Serengeti or Maasai Mara: which is the best safari?

Comparing the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara is almost inevitable when planning a safari. Although they share wildlife and the migration, each park offers nuances that can influence the traveler’s experience. Choosing between one or the other isn’t always easy.

1. The context of visiting the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara

The first time we went on a safari in the Serengeti was during our honeymoon in 2021. At that time, Covid-19 was still taking its toll and Tanzania was one of the few countries open to tourism.

In contrast, the first time in the Maasai Mara was while working with our travel agency and opening routes in Kenya.

Context is important, as in 2021 we were on one of the most beautiful trips we’ve ever taken, and it was after that trip that we decided to start triptohelp.org. In Kenya, however, we always went as part of our work at Triptohelp.org

2. General information about each park

Serengeti (Tanzania)

Approximate size: 14,763 km².
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Part of the Great Migration and the same ecosystem as the Maasai Mara.
More than 557,000 visitors in 2023.

Maasai Mara (Kenya)

The Maasai Mara is divided between the Mara National Reserve and several conservancies. In this article, we will talk about the National Reserve, known as the Maasai Mara. But in reality, the Maasai Mara encompasses much more than just the Reserve. You can find more information here.

Size: 1,510 km²
Shared ecosystem with the Serengeti.
More than 300,000 visitors per year.
Greater accessibility from Nairobi.

99% of the safaris sold visit the National Reserve, but this doesn’t mean it’s the best area for a safari.

3. Differences in landscape and atmosphere

The Serengeti and the Maasai Mara belong to the same ecosystem; only a man-made “artificial” border has divided the same park in two. Tanzania named it the Serengeti (“endless land” in the Maa language) and the Kenyan part was named the Maasai Mara (land of the Maasai).

Fun fact: Did you know that the Maasai are the only ones who can cross the border between the two parks without needing visas or passports?

Photo taken at the border of the Maasai Mara with the Serengeti. — Our visit to the border between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara (National Reserve)

Border between the Serengeti (Tanzania) and the Maasai Mara (Kenya) — Our visit to the border between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara (National Reserve)

The feeling I had on my first safari in the Serengeti made me perfectly understand the meaning of Serengeti, “endless land.” The vastness you see when you arrive at the park is hard to match anywhere else in the world.

The Maasai Mara, on the other hand, is a bit more fragmented and I didn’t get that feeling of an endless plain, as it has more varied terrain. Also, as mentioned before, the Maasai Mara National Reserve is smaller than the Serengeti, so the feeling of cars crowding around animals tends to be greater.

In the Serengeti, you can “get lost” more easily than in the Maasai Mara. And if the guide DOESN’T use walkie-talkies, even better, as they will be looking for the animals themselves.

4. What animals can be seen in the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara

Both parks form a single migratory ecosystem with more than 1.5 million wildebeest and thousands of zebras. In the Serengeti, the migrations are longer and they spend more time in the Tanzanian part than in the Kenyan part. It’s common to see large herds spread across vast areas. Like in the following photo we took.

The Great Migration in the Serengeti. — Serengeti with thousands of zebras. Photo by Trip to Help.

In both parks I’ve seen everything, from large predators to elephant families. It’s very easy to see lions, giraffes, elephants, and buffalo in both parks. Cheetahs are also usually seen relatively easily. The leopard is one of the hardest predators to spot in both places.

But it’s not just wildebeest and zebras that move; elephants also migrate, and in fact, we’ve occasionally seen some of the largest elephants in the ecosystem outside the National Reserve. For example, we saw this elephant—one of the largest in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem—in a Mara conservancy, completely alone with no one around us. He was going to find his group (family) and we ran right into him…

One of the largest elephants in the Maasai Mara - Serengeti Ecosystem. — Photo by Trip to Help.

If you want to see the Great Migration in summer (July-September), it is located in the Maasai Mara part of Kenya. You can see it in the Northern Serengeti, but access is much more difficult (and expensive) than in Kenya.

On the other hand, if you travel at another time of year, you can time it for when it’s in the Serengeti; however, since it’s much larger, it’s sometimes hard to find. Keep in mind that the Great Migration follows the rains and that climate change causes the wildebeest to take different paths.

The famous wildebeest crossing of the Mara and Talek rivers is seen more easily on the Kenyan side but can also be seen in the Northern Serengeti.

The wildebeest crossing can be seen in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Northern Serengeti.

5. Tourism levels and overcrowding

The level of tourism and overcrowding in the Maasai Mara and in some parts of the Serengeti are a real problem that we all must fight against so these ecosystems don’t disappear. Humans are and will be the main culprits in the decline of predators and other animals.

