Kenya Masai Mara Safari Packages: 5 Trips Compared
The best Kenya Masai Mara safari packages match your trip length to what you want to see. Choose the 3-day budget trip if you have a long weekend and a tight budget. Choose the 5-day Big Five trip if rhinos matter to you. Choose the 4-day or 7-day migration safari if you travel between July and September. The 6-day all-inclusive trip suits you if you want elephants under Kilimanjaro as well as the Mara.
Comparing packages is hard because operators describe inclusions in different ways. One price covers park fees and drinks, another leaves both out, and a low headline figure can climb once you add extras. Add the choice between a minibus and a Land Cruiser, camp or lodge, and a road trip or a flight, and it is easy to compare the wrong things.
Laxa Trails Safaris is a Kenya-based company, founded in 2019 by a guide with more than 14 years in the field. We run the five packages below. Each gets the same breakdown: what you get, what it costs, and who it suits. A side-by-side table, an all-inclusive checklist and our booking terms follow at the end.
1. 3-day Masai Mara and Lake Naivasha budget safari
This is the lowest-priced Masai Mara safari package we run, listed at $650. It is the right pick when you have three days and want value without skipping the wildlife.
What is included
The trip takes you from Nairobi to the Masai Mara National Reserve for game drives aimed at the Big Five, then adds a boat ride on Lake Naivasha. A professional English-speaking driver-guide takes you in a 4×4 minivan or safari jeep. The package also lists park entry fees, accommodation and meals as listed, and bottled drinking water.
- Game drives in the Masai Mara
- Lake Naivasha boat ride
- Maasai village visit
- Not included: international flights, Kenya visa fees, travel insurance, tips and gratuities
A second 3-day version, the Masai Mara Reserve and Lake Naivasha safari, leaves Nairobi at 8:30 am. It runs on full board in a safari van customized for game viewing, with an option to upgrade to a 4×4. Ask us for its current price. Remember that the road from Nairobi to the reserve takes about five to six hours, so a short trip leaves limited time for game drives.
A 3-day safari trades game-viewing time for price, so it works best as a first look at the Mara.
Price and who it suits
At $650, the listed rate works out to about $217 per day. The package can start any day and can be customized, which helps when your flights fix your dates.
It suits solo travelers, couples and friends who want a first taste of Kenya on a budget. If you can spare two more days, the 5-day trip below gives you far more wildlife per dollar.
2. 4-day Masai Mara Great Wildebeest Migration safari
This 4-day, 3-night safari is built around the wildebeest migration, which the package places between July and September. It includes a visit to the Mara River crossing area.
What is included
You get two full days of game viewing on the savannah. Game drives run in a safari jeep with a pop-up roof, and you can ride in a tour van or upgrade to a 4×4 jeep. The trip starts and ends in Nairobi, with pickup from the airport or your hotel. Accommodation is full board, with all meals, all applicable park entrance fees and mineral water. A professional guide and driver leads each day.
- Not included: alcoholic and soft drinks
- Not included: hot air balloon safari
- Not included: tips and the Maasai village visit
- Not included: personal items and personal insurance
The migration is a seasonal event, not a schedule, so book for the window and not for a promised crossing.
Price and who it suits
The package page lists no price, so request a quote for your dates. Migration months are high season, and prices follow demand.
The herds usually reach the Mara in late July or August and often stay into September and October. Nobody can predict the exact crossing days. A 4-day trip gives you two full game-viewing days to catch one. This trip suits travelers who want the migration and the big cats in the shortest realistic time. If you want a bigger margin for the timing, the 7-day trip below gives you more days around the Mara.
3. 5-day Big Five Kenya safari
This is our 5-day answer for travelers who want to tick off the Big Five and see rhinos. It is listed at $1,460, down from $1,550.
What is included
The route runs from Nairobi to Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park and the Masai Mara. You get game drives as per the itinerary, a boat ride, a walking safari and a Maasai village visit. A professional English-speaking driver-guide and transport in a safari vehicle come with it, along with park entry fees, accommodation and meals as listed, and bottled drinking water.
- Not included: international flights
- Not included: Kenya visa fees
- Not included: travel insurance
- Not included: tips and gratuities
Rhinos are elusive in the Mara, so adding Lake Nakuru improves your odds of seeing one.
Pair the Mara with Lake Nakuru if rhinos are on your list, because the reserve alone rarely delivers them.
Price and who it suits
The 6% discount takes $1,550 down to $1,460, a saving of $90. That is about $292 per day, so the extra two days over the budget trip cost roughly $75 more per day.
Choose it if this is your first Kenya safari and you want variety: a lake, a rhino park and the reserve. It is also a good fit for families, since the walking safari and boat ride break up the game drives.
4. 6-day all-inclusive Kenya safari
The 6-day safari is our all-inclusive option, listed at $2,195, down from $2,315. It adds Amboseli to the usual Mara, Nakuru and Naivasha circuit.
