Masai Mara Shared Group Safaris

4.6/5 – 396 Masai Mara Reviews

The Masai Mara is an amazing place to go on a group tour or safari. The wildlife here in particular can be incredible. If you’re here during the great migration, you can enjoy one of the greatest natural spectacles on the planet. Even at other times, you can expect to see big cats, elephant, zebra and so much more. In the Masai Mara – and this applies as much to the Masai Mara National Reserve as to the Maasai-run conservancies next door – it’s not just about incredible wildlife viewing. The landscapes here are classic East African savannahs with rolling hills and distant escarpments as a backdrop, and the variety of accommodation is similarly outstanding.

1-20 of 259 group tours, packages and holidays to Masai Mara National Reserve

5 Questions About Masai Mara Group Safaris

Expert

Answered by

Anthony Ham

Anthony has written numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks to Africa, including guides to Kenya and East Africa. He has written about Kenya and the wider region for magazines and newspapers around the world. He is also the author of The Last Lions of Africa.

› More about Anthony

What is a good size for a Masai Mara group tour?

“As a general rule, the smaller your safari group the better (but also more expensive) your experience will be. The good thing about small-group safaris – which should include around six (but no more than a total of eight) in your traveling party – is that your safari vehicles will feel less crowded. Safari vehicles usually consist of minibuses with pop-up roofs or open-sided 4WDs with a canvas roof and tiered seating. Many of these vehicles can seat as many as 12 people. But if you’re sharing a vehicle with that many other travelers, you’ll be crammed in and won’t always get the best view. Having fewer people on safari also means there are fewer other travelers to take into consideration. For example, every time you stop to enjoy an animal encounter, there will be some who want to stay for a while and others who wish to move on. You’re more likely to get your preference on such occasions when the traveling group is small.”

Is there a minimum age for a Masai Mara group safari?

“The general answer to this question is no, there is no minimum age for going on safari. I have traveled throughout Africa, including to the Masai Mara, with my young children, and it was one of the best experiences of a traveling lifetime. At the same time, there may be some restrictions for particular kinds of accommodation or activities. Some accommodation places have a minimum age for safari travelers. These are usually quite exclusive, high-end places and such places will obviously be off-limits for families. There may also be some specific activities which have minimum-age requirements. Where this is the case, it’s usually for safety reasons. For example, walking safaris in the Mara’s conservancies may not allow young children, because wild animals (including lions) are known to sometimes react more unpredictably in the presence of children.”

What type of vehicle can I expect on a Masai Mara group safari?

“When it comes to getting to the Masai Mara, you will travel by road or by air. If traveling by road, you will most likely travel to the area in a minibus or a 4WD vehicle, depending on the size of your traveling party. If you fly, it will be in a small plane (usually a 6- to 20-seater aircraft) into one of the Masai Mara’s many airstrips from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport or from one of the other national parks or airports around Kenya’s south or Tanzania’s north. Once you’re in the Masai Mara, you will get around in a minibus or a 4WD safari vehicle. These vehicles will be used for both game drives and for getting from one destination within the Masai Mara to the next. If it’s a minibus, it will have a pop-up roof so that you can have a great view of the animals. If it’s a 4WD, expect an open-sided vehicle with a canvas roof and tiered seating.”

How much do Masai Mara group safari packages cost?

“Packages for a Masai Mara group safari vary greatly, with so many different variables to consider. As a very basic starting point, however, the cheapest tours begin at around US$150 per person per day, and can go much higher, even climbing above US$500 per person per day. One of the costs that needs to be factored into these estimates is the daily park entrance fee, which is US$80/45 per adult/child per day. Among the variables to take into account are the size of the safari group (smaller groups usually cost more) and the number of days your safari will last (determining how many days one-off costs like transfers need to be divided into). Other things to weigh up include the type of accommodation (there are great differences in price between budget camping tents and luxury safari tents in an exclusive tented camp) and the season in which you travel. High season in the Masai Mara runs from June to October and again from December to March, and high-season prices can be almost double the cost of traveling in low season.”

How is a typical day on a Masai Mara group tour?

“There may be variations on what a typical day looks like on any Masai Mara group safari: a budget camping safari will always look different to a luxury five-star trip. But there are some consistent elements to the safari day regardless of the type of holiday you have planned. On a normal day (not one where you’ll be traveling between destinations) you’ll be woken before dawn with a hot drink and perhaps a light snack. Then you’ll leave your camp or lodge for an early morning guided game drive with others on your tour. The drives happen early in the morning because this is when (along with late afternoon) the animals are most active and easiest to find and see. Depending on what you see, your game drive may last until midmorning, when you’ll return to camp for a fuller breakfast. You’ll usually have time to relax before and after lunch, although there may be an activity scheduled, such as a village visit. There may be afternoon tea midafternoon, followed by another game drive. Just before sunset, your guide and driver will usually stop for that old safari tradition, the sundowner: you’ll watch the sunset from a nice vantage point and enjoy a drink and snacks. Back at camp you’ll have dinner, and there may be some form of entertainment, or you might have time to swap stories with other travelers around the campfire. If you’re staying in a community conservancy, you may also go on a night game drive to look for nocturnal animals; these are not allowed in the main reserve.”

Masai Mara Reviews

4.6/5 396 Reviews

Expert

Mike Unwin –

Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, former editor of Travel Zambia magazine and author of the Bradt Guide to Southern African Wildlife.

Safari central

5/5

This famous park – a northern extension of Tanzania’s Serengeti – is responsible for perhaps more images of African animals than any other. And with good reason: it is chock-full of wildlife, and blessed with open terrain that makes...

Full Review

Expert

Nana Luckham –

Nana is a travel writer and author of multiple guidebooks, including the Lonely Planet guides to Africa, Zambia & Malawi and South Africa.

The legendary Masai Mara

5/5

Legendary Masai Mara is the most visited wildlife reserve in Kenya and it’s easy to see why. This 1,800 square km park supports a huge and diverse animal population and is one of the only places in the world where it is still possible to...

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Lori Carlisle –

Reviewed: Feb 16, 2023

5/5

We had some great sightings in Masai Mara - 12 lion, cheetah, leopard as well as lots of birds. We visited in February and were glad that there were not hoards of tourists. Highly recommend a visit.

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James Neils –

Reviewed: Feb 9, 2023

5/5

We saw the famed Big Six of Africa, but also, a family of ducks, a hippo alone in a water hole, a leopard trotting across grassland, the famed Mara River with its crocs and hippos and the landscape takes your breath away. We didn't expect...

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Butch –

Reviewed: Jan 25, 2023

5/5

Masai Mara is a superb safari destination. It's large expanses are home to plenty of wildlife. Driving through it is definitely back-country, with mostly off road trails. There are very few improved "roads" in the reserve, so it has a...

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Lisa van der Hoek –

Reviewed: Jan 16, 2023

5/5

Masai Mara was by far the best park to visit on our trip. The park is rather flat, making it easy to leave paths at times; to see some special animals. Lots of lions, elephants, zebras, antilope etc. A great park where one can truly see so...

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5 Questions About Masai Mara Group Safaris

Answered by

Anthony Ham

5 Questions About Masai Mara Group Safaris

What is a good size for a Masai Mara group tour?

Is there a minimum age for a Masai Mara group safari?

What type of vehicle can I expect on a Masai Mara group safari?

How much do Masai Mara group safari packages cost?

How is a typical day on a Masai Mara group tour?

Masai Mara Reviews

Safari central

The legendary Masai Mara