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Kenya safari landscape
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East Africa

Kenya

The original safari — and the Great Migration’s grand stage.

Best time
Jul–Oct (migration river crossings); Jan–Feb (short dry season, fewer crowds)
Malaria
Malaria present in most safari areas — prophylaxis advised
Book ahead
6–12 months for peak Mara camps
From
$450 pp / day land-only
A male lion walking through long grass
Maasai Mara National ReservePhoto · Timothée Gidenne / Unsplash
Two giraffes and a calf on open grassland
Maasai Mara National ReservePhoto · Melissa van Niekerk / Unsplash
A line of zebras crossing golden grass
Maasai Mara National ReservePhoto · sutirta budiman / Unsplash

The Maasai Mara in full migration is the global hero image of safari for a reason. Kenya pairs world-class big-cat country with private conservancies that buy you space, off-road freedom and night drives the national parks can’t offer.

When to go

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Migration & dry season
Green season
Long rains

Migration & dry season

Jul – Oct

River crossings in the Mara; prime game viewing; book early.

Green season

Nov – Mar

Lush, fewer vehicles, lower rates; a short dry season Jan–Feb.

Long rains

Apr – May

Quietest and cheapest; some camps close; dramatic skies.

Signature parks & reserves

Map of Kenya showing Maasai Mara National Reserve, Mara conservancies, Amboseli National Park, Samburu National Reserve, and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.Jomo Kenyatta International Airport1. Maasai Mara National Reserve2. Mara conservancies (shown at Olare Orok Conservancy)3. Amboseli National Park4. Samburu National Reserve
Numbered as in the list below. Each pin sits at the Wikidata coordinate for its park or a place inside it; borders and lakes from Natural Earth.

Maasai Mara

Big cats and the migration’s northern stage.

Read the Maasai Mara guide

Mara conservancies

Lower vehicle density, off-road and night drives.

Read the Mara conservancies guide

Amboseli

Elephants beneath Kilimanjaro.

Read the Amboseli guide

Samburu

Arid-north species you won’t see further south.

Read the Samburu guide

Know before you go

Conservancy
Community-owned land bordering the reserves — fewer vehicles, more freedom, a daily fee on top of the rate.
The Great Migration
A year-round circuit, not one event. River crossings in the Mara peak Jul–Oct.
Park vs. conservancy fees
Daily entry/levies of roughly $70–200/person, often quoted separately from the lodge rate.

Field film · Maasai Mara

A leopard crosses a stream in the Maasai Mara.

Film · Simone Dinoia / Pexels
Where to go

Kenya, region by region

Kenya’s safari country runs from the Maasai Mara in the south-west to the dry north and the Indian Ocean coast. Most first trips join two or three of these areas, linked by scheduled light-aircraft flights from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport.

Wildebeest massed on a riverbank during the migration
Masai Mara National ReserveRohan Reddy / Unsplash

National reserve · Narok County

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Big cats and the migration’s northern stage.

The reserve borders Tanzania’s Serengeti. The migration herds usually reach the Mara River around July and stay until about October; lion, cheetah and leopard are here all year. A park ticket runs from 6am to 6pm, and driving off the tracks is tightly limited.

Great MigrationBig catsFirst safari
When
Jul – Oct for the migration; big cats all year
Getting there
Scheduled light aircraft from Nairobi Wilson to the Mara airstrips (AirKenya, Safarilink), or by road from Nairobi.
Entry fee
$100 a day Jan – Jun, $200 a day Jul – Dec, per non-resident adult (a 6am–6pm ticket) Mara Triangle fees
Camps here
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
A male lion walking past a safari vehicle at dusk
NaboishoMeg von Haartman / Unsplash

Community conservancies · Greater Mara

The Mara conservancies

Lower vehicle density, off-road and night drives.

Maasai landowners lease their land to conservancies around the reserve — Naboisho, Olare Motorogi, Mara North, Lemek, Ol Kinyei and more; the conservancies’ association counts 24 members. Camps are few and small (Olare Motorogi’s own site gives a maximum of 94 beds in five camps), and conservancies such as Mara North run night drives and bush walks. The conservancy fee is usually built into the camp rate.

