What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Safari”? For most people, the first thing that comes to mind is Lions, for others it’s the grassland Savannah, and for others it’s the world renowned national parks Masai mara and the Serengeti.
But which of the two parks is better and why?
In this article, we will compare the two parks, Masai Mara vs. Serengeti, their locations, animals in each park, how to get there and more. Let’s jump right into it.
Masai Mara
The masai mara, or simply the Mara is a large game reserve located in Narok, Kenya. It is world renowned for being the host of the annual wildebeest migration which attracts thousands of tourists from all parts of the world.
The park also has a large population of wild cats which include Lions, Cheetahs, Leopards, and various species of wild cats. Additionally, the park also has large populations of Zebras, Giraffes, antelopes, Elephants and of course wildebeests. These large populations make the mara one of the best parks in Africa to view Lions in their natural habitat.
If you’re lucky enough, you might get to witness a pride of lions or cheetahs hunting.
Mara weather
The masai mara generally has 2 seasons; the rainy season and the dry season. The dry season runs from Jan to Feb and the rainy season starts in March. There are two rainy seasons, the long rains season and the short rains season. The long rains start in March and end in May while the short rains start in November and end in December.
There are occasional showers between June and October but not as intense as in the long rains months.
The table below shows the average temperatures in the mara for each month;
| Month | Average High (°C) | Average Low (°C) |
| January | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| February | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| March | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| April | 20-25 | 5-10 |
| May | 20-25 | 5-10 |
| June | 20-25 | 5-10 |
| July | 15-20 | 5-10 |
| August | 15-20 | 5-10 |
| September | 15-20 | 5-10 |
| October | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| November | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| December | 25-30 | 10-15 |
Why visit maasai mara?
As previously mentioned, masai mara is one of the most visited national parks in the world. This is mainly because of the annual phenomenon that is the wildebeest migration which attracts thousands of tourists every year.
In addition to that, the park has a large population of wild lions which also attracts thousands of visitors. If you want to experience lions up close in their natural habitat, then you should definitely visit the masai mara. Other reasons to visit the masai mara include the following;
- Excellent for bird watching
- Experience the local masai culture
- Hot air balloon safaris
- Wild cats viewing
Best time to visit the masai mara
The best time to visit the masai mara will depend on what you’re actually interested in seeing. If your main aim for visiting the mara is to experience the annual wildebeest migration, then the best time for that would be from June to October.
It is worth noting that some of the access roads within the park can be rendered impassable during the long rains season. Therefore that is something you should consider if you are planning to visit during those months.
Read more about The Best Time To Visit Masai Mara For Every Kind Of Traveller.
Accommodation within the Masai Mara
There are endless accommodation options for masai mara visitors. They range from budget camps to luxurious lodges offering five star services. Additionally, there are camps and lodges outside the conservancy which tend to be cheaper compared to the ones inside the conservancy.
Read more about the top camps and lodges in masai mara.
Masai mara Safari cost
The cost of a masai mara safari depends on a number of factors including;
- Length of stay
- Fly in from Nairobi or drive
- Type of accommodation
- Number of people in your travel group
- Where you’re flying in from
Having said that, the cost of a safari can be as little as $300 per person for a 3 day safari to more than $2000 for an 8 or 10 day safari.
Browse safari packages in the masai mara.
Masai Mara Park Fees
| Inside the Park (US$) | Outside the Park (US$) | |
| Adult | $70 | $80 |
| Child (3-11) | $40 | $45 |
What wild Animals are in the masai mara?
The wild animals in the masai mara national reserve include the famous big 5 which include Lions, Elephants, Buffalos, Leopards, and Rhinos. In addition to the big five, the mara is also home to thousands of Giraffes, cheetahs, hippos, zebras, antelopes and hundreds of bird species.
This makes the mara one of the best parks to see almost all wild animals native to the african savannah.
Read more about What Wild Cats Might You See On An African Safari.
Serengeti
The Serengeti is a large ecosystem in Northern Tanzania which encompasses the Serengeti national park and a number of other game reserves. It covers an area of 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi).
The serengeti is world renowned for being the host of the second largest mammal migration in the world. This occurs annually when millions of wildebeests cross the mara river into the neighbouring masai mara reserve in search of greener pastures.
Additionally, the serengeti is home to the largest lion population in Africa as well as hundreds of bird species.
Serengeti weather
Given that the serengeti borders the masai mara to the north, their climates are almost similar. Similar to the mara, the serengeti also has dry and rainy seasons. The dry months are Jan and Feb. March heralds the start of the rainy season which lasts all the way to May.
