Kenya Masai Mara Safari Packages: 6 Options and Prices

The best Kenya Masai Mara safari packages match trip length, vehicle type and lodge level to your dates, and state clearly what the price covers. If money is tight, a shared group safari gets you into the reserve cheapest. Most first-timers get the best value from a private 4-day safari priced around $1,000 to $1,200. If you are short on time or want more privacy, a flying package from about $2,000 skips the long road. Anyone who wants Amboseli and the Mara in one trip should plan six days.

The hard part is comparing offers. Online prices run from under $400 for a shared 3-day trip to well over $3,800 for a luxury 4-day stay, and the word "all-inclusive" means different things on different quotes. You can easily compare two packages that are not the same product.

This guide is written by Extra Miles Unique Adventures, a Nairobi-based tour operator that has planned private safaris since 2007. It first explains what a package should include and why prices vary, then walks through six packages in order of price, each described the same way. All prices are from-prices that move with your dates, group size and lodge choice.

What an all-inclusive Masai Mara package covers

What the price should include

A solid all-inclusive Masai Mara package covers accommodation, meals, park entry fees and game drives with a driver-guide, plus transfers from Nairobi. The label is not standardized, so read the quote line by line. Drinks, tips, visas, international flights and extras such as a balloon ride are commonly charged separately.

Before you accept any quote for Masai Mara National Reserve safari packages, ask these questions:

• Are reserve entry fees included, and for how many days?
• Is the vehicle a 4x4 with a pop-up roof, and is it private or shared?
• Which meals are covered, and are drinks included?
• Is the Nairobi to Mara transfer by road or by air, and is it in the price?
• What happens if you need to cancel?

A package is all-inclusive only when the quote names park fees, meals, vehicle and transfers.

Why prices differ so much

Safaris in the Mara run from about $150 per person per day for the cheapest camping trips to $500 or more for luxury stays. Several things move the price. Peak migration season costs more. A shared vehicle costs less than a private one. Conservancy lodges cost more than reserve lodges, but they have fewer vehicles and allow night drives and off-road driving, which the national reserve does not. Flying costs more than driving. Reserve entry fees also set a floor of roughly $100 to $200 per person per day, depending on the season.

To compare packages of different lengths, divide the from-price by the number of days. The 4-day package at $990 works out to about $248 a day, which sits comfortably in the budget-to-mid-range band. The table sets all six packages below on the same basis.

When to go and how early to book

The wildebeest herds usually reach the Mara in late July or August, stay through September and October, and head back to Tanzania by late October or November. No one can predict the exact crossing weeks. Well-placed camps fill early in high season, from June to October, so book several months ahead, and up to a year ahead if you want a specific camp. Game viewing is good all year, so travelers on a tighter budget can choose the quieter months.

1. Budget Masai Mara group safari

What the package includes

This is the cheapest way into the reserve. You share one vehicle and one guide with other travelers. Shared trips on the Mara circuit commonly carry seven or eight people per vehicle, so ask for the exact number. The road from Nairobi typically takes five to six hours, and the last stretch from Narok is unpaved.

• Format: shared vehicle, one guide
• Focus: game drives and big cats
• Price: request a quote for your dates

Who it suits and what it costs

Choose this if lions matter more to you than comfort. It suits solo travelers and anyone who would rather spend the money on a longer trip than on a nicer room. Published shared 3-day Mara departures from Nairobi are advertised at roughly $380 to $620 per person, so use that as a sanity check on any quote.

The trade-off is control. In a shared vehicle, the group decides when to leave a sighting, and the itinerary is fixed. If you are traveling as a couple or family and these limits will bother you, the next package costs more but gives you a private vehicle.

A shared safari is the right trade only if you are happy to give up flexibility for price.

2. Let's Explore the Masai Mara National Reserve

What the package includes

This is a classic 4-day, 3-night private safari built around the reserve itself. All three nights are at Mara Serena Safari Lodge, so you spend less time moving and more time on game drives. The pace is flexible, and the package is presented as a straightforward Masai Mara experience. You can read the details on the Masai Mara National Reserve safari page.

• Length: 4 days, 3 nights
• Stay: Mara Serena Safari Lodge
• Type: private safari, flexible pace

Who it suits and what it costs

The price starts at $990, which is about $248 a day. That is the lowest private entry point in this list. It suits first-timers who want the Mara and nothing else, and couples who want a lodge rather than a basic camp.

Confirm the transfer and vehicle details on your written quote, since they affect both comfort and cost. If you want a second park without adding many days, the next package does that.

For a private first safari, three nights in one reserve is the simplest way to start.

