Why the Masai Mara for 3 days
It is the park where you see the most animals in the least time: lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, and from July to October the great migration. For park details, see the page on the Masai Mara National Reserve. If you hesitate with Amboseli, read Masai Mara or Amboseli.
Day by day (by road)
| Day | Programme |
|---|---|
| 1 | Leave Nairobi early in the morning, 5 to 6 hours by road with a stop at the Rift Valley escarpment, lunch at the camp, drive in the late afternoon |
| 2 | Dawn drive, breakfast, full day in the reserve with a picnic, possibly a visit to a Maasai village, back to camp |
| 3 | Last drive early in the morning, return to Nairobi (arrival late afternoon or early evening) |
With the travel, this programme leaves only two full safari days; that is the price of a tight budget. With 4 days you gain one more drive.
The flight option
A 3-day safari with a domestic flight from Wilson Airport removes the 5 to 6 hours of road: you reach the Mara in about 45 minutes and do a drive on the first afternoon. It costs more: a 2026 comparison gives a 3-day safari with flights from about US$1,850 per person.
Prices and what is included
According to that comparison, a 3-day road safari costs about US$750-1,050 per person at budget level and US$1,050-1,800 mid-range; luxury is well above. The park ticket for a non-resident adult is quoted at US$100 a day from January to June and US$200 a day from July to December: these figures from commercial sources are not officially confirmed. For each offer, ask in writing:
- is the park ticket included?
- how many people per vehicle (a window seat each)?
- where do you sleep: in the reserve, at the gate or an hour's drive away?
- meals, water, transfers from your hotel and tips;
- the price of the balloon flight if you want it (hot-air balloon over the Masai Mara).
How to book
Compare several registered agencies, read recent reviews, and pay by a traceable method; avoid handing cash to an intermediary met in the street (see scams and safety in Kenya). The page a safari to the Masai Mara from Nairobi details the 2 to 4 day lengths.
When to go
The best season depends on what you want to see: migration from July to October (highest prices), the dry season in January-February and June for animals that are easy to spot. See the best time for a safari in Kenya and the great wildebeest migration.
Going further
Plan for health (vaccines, malaria: health guide), your arrival (Nairobi airport) and a day in Nairobi (Nairobi in one day).
