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They created us a beautiful and seamless honeymoon
They created us a beautiful and seamless honeymoon. They…
Nikhila Reddy, June 2026
Experiences
The experiences that make a Maasai Mara safari
From the drama of the Great Migration to walking safaris in a private conservancy, the Mara layers up the very best of a Kenyan safari. Flick through some of the experiences we can build into your trip.
Big cats & predators
The Maasai Mara holds some of the highest densities of lion, cheetah and leopard anywhere in Africa. Open game drives put you close to the action, with expert guides who know the prides and individual cats and exactly where they are likely to be.
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Give the Mara time to reveal itself
The Mara rewards a slower stay. Choose the reserve for the classic crossings, a conservancy for space and flexibility, or combine both. Then allow enough nights for the guides, weather and wildlife to shape each day.
BarrySafari Specialist & Field Guide
Maasai Mara & Kenya safari trips
Every itinerary below features the Maasai Mara and is fully tailor-made, a starting point we'll shape around your dates, budget and the camps you love. Filter by length and price, then let our specialists perfect the routing.
Destination
Duration
Price (per person)
Showing 16 of 16 trips
Multi-country
Kenya & Tanzania Group Tour
Our scheduled group tour is great for solo travellers or those looking to join a small group. Sharing with a group helps keep a lid on costs whilst exploring some of East Africa's best safari destinations.
13 Daysfrom $9,295
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Kenya
Kenya Classic Group Tour
Our scheduled group tour is great for solo travellers or those looking to join a small group. Sharing with a group helps keep a lid on costs whilst exploring some of Kenya's best safari destinations.
7 Daysfrom $4,650
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Multi-country
Gorilla Trekking & Kenya Safari
Trek deep into the rainforests of Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda in search of mountain gorillas. Then head to some of Kenya's most impressive safari parks. This is the ultimate African wildlife itinerary.
11 Daysfrom $16,783
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Kenya
Kenya Safari & Beach
Combine Samburu National Reserve with the Maasai Mara for the ultimate Kenyan safari experience. Close out the trip with a few days R&R on the beautiful Diani Beach. Wonderful lodges keep you comfortable at night and the Kenyan countryside takes care of the rest.
10 Daysfrom $8,362
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Kenya
Maasai Mara & Zanzibar
Combine two very different sides of East Africa. Head to the Maasai Mara for a few days of safari, before crossing the border and heading south-east to the island paradise of Zanzibar.
9 Daysfrom $7,175
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Multi-country
Best of East African Wildlife & Beaches
This unforgettable journey weaves together gorilla trekking in Uganda, the drama of the Great Migration in Kenya and Tanzania, and barefoot luxury on Zanzibar’s white-sand shores. From misty forests to iconic savannahs and crater floors, this is the ultimate East African adventure.
19 Daysfrom $20,695
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Rated Excellent by safari travellers
Excellent
4.9 out of 5 based on 188 reviews
We don't just write about these safari destinations; we send travellers there every season. Here's what they say about planning their trip with Brilliant.
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Our Safari trip was an amazing experience
Our Safari trip was an amazing experience from the time we…
Bridget McKenzie, June 2026
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Once in a life time holiday
We went on my 60th Birthday once in a lifetime Safari. Wow…
Sheena, May 2026
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Memorable, amazing and well organised
Very well organised tour. Lovely lodges and tented lodges. Great…
Susan Twomey, June 2026
Maasai Mara safaris: your questions answered
What is the difference between the Maasai Mara reserve and the conservancies?
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is the famous, county-run core where the classic Mara River crossings happen. Ringing it are private conservancies, leased from Maasai landowners, which cap the number of camps and vehicles and allow things the reserve does not: off-road driving, night drives and guided walking safaris. Many of our trips combine the two, basing you in a quiet conservancy with the option to drive into the reserve for the migration.
Are the conservancies better than the national reserve?
