Destinations, Experiences & East Africa TravelThe Masai Mara (also spelled Maasai Mara) is a national reserve in Narok County, southwestern Kenya, and it adjoins Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park to form one continuous wildlife landscape. The reserve covers about 1,510 km² (580 square miles) and lies roughly 225 to 275 km (140 to 170 miles) by road from Nairobi, a drive of about 5 to 7 hours depending on the gate, or a flight of 45 minutes to an hour. It is best known for the Great Migration, its big cats and its wide open savanna.
Below are the practical answers: where it is, how big it is, what the name means, who runs it and why it is famous. For the wider planning picture, start with our Masai Mara safari guide.
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Masai Mara at a glance
| Detail | Answer |
|---|---|
| Location | Narok County, southwestern Kenya, next to Tanzania’s Serengeti |
| Reserve size | About 1,510 km² (580 sq mi) |
| Greater Mara | More than 3,000 km² (about 1,160 sq mi) by one research definition |
| Altitude | Roughly 1,500 to 2,100 m (4,900 to 6,900 ft) |
| Name | “Mara” means “spotted” in the Maa language |
| Managed by | Narok County Government, the Mara Conservancy (Mara Triangle) and Maasai landowners (conservancies) |
| From Nairobi | About 225 to 275 km by road (5 to 7 hours), or 45 to 60 minutes by air |
| Climate | Semi-arid, with two rainy seasons |
| Known for | The Great Migration, lions and other big cats, and all of the Big Five |
Where is the Masai Mara?
The reserve is in Narok County, in southwestern Kenya, on the border with Tanzania. On the Tanzanian side it is contiguous with the Serengeti National Park, and the wildebeest herds move between the two each year. Narok town, the county capital, is the last major town and fuel stop on the road from Nairobi. For gates, rivers and airstrips on one page, see our Masai Mara map. To compare the two sides of the border, read Masai Mara vs Serengeti, or see how a Masai Mara and Serengeti safari works.
Distance and travel time from Nairobi
Distances are by road from Nairobi City Hall, calculated with OpenStreetMap routing. Drive times are the ranges operators quote, because routing engines ignore traffic at Mai Mahiu, roadworks and stops.
| Destination | Road distance | Typical drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Narok town | 141 km (88 mi) | About 2.5 to 4 hours |
| Sekenani Gate (east) | 227 km (141 mi) | 5.5 to 6 hours |
| Oloolaimutia Gate (southeast) | 242 km (150 mi) | About 6 hours |
| Talek Gate (center-east) | 246 km (153 mi) | 5.5 to 6 hours |
| Oloololo Gate (Mara Triangle, west) | 253 km (157 mi) | 6 to 6.5 hours |
The usual route drops down the Mai Mahiu escarpment into the Rift Valley, then continues to Narok and the gate. The Narok to Sekenani road was rebuilt in 2021, but July 2026 reports describe it as deteriorating, so allow extra time and ask about current conditions. Rain and mud can slow the drive further.
Flying is faster. Safari flights leave Wilson Airport in Nairobi with Safarilink, AirKenya and Mombasa Air Safari and take 45 minutes to an hour. If you are short on days, our 3-Day Maasai Mara Roar & Roam Safari starts from USD 1,420 per person; prices depend on season, group size and lodge choice.
Distances to other towns and the Tanzania border
| From | To | Road distance | Free-flow time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sekenani Gate | Naivasha | 211 km (131 mi) | 3 h 05 |
| Sekenani Gate | Nakuru | 207 km (129 mi) | 3 h 10 |
| Sekenani Gate | Kisumu | 273 km (170 mi) | 4 h 10 |
| Oloololo Gate | Isebania border post | 91 km (57 mi) | 1 h 34 |
Isebania is the Kenyan side of the Isebania-Sirari crossing into Tanzania. Times are free-flow estimates without stops, so real journeys take longer. No road distance to the Serengeti boundary itself is published, so the border post is the practical marker.
How big is the Masai Mara?
The national reserve covers about 1,510 km² (580 sq mi), but wildlife does not stop at its boundary. The Mara Predator Conservation Programme studies a Greater Mara of more than 3,000 km² (about 1,160 sq mi), which takes in the reserve, the surrounding conservancies and community land. That is a research definition, not an administrative boundary, and a 2017 fencing study drew it wider, at about 6,685 km². Nature Kenya says about 70 percent of the wildlife of the wider ecosystem lives outside the gazetted reserve.
| Area | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maasai Mara National Reserve | About 1,510 km² (580 sq mi) | Includes the Mara Triangle |
| Mara Triangle | 510 km² (200 sq mi) | Southwestern part, west of the Mara River; about a third of the reserve |
| Greater Mara (research study area) | More than 3,000 km² (about 1,160 sq mi) | Reserve plus conservancies and community land |
| Mara River | 395 km (245 mi) long | Rises on the Mau Escarpment, crosses into Tanzania and drains into Lake Victoria |
The land sits at roughly 1,500 to 2,100 m (4,900 to 6,900 ft), so mornings and evenings are cool even near the equator. Pack layers. Annual rainfall rises from about 800 mm (31 in) in the east to 1,200 mm (47 in) in the west, with long rains roughly from March to May and short rains in November and December. The Mara River and its tributaries, the Talek and Sand rivers, drain the reserve, and the Mara River is where the famous crossings happen.
