Maasai Mara — Great Migration country
4 days · 3 nights · Best Jul – Oct
About this experience
The Maasai Mara is the lion-and-wildebeest postcard people imagine when they think Africa — and it lives up to it, if you go with someone who knows where to be at 6:30am. We use a private conservancy on the north-east edge of the reserve, so you're off-road and off the tourist circuit by sunrise.
Highlights
- First-time safari
- Photographers
- Big-cat lovers
- Hand-picked lodges with great reviews
- Private vehicle and experienced driver-guide
Signature experiences
Optional add-ons our specialists can build into this trip. Prices are per person, confirmed on request.
Lift off at dawn over the plains, drift silently above the herds, and land to a champagne bush breakfast. The definitive Mara morning.
Spend an hour in a working manyatta — the jumping dance, fire-making, and a look at daily Maasai life, hosted by the community itself.
A lantern-lit table set out under the stars, your own chef and a crackling fire — the safari dinner people remember for years.
After dark on a private conservancy, a spotlight picks out leopard, aardvark, bushbaby and the animals you never see by day.
Included
- All accommodation on full-board basis
- All park & conservancy fees
- Private vehicle + experienced driver-guide throughout
- Internal flights (Wilson ↔ Mara)
- Airport transfers in Nairobi
- Bottled water + sundowner drinks
- 24/7 WhatsApp line to our Nairobi office
Not included
- International flights to/from Nairobi
- Kenya eVisa ($51, we'll help you apply)
- Travel insurance (we recommend SafetyWing)
- Hot-air balloon ($475 pp, optional)
- Tips for camp staff and guides
Price breakdown
The plan, day by day
From pickup to drop-off — exactly what your trip looks like.
JKIA pickup with your name on a board. Transfer to Wilson, 45-minute light-aircraft flight to the Masai Mara strip. Lunch at camp, afternoon game drive — the Mara light at 4pm is the reason photographers come back.
Dawn game drive (lion, cheetah on a kopje if we're lucky). Brunch back at camp. Afternoon walking safari with a Maasai guide and an armed ranger — different perspective entirely. Sundowner on the escarpment.
Up at 4:45am. Hot-air balloon over the Mara at sunrise, champagne breakfast in the grass when you land. Back to camp by 11am — afternoon to rest by the pool, or full-day game drive into the reserve proper if you want migration crossings (Jul–Sep only).
Final morning drive, brunch, mid-afternoon flight back to Wilson. We pick you up in Nairobi and drop you wherever — JKIA for an evening connection, a hotel for a Nairobi night, or onward to Diani if you're extending.
What travelers say
Guest reviews →Bookara guest rating
Meeting point
Your full route across Kenya — pickup confirmed the day before departure.
Drag to pan · pinch or buttons to zoom
- 01 NairobiDay 1 · City
- 02 Maasai MaraDay 1 · National park & reserve
- 03 NairobiDay 4 · City
Good to know
Cancel for any reason up to 90 days before your departure and receive a full refund. After that, our standard partial-refund schedule applies — see full terms.
Common questions
Will I see the Great Migration?+
Only if you come between mid-July and early October. Outside those months the herds are in Tanzania. The resident wildlife — lion, cheetah, elephant, leopard — is excellent year-round.
Is the hot-air balloon worth $475 per person?+
Once-in-a-lifetime worth, if it's your first time in Africa. The balloon takes off at sunrise, drifts for an hour, and lands with a champagne breakfast in the grass. You can also skip it without missing anything fundamental about the Mara.
Can I drink the water at camp?+
Drink bottled water (provided free at all our partner camps). The camps filter water for cooking and ice but we don't recommend drinking from the tap. You won't be charged for bottles.
What's the malaria situation?+
The Mara is a low-to-moderate malaria zone. Take prophylaxis (Malarone is the modern standard, one pill a day from two days before to seven after). Mercy can recommend a Nairobi pharmacy if you'd rather pick it up on arrival than at home.
Book on WhatsApp
Your chat opens with the trip pre-filled — no payment needed now. Our team replies between 7am–10pm EAT.
Request saved
WhatsApp is opening with your details pre-filled — just hit send.
- 1 Send the pre-filled messageYour trip details are already written for you.
- 2 Confirm in chat — or pay the deposit onlineSame reference either way. Our team replies 7am–10pm EAT.
- 3 Instant confirmationWhatsApp message + email receipt the moment your deposit lands.
Your request ref becomes your booking reference once the deposit is paid.
Book direct with the operator
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Licensed & certified
Kenya-registered operator in Nairobi with experienced driver-guides.
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Our own vehicles & guides
Trips run end to end by Bookara staff — never handed to a third party.
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Secure payment
Card or Apple Pay through Paystack (USD). Park fees included in the price you see.
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Flexible cancellation
Free cancellation up to 90 days before departure; 30% deposit holds your dates.
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