Neither is simply better, they offer different things. The reserve delivers the iconic Mara and the dramatic river crossings, but can get busy in peak season. The conservancies offer privacy, very low vehicle numbers, walking and night drives, and a real wilderness feel, usually at a higher nightly price. We help you choose the right balance, and often combine both on one trip.
How many days do you need for a Maasai Mara safari?
We would suggest at least three or four nights in the Mara to settle in and give the wildlife time to deliver, and many travellers pair it with another Kenyan park, the Rift Valley lakes or a beach finish for a week to ten days in total. Tell us how long you have and we will build the right balance.
When is the best time for a Maasai Mara safari?
The Mara is excellent year-round, with resident big cats, plains game and birdlife in every season. The Great Migration river crossings happen roughly July to October, which is the busiest and most dramatic window. The green months from November to May are quieter, lusher and better value, with superb predator viewing in the conservancies. We time your trip around what you most want to see.
How much does a Maasai Mara safari cost?
As a guide, a scheduled small-group Kenya tour starts from around $4,000 per person, a classic private Mara safari runs roughly $6,000 to $11,000, and a luxury conservancy safari with the finest camps typically runs from $9,000 upwards. Every trip is tailor-made, so we shape the camps, length and pace around your budget, and hold exclusive rates at many of the best camps.
Can you combine the Maasai Mara with a beach or another park?
Absolutely, and it is one of the most popular ways to travel. The Mara pairs beautifully with Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and the Rift Valley, or with a finish on the Kenyan coast at Diani or on Zanzibar. We handle every internal flight, transfer and the timing so the whole trip flows seamlessly.
The Mara's private conservancies
The Maasai Mara is more than the famous national reserve at its heart. Ringing its northern and eastern edges are a series of private conservancies, leased from Maasai landowners and run with strict limits on camps and vehicles. Each has its own character.
~320 km² · Private conservancy
Mara North
Classic rolling Mara plains and the dramatic Leopard Gorge escarpment, shared by a small handful of camps under a strict low-density model.
- Classic Mara plains
- Leopard Gorge
~140 km² · Private conservancy
Olare Motorogi
Some of the highest lion densities in the whole Mara, paired with very low vehicle numbers at every sighting.
- Top lion density
- Very few vehicles
~500 km² · Private conservancy
Naboisho
One of the largest conservancies, with superb predator viewing, excellent walking safaris and a real sense of wilderness.
- One of the largest
- Walking safaris
~75 km² · Private conservancy
Ol Kinyei
Small, pristine and exclusive, with a strict cap on beds and a genuine sense of having the bush to yourself.
- Small & pristine
- Strict bed cap
Most of our Mara trips combine a conservancy with time in the national reserve. Tell us how you like to travel and we'll match you to the right one.
Conservancies vs the national reserve
The private conservancies and the national reserve each have real strengths, and the best Mara safaris often use both. Here is how they compare on the things travellers ask us about most.
| What matters to you | Private conservancies | National reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicles at a sighting | Capped, often a five-vehicle limit and sometimes just yours | No limit, so popular sightings can draw a crowd in peak season |
| Off-road driving | Allowed, so your guide can follow the action across the plains | Not permitted, you stay on the established tracks |
| Night drives | Yes, a real chance at leopard, aardvark and other nocturnal game | Not allowed, the reserve gates close at dusk |
| Walking safaris | Yes, on foot with an armed Maasai guide | Not permitted inside the reserve |
| Space & exclusivity | Low bed densities, vast areas and very few other camps | Busier, especially around the Mara River crossings |
| The Great Migration | Herds spill into the conservancies, and you can still drive into the reserve for the crossings | The classic Mara River crossings happen here, roughly July to October |
| Community impact | Lease fees go directly to the Maasai families who own the land | Park fees fund the county-run reserve |
| Best for | Privacy, flexibility, walking and night drives, and repeat safari-goers | First-timers who want the iconic Mara and the river crossings |
Ready to plan your Maasai Mara safari?
Share as much or as little as you like, even just a rough idea is enough to start. One of our East Africa specialists will come back with first thoughts for your trip, with no obligation.
