Best: Jun-Sep · Great: Jan-Feb, Oct · Aug for Great Migration (Mara River Crossings)
Two separate wet seasons shape the year here, roughly around April and November, with drier, more reliable stretches in between rather than one long wet or dry season. In July, expect highs around 25°C with rain on roughly 2 days of the month.
Great Migration (Mara River Crossings) (August) — The dramatic river crossings, where wildebeest and zebra plunge across crocodile-infested waters, peak here as the herds arrive from the Serengeti — the reserve's single biggest wildlife draw.
The Masai Mara is the Kenyan stage of the Great Migration, and the dry season (roughly July to October) is when the herds are typically here in force, including the dramatic Mara River crossings as wildebeest and zebra push through crocodile-filled waters. Even outside migration season, the Mara has some of Africa's densest resident predator populations — lion, cheetah, and leopard are seen year-round.
Safari lodges typically serve a mix of Kenyan and international dishes; try nyama choma and ugali if available at a local eatery en route.
Daylight, sunrise, and sunset are calculated exactly from this region's latitude. Temperature and rainfall are modeled from its general climate type, not measured station data. Month summaries are generated from those modeled figures.
Expect warm days around 28°/13°C, with occasional rain (~5 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 29°/14°C, with occasional rain (~4 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 28°/15°C, with frequent rain (~12 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 26°/15°C, with very wet conditions (~18 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 25°/14°C, with frequent rain (~14 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 25°/13°C, with mostly dry conditions (~3 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 25°/13°C, with mostly dry conditions (~2 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 25°/13°C, with mostly dry conditions (~3 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 26°/13°C, with mostly dry conditions (~3 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 27°/14°C, with occasional rain (~6 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 26°/14°C, with frequent rain (~10 rainy days).
Expect warm days around 27°/14°C, with occasional rain (~7 rainy days).