Fewer vehiclesNight drivesWalking
When
All year; Jul – Oct is the busiest and dearest
Getting there
Light aircraft from Nairobi Wilson to the Mara airstrips, then a transfer to camp.
Camps here
Naboisho Camp · Kicheche Valley Camp · Mahali Mzuri · Mara Plains Camp · Porini Lion Camp · Karen Blixen Camp · Porini Mara Camp · Entumoto Safari Camp · Saruni Wild · Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp
An elephant on green grass with snow-capped Kilimanjaro behind
Amboseli National ParkGabriel Schumacher / Unsplash

National park · Kenya Wildlife Service

Amboseli National Park

Elephants beneath Kilimanjaro.

Big elephant herds against the snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro — Africa’s highest mountain, just across the border in Tanzania. Beyond the park boundary, private conservancies and Maasai group ranches out to the Chyulu Hills hold quieter camps.

ElephantsKilimanjaro viewsPhotography
When
Between the rains: roughly Jun – Sep and Jan – Feb
Getting there
Scheduled light aircraft from Nairobi Wilson (AirKenya, Safarilink), or by road from Nairobi.
Entry fee
$90 per non-resident adult, valid 24 hours KWS tariff, Oct 2025
Camps here
ol Donyo Lodge · Campi ya Kanzi
A black rhino and her calf in dry grass
Lewa Wildlife ConservancyDavid Clode / Unsplash

Private & community conservancies · Mount Kenya foothills

Laikipia & Lewa

Rhino country on the plateau below Mount Kenya.

A patchwork of private and community conservancies in the foothills and plains around Mount Kenya — Ol Pejeta, Lewa, Borana, Loisaba, Segera. Ol Pejeta is a sanctuary for more than 165 black rhinos and the only place in Kenya to see chimpanzees. Lewa is part of the Mount Kenya World Heritage Site, which UNESCO credits with the world’s largest resident population of Grevy’s zebra.

RhinoGrevy’s zebraFewer vehicles
When
All year; drier Jun – Sep and Jan – Feb
Getting there
Scheduled light aircraft from Nairobi Wilson to Nanyuki, Lewa Downs and Loisaba (AirKenya, Safarilink).
Entry fee
Ol Pejeta: $110 per non-resident adult per day Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Camps here
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp · Segera Retreat · Loisaba Tented Camp · Loisaba Lodo Springs · Borana Lodge · Sirikoi Lodge · Elewana Lewa Safari Camp
Doum palms on a riverbank, with elephants in their shade
Samburu National ReserveHarshil Gudka / Unsplash

National reserves · the dry north

Samburu

Arid-north species you won’t see further south.

Dry country along the Ewaso Ng’iro river, known for the “Samburu Special Five” — Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich — alongside elephants and leopard. Samburu, Buffalo Springs and Shaba national reserves sit side by side; they are county reserves, not on the Kenya Wildlife Service tariff.

Samburu Special FiveElephantsLeopard
When
Between the rains: roughly Jun – Sep and Jan – Feb
Getting there
Scheduled light aircraft from Nairobi Wilson to the Samburu airstrips (AirKenya, Safarilink).
Camps here
Saruni Samburu · Elephant Bedroom Camp
A herd of red-dusted elephants on green grass
Tsavo East National Park KenyaDamian Patkowski / Unsplash

National parks · Kenya Wildlife Service

Tsavo East & West

Kenya’s biggest parks, on the road to the coast.

Tsavo East is Kenya’s largest national park and Tsavo West its second-largest protected area; the Nairobi–Mombasa highway and the railway run between them. Tsavo West has a rhino sanctuary and the Mzima Springs. Both sit between Nairobi and the coast, so they pair easily with a beach stay.

ElephantsBig landscapesBush & beach
When
Between the rains: roughly Jun – Sep and Jan – Feb
Getting there
By road on the Nairobi–Mombasa highway, by the SGR train to Voi, or with Safarilink to Tsavo West.
Entry fee
$80 per non-resident adult per park, valid 24 hours KWS tariff, Oct 2025
Camps here
Severin Safari Camp · Finch Hattons Luxury Tented Camp · Satao Camp
Flamingos wading in a lake below a forested ridge
Lake Nakuru National ParkBrian Kungu / Unsplash

Rift Valley lakes

Lake Nakuru & Lake Naivasha

Rhino, flamingos and boat trips on the Rift Valley floor.

