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Imara Africa Safaris
Great Migration · Masai Mara

See the Great Migration in the Masai Mara

Witness the Mara River crossings and over a million wildebeest on the move. We position you in the right camp at the right time — July to October — with a private guide who tracks the herds daily. Check your dates now.

KATO bondedMigration specialistsCamps in the crossing zone
1.5M+
Wildebeest
Jul–Oct
Crossing window
3–4
Nights in zone
Mara River crossingsMonth-by-month timingPeak predator actionIconic photography

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Licensed, bonded & top-rated

KATO bonded, TRA licensed and rated by real travellers on Google & TripAdvisor.

KATO Bonded Member

Kenya Association of Tour Operators

TRA Licensed Operator

Tourism Regulatory Authority of Kenya

Santa Imara Africa Safaris Limited (trading as Imara Africa Safaris) · Registered in Nairobi, Kenya. Our KATO bonded-member number and TRA licence details appear on the official certificate above — click to view and verify.

When is the best time to see the migration in the Masai Mara?

The herds reach Kenya's Masai Mara from roughly August to October, with the dramatic Mara River crossings most likely in August and September. July sees the first herds arrive; October is your last reliable window before they head back to the Serengeti. Crossings can't be scheduled — they happen when the wildebeest decide — so we recommend 3–4 nights in a camp positioned near the crossing points, with a guide tracking the herds every day.

Aug–Sep
Peak crossings
Best odds at the river
Big cats
Follow the herds
Lion, cheetah, hyena
3–4 nts
In the zone
More nights, more chances
KATO
Bonded operator
Book direct, protected

Sample Itineraries

Migration safari itineraries

Timed for the crossings. Tap a length — every day is customisable to your dates and camp style.

Masai Mara Migration Express

Maximum time at the river on a short break — fly in, three nights in the crossing zone, fly out.

from ~$1,650 pp
  1. Day 1

    Fly to the Mara

    Light-aircraft hop from Nairobi to a camp near the Mara River crossing points; afternoon game drive.

  2. Day 2

    River-crossing watch

    Full day tracking the herds at the river — patience rewarded with heart-stopping crossings.

  3. Day 3

    Big-cat & plains day

    Follow lion, cheetah and the ever-present crocodiles shadowing the migration.

  4. Day 4

    Fly back

    Final morning drive, then flight to Nairobi for your onward connection.

Why It's Unmissable

What makes a Mara migration safari extraordinary

The river crossings

Wildebeest plunge into the crocodile-filled Mara River — raw, unscripted and unforgettable.

Peak predator action

Where the herds go, big cats follow. The Mara's resident lions and cheetah are exceptional.

Right place, right time

We track herd movements daily and place you in a camp in the active crossing zone.

World-class photography

Dust, golden light and dramatic action — one of Earth's greatest wildlife photo events.

Fly straight in

Light-aircraft hops drop you into the action, saving long drives and maximising game time.

Booked direct & protected

KATO bonded, no reseller — you deal with the operator securing your camp.

Month by Month

July, August, September & October — the differences

The herds follow the rains, so each month feels different. Pick a month to see what to expect.

July

First arrivals

The leading herds begin pushing into the Mara from the Serengeti. Early-season crossings start, with fewer crowds than peak — a great choice if you value space.

Crossing likelihood3/5
Herd numbers3/5
Fewer crowds5/5
Value4/5
Early crossingsQuieterHerds building

What It Costs

Migration safari price guide

Per person, per day sharing — game drives, guiding, park fees, accommodation and most meals. Migration-season camps are in high demand, so book early.

Premium mid-range

$450–$650 / day

Well-placed seasonal camps that move with the herds, private 4×4 and expert guide.

Luxury

$700–$1,300 / day

Premier mobile and permanent camps in the heart of the action, light-aircraft access.

Ultra-luxury

$1,400+ / day

Exclusive crossing-front camps, private guiding and the most coveted locations.

Peak crossing dates (August–September) command premium rates and sell out 9–12 months ahead. Enquire early and we'll secure the best-positioned camps for your window.

Meet Your Team

The real people who plan & run your safari

From the consultants who design your itinerary to the born-and-raised, professionally certified guides behind the wheel — not a faceless call centre.

Lewis Munuhe — Founder & Director at Imara Africa Safaris

Lewis Munuhe

Team

Founder & Director

Lewis Munuhe is the Director and Owner of Imara Africa Safaris, specializing in tailor-made safaris across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. He leads the company with a passion for authentic African travel, personalized safari planning, wildlife experiences, and exceptional guest service.

EnglishSwahili
Wendy Muri — Marketing • Director • Safari Curator at Imara Africa Safaris

Wendy Muri

Team

Marketing • Director • Safari Curator

Wendy Muri is the Marketing Director and Safari Curator at Imara Africa Safaris, combining strategic brand leadership with a passion for crafting exceptional African travel experiences. She specializes in designing authentic safari journeys that connect travelers with Africa's wildlife, cultures, and breathtaking landscapes while ensuring every itinerary reflects the highest standards of service and personalization.

