Masai Mara Safari Packages 2027: 3, 5 and 7-Day Private Options

Entice Africa October 9, 2026Safari Packages | Booking | Entice Business Insights

The right Masai Mara safari package depends on two things: how many nights you want inside the reserve, and the month you travel. We compare four private Entice Africa Safaris packages here: 3 days from USD 1,420 per person, 5 days from USD 2,750, 7 days from USD 4,500 and 8 days from USD 5,840. Each one uses your own 4×4 and guide, and prices depend on season, group size and lodge choice.

If you are comparing trips to the Masai Mara (also spelled Maasai Mara), the number of days on a package page says little about how much Mara you get: our 7-day trip spends three nights in the reserve and our 5-day trip spends four. Below we compare the packages night by night, explain what the price covers and what moves it, and show which months suit which trip.

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At a glance

What a Masai Mara safari package includes

Two packages with the same headline price can include very different things, so compare inclusions before totals. On our Mara trips the price covers:

• A private 4×4 Land Cruiser and a professional driver-guide, for your group only
• Park entrance fees
• Camp or lodge accommodation, with meals as listed on each itinerary
• Drinking water on game drives, and transfers from your Nairobi hotel or the airport

It does not cover international flights, tips, drinks other than water, travel insurance or optional extras such as the dawn hot-air balloon flight, which is USD 550 per person. Meals differ by package, so read the itinerary. On the 3-day trip, for example, breakfast on day 1 and lunch and dinner on day 3 are not included.

The other big difference is private versus shared. Many Mara packages online are group departures, where several guests share one vehicle and guide. That lowers the price per person, but start times and stops are shared with strangers. Every Entice trip is private, so the day follows you.

Our Masai Mara safari packages compared

More days does not always mean more Mara. The 7- and 8-day packages add Lake Nakuru and Amboseli, so they spend fewer nights in the reserve than the 5-day trip.

Each “from” price is the lowest rate published for that trip. Your itemized quote for your dates and group can be higher.

The 3-day safari: a first look at the Mara

You spend two nights inside the reserve: an afternoon game drive on arrival, a full day on the plains with a packed lunch, and a morning at a Maasai village before the 5 to 6 hour drive back to Nairobi. The standard camp is a large tented camp with a pool, and you can move up or down a tier. It is tight if you want to wait at the Mara River: with the road each way you get one afternoon drive and one full day on the plains, and the last morning goes to the village visit and the drive back. Lions are very likely, a leopard takes luck, and rhino are rare in the Mara.

The 5-day safari: four nights in the Mara

This is the Mara-only option with the most time in the reserve: an afternoon drive on arrival, three full days of game drives with picnic lunches, then a morning drive before you head back to Nairobi. Three full days gives your guide room to follow the big cats, return to the river and wait. Ask us about adding the optional balloon flight (USD 550 per person) or a Maasai village visit.

The 7-day safari: three parks, three nights in the Mara

After three nights in the Mara you spend one night at Lake Nakuru, for rhino and its flamingo-fringed shore, and two in Amboseli, where elephant herds walk beneath Mount Kilimanjaro on a clear day. You choose from three lodge options, and the price depends on which. Our 7-day Kenya safari itinerary walks through this circuit day by day.

The 8-day safari: Amboseli first, the Mara last

The 8 Days Migration Majesty Safari begins with a night at an airport hotel in Nairobi, then goes to Amboseli (two nights), Lake Nakuru (one night) and the Mara (three nights). Its published rate is for July to October, when the herds are usually in the Mara. It suits travelers who land from a long flight and want a night in Nairobi before the first drive.

Which one should you choose?

• Short on time or testing the idea: the 3-day Masai Mara safari, ideally with a flight one way.
• Want the Mara to be the trip: the 5-day safari, with four nights and three full days.
• Want a wider first look at Kenya: the 7-day safari, with Nakuru and Amboseli.
• Traveling July to October for the herds: the 8-day safari, or the 5-day for more time at the river.

