Mara River

The basics

The Mara River runs through both Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and you can watch the crossings both in the northern Serengeti and in Maasai Mara. As you’d expect, many Serengeti safaris and Maasai Mara safaris include a visit to the Mara River, particularly during the Great Migration. Maasai Mara National Reserve is smaller than Serengeti National Park and also sees more visitors, but safaris are generally more affordable—some travelers visit both parks.

Things to know before you go

• The Mara River is a great choice for wildlife lovers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts.

• To capture great shots on safari, you’ll still need an old-fashioned camera with a telephoto zoom lens as smartphones aren’t up to the job.

• Most kids find safaris a rewarding experience, but some camps have minimum age limits and a few are adults only. Babies and very young children will find lengthy game drives intolerable.

• A few companies offer wheelchair-accessible Maasai Mara safaris that visit the Mara River.

How to get there

The Mara River rises in Kenya’s Mau Escarpment and flows through both Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park before exiting into Lake Victoria. Most travelers visit it on safari in one of the two national parks: Most Maasai Mara National Reserve safaris set out from Kenya’s capital Nairobi, while visitors to the Serengeti usually depart from Tanzania’s bustling Arusha or Kilimanjaro International Airport.

When to get there

Prime time for visiting the Mara River is undoubtedly during the Great Migration, when more than a million wildebeest, zebra, and other grazing animals migrate from Tanzania’s Serengeti plains to Kenya’s Maasai Mara. This usually peaks between mid-July and September, with late July and August being the best times for watching Mara River crossings—although it’s worth noting that herds often dither for days before crossing, so sightings are far from guaranteed.

Catch the Great Migration while you’re there

Herds of wildebeest and other grazing animals move back and forth between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara throughout the year, following the rainfall that brings fresh life; their movements are almost as hard to predict as rain patterns. Generally, the migration is at its most spectacular in May and June, when huge herds form up in the Serengeti and cross the Grumeti River, and July and August, when the herds make their spectacular Mara River crossings.