Why it's iconic
Maasai Mara: Where Legends Roam Free.
The crown jewel of Kenyan safaris and stage for the Great Wildebeest Migration. Big-cat density here is among the highest on Earth.
History & heritage
Named after the Maasai people who have grazed cattle on these plains for centuries, the Mara was gazetted as a wildlife sanctuary in 1961. It is the northern extension of Tanzania's Serengeti and forms one of the largest contiguous wildlife ecosystems on Earth. Every July through October, more than 1.5 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle thunder across the Mara River — a spectacle Sir David Attenborough has called the greatest wildlife show on the planet.
Things to explore
- Sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the savannah
- Big-cat tracking with veteran Maasai guides
- Mara River crossings (July–October)
- Bush breakfasts and sundowner cocktails
- Cultural visit to an authentic Maasai manyatta
In pictures
Postcards from Kenya
Highlights
Don't leave without doing this
Travel here
Packages that include Kenya
Five nights of private-conservancy luxury with sunrise balloons and bush dinners.
Affordable group safari from Nairobi with shared 4x4 and tented camp.
Nine-day family-friendly adventure: safari, beach, and the Giraffe Centre.