What changes the price of a Masai Mara safari package

• Season. The reserve is run by Narok County. When Business Daily reported on it in May 2026, non-resident adults paid USD 100 per day from January to June and USD 200 per day from July to December. Fees can change. Our prices include park fees, so that July step-up feeds into the price, alongside higher camp rates in the busy months. On the 3-day trip, mid-June to September and the Christmas weeks cost the most, and April and May the least.
• Group size. A solo traveler pays more per person than a couple, and the price per person falls as more people share the vehicle and rooms.
• Camp tier. On the 3-day trip, a simpler tented camp just outside the reserve gate costs less, the large camp inside the reserve is our standard, and a smaller camp on the Mara River or in a conservancy costs more. The 7-day trip offers three lodge options at different prices.
• Flying. A flight saves the road time but adds to the price, which we quote on request.
• Extras. The balloon flight is USD 550 per person. On the 3-day trip the Maasai village entry fee is paid on the day.

When to go: the migration and the quieter months

The wildebeest and zebra herds circle between Tanzania’s Serengeti and the Mara. National Geographic reports that the herds reach the Masai Mara by August and stay until the rains return in October, and Magical Kenya, the Kenya Tourism Board’s visitor site, says the most dramatic part of the migration comes from July to October, when herds cross the Mara River. The timing follows the rain, so it shifts from year to year, and no operator can promise a crossing on a given day. If the herds are your reason to go, choose a package with at least three nights in the Mara. Our Great Migration guide covers the full calendar.

Drive or fly, reserve or conservancy

The road from Nairobi is about 260 km (160 miles) and takes 5 to 6 hours each way, with a stop at the Rift Valley viewpoint and another in Narok. For young children, seniors or anyone with limited mobility, we suggest flying instead: scheduled light aircraft leave Wilson Airport and take about an hour. Luggage is usually limited to 15 kg including hand luggage, in soft bags. On a fly-in version, game drives are often in the camp’s own vehicles and may be shared, so ask for a private vehicle if you want one.

Our standard camps sit inside or beside the national reserve, and the main Mara River crossing points are inside it. According to Africa Geographic, the private conservancies next door cap the number of tents, so sightings have fewer vehicles, and they allow night drives and guided bush walks that the reserve does not. Conservancy camps generally cost more per night, and from one you need a short transfer to reach the river. If you want a conservancy camp, ask for it in your quote.

Related safari guides

• Masai Mara Safari Cost 2027: What a Private Trip Really Costs
• 5-Day Masai Mara Safari: Itinerary and Price
• Masai Mara and Serengeti Safari: Crossing, Flights and Cost

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Masai Mara safari package cost?

Our private packages run from USD 1,420 per person for 3 days, USD 2,750 for 5 days, USD 4,500 for 7 days and USD 5,840 for 8 days. These are starting rates, and your price depends on season, group size and lodge choice. Park fees are included. International flights, tips, most drinks, travel insurance and the optional USD 550 balloon flight are not.

Is a private Masai Mara safari worth the extra cost?

It depends on what you value. Shared-vehicle trips split the cost of the vehicle and guide, so they are usually cheaper per person, but you share seats, start times and stops. In a private vehicle you decide when to leave camp and how long to stay with a sighting, which matters most to photographers, families and anyone waiting at the river. If budget is the limit, travel in April or May, when the same private trip costs less than in the migration months.

How many days do I need in the Masai Mara?

Two nights is the shortest stay that shows you much: one afternoon drive and one full day. Three or four nights give you two or three full days, which suits July to October, when you may spend a morning at the river. Because the road takes 5 to 6 hours each way, treat the 3-day trip as a long weekend, and fly in one way or add a night if you want more time on the plains.

When is the best time for a Masai Mara safari?

For the migration, plan on July to October. For fewer visitors and lower prices, April and May are quietest, though the long rains bring muddy tracks and some camps close. January to March is usually dry and good for big cats, and late December to early January is busy.

Do I need a visa or eTA for Kenya?

Most overseas visitors need an approved Kenya electronic travel authorization (eTA) before they fly, and that includes infants and children. Apply only on the official site, etakenya.go.ke, and we suggest applying at least two weeks before you travel. Processing typically takes three working days but can take longer, and your passport needs at least six months’ validity and one blank page. Some nationalities are exempt, so check the site for your passport and the current fee.