Where to stay in the Maasai Mara
From conservation-led conservancy camps to iconic lodges in and above the reserve, here are some of the places our specialists love across the Mara. Every trip is tailored, so treat these as a taste of what's possible.
Classic tented camps
Authentic, great-value safari under canvas
Maasai Mara reserve · Kenya
Governors' Camp
An iconic riverside classic on the banks of the Mara River, set in one of the most game-rich corners of the reserve.
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Maasai Mara reserve · Kenya
Rekero Camp
A wonderfully positioned tented camp on the Talek River, right in the heart of the action for the migration and resident big cats.
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Maasai Mara · Kenya
Lemala Mara
An intimate, classic tented camp that keeps you close to the wildlife, with starlit nights and a genuine bush-camp feel.
Explore campLuxury
Elevated comfort, prime locations and quiet exclusivity
Naboisho Conservancy · Kenya
Kicheche Valley Camp
An intimate, conservation-led camp in a private conservancy, with low vehicle numbers and superb big-cat sightings.
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Maasai Mara reserve · Kenya
Sand River
An elegant 1920s-style tented camp in a quiet corner of the reserve near the Tanzanian border, with classic safari romance.
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Private conservancy · Kenya
Mara Bushtops
Spacious luxury tents, each with a private hot tub, on a quiet private conservancy bordering the reserve.
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The Mara's most exclusive camps, at the very top end
Mara Triangle · Kenya
Angama Mara
Suspended high above the Great Rift Valley, with breathtaking 'Out of Africa' views across the Mara below.
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Olderkesi Conservancy · Kenya
Cottar's 1920s Camp
Vintage 1920s safari glamour on a vast private conservancy, family-run for generations and steeped in old-world style.
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Olare Motorogi Conservancy · Kenya
Mara Plains Camp
A tiny, top-end Great Plains camp reached by its signature tree-canopy bridge, with private guiding and superb predator country.
Explore campTalk to someone who's actually been there
This page will get you started, but the best Mara safari is the one built around you. Every Brilliant specialist has travelled deep across the Maasai Mara and its conservancies, and we design each trip from scratch around your dates, budget and the wildlife you most want to see. No off-the-shelf packages, just impartial advice from people who know these camps first-hand.
Barry
Safari Specialist & Field Guide
Alyson
Guest Experience Specialist
Tracy
Tailor-Made Safari Specialist
Holly
Guest Experience Specialist
Marc
Africa Travel Specialist
What does a Maasai Mara safari cost?
Every trip is tailor-made, so these are real starting points rather than fixed packages, per person sharing and including internal flights. We shape the camps, length and pace around your budget, and hold exclusive rates at many of the best camps.
| Trip style | What's included | Guide price (per person) |
|---|---|---|
| Group & guided value (7–8 days) | A scheduled small-group Kenya tour taking in the Maasai Mara and other classic parks, comfortable camps, park fees and a guide | From ~$4,000 |
| Classic private Mara safari (5–8 days) | The Maasai Mara by light aircraft and 4x4, an excellent camp in the reserve or a private conservancy, often with a beach or Rift Valley add-on | ~$6,000–11,000 |
| Luxury conservancy safari (5–7 days) | The finest conservancy camps and lodges, private guiding, walking and night drives, and the lowest vehicle densities in the Mara | $9,000–18,000+ |
Speak to an Expert
Tell us a few quick details and one of our specialists will come back to you with ideas. Every trip is designed from scratch, so there are no wrong answers, just a starting point.
Step 1 of 6Quick questions
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Ready to plan your African adventure?
1
Listen
We start by getting to know you: your dates, who's travelling, your budget and the wildlife and moments you're dreaming of.
2
Design
Then we design your safari from scratch, hand-picking the camps, routing and pace to suit you. No off-the-shelf packages, just impartial expert advice.
3
Refine & reserve
We fine-tune every detail with you, then place a 24 hour hold on your preferred camps, with no obligation, before you confirm.
Whatever your budget, group size, length of stay, preferred activity or appetite for adventure, we can help.