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Maasai Mara · Kenya

Mara River Season

Eight days in the Mara in the crossing months, two drives a day timed to the low sun.

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Wildebeest, Narok County · Nirav Shah

8
days, 7 nights
4
departures, Jul to Oct 2027
3
photographers per vehicle
US$6,450
per seat

On this journey

  • Grazing herds on the open plains of the Maasai Mara
    Maasai Mara plains · Carlos Torres
  • Hippos resting on a sandbank of the Mara River
    Hippos, Mara River · David Clode
  • A safari vehicle crossing the Maasai Mara grassland
    Safari vehicles, Maasai Mara · Simone Dinoia
  • A lion walks past a safari vehicle at sunrise
    Sunrise drive, Naboisho · Meg von Haartman
An acacia against the setting sun, Maasai Mara
Acacia at sunset, Maasai Mara · Henrik Hansen

Day by day

Two drives a day

06:42
Sunrise, 14 Aug
07:11
Sun clears 6°
18:46
Sunset, 14 Aug
Day 1
Fly in from Nairobi Wilson, first dusk drive
Days 2 to 7
Dawn drive, midday review, dusk drive, one edit
Day 8
Last dawn drive, then fly back to Nairobi

Sun times: US Naval Observatory, 1.49°S 35.14°E, Maasai Mara.

The vehicle

One row each, two windows

Three photographers to a vehicle, two windows each.

Top view of the vehicle: driver-guide and mentor in front, then three photographer rows, each with a window on both sides, a roof hatch and charging.
  • Bean bags
  • Roof hatches
  • Rain covers
  • 12 V and USB

Dates · 2027

Pick a departure

Included: tented camp and all meals, park and conservancy fees, every drive, mentor reviews, return flights from Nairobi Wilson.

Not included: international flights, Kenya entry fees, travel insurance, your camera kit, nights in Nairobi.

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Pick a departure
Departure Seats open
Sat 17 to Sat 24 Jul 2027 3 of 6
Sat 14 to Sat 21 Aug 2027 2 of 6
Sat 11 to Sat 18 Sep 2027 5 of 6
Sat 9 to Sat 16 Oct 2027 6 of 6
A cheetah sitting in the long grass, Maasai Mara
Cheetah, Maasai Mara · Bibhash Banerjee

Your mentor

Led by Wanjiru Kamau

Grew up on the edge of the Mara and still spends every crossing season there.

  • Wanjiru Kamau Mara River Season
A light aircraft at Wilson Airport, Nairobi

Luggage

Fly with 15 kg

Light aircraft to the camps allow 15 kg each, in soft bags.

15 kg
per person, cameras included
5 kg
handbag or small backpack
75 kg
extra seat, booked ahead

Source: Safarilink and AirKenya baggage pages.

A leopard in a tree at sunset, Maasai Mara

Six seats on each departure

Three photographers per vehicle and a mentor on every drive.

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Nothing is booked until a mentor confirms.

How much luggage can I fly with?

15 kg per person in soft bags, hand luggage and cameras included. Safarilink and AirKenya publish the same limit for flights from Nairobi Wilson to the Mara and Amboseli airstrips.

Do I need a tripod or a bean bag?

No. Every row has two bean bags, a roof hatch and 12 V and USB charging, and each vehicle carries rain covers, so neither has to fly.

Which lenses work best?

A 100 to 400 mm zoom covers most sightings from the vehicle. Add a 24 to 70 mm for landscapes and camp. Two bodies mean fewer lens changes in dust.