What is included
You travel in a 4×4 Land Cruiser jeep customized for game viewing, with an English-speaking driver-guide. Lodge or camp accommodation, full-board meals, all park entrance fees and mineral water are all in the price. The route covers Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and the Masai Mara, with game drives throughout and a boat ride at Lake Naivasha. A Maasai village visit is optional.
- Not included: international airfares and visa fees
- Not included: soft and alcoholic drinks
- Not included: tips and other gratuities
All-inclusive on a safari means the daily costs are covered, not that nothing is extra, so check the exclusions line.
Price and who it suits
The 5% discount saves you $120 off $2,315, which comes to about $366 per day. This is our most expensive package per day. A 4×4 has more ground clearance and gives you a sturdier ride on rough tracks.
It suits couples and honeymooners who want a comfortable pace and a wider view of Kenya. It also suits anyone who would rather pay once and know the main costs are covered.
5. 7-day Masai Mara Great Wildebeest Migration safari
This is our longest package, listed at $2,446. It pairs the migration with four other destinations in one 7-day, 6-night trip.
What is included
The route covers the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate and Lake Nakuru. You see the Big Five and the migration, elephants under Mount Kilimanjaro, rhinos and flamingos at Nakuru, and walking or cycling safaris around Naivasha and Hell’s Gate. Transport is a safari tour van with an option to upgrade to a 4×4 jeep. Full-board accommodation, all park entrance fees, mineral water and a professional guide and driver are included. Pickup is from the airport or your hotel.
- Not included: alcoholic and soft drinks
- Not included: hot air balloon safari
- Not included: tips and the Maasai village visit
- Not included: personal items and personal insurance
Seven days is the length that lets a migration trip survive a slow week of crossings.
Price and who it suits
At $2,446, the trip works out to about $349 per day. That is lower than the 6-day trip per day. This one lists a tour van as standard and a 4×4 as an upgrade.
It suits travelers with a full week who want the migration without betting everything on it. Photographers, repeat visitors and anyone who prefers a slower pace will get the most out of the extra days.
How to compare Masai Mara safari packages before you book
Compare packages by price per day, by what the price leaves out, and by when you travel. The table and checklists below put our five trips on the same footing.
Side-by-side comparison
| Package | Days | Listed price | Per day | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day budget | 3 | $650 | $217 | Mara, Naivasha |
| 4-day migration | 4 | Quote on request | n/a | Mara |
| 5-day Big Five | 5 | $1,460 | $292 | Naivasha, Nakuru, Mara |
| 6-day all-inclusive | 6 | $2,195 | $366 | Amboseli, Nakuru, Naivasha, Mara |
| 7-day migration | 7 | $2,446 | $349 | Mara, Amboseli, Naivasha, Hell’s Gate, Nakuru |
Prices are in US dollars. Third-party listings show private mid-range 3-day Mara trips at roughly $800 to $1,800 and fly-in trips at $1,500 to $2,000 or more. Our $650 sits at the budget end of that range. Reserve entry fees alone run roughly $100 to $200 per person per day, depending on season. That is why a very cheap offer deserves a question about what it leaves out.
What all-inclusive covers and leaves out
In our packages, the base price covers the daily costs of the safari itself. Accommodation is basic camping, luxury tented camps or lodges, depending on your budget. Meals are mostly European-style buffets with African influences. Vehicles are a Land Cruiser jeep or a minibus with a pop-up roof.
- Usually included: transport, driver-guide, accommodation, full-board meals, park fees, mineral water, game drives
- Usually excluded: international flights, visa or entry authorization, personal insurance, tips
- Excluded on the 4-day, 6-day and 7-day trips: soft and alcoholic drinks
- Excluded on the 4-day and 7-day trips: hot air balloon safari and the Maasai village visit
Always ask which grade of accommodation the quote assumes. Check current Kenya entry requirements for your passport before you buy flights.
Timing, group size and booking terms
The migration usually reaches the Mara from late July or August and stays into October. Game viewing is good all year. March to May brings the heaviest rain and muddier tracks. Book well ahead for July to October, because well-located camps fill up months in advance.
Most of our safaris run privately with a minimum of two people. We recommend no more than seven per vehicle, so everyone keeps a window seat. A 50% to 60% deposit by wire transfer confirms a booking. The balance is due at least 30 days before departure, or you can pay it in cash US dollars on arrival. We strongly recommend travel insurance.
We also run a 5-day Naivasha, Hell’s Gate, Nakuru and Mara safari at $1,765, and a 6-day Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro migration safari. Any package can be adjusted to your dates and interests.
Choosing your Masai Mara package
Match the package to your days and your goal. Three days gives you a budget first look, and five days gives you the Big Five and rhinos. Six days adds Amboseli with all the daily costs covered, and four or seven days put the migration first. Whatever you pick, compare the exclusions line before the price.
When you are ready, request a quote or a custom itinerary from Laxa Trails Safaris. One of our tour consultants will come back with details for your dates, group size and budget.
