Maasai Mara National Reserve
Kenya's premier wilderness sanctuary, celebrated worldwide for the annual Great Wildebeest Migration and extraordinary apex predator densities across sweeping open savannahs.
Ecosystem Highlights
The Great Mara River Crossing
Witness the dramatic river crossing where millions of wildebeest navigate swift currents and predatory Nile crocodiles.
Exceptional Big Cat Density
Home to famous lion prides, elusive leopards along the marshy luggas, and high cheetah hunting activity on the open plains.
Mara Triangle Conservation
Explore the professionally managed northwest sector bordered by the dramatic Oloololo Escarpment.
Natural History & Conservation
The Maasai Mara National Reserve covers approximately 1,510 square kilometres of quintessential African wilderness in southwestern Kenya, adjoining Tanzania's Serengeti National Park to form one of the world's most critical ecological corridors.
Named in honour of the ancestral Maasai people and the distinctive 'mara' (spotted) appearance of umbrella acacias dotting golden plains, the reserve hosts over 95 mammal species and more than 470 recorded bird species. Between July and October, over two million wildebeest, zebras, and Thomson's gazelles plunge across the crocodile-filled Mara and Talek rivers in the spectacle known as the Great Migration. Beyond migration season, the Mara offers superlative year-round sightings of lions, leopards, cheetahs, and endangered black rhinos.
Field Guide & Travel Facts
county
Narok County
altitude
1,500 – 2,170 m
bestSeason
July to October for migration; December to March for predator action and clear skies
keyWildlife
Big Five, Cheetah, Spotted Hyena, Topi, Hippo, Nile Crocodile
recommendedDuration
3 to 5 nights
Experience Maasai Mara National Reserve in person
Let our safari directors incorporate this pristine wilderness into your bespoke itinerary.