Tourism can allow an area to be better conserved thanks to the resources it generates, but it can also create other problems like overcrowding (disturbing the animals) or even a more recent issue happening in the Maasai Mara with an accommodation that has been built in the middle of a wildlife migratory corridor. If we humans obstruct a migratory corridor that has existed for centuries, we are putting the entire ecosystem in crisis. That’s why before staying at a hotel inside or outside the National Reserve, check carefully if the hotel is responsible, if the workers are local, or if it dedicates part of its income to helping the community with education or health, etc.

That said, the Maasai Mara usually gets crowded in the summer for the river crossing. If you want to see the Great Migration, it’s “just how it is.” If, on the other hand, you want a quieter safari, I advise you to visit other areas of the Maasai Mara where, outside the Reserve, you can enjoy a much more peaceful safari.

The Serengeti, being much more extensive, makes it easier to “get lost.” But if your intention is to see the river crossing from the Tanzanian side, you will also find many cars, perhaps fewer than in the Maasai Mara due to its more difficult access.

6. Accessibility and logistics

By car, the Maasai Mara is more accessible than the Serengeti.
It takes fewer hours by car to reach the Maasai Mara than to reach the Serengeti. Additionally, to get to the Serengeti, you have to cross the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which has an extra cost.

Both parks are accessible by plane. In this case, the time difference is more similar.

If you want to see the Great Migration from Tanzania, you will need several days to reach the Northern Serengeti (a minimum of 2-3 nights inside the park plus some nights along the way is recommended). That is, about 6 days of safari.

In contrast, if you want to see the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara, since it’s much closer, 3 days is enough.

This makes the price much higher on the Tanzanian side than on the Kenyan side due to operational-logistical issues. Furthermore, hotels in the Northern Serengeti are especially expensive. In the Maasai Mara, however, if you stay outside the Reserve, you can find affordable accommodations (120 euros per night full board).

Tip: For distances and routes in Africa, don’t trust Google Maps.

7. Activities and Accommodations in the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara National Reserve

Being the same ecosystem, the type of safari is similar, even though one is much larger: the Serengeti.

When we go to the Serengeti, we always sleep inside the Park, either in a hotel or in a camping area.

In the Mara National Reserve, however, you can sleep either inside or outside. Being a smaller park, the accommodations inside are more exclusive and expensive. Outside the Maasai Mara, you can find very affordable accommodations.

In both parks, you can go camping inside the Park in specially designated areas.

During the Great Migration, we camp in a private area between the Talek and Mara rivers which allows us to be very close to both crossings.

Accommodation inside the Maasai Mara — Room inside the Mara National Reserve and balloon safari.

Hot air ballooning can be done in the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara at similar prices. — Room inside the Mara National Reserve and balloon safari.

Balloon safaris are ideal activities for couples celebrating their honeymoon and can be done in both parks.

9. Conclusions Maasai Mara VS Serengeti.

My recommendation for a safari in Kenya is to combine the National Reserve with a Maasai Mara conservancy. Combining two areas is much more interesting than focusing only on the National Reserve. Why? Usually, the conservancies are areas with far fewer cars than the reserve. You’ll be able to enjoy a much more peaceful safari and do other activities like walking safaris, meals in the middle of the savannah, etc. In other words, in the Maasai Mara conservancies, you can enjoy a safari with fewer cars while doing other activities that aren’t allowed in the reserve (due to restrictions).

On the other hand, when you go on a safari in the Serengeti, because it’s so large, you should stay at least 2 nights inside the park, whether in a glamping-style hotel or camping. Being such a large park, you might have a greater sense of “freedom” than in the Maasai Mara Reserve. That’s why I recommend that in Kenya you always combine the Reserve with a conservancy.

If you have a small budget, I recommend doing the safari in the Maasai Mara and traveling during the first months of the year (from January to June) when park entry fees are 100 USD per person. From July 1st, entry fees are 200 USD per person and the price of the safari goes up significantly.

Which park is better?

In general, I like the Serengeti more than the Mara National Reserve.Mainly because of its size and for being far from villages and cities. But if we combine the Mara Reserve with a conservancy, then I don’t have a clear favorite. In the conservancy, the safari is experienced with much more tranquility and with activities that we can’t do in a national park. When we mix the Reserve with a conservancy, both options are equal and I’m unable to decide which is better, the Serengeti or the Maasai Mara. Only when we understand the Maasai Mara as an ecosystem much larger than the Mara National Reserve is when, from my point of view, the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti become equal.

10. How to book your safari in the Serengeti or the Maasai Mara

If you’ve made it this far, it means you’re considering a safari in Tanzania or Kenya. It’s normal to still have doubts after reading this article and want more information. Here is more.

If you still have questions, you can send us a WhatsApp or email and we’ll organize a call with no obligation.

Trip to Help is a respectful and regenerative travel agency with the goal that tourism doesn’t stay in just a few hands but benefits the entire local community. In 2024, we won an international responsible tourism award in Africa, being the only European or American company honored.

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