Lake Nakuru National Park was Kenya’s first government-run rhino sanctuary and protects both black and white rhino; flamingos gather on the lake in numbers that rise and fall with the water. Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake to the south, is known for hippos, fish eagles and boat trips. Both are reached by road from Nairobi and pair easily with the Mara.

RhinoBirdlifeBoat trips
When
All year; flamingo numbers rise and fall with the lake
Getting there
By road from Nairobi; Safarilink also flies to Naivasha.
Entry fee
Lake Nakuru: $90 per non-resident adult, valid 24 hours KWS tariff, Oct 2025
Camps here
Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge · Governors’ Loldia House
Three giraffes on open plains with the Nairobi skyline behind
Nairobi National ParkMurad Swaleh / Unsplash

National park · Kenya Wildlife Service

Nairobi National Park

Rhino and giraffe with the city skyline behind them.

Kenya’s first national park, gazetted in 1946, on the southern edge of the capital. It has a rhino sanctuary and four of the Big Five — every one but elephant — with the city skyline behind them. A spare morning, or a late flight home, becomes a game drive.

Short on timeRhinoPhotography
When
All year
Getting there
By road from central Nairobi — no flight needed.
Entry fee
$80 per non-resident adult, valid 24 hours KWS tariff, Oct 2025
A dhow under sail off a sandy shore
LamuStanislav Lvovsky / Unsplash

Indian Ocean

The coast: Diani, Watamu & Lamu

Beach after the bush.

The Indian Ocean turns a safari into a two-centre trip: long white-sand beaches at Diani, south of Mombasa, and at Watamu to the north, and Lamu Old Town, which UNESCO calls the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. Check current travel advice first: the UK and US both warn against parts of the coast, including Lamu County.

Bush & beachHoneymoonsOld towns
When
Best outside the long rains, roughly Mar – May
Getting there
Fly into Mombasa’s Moi International Airport, or take a domestic flight from Nairobi to Diani, Malindi or Lamu (Safarilink serves all three).

Camps are named so you can recognise them in an operator’s quote — not as a recommendation. Fees are the published non-resident adult rates, read from the linked sources in September 2026; they change, so confirm them at booking.

Field film · Amboseli National Park

Elephants and a calf grazing on the Amboseli plains.

Film · nine lives films / Pexels
What you’ll see

Where to find what, in Kenya

Kenya has the Big Five and a good deal more, but no single park does everything best. This is where each tends to be seen.

The wildebeest migration
The Maasai Mara and its conservancies, usually from around July to about October, with crossings on the Mara River. The herds follow the rains, so no date is guaranteed.
Lion, leopard & cheetah
The Maasai Mara and the conservancies around it above all; leopard in Samburu too.
Elephant
Amboseli for big herds under Kilimanjaro, the wide spaces of Tsavo, and Samburu along the river.
Black & white rhino
Ol Pejeta and Lewa in Laikipia, Lake Nakuru — Kenya’s first government rhino sanctuary — Nairobi National Park and the Tsavo West rhino sanctuary.
The Samburu Special Five
Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx, gerenuk and Somali ostrich, in Samburu; Lewa is part of the area UNESCO credits with the world’s largest resident population of Grevy’s zebra.
Flamingos
Lake Nakuru, in numbers that rise and fall with the lake.
Hippo & fish eagle
Lake Naivasha — best seen from a boat.
Birds
More than 400 species each in Amboseli and Nairobi National Park, by KWS’s count; pelicans and fish eagles on the Rift Valley lakes.
Trip shapes

How a Kenya safari usually fits together

Nights are a starting point, not a rule. Where a total is shown, it is the indicative land-only range from our Kenya cost guide; international flights are extra.

4 days

The short Mara escape

  1. Maasai Mara or a conservancy3 nights

Fly Nairobi Wilson to a Mara airstrip and back.

Fly in from Nairobi, three nights in the Mara or a conservancy.

$1,800 – 4,400 pp land-only, indicative

7 days

The classic first safari

  1. A Mara conservancy4 nights
  2. Amboseli2 nights

Light-aircraft hops between the two.

Mara plus Amboseli or a conservancy — the trip most people picture.

$3,500 – 8,000 pp land-only, indicative

10 days

The full circuit

  1. Samburu3 nights
  2. Maasai Mara4 nights
  3. Amboseli2 nights

Light-aircraft hops between each area.

Mara, Amboseli and the arid north (Samburu) with light-aircraft hops.