From June to September the weather is usually cold with occasional showers. It is worth noting that it does get chilly at night and early mornings. Therefore you should pack some warm clothes especially if you are planning to go on early morning game drives.
The short rains period lasts from Late October to December.
The table below shows the average temperatures in the Serengeti for each month;
| Month | Average High (°C) | Average Low (°C) |
| January | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| February | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| March | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| April | 20-25 | 5-10 |
| May | 20-25 | 5-10 |
| June | 20-25 | 5-10 |
| July | 15-20 | 5-10 |
| August | 15-20 | 5-10 |
| September | 15-20 | 5-10 |
| October | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| November | 25-30 | 10-15 |
| December | 25-30 | 10-15 |
Why visit the serengeti?
As previously mentioned, the serengeti is home to the largest lion population in the world. This gives visitors the perfect opportunity to see prides of lions in their natural habitat. In addition to that, the annual wildebeest migration makes the serengeti a favourite for those who want to witness the seventh wonder of the world.
Other reasons to visit the Serengeti include the following;
- Excellent for bird watching
- Unforgettable sunsets
- Hot air balloon safaris
- Experience the local culture
Best time to visit the Serengeti
Similar to the Masai mara, the serengeti is also an all year round park. This means that you can visit the park at any time of the year and still get to view most of the animals. However, most people choose to visit the Serengeti during the great wildebeest migration. It is worth noting that the park can get crowded during this time so keep that mind when you plan your visit.
During the dry season, the vegetation starts to thin out which makes it easier to spot animals. During the wet season, the grass is greener which coincides with the birthing season. If you’re lucky you might get to see lions hunting as the birthing season means that there are easy targets for the hungry lions.
Accommodation in the Serengeti
Similar to the Mara, the Serengeti boasts a wide range of camps and lodges. These range from budget camps to luxurious five star lodges. Additionally, you can get accommodation outside the national park mostly at a cheaper rate.
Most of these camps and lodges are very accommodative and will go above and beyond, within reason of course, to make sure that your stay is comfortable. If you have a special occasion like a birthday, an anniversary, or a proposal, the lodges will be more than willing to organise a special dinner just for you for your special occasion.
Serengeti Safari cost
Just like it was the case with the Mara, the cost of your serengeti safari will depend on the length of your stay, type of accommodation, whether you’re flying in or driving to the park among other things. The good thing is that you might be able to get a safari package that includes game drives in both the masai mara and the Serengeti.
So once you’re done with your safari in the mara, you can cross over to the serengeti and enjoy another safari. This is all possible with one tourist visa as there’s an agreement between Kenya and Tanzania.
Having said that, the cost of a safari can range from $300pp for a 3 day safari to more than $3000pp for a 10 day safari. You can also get a safari package that combines multiple national parks.
Browse safari packages in the serengeti.
Serengeti National Park Fees
| Inside the Park (US$) | Outside the Park (US$) | |
| Adult | $70 | $80 |
| Child (3-11) | $40 | $45 |
What Animals are in the Serengeti National park?
As previously mentioned, the serengeti is home to the largest lion population in Africa. This makes it one of the best parks to view lions. Other animals that can be found in the park include;
- African bush elephants
- Rhinos
- Wildebeests
- Buffalos
- Cheetahs
- Giraffes
- Hyenas
- Birds
Read more about what animals live in the serengeti plains.
How to book your safari to the masai mara or the serengeti national park?
Are you now ready to book your safari? If you are, the best place to start is your local travel agency. Alternatively, you can browse the safari packages on offer on safari bookings. Before you book a package, you need to consider how long you want to stay, the type of accommodation, and whether you’ll be travelling with kids.
Once you have all the details, take your time and compare all the packages. This will help you get the best deal possible.
Conclusion
Both the Masai mara and the Serengeti national park offer a lot of wildlife viewing opportunities. Both parks are home to the big five and host the annual wildebeest migration.
The best thing is that you can cross from the masai mara to the serengeti and vice versa as part of the same safari package.
While we certainly are of the opinion that both parks are great, in this case we have to pick the masai mara as the better park. This is because a mara safari is cheaper than a safari in the serengeti and you’ll get to see more animals in the mara. This is because the mara is not as large as the serengeti hence the animals are easier to spot.
The serengeti on the other hand is vast which means that the animals are widespread. This makes it a lot harder to spot some of the animals unless you’re willing to travel long distances within the park.