Hike-in Required
No
Open Year-round
Yes
Guided tours
Yes
ADA accessible
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The Masai Mara is a world famous national park that draws thousands of visitors each year. Its primary draw is the wildlife. Due to many restrictions and complex social expectations, a guide is highly recommended, and there are often guides at the gate if you are arriving self-guided. Good guides can avoid crowds while finding excellent spots to observe animals.

Considering the 6-hour drive getting to Mara, it's worth considering a package tour with a guiding company. Overall, it can mitigate many of the costs. It costs $250 and fees on top of renting a four-wheel-drive vehicle ($85 per day) and a guide ($100 per day), you're looking about the same costs as an all-inclusive resort.

Every year from July to September, there is a massive migration of wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles. The migration attracts lions, leopards, cheetahs, and more. The wide open grasslands make for easy viewings from a distance and sometimes up close. As the animals are more active early and late, the best time for viewing is just before dawn and as the sun is setting. This also leads to the best photography.

Of the "big five" animals, only rhinos are rare in Masai Mara, though not unheard of. Every other possible species is here, and the opportunities to see them are overwhelming. It's a incredibly powerful experience to see such incredible animals and worth making the trip.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Winter

Congestion

Moderate

Parking Pass

National or state forest pass

Pros

Experience of a lifetime. Huge variety of wildlife.

Cons

Expensive.

Pets allowed

Not Allowed

Features

Guided tours
Near lake or river
Historically significant
Big vistas
Native artifacts
Big Game Watching
Bird watching
Wildlife

Location

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