$5,000 – 11,000+ pp land-only, indicative

7 days

Rhinos and the north

  1. Laikipia — Ol Pejeta or Lewa3 nights
  2. Samburu3 nights

Short light-aircraft hops, or by road.

Rhino and the northern species — and a strong second safari for anyone who has already seen the Mara.

10 days

Bush and beach

  1. Maasai Mara or a conservancy4 nights
  2. Diani or Watamu5 nights

Fly from the Mara back through Nairobi to the coast.

Four nights of game drives, then the Indian Ocean. Beach nights are priced separately from the safari bands.

Entry fees

What Kenya’s parks charge

Kenya Wildlife Service parks charge per adult per entry, valid for up to 24 hours; the Maasai Mara sells a 6am–6pm day ticket. KWS raised its fees in October 2025 and the new tariff has been challenged in Kenya’s High Court — KWS is charging it, so confirm at booking. Mara conservancy fees are usually built into the camp rate, and Samburu’s county-set fee is left out until we can read it from the county itself.

What a whole Kenya safari costs →
Non-resident adult, USD · read September 2026
Park or reserveFee
Maasai Mara National ReserveMara Triangle fees$100 – 200$100 Jan – Jun, $200 Jul – Dec; per adult per day, 6am–6pm
Amboseli National ParkKWS tariff, Oct 2025$90per adult, per entry, valid 24 hours
Lake Nakuru National ParkKWS tariff, Oct 2025$90per adult, per entry, valid 24 hours
Tsavo East National ParkKWS tariff, Oct 2025$80per adult, per entry, valid 24 hours
Tsavo West National ParkKWS tariff, Oct 2025$80per adult, per entry, valid 24 hours
Nairobi National ParkKWS tariff, Oct 2025$80per adult, per entry, valid 24 hours
Meru National ParkKWS tariff, Oct 2025$70per adult, per entry, valid 24 hours
Hell’s Gate National ParkKWS tariff, Oct 2025$50per adult, per entry, valid 24 hours
Ol Pejeta ConservancyOl Pejeta Conservancy$110per adult per day
Before you fly

Getting to Kenya, and what to sort first

The eTA
Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation before they fly — UAE, GCC, UK, US and most EU passport holders included, as they are not on Kenya’s exemption list. Apply only on the official site: from $30, usually processed in about three days, and Kenya recommends applying at least two weeks ahead. Your passport needs six months’ validity and blank pages (Kenya asks for one, the UK government advises two).etakenya.go.ke
Yellow fever
A certificate is required if you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk. The US CDC recommends the vaccine for travellers aged nine months and over, except for trips limited to Nairobi, the north-east or most of the coast.US CDC
Malaria
The US CDC lists malaria risk in all areas below 2,500 metres, game parks included; central Nairobi is the exception. Ask a travel clinic about tablets well before you go.US CDC
Flying in
International flights land at Jomo Kenyatta International in Nairobi, or Moi International in Mombasa for the coast.Kenya Airports Authority
Safari flights
Scheduled light aircraft to the parks leave from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport. Its main runway reopened on 29 July 2026 for daytime flights, and some evening flights moved to Jomo Kenyatta during the works — check which airport your ticket names.Business Daily, Aug 2026
Luggage
15 kg per person in a soft bag, hand luggage included, on Safarilink and AirKenya safari flights. Safarilink allows 20 kg on its coast routes.Safarilink
Money
Park fees are priced in US dollars, and the Mara Triangle takes its fee by card or M-Pesa, not cash. Check how each park takes payment before you go.Mara Triangle fees
Plastic
Plastic carrier bags have been banned since August 2017, and single-use plastics such as bottles and straws have been banned in national parks and other protected areas since June 2020. Pack a refillable bottle.UNEP
Power
UK-style Type G sockets, 240 volts.World Standards
Travel advice
The UK and US both advise against travel to parts of Kenya’s north-east and coast, including Lamu County. Read your own government’s advice before you book.UK FCDO

Field film · Nairobi National Park

A giraffe browses with the Nairobi skyline behind it.

Film · In Old News LLC / Pexels
Field notebook

Kenya, as photographers found it

Every photograph here is tagged by its photographer to the place in its caption.