What does “Masai Mara” mean?
In the Maa language, “mara” means “spotted”, a reference to the short bushy trees that dot the landscape. The “Masai” or “Maasai” part refers to the Maasai people, whose landowners lease the conservancy land around the reserve. Both spellings are in common use; Narok County and Wikipedia write “Maasai Mara”.
Thinking about seeing the Mara yourself?
3-Day Maasai Mara Roar & Roam Safari: a short private trip for travelers with only a few days. From USD 1,420 per person.
5 Days Masai Mara Migration Safari: for travelers who want to be in the Mara for the herds. From USD 2,750 per person.
From-prices are midrange, low season, two sharing, and depend on season, group size and lodge choice. Every trip is private, with its own 4×4 and guide. Get my free quote
Who runs the Masai Mara?
The Mara began in 1961 as a 520 km² wildlife sanctuary, became a game reserve the same year after an extension east, and gained national reserve status for part of its area in 1974. It stands at about 1,510 km² today.
Management is split. The Narok County Government runs the main sector. The Mara Triangle has been run by the not-for-profit Mara Conservancy since June 2001, under an agreement with the county. Beyond the reserve, Maasai landowners lease land to camp operators for a fee or a share of profits, and these areas are called conservancies. They limit tourist beds and vehicles at sightings, and they allow night drives and guided walks, which the reserve does not. Self-driving is not permitted in any conservancy. Counts vary from 14 on Wikipedia to 22 on the conservancy association’s list, which includes areas outside the core Mara.
Why is the Masai Mara famous?
The Great Migration
The Serengeti-Mara wildebeest herd is a single population that moves between the southern Serengeti and the Mara. The herds are usually in the Mara from about July to October, with the busiest river-crossing action from late July to September. Rain and grass decide the timing, and in a dry year the herds can arrive late.
Estimates of the herd range from about 0.5 million to 1.4 million wildebeest. The official aerial count in March 2023 found about 1.37 million, while a 2025 satellite study counted roughly 500,000 in August 2023 imagery. Our best time to visit the Masai Mara guide gives the months in detail, and our Great Migration safari guide covers the herds in both countries. The 5 Days Masai Mara Migration Safari starts from USD 2,750 per person, depending on season, group size and lodge choice.
Big cats and the Big Five
All of the Big Five, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and black rhino, can be seen in the Mara. Lions are the headline: the Mara Predator Conservation Programme’s 2025 survey estimated 481 lions over one year old across the reserve and surrounding conservancies, about 17.5 per 100 km², and called the area one of Kenya’s most important lion strongholds. Cheetahs hunt on the open plains, although resident adults are few: 16 in the same study area in 2025, not counting passing animals. Recent monitoring by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust points to roughly 50 to 60 black rhinos, one of only two indigenous eastern black rhino populations living unfenced.
Big Cat Diary and the Marsh Pride
Much of the Mara’s television fame comes from the BBC series Big Cat Diary, which National Geographic calls long-running and hugely popular. The Marsh Pride of lions, linked to Musiara Marsh, is tied to it.
Open savanna, birds and balloons
Open grassland makes animals easy to spot. Nature Kenya records more than 95 mammal species and more than 500 bird species in the ecosystem, which holds approximately 25 percent of Kenya’s wildlife. Many travelers add a dawn hot-air balloon flight; with Entice it is an optional extra at USD 550 per person (see our hot-air balloon cost guide).
How busy is the Mara, and what threatens it?
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics figures reported by Business Daily show visitors falling from 420,000 in 2023 to 213,000 in 2025, yet a 2025 report described many vehicles gathering at river crossings. Fencing, land subdivision, farming and crowding at river crossings are the main pressures. Staying in a conservancy, with its caps on beds and vehicles, spreads visitors out.
Masai Mara entry fees
Reserve entry for non-resident adults is USD 100 per person per day from 1 January to 30 June and USD 200 from 1 July to 31 December. Children aged 9 to 17 pay USD 50, and younger children are free (confirm age 8 with your operator). The ticket covers 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Conservancy camps charge their own conservation fees, so ask whether they are in the nightly rate. Fees last verified: October 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Masai Mara in Kenya or Tanzania?
Kenya. The reserve is in Narok County in the southwest of the country. The Serengeti, which it adjoins, is in Tanzania, and the two form one ecosystem that the wildebeest herds cross each year.
How big is the Masai Mara?
The national reserve covers about 1,510 km² (580 sq mi), and the Mara Triangle is 510 km² of that. The Greater Mara, with conservancies and community land, is more than 3,000 km² by one research definition.
How far is the Masai Mara from Nairobi?
About 225 to 275 km (140 to 170 miles) by road. Allow 5 to 6 hours to Sekenani and the eastern gates and 6 to 7 hours to the Mara Triangle, longer in rain. A flight from Wilson Airport takes 45 minutes to an hour.
What does Masai Mara mean?
“Mara” means “spotted” in the Maa language, from the short bushy trees dotting the plains. “Masai” or “Maasai” refers to the Maasai people.
Who manages the Masai Mara?
The Narok County Government runs the main part of the reserve, and the not-for-profit Mara Conservancy has run the Mara Triangle since 2001. Maasai landowners and camp operators manage the surrounding conservancies.
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