How much does a safari in/to Masai Mara cost?

How much does a safari in/to Masai Mara cost? Masai Mara is a top safari destination in Kenya famous for the annual wildebeest migration. Located along the border of Kenya and Tanzania, Masai Mara receives thousands of visitors yearly who come to participate in different activities, including watching the wildebeest migration, bird watching, hot air balloon rides, guided nature walks and horse rides, among others. One of the most asked questions is the cost of the Masai Mara safari, and the answer is that it varies widely depending on a number of factors, including the number of people you are traveling with, the accommodation type, season of travel and length of the trip, among others. In this article, we are going to look at the factors that affect the cost of the safari to Masai Mara and these will help you estimate the cost of the safari.

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Accommodation

Accommodation is one of the factors that greatly affect the cost of a safari to Masai Mara and the cost depends on the type of facilities that you choose for your stay during your safari to Masai Mara.  Accommodation in Masai Mara ranges from budget to mid-range and luxury facilities. The cost of the facilities varies depending on the location, distance to the nature reserve, facilities offered, services and the quality of the accommodation facility.

Staying inside the Nature reserve and the private conservations is expensive because they are always in high demand, mostly during the peak season because they offer great views of the wildlife and the surrounding areas,s, and you also have to pay for the conservation fees and park entry fees some of which are valid for only 24 hours.

Full-board facilities offering meals and drinks are also more expensive than staying in self-catering accommodations. Budget facilities averagely cost between $50 to $100, mid-range from $100 to $400 and luxury accommodation facilities from $500 to $1000 and above.

As your tour operator with experience, we have built a relationship with many of the facilities and will help you choose the best accommodation during your stay. The facilities that you can choose from include campsites, hotels, lodges, Airbnbs, and homestays among others. Get in touch with us.

Transport

This is one of the factors that affect the cost of the Masai Mara Nature Reserve safari and there are two ways in which you can get to the reserve that is by either using road or air transport. The most popular way of getting to Masai Mara is road transport using well-maintained 4x4 safari vehicles. The distance from Nairobi to Masai Mara is either 225km or 275km depending on the gate you are using. Road transport is cheaper, a slow way of getting to the reserve but a more scenic drive. Road transport can also be cheaper when you travel in groups since the cost of vehicle hire and fuel is shared among the tourists.

The other way of getting to Masai Mara is by flying and this is the fastest though most expensive way of getting to the park. It saves time although tourists miss out on the beautiful scenery experienced when driving.

For tourists to be able to save on transport, get in touch with us to make the best itinerary for you but note that your needs and budget will be put into consideration.

International flights

Discussing transport on a safari does not include international flights to and from the destination country and the cost of the flight tickets entirely falls on you and not the tour operator organizing your safari to Masai Mara National Reserve. The cost of the international flights depends on where you are coming from including variables like departure and arrival, the season of travel, availability of the flights and the airlines you wish to use. To be able to get the best deals, you need to compare the cost of the tickets for the different airlines, consider flexible dates, and you need to book in advance and not at the last minute.

Traveling during the peak and Christmas seasons is expensive usually because they are always in high demand due to many tourists visiting the country during this period. In case you are traveling on a budget, ensure that you get to know the cost of the tickets to and from so that the rest of the money caters to the different safari activities that fit into the remaining budget.

Visa

A visa is a legal document that is used to gain access to Kenya and can either be applied for online or manually when you get to Kenya. There are two types of tourist visas offered in Kenya, and these are the single-entry visa, which is valid for three months, and the multiple-entry visa, which is valid for 6 to 12 months. There is also the East African visa, which is valid for 90 days, and this can be used multiple times to access Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.

The cost of the Kenya visa is $50 for offline applications and $51 for online applications whereas the East African visa costs $100 per person. The visa cost is not part of the total safari cost sent with your itinerary and that is why the extra cost affects the cost of the safari. Although it is easy to get a visa upon arrival, it is better to be well-prepared by applying in advance to have peace of mind.

Meals

Meals are part of your safari with accommodation facilities offering full board to visitors. There are several meals, including local and international cuisines, prepared by well-trained chefs. The cost of the meals depends on the type and amount of food that you eat. For example, local food is cheaper as compared to exotic meals, but note that local food is always spicier as compared to international dishes.

When we talk about meals, this includes breakfast, lunch and dinner/supper and these are often included with the accommodation cost and lunch or breakfast along the stopovers. When we are discussing meals and finalizing the bookings, we tend to ask about any dietary restrictions and preferences.