EnglishSwahili
Catherine Wairimu — Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris

Catherine Wairimu

Team

Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing

Catherine Wairimu is a Safari Curator in Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris, helping travelers plan personalized African safari experiences rooted in wildlife, culture, comfort, and authentic adventure.

EnglishSwahili
Ian Mwangi — Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris

Ian Mwangi

Team

Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing

Ian Mwangi is a Safari Curator in Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris, helping travelers plan personalized African safari experiences shaped around wildlife, culture, comfort, and authentic adventure.

EnglishSwahili
Lincoln Kinyua — Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris

Lincoln Kinyua

Team

Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing

Lincoln Kinyua is a Safari Curator in Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris, specializing in tailor-made safaris across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. He helps travelers design personalized journeys filled with wildlife, culture, comfort, and authentic African adventure.

EnglishSwahili
Eunice Mutua — Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris

Eunice Mutua

Team

Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing

Eunice Mutua is a Safari Curator in Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris, specializing in tailor-made safaris across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. She helps travelers create personalized African journeys filled with wildlife, culture, comfort, and authentic adventure.

EnglishSwahili
Susan Muthoni — Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris

Susan Muthoni

Team

Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing

Susan Muthoni is a Safari Curator in Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris, specializing in tailor-made safaris across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. She helps travelers plan personalized African journeys filled with wildlife, culture, comfort, and authentic adventure.

EnglishSwahili
Faith Njeri — Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris

Faith Njeri

Team

Safari Curator • Sales & Marketing

Faith Njeri is a Safari Curator in Sales & Marketing at Imara Africa Safaris, specializing in tailor-made safaris across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. She helps travelers plan personalized African journeys filled with wildlife, culture, comfort, and authentic adventure.

EnglishSwahili
Simon Kimani Waithaka — Senoir Tour Guide at Imara Africa Safaris

Simon Kimani Waithaka

Guide

Senoir Tour Guide

Simon Kimani Waithaka is a Professional Safari Guide at Imara Africa Safaris, offering expert wildlife guiding, guest care, and destination knowledge for tailor-made safari experiences across East Africa.

15+ yrsEnglishSwahili
Patrick Maranga — Senior Safari Guide at Imara Africa Safaris

Patrick Maranga

Guide

Senior Safari Guide

Patrick Maranga is a Senior Safari Guide at Imara Africa Safaris, offering expert wildlife guiding, destination knowledge, and personalized guest care on tailor-made safari experiences across East Africa.

16+ yrsEnglishSwahili
Ken Waihenya — Professional Mountain Guide at Imara Africa Safaris

Ken Waihenya

Guide

Professional Mountain Guide

Ken Waihenya is a Mountain Guide at Imara Africa Safaris, helping travelers enjoy safe, scenic, and memorable trekking experiences across East Africa. He brings strong outdoor guiding, route awareness, guest care, and adventure travel support to mountain journeys and safari extensions.

15+ yrsEnglishSwahili
Edward Mathu — Professional Safari Guide at Imara Africa Safaris

Edward Mathu

Guide

Professional Safari Guide

Edward Mathu is a Professional Safari Guide at Imara Africa Safaris, offering knowledgeable wildlife guiding, warm guest care, and personalized safari experiences across East Africa.

12+ yrsEnglishSwahili

Our Own Fleet

Travel in our own 4×4 safari vehicles

We own and maintain our fleet — custom-built Land Cruisers with pop-up roofs, charging, fridges and window seats for every guest. No sub-contracted transport.

4×4 Safari Land Cruiser — Imara Africa Safaris game-drive vehicle

4×4 Safari Land Cruiser

Toyota 78 Series — Game Drive Specialist

7 - 8 guestsGuaranteed window seatUSB charging portsCool box
4×4 Safari Van — Imara Africa Safaris game-drive vehicle

4×4 Safari Van

Toyota HiAce Custom — Budget-Friendly Explorer

6–7 guestsPop-up roof hatchSliding windowsUSB charging ports
Open-Sided Land Cruiser — Imara Africa Safaris game-drive vehicle

Open-Sided Land Cruiser

Photographer's Dream — Unobstructed Views

4–6 guestsFully open sidesTiered seatingBean bag supports
Overland Safari Truck — Imara Africa Safaris game-drive vehicle

Overland Safari Truck

Group Expedition Vehicle — Multi-Country Adventures

12–24 guestsElevated seatingOnboard kitchenCamping storage
Mini Bus / Rosa Bus — Imara Africa Safaris game-drive vehicle

Mini Bus / Rosa Bus

Rosa / Coaster — Large Group Transfers

15–30 guestsAir-conditionedReclining seatsLarge luggage compartment
Land Cruiser Prado / V8 — Imara Africa Safaris game-drive vehicle

Land Cruiser Prado / V8

Luxury Transfer — VIP Experience

4–6 guestsLeather interiorPowerful A/C4WD suspension

Verified Reviews

What travellers actually say

Real, verified reviews synced directly from TripAdvisor and Google — not testimonials we wrote ourselves.

