, there are park fees, transport costs, game drive costs and guide fees. It can all add up to such an enormous sum that you will never go at all. I have added a summary of mid range costs below… but also an insider’s guide on how you can visit the Masai Mara Kenya for very little money.

Maasai Mara Prices – Extra costs

• Maasai Mara Hot-Air Balloon Cost – $450 per person.
• Bush Dinners – Maasai Mara prices for bush dinners start from $60
• Maasai Mara Village Visit – approx $30

Masai Mara Safari Accommodation Costs

Below are my recommended places to stay in the Masai Mara. These are well established high end camps and lodges in the Maasai Mara.

Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Mara Intrpids Tented Camp

Sarova Mara Game Camp

Tips for Reducing Masai Mara Safari Costs.

Camp, or stay at a camp outside the reserve. The following camps are inexpensive, often located right next to the park gate. In most of them you can choose to rent a banda (hut), safari tent, or pitch your own tent.

Talek Bush Camp

Maji Moto Eco Camp

Olaloi Mara Camp

Masai Mara Campsites

Check out my blog on campsites in the Masai Mara. The blog details 14 excellent campsites; a mix of Mara Triangle camps and some outside the actual reserve, which will be safer for children.

Reduce Your Masai Mara Safari Cost by Bringing Your Own food

There are a few Masai Mara lodges where you can grab some lunch and drinks, but they cost the earth. To reduce the Masai Mara safari cost then either take a picnic or split your day into two. The best time for game viewing is sunrise and sunset. Start the day off at dawn with an early morning drive; take a break for lunch/snooze/wine back at camp and head out again late afternoon for your evening tour.  

Note from Sekanani gate, where the camp is located: it’s an hour’s drive to get to the Mara Triangle, where the crossings are. It would be a crime to zoom straight to the Triangle without checking out the wider Mara, but if you are short on time this may be a consideration.

Transport to the Masai Mara – Drive yourself

The drive to the Masai Mara from Nairobi is approximately 4 hours. You can hire a car and drive yourself there, then book a driver or a tour.

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Masai Mara National Park Kenya Entry Price.

In 2023, visitors to the Masai Mara are required to pre-book tickets via the ecitizen portal. Don’t panic if you arrive at the park having forgotten; you can access the website on your phone and book instantly.

Masai Mara safari costs can add up if you are an international visitor. The Reserve has increased the fees for international visitors enormously, and they have changed their entrance fee from a 24-hour rule to a 12-hour rule. Essentially, you need to vacate the park before 10 am on the day after entry, or you will be charged an additional day’s fee.

Masai Mara Entry Fees are below. Note that if you are driving yourself to a camp inside the park, you will also be required to pay a fee for your vehicle.

Adults (July – December)	Per Person	USD 200
Adults (January – June)	Per Person	USD 100
Children (9-17 Years)	Per Person	USD 50
Students	Per Person	USD 50

Masai Mara Vehicle entry fees

safari vehicle
Less than 6 seats	Ksh 400
6 – 12 seats	Ksh 1,000
13 – 24 seats	Ksh 3,000
24 – 44 seats	Ksh 4,000
45 seats and above	Ksh 5,000
trucks
1 – 3 tons	Ksh 700
4 – 7 tons	Ksh 2,500
8 tons and above	Ksh 3,500

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Masai Mara Weather

The Masai Mara weather is unpredictable. It is located in Western Kenya, an area of warm temperatures, humidity and average rainfall. Kenya itself only has two seasons: the rains (April – June and October to Nov) and the dry (the rest of the year). I would advise against going to the Mara in April – June. The roads can be very muddy and sometimes impassable. Although many people still visit at this time. During the rest of the year, expect hot sunny days and some rainfall in the evenings and nights.

Masai Mara Packing List

Reduce your Masai Mara safari cost by packing well. I have a full packing list for a Kenyan safari here and a blog on what to do before visiting Kenya here. Both articles look at vaccinations, medical, insurances, what to pack and other travel essentials.

Further Reading for Masai Mara National Reserve

The Ultimate 10 Days in Kenya Itinerary 2024

21 Incredible Family Friendly Resorts in Kenya 2024

45 Unmissable Kenya Tourist Attractions & Secret Gems

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