Note that any other types of meals, including roadside treats and snacks, are not included in the cost of the safari and will have to be paid using the extra cash that you are carrying.

Masai Mara fees

Park entrance fees (Narok, Sekenani, Oloolaimutia, Talek & Musiara gates):

The park entrance fees to Masai Mara are valid for 24 hours only and are paid per person and not a group. The payment method is cashless, and this can be paid in advance using MasterCard, Mpesa, and direct bank transfers to the Kenya Wildlife bank accounts, among others. The different categories of tourists have further been explained below:

• Children are persons aged 3 years to 16 years. Children under the age of 3 gain access to the park for free.
• Student rates are only applicable up to the age of 23 years and they have to travel with an educational institution which has to write a letter about the trip at least two weeks prior. Students travelling alone on private trips pay the citizenship fee or resident fee and have to provide proper Identification.
• The residents’ fee is only applicable to residents of countries Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. These have to provide a valid working permit and residence documents to enjoy the residence fee rates
• Foreign non-residents are tourists visiting Kenya and neither stay or work in Kenya.

Camping fees:

Tourists planning to use private campsites have to pay a booking fee of at least Kshs10,000.

Safari Vehicle entry fees:

The cost of the safari entry fees for vehicles is determined by the number of seats.

Less than 6 seats                       Kshs400

6-12 seats                                   Kshs1, 000

13-24 seats                                 Kshs3, 000

24-44 seats                                 Kshs4, 000

45 seats and above                   Kshs5, 000

Truck entry fees:

The cost of trucks is determined by the weight of each of the vehicles.

1 to 3 tons                                     Kshs700

4 to 7 tons                                     Kshs 2, 500

8 tons and above                          Kshs3, 500

Aircraft fees for single landing

The landing fees can be paid in Nairobi at the Kaps office.

3 seats                                       Kshs300

3 to 6 seats                               Kshs500

7 to 14 seats                             Kshs1, 000

15 to 20 seats                           Kshs2, 000

21 seats and above                 KSHS 3, 000

Ranger fees:

The ranger fees depend on the activity that is being carried out and they include:

Game drives more than 6 hours: KSHS 3, 000

Game drives less than 6 hours: KSHS 1, 500

Camp security full night: KSHS 4, 000.

Activities:

• For hot air balloon rides children pay $20 and adults $50
• Horse riding fee per day is KSHS 1, 500

The annual research permit fees for non-residents are $400.

The season of travel

There are two seasons of travel to Masai Mara and these are the dry season and the wet season. The dry season is also a peak season, and the wet/rainy season is also known as the low season. The low season from March to May and October to November is a good time to travel as there are few travelers during this period; accommodation facilities offer discounts, making it a more budget-friendly time to travel to Masai Mara Nature Reserve.

The dry season, on the other hand, is a peak season, and many tourists visit the reserve during this period, making it an expensive time to travel. The season is from June to September and December to February and during this period, many service providers increase their prices because of the large crowds. You need to book early at least six months before the travel date to be able to enjoy the peak season in Masai Mara, especially during the dry season.

Extra personal cash for the safari

Travelling to an unknown country is not easy especially if you do not have hard cash on you. Extra cash can come in handy when you plan on buying some souvenirs along the way, snacks, fruits like bananas, oranges, and many more and it can help when it comes to tipping. Although tipping is not a must, it is a way of showing gratitude for the services rendered and some locals earn from the tips. When you get to Kenya, ensure that you exchange the money for local currency so that you can easily trade with the locals.

The exchange rate is good, and you can do this at the airport or go to the Forex Bureau around the country; however,r, be aware of thieves and con artists.

Travel Insurance

You are traveling to a new and unknown place and will need travel insurance. Travel insurance can cover a lot of things including delays on flights, accidents, missing out on the fights because of harsh weather conditions and other unavoidable circumstances. It should also be able to cover you in case you have problems when in the nature reserve.

There are other factors that affect the cost of a Masai Mara safari and these include the number of days spent on the safari that is the more days you spend on your safari the more expensive it is and vice versa, the safari activities on your itinerary that are more activities like hot air balloon rides, horse riding and guided walks equal to more money spent on your safari.

In conclusion, the cost of the safari to Masai Mara Nature Reserve depends on your preference when it comes to services used during the safari. For more information about the cost of the safari to Masai Mara, contact us via email or through our website and we can start from there to plan an adventurous Masai Mara safari for you.