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Planning and costKenya + Tanzania
Maasai Mara or Serengeti
Should I go to the Maasai Mara or the Serengeti?
The short answer
They are one ecosystem split by a border, and from July to October the migration is on both sides of it. Choose the Maasai Mara for the shorter trip, the highest predator density in East Africa, and conservancies that allow night drives and walking. Choose the Serengeti for scale, for herds somewhere in the park every month, and because it pairs with the Ngorongoro Crater and then Zanzibar. Kenya costs less and asks for fewer days.
The numbers
- Mara, from
- USD 3,640, 7 days
- Serengeti, from
- USD 5,420, 8 days
- Nairobi to the Mara
- 45 min by air
- Serengeti
- 30,000 sq km
Last checked 17 October 2026. Permit prices are set by the national park authorities and are revised periodically.
Want this answered for your dates rather than in general?
The honest answer first
The Maasai Mara and the Serengeti are the same grassland with an international border drawn across it, and the wildebeest cross that border twice a year without noticing. So this is not really a question about which has better wildlife. It is a question about the shape, length and cost of the trip you are building.
Choose the Maasai Mara if
- You have about a week. Nairobi to the Mara is 5.5 to 6 hours by road, or 45 minutes by air from Wilson
- Big cats are the priority. The Mara carries the highest predator density in East Africa
- You want night drives or walking. The private conservancies bordering the reserve allow both and cap vehicles per sighting
- You want elephants under Kilimanjaro in the same trip. Amboseli is 4.5 hours from Nairobi
- A dawn balloon over the plains with breakfast on the ground is on your list
- Budget matters. Our seven day Mara and Amboseli route starts at USD 3,640 per person
Choose the Serengeti if
- You have ten days or more, because the internal distances are larger
- Your dates are outside July to October. The Serengeti holds the migration somewhere inside it every month, including the February calving at Ndutu
- You want the Ngorongoro Crater, where a 260 square kilometre floor gives the best black rhino odds in the region
- Scale is part of the appeal. The park runs to thirty thousand square kilometres
- You want to finish at the coast. A short flight puts you on Zanzibar, which is why most of our Tanzanian routes end there
- Tarangire interests you, with the densest dry season elephant population in northern Tanzania
Side by side
| Maasai Mara | Serengeti | |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway | Nairobi (NBO). 5.5 to 6 hr by road, or 45 min from Wilson | Kilimanjaro (JRO). 1 hr to Arusha, then road or a flight |
| Migration | Northern plains, July to October | Somewhere in the park all year. Kogatende Jul to Sep, Ndutu in February |
| Predators | Highest density in East Africa | Seronera valley is the most reliable area for leopard, lion and cheetah |
| Night drives and walking | Allowed in the private conservancies, with vehicle caps per sighting | Mobile camps that move with the herds |
| Pairs with | Amboseli for tuskers under Kilimanjaro, Lake Nakuru for flamingos and rhino | Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, then Zanzibar |
| Our lead-in | USD 3,640 for 7 days | USD 5,420 for 8 days, or USD 6,780 for 12 days with Zanzibar |
Travel time is the real difference
Kenya is compact. Nairobi to Amboseli is about 4.5 hours, Nairobi to the Mara 5.5 to 6, and a flight from Wilson cuts the second one to 45 minutes. You can see two very different parks in a week without feeling like you spent it in a vehicle.
Tanzania is not compact, and the itinerary has to account for it. Kilimanjaro to Arusha is about an hour, Arusha to Tarangire two, Tarangire to the crater rim about three, and the crater to the central Serengeti about four more. That is why we fly out of the Serengeti rather than drive back, about two hours to Arusha, and why a Tanzanian trip that tries to do all of it in seven days is mostly a driving holiday.
Doing both
Our sixteen day East Africa Grand Circuit takes in the Mara and the Serengeti on one booking, with the Namanga border crossing between Amboseli and Arusha, from USD 11,600 per person. It also adds two gorilla treks at the start, which is the real argument for a trip that long: if you are crossing four countries, the plains are not the only reason to.
For most people the better answer is to pick one properly rather than both briefly. Four nights on one side of the border beats two nights on each with a border day in the middle.
Questions
- Which has more wildlife, the Mara or the Serengeti?
- They are one ecosystem, so the question does not really divide. The Maasai Mara has the highest predator density in East Africa. The Serengeti has thirty thousand square kilometres and holds the migration somewhere inside it every month of the year.
- Which is cheaper?
- Kenya. Our seven day Mara and Amboseli route starts at USD 3,640 per person, against USD 5,420 for eight days in Tanzania. Tanzania's internal distances are larger and the routes usually include a flight.
- Which is better for the migration?
- From July to October either works, because the herds are on both sides of the border. Outside that window, the Serengeti, which has the herds somewhere in the park all year and the February calving at Ndutu.
- Can I do the Mara and the Serengeti in one trip?
- Yes. Our sixteen day East Africa Grand Circuit links both with the Namanga border crossing, from USD 11,600. On a shorter trip, pick one and give it four nights rather than splitting two nights each way.
- Which is better for a first safari?
- The Maasai Mara, for most people. It is quicker to reach, it costs less, the cat viewing is dense, and the conservancies allow night drives and walking, which gives a first trip more variety than game drives alone.
- How long does it take to reach each one?
- The Mara is 5.5 to 6 hours by road from Nairobi or 45 minutes by air from Wilson. The Serengeti is about an hour from Kilimanjaro to Arusha, then roughly nine hours of road through Tarangire and Ngorongoro, or a scheduled flight.
Where this applies
Journeys this applies to
Read next
- When to see the Great MigrationWhat is the best time to see the Great Migration?
- What an East African safari costsHow much does a safari cost?
- Planning a first safari in East AfricaHow do I plan a first safari?
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