Flying to Masai Mara is a quicker alternative to heading out by road, saving anything from 3 to 4 hours on the road trip, even taking into account the transfer and waiting time at the airport. Booking a flight to Masai Mara is an easy process though one ought to note that the flights take off and land from the domestic Wilson airport, located on Langata road, though certain limited connections may be booked from the international JKIA airport in Nairobi including charter flights on request. There have been 2 main airlines offering domestic flights connecting Masai Mara and other tourist locations to Nairobi, namely Air Kenya and Safarilink. There are now additional airlines and a reliable one among the newer services is Governors Aviation which also operates from Wilson airport.
Most airlines offer a morning and afternoon flight, with the same plane returning back to Wilson after every set of flights. The flying time is usually an hour though actual time depends on how many interim stops the flight will make, ( known as ''hops'') as they land to drop or pick up passengers from various airstrips. Most flights limit stops to the fewest possible so the timing of an hour to the Mara is practially fairly accurate. See the schedule below. The prices for a one way flight from Nairobi to Masai Mara range from US$ 200 - 250 per person while a return ( two way) flight would cost anything from US$ 300 - 450 per person including taxes, depending on the season and availability.
Daily Flights to Masai Mara | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Flights | From | To | Dep | Arr |
Morning Flight | Wilson | Masai Mara | 10:00 | 11:00 |
Masai Mara | Wilson | 11:00 | 12:15 | |
Afternoon Flight | Wilson | Masai Mara | 14:45 | 15:45 |
Masai Mara | Wilson | 15:45 | 17:00 | |
High Season: 16 December - 31 March & 1 July - 31 Octomber Low Season: 1 April - 30 June & 1 November - 15 December |
Due to the sheer volume of passengers flying to Masai Mara during the peask season months from July to October, both Safarilink and Air Kenya place an additional midday flight service to handle the passenger numbers. During these months we recommend booking early enough to secure seats.
Daily Flights to Masai Mara | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Flights | From | To | Dep | Arr |
Morning Flight | Wilson | Masai Mara | 10:00 | 11:00 |
Masai Mara | Wilson | 11:00 | 12:15 | |
Afternoon Flight | Wilson | Masai Mara | 14:45 | 15:45 |
Masai Mara | Wilson | 15:45 | 17:00 | |
High Season: 16 December - 31 March & 1 July - 31 Octomber Low Season: 1 April - 30 June & 1 November - 15 December |
For those tourists who want to fly direct from Masai Mara to the beaches along Kenya's coast, there are flights available that fly to Diani, specifically to Ukunda airport ( more like a large airstrip) and then make the brief hop over to Mombasa International airport. An airline that regularly operates this sector is Mombasa Air Safaris. You can see Mombasa to Masai Mara flights here.
As mentioned above these include Air Kenya, Safarilink, Mombasa Air Safaris and Governors Aviation. These airlines generally have an excellent safety record and operate to high standards with professional staff.
Wilson airport is the domestic airport of Nairobi, located along Langata road, fairly close to Carnivore Restaurant and on the way to Karen and Nairobi National Park. The airport is small but fairly busy and efficient. Transfer time from city center is 20 minutes traffic free but more like an 45 minutes in normal traffic, and most local flights require that you be at the airport at least an hour before the flight.
There are close to a dozen airtsrips in Masai Mara, including the community wildlife conservancies and game ranches surrounding the main Reserve. It is imperative to book your flight to the airstrip nearest to your accommodation to avoid unnecessarily long transfers which also happen to be rather expensive. See more details on some of the airstrips in Masai Mara including Keekorok, Siana, Musiara, Ol Kiombo and Serena airstrips.
Fly-in Safaris to Masai Mara are popular due to the convenience of the short one hour flight compared to the 5 to 6 hour road journey from Nairobi. Flights to Masai Mara being readily available, a flying package safari is possible to book for most safari lodges and camps in the reserve. Flying to the Mara is also suggested for those who want to enjoy game drives in an Open sided safari vehicle.
See Fly-in PackagesThe main advantage of flying from Nairobi to Masai Mara is to save time especially useful for shorter safaris such as an overnight or two night trip, since it is a One hour flight versus a 5 to 6 hour road trip, though you need to cater for a 45 minute reporting time and the time taken to get you to Wilson airport in Nairobi ( 45 mins), so the difference in time is really more like 3 hours. Secondly, with the road to Masai Mara being bumpy and dusty in places, passengers with a medical or back conditions that can become worse with road travel should only consider flying.
The disadvantages of flying include the cost, especially so if there are more than two passengers in a group. Baggage is limited to only 15 kilos per passenger and this includes carry on and check-in. Lastly, the road trip, though long, does give one the real feel for the country you are visiting and offer a more adventurous journey to your destination, further increasing the occasion of being in the wilderness.