Hassan aljaber
Hassan aljaber

What an amazing experience. From the booking, to the airport, flexibility, activities, and most importantly our excellent guide Symon. Eunice was amazing with flexibility and booking, she was able to provide me with my exact needs and wants for the whole trip. We were able to experience all we wanted, and so much more. We spent 7 days in Kenya, one night in lake Naivasha, 2 nights in Amboseli, and finally 3 nights in Maasai Mara. We got to experience all the classic safari experiences, and so so so much more. Our guide Symon was spectacular, and was able to get us views of everything. With Symon, we were able to see the big 5, cheetas, and all the animals on our bucket list, and a lot of other unique sightings, such as a cheetah hunt, lions cubs feeding, and the rare twin baby elephants. We started our trip with a boat safari, crescent island, and a horse riding safari. We also had a quad bike safari in hells gate. Then in Amboseli and Maasai Mara, we got to see so many animals thanks to Symon.

Safari photo from Hassan aljaber's review
Jo
Jo

Cannot recommend Imara and our guide Jesse enough! My friend and I did a private tour of Naivasha, Nakuru and Maasai Mara. Imara organised everything from accommodation to lunches and all guided activities, and of course wonderful game drives in the Mara. We were incredibly lucky to be guided by Jesse throughout. He is an excellent driver and very experienced guide, who knew exactly where to take us so we could see all the big 5, the ugly 5 and everything in between, in just a few days. We felt completely safe and had fun as a team of three spotting wildlife. We never felt rushed or bored, it was the perfect balance of interesting things to discover and enough downtime to not feel tired by the end. The car was fully equipped with everything we needed, from WiFi and plugs to cold water in the fridge.

Safari photo from Jo's review
Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson

My wife and I spent four days in the Maasai Mara on our honeymoon, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience than what Imara Africa Safaris provided! Our guide, Simon, was absolutely fantastic. He picked us up from the airstrip and drove us throughout the park for all four days. His knowledge of the park and its wildlife was seriously impressive. One of the highlights was watching him have a quick conversation with another guide, drive a few kilometers, and somehow find three male lions resting under a tree before any other vehicles had arrived. It was amazing to see just how well he knew the park and the animals. Every day we went out, we saw an incredible variety of wildlife. We were lucky enough to spot a leopard, which is relatively rare to see, along with many lions, zebras, buffalo, giraffes, and some amazing close encounters with elephants. What I loved most was how natural and immersive the experience felt. There were moments when it genuinely felt like we were sharing the environment with the animals rather than just observing them, like you would at a zoo. Those were some of the most memorable parts of the entire trip. Simon was also an incredibly skilled driver, confidently navigating some pretty difficult terrain, including river crossings. He seemed to know every corner of the park and was often giving advice to other guides as well. He knew so much about the animals, frequently pointing out individual family members and explaining their roles and relationships. Another highlight was the picnic breakfasts and lunches he set up for us in beautiful spots under the trees. Those moments were really special and made our honeymoon even more memorable. Wendy and the rest of the Imara Africa Safaris team were wonderful as well. Every part of our trip was thoughtfully planned and perfectly organized, so we never had to worry about a thing and could just enjoy the experience. Overall, we couldn’t have asked for a better safari experience. A huge thank you to Simon, Wendy, and the entire team! We’ll absolutely be reaching out to Imara Africa Safaris again for our next trip to Africa!

Safari photo from Brian Thompson's review

Booked direct with the operator — not a reseller

Migration camps are limited and sell out fast, and many websites simply re-sell someone else's allocation with a markup. We hold our own relationships with the camps and operate the safari ourselves, so you get the right camp, the right guide and one accountable contact.

Direct relationships with crossing-zone camps
Our own guides tracking the herds daily
No agent markup on your migration trip
One contact from enquiry to homecoming
Honest advice on the best month for you
KATO bonded — payments protected
Every season we live and breathe the migration — where the herds are, which camps are best placed this week, where the last crossing happened. When you ask us about availability, you're talking to the people who'll actually position you at the river. That's why our guests see the crossings.
The Imara Africa Safaris Team, Migration specialists, Nairobi
The Imara Africa Safaris Team
Migration specialists, Nairobi

Ready-Made Itineraries

Great Migration & Masai Mara itineraries

Popular starting points — every itinerary is fully customisable to your dates, pace and budget.

Migration Safari FAQ

Great Migration questions, answered

Timing, crossings, safety, costs and how to be in the right place at the right time.

No ethical operator can — a crossing happens when thousands of wildebeest decide to move, which is impossible to schedule. What we can do is put you in a camp near active crossing points during the peak window (August–September), with a guide tracking the herds daily, and recommend 3–4 nights in the zone. That combination gives our guests excellent odds, and many see multiple crossings.

Check your migration-season dates

Tell us when you want to travel and we'll confirm camp availability in the crossing zone and send an honest, tailor-made quote — free and with no obligation.

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