3-Day Maasai Mara Safari
The Mara in three days, with reserve fees inside the price and an honest word about what the 12-hour ticket rule means for your last morning.
Duration
3 days / 2 nights
Group
1 - 12 guests
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Package overview
The Mara in three days, with reserve fees inside the price and an honest word about what the 12-hour ticket rule means for your last morning.
The Maasai Mara is the reason most people come to Kenya, and three days is the shortest trip that does it justice rather than simply reaching it. You leave Nairobi early and drive five to six hours through the Rift Valley escarpment, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive. Day two is full: dawn and late-afternoon drives across the Mara Triangle and the main reserve, which is where the lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and buffalo are, and between July and October the wildebeest and the river crossings. Day three is a morning drive and the road back. On price, this is where Kenya's economics get brutal and honest operators say so. Maasai Mara reserve entry is set by Narok County, not Kenya Wildlife Service, and it is USD 100 per adult per day from 1 January to 30 June and USD 200 per adult per day from 1 July to 31 December. It does not creep up; it doubles overnight. That single fact is why our peak prices are what they are, and why any operator quoting you a flat annual rate for the Mara is either absorbing a loss or planning to add it later. All reserve fees are inside our price. The second thing to know, because it costs people real money: the Mara ticket is a twelve-hour ticket running 06:00 to 18:00, not twenty-four hours. Cross into a new calendar day and a full fresh day's fee is triggered. This is why our departure-morning game drive ends and we clear the gate by 10:00, and why we will not sell you a leisurely last morning that quietly adds USD 200 a head. Prices per person sharing, low season through peak, at mid-range accommodation: from USD 755 at six sharing, USD 1,080 to USD 1,685 at two. Budget and luxury tiers are quoted on request. Ask us for the full season grid before you choose your dates, because moving a trip from early July to late June can save a family several hundred dollars for no loss of experience.
The route
The Itinerary
Day 1 — Nairobi to the Maasai Mara
Pickup from your Nairobi hotel between 06:30 and 07:00. Five to six hours west through the Great Rift Valley, with a stop at the escarpment viewpoint. Lunch at your camp, then an afternoon game drive from around 16:00 when the cats begin to move.
Day 2 — Full day in the reserve
Dawn drive from 06:15, when predators are still hunting and the light is best for photography. Return for brunch and the hot hours, then out again mid-afternoon until the 18:00 gate closing. Between July and October this is when the wildebeest herds and the Mara River crossings are in reach. A full-day drive with a packed lunch is available on request.
Day 3 — Morning drive and return
A final game drive at first light, clearing the gate by 10:00. This is deliberate: the Mara ticket runs 06:00 to 18:00 and crossing into a new day triggers a second full fee of up to USD 200 per person. Back in Nairobi mid to late afternoon, with a drop at your hotel or JKIA.
What's Included
Not Included
- We believe in transparency. No hidden fees.
Sister Company
Explore Kibera Tours
Interested in community-led cultural experiences? Our sister company Explore Kibera Tours runs safe walking tours through Kibera — markets, artisans, schools, and community projects with local guides.