5 Day Wildebeest Migration Safari: Masai Mara River Crossings (July–October)
Every year, more than a million wildebeest, plus hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, move north from the Serengeti into Kenya’s Masai Mara in search of fresh grass. This five-day wildebeest migration safari centers on the river crossings, with four nights at Mara Crossing Luxury Camp near Musiara Gate in the northern Mara, close to the Mara River and its best-known crossing points.
With three full days in the reserve, a private vehicle and an experienced guide, you can wait at the river for as long as it takes. The safari includes a sunrise hot air balloon flight over the herds. The safari runs from July to October, when the migration is in the Mara, and you can travel by road or fly in from Nairobi.
When to Go
We run this safari from July to October, when the herds are in the Masai Mara and river crossings are most likely. August and September are usually the busiest months for river crossings. Crossings depend on the herds and the rain, so no one can guarantee one on a given day, which is why this trip gives you three full days in the reserve.
Traveling in June or November? The herds are usually close to the border or in the northern Serengeti, so a Kenya-and-Tanzania combination is a better choice, such as our 8 Day Masai Mara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro Fly-In Safari.
The Migration Month by Month
The migration is a continuous loop with no real start or end; the herds simply follow the rain and the grass. From December to March, the wildebeest gather on the short-grass plains of the southern Serengeti, where around half a million calves are born in just a few weeks. As the plains dry out from April, the herds move north and west through the Serengeti. From late June or July, they start arriving in the Masai Mara, where they join the Mara’s resident herds from the Loita plains, and they stay for around three months, crossing and recrossing the Mara and Talek rivers. Crocodiles wait in the water, and the herds often gather on the banks for hours before the first animal plunges in and the rest follow. By late October and November, the short rains turn the southern Serengeti green again, and the herds head south to start the cycle again. Exact timing changes from year to year with the rains.
Fly-In Option
Instead of driving, you can fly from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the Masai Mara in about 45 minutes. Your Explorer Kenya driver-guide meets you at the airstrip with your private safari vehicle, so you start game viewing straight away and gain most of the first and last days in the reserve. Ask us for a quote for the fly-in version.
Accommodation
| Nights 1–4 · Masai Mara | Mara Crossing Luxury Camp, or Mara Elatia Camp as a more affordable alternative |
|---|
Itinerary
- 1Nairobi Start
- 2Masai Mara 4 nights
- 1Nairobi Finish
By road
Day 1: Nairobi – Masai Mara (LD)
We collect you from your Nairobi hotel at 7:00 AM for the drive of about five to six hours via the Great Rift Valley viewpoint and Narok to the Masai Mara. Arrive at Mara Crossing Luxury Camp, a tented camp near Musiara Gate in the northern Mara, for lunch. In the afternoon, head out on your first game drive among the herds. Dinner and overnight at Mara Crossing Luxury Camp.
Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Mara River Full Day (FB)
Leave after breakfast with a packed lunch and head for the Mara River. Your guide will watch where the herds are gathering on the banks and position the vehicle for a possible crossing. When it happens, thousands of wildebeest and zebras plunge into the water, past waiting crocodiles, and scramble up the far bank. Between crossings, look for the lions, cheetahs and hyenas that follow the herds. Dinner and overnight at Mara Crossing Luxury Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Sunrise Balloon Flight and Full Day in the Reserve (FB)
Wake before dawn for your hot air balloon flight, drifting for about an hour over the herds as the sun rises, followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush. Your guide then collects you from the landing site for a full day exploring the open plains, where the herds stretch to the horizon and predators are never far away. Dinner and overnight at Mara Crossing Luxury Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Mara River Full Day (FB)
Spend another full day at the river with a packed lunch, following the herds to wherever they are gathering. With three days in the reserve, your chances of seeing a crossing are much higher. In the late afternoon, you can visit a Maasai village if you wish. Dinner and overnight at Mara Crossing Luxury Camp.
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Masai Mara – Nairobi (BL)
Enjoy an early morning game drive, then return for breakfast and have an e-route game drive as you leave the park. Drive back to Nairobi with lunch in Narok town, arriving in the late afternoon for drop-off at your hotel or the airport.
Breakfast, Lunch
The Migration Safari in Pictures
5 Day Wildebeest Migration Safari Prices – 2027 Rates
Choose between two camps in the northern Mara. Mara Crossing Luxury Camp is described in the itinerary; Mara Elatia Camp is a more affordable alternative, also within easy reach of the Mara River crossing points. The itinerary, balloon flight and inclusions are the same with either camp, and the more people travelling together, the lower the price per person.
Mara Crossing Luxury Camp
Near Musiara Gate in the northern Mara
From $3,679 per person
| Dates | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | Single suppl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Jul – 14 Oct | $4,685 | $4,479 | $4,375 | $4,309 | $4,269 | $355 |
| 15 Oct – 31 Oct | $4,095 | $3,889 | $3,783 | $3,720 | $3,679 | $285 |
Mara Elatia Camp
Same itinerary, close to the river crossing points
From $3,105 per person
| Dates | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | Single suppl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 Jul – 15 Sep | $3,659 | $3,450 | $3,349 | $3,285 | $3,245 | $655 |
| 16 Sep – 31 Oct | $3,520 | $3,315 | $3,209 | $3,145 | $3,105 | $585 |
2027 rates for July to October departures, the migration season. Prices are in US dollars per person sharing for the full 5-day safari, including the hot air balloon flight, exclusive use of the safari vehicle and everything listed under Package Includes. The single supplement is per person, added for a single room. Scroll the tables sideways on a phone to see all group sizes. Child rates and fly-in prices on request.
Optional Activities
- Maasai village visit – US$ 25 per person
- Fly-in from Wilson Airport instead of driving – on request
Package Includes
- All park entrance fees
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
- 1.5 litres of bottled water per person per day in the vehicle
- Services of an English-speaking, experienced driver-guide
- Transport in a 4×4 safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof, for your exclusive use throughout the trip
- Airport transfers in Nairobi
- All government taxes and levies
- Safari accessories (first aid kit, cooler box and fire extinguisher), a 24-hour emergency number and RF radio in all safari vehicles
- Hot air balloon flight over the Masai Mara with champagne bush breakfast
Package Excludes
- Flying Doctors (AMREF) air ambulance evacuation cover – US$ 10 per person
- Maasai village visit
- Driver tips
- Drinks, international flights, visas, travel insurance and personal expenses