3. 4 Days Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru safari

What the package includes

This private 4-day, 3-night safari pairs Lake Nakuru National Park with two nights of game drives in the Mara. Transport is a pop-up roof 4x4 Land Cruiser, and the pace is flexible. The extra park is the point: it adds rhinos to the big cats of the Mara. The Mara and Nakuru safari page has the full outline.

• Length: 4 days, 3 nights
• Parks: Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara
• Vehicle: pop-up roof Land Cruiser

Who it suits and what it costs

The package starts at $1,185, about $195 more than the Mara-only option, or roughly $296 a day. For that you get a second ecosystem and a better chance at rhino, which is elusive in the Mara. Travelers who want the Big Five on a short itinerary get the most from it.

The compromise is time. With two nights in the Mara, you have fewer Mara game drives than in the Mara-only package. If big cats are your priority, choose the previous package. If variety matters more, this is the better value.

Pay the extra $195 only if rhinos and a lake-and-forest park matter to you.

4. 6-Day Kenya Big Five Express Safari

What the package includes

This is a compact private safari through Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara. It is designed for travelers who want an exciting safari in less time than a classic 7 to 10 day circuit. It offers game drives every day while keeping the route practical and comfortable, and the pace is flexible.

• Length: 6 days, 5 nights
• Parks: Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Masai Mara
• Type: private safari

Who it suits and what it costs

The package starts at $1,378, which is about $230 a day and the lowest daily rate among the private packages here. Three parks in six days give you elephants against Mount Kilimanjaro, rhinos and big cats, so it suits first-time visitors who want range rather than depth.

Because you move between parks, you spend part of the trip in the vehicle. If long drives are not for you, look at the fly-in options below. If you are comfortable with road travel, this is the strongest value for a first trip.

For the lowest daily rate on a private trip, the six-day Kenya Big Five Express safari is the one to beat.

5. 4-Day Ultra-Luxury Kenya Flying Safari

What the package includes

This package starts with a flight from Nairobi to the Mara, so you avoid the five-to-six-hour drive. You spend two nights at Soroi Mara Bush Camp and combine the Masai Mara with Lake Nakuru. Game drives use a pop-up roof 4x4 Land Cruiser. The ultra-luxury flying safari page lists the rest.

• Length: 4 days, 3 nights
• Stay: two nights at Soroi Mara Bush Camp
• Transfer: flight from Nairobi to the Mara

Who it suits and what it costs

The package starts at $2,070, or about $518 a day, in line with the $500-plus daily level of luxury safaris. It suits honeymooners, anniversary trips and anyone who wants privacy and more time on the ground. Flights from Nairobi's Wilson Airport take about an hour, so a short trip loses almost nothing to travel.

Flying does add cost, so check the quote to see which legs are by air. If you want the same luxury over more days and parks, the next package stretches the trip to six days.

Flying saves most of a day, which matters most on a four-day trip.

6. 6-Day Amboseli and Masai Mara luxury fly-in

What the package includes

This six-day private package combines the landscapes of Amboseli with the wildlife of the Mara, with two nights at Ol Tukai Lodge and three nights at Mara Serena Safari Lodge. You drive into Amboseli, then fly between Amboseli, the Mara and Nairobi. That removes the longest road legs of a Kenya circuit. More fly-in options are on the luxury flying safaris page.

• Length: 6 days, 5 nights
• Stay: two nights at Ol Tukai Lodge, three at Mara Serena Safari Lodge
• Transfers: drive into Amboseli, flights onward

Who it suits and what it costs

The package starts at $2,908, about $485 a day. It suits couples and families who want elephants beneath Kilimanjaro and the Mara's big cats without spending days on the road. Three nights in the Mara leave enough time for multiple game drives.

If the price is a stretch, the 7-Day Luxury Safari Through Kenya's Wild Wonders covers Amboseli, Lake Naivasha and the Mara from $1,944, with three luxurious nights at Mara Serena Safari Lodge. You gain a day and give up the flights.

Pay for flights when your time is short, and spend the savings on extra nights when it is not.

Choosing your package

Pick by what you will accept, not by the lowest number. Shared safaris trade control for price. Private 4-day trips give the best first-visit value. The six-day circuit covers three parks at the lowest daily rate among the private options. Flying packages buy back time and privacy. Whatever you choose, make sure the quote lists park fees, meals, vehicle and transfers, so you compare like with like.

The packages above show from-prices, and the final figure depends on your dates and group. To get one built around your travel dates and budget, request a custom Masai Mara quote from our Nairobi team. We reply to enquiries within 24 hours.