Wildebeest plunging down a riverbank into the water
KenyaHusha Bilimale / Unsplash
A leopard standing on a branch
Masai Mara National ReserveBibake Uppal / Unsplash
A male lion walking towards the camera
Masai Mara National ReserveAbdelrahman Hassanein / Unsplash
Hot-air balloons being inflated before dawn
Little Governors CampDavid Clode / Unsplash
A cheetah and her cub in long grass
Maasai Mara National ReserveLisa Stockton / Unsplash
A reticulated giraffe looking back over its shoulder
Lewa Wildlife ConservancyDavid Clode / Unsplash
Giraffes walking across red earth at dusk
Tsavo East National ParkAgnese Galbusera / Unsplash
An elephant family with a young calf
Masai Mara National ReserveDavid Heiling / Unsplash
Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped summit above cloud, acacias on the plain below
Amboseli National ParkSergey Pesterev / Unsplash
Three giraffes walking through golden grass
Maasai Mara National Reservesutirta budiman / Unsplash
A herd of elephants walking away across dusty plains
AmboseliNeil and Zulma Scott / Unsplash
Elephants moving through dust, Kilimanjaro faint behind them
Amboseli National ParkSimone Dinoia / Unsplash
A herd of oryx on dry grassland
Lewa Wildlife ConservancyDavid Clode / Unsplash
A cheetah standing in dry grass
Lewa Wildlife ConservancyDavid Clode / Unsplash
A Grevy’s zebra, close up
Samburu National Reservesutirta budiman / Unsplash
A leopard on a fallen, twisted branch
SamburuTucker Tangeman / Unsplash
A fish eagle snatching a fish from the lake surface
Lake NaivashaEduard Delputte / Unsplash
A hippo yawning in the water
Lake NaivashaJulie Wolpers / Unsplash
Three young lions on a rock outcrop
Tsavo East National ParkA P / Unsplash
A hot-air balloon above the plains at sunrise
Maasai Mara National ReserveFrehiwot Teklemedhin / Unsplash
A leopard cub resting in the fork of a tree
Masai Mara National ReserveAndy Silby / Unsplash
An empty white-sand beach with breaking surf
Kongo River BeachEzekiel Kilimo / Unsplash
A curving bay with palms and moored boats
WatamuAbdul Noor / Unsplash
Two rhinos in long grass with Nairobi’s towers on the horizon
Nairobi National Park Main GateWill Shelley / Unsplash
Straight answers

Kenya safari questions

When is the best time for a safari in Kenya?
July to October for the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara — the herds usually arrive around July and head back to Tanzania around October. January and February are drier and quieter. April and May bring the long rains: the cheapest months, when some camps close.
How many days do you need for a Kenya safari?
Three nights in one area is a practical minimum. Seven days covers two areas, such as the Mara and Amboseli; ten lets you add Samburu or Laikipia in the north. Scheduled light-aircraft flights from Nairobi keep the transfers short.
Do I need a visa for Kenya?
Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before they fly, including UAE, GCC, UK, US and most EU passport holders; citizens of the East African Community and many African countries are exempt. Apply on etakenya.go.ke: it starts at $30, usually takes about three days, and Kenya recommends applying at least two weeks ahead.
Is Kenya or Tanzania better for a first safari?
Both are excellent. Kenya’s day rates start lower, and the Mara conservancies keep camps few and small; Tanzania has the scale of the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. From July to October the migration is in the Mara.
What is a Mara conservancy, and is the fee worth it?
Land next to the reserve that Maasai landowners lease to a conservancy, which keeps camps few and small — Olare Motorogi’s own site gives a maximum of 94 beds in five camps. Conservancies such as Mara North run night drives and bush walks, and the fee is usually built into the camp rate.
Can you see the Big Five in Kenya?
Yes. Lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo are found across the main parks. For rhino, go where they are protected: Ol Pejeta and Lewa in Laikipia, Lake Nakuru, Nairobi National Park or the Tsavo West sanctuary.
Do I need malaria tablets for Kenya?
The US CDC lists malaria risk in all areas below 2,500 metres, game parks included, and recommends preventive tablets there; central Nairobi is the exception. A doctor or travel clinic will advise which suits you.
How much luggage can I take on a safari flight?
15 kg per person in a soft bag, with hand luggage counted in, on both Safarilink and AirKenya. Safarilink allows 20 kg on its coast routes.

Start planning your Kenya safari.

Plan a Kenya safari