SAFARI STARTS IN THE AIR

Flights to the Maasai Mara from Nairobi

Plan flights to Maasai Mara with scheduled airlines or a private charter. Compare routes and fares, choose the right camp airstrip and request a flight booking.

Flying from the Maasai Mara to Zanzibar

You can combine the Maasai Mara and Zanzibar with an arranged connecting journey. Do not assume a nonstop bush-airstrip flight. Flightlink’s published Mara–Zanzibar itinerary returns from the Mara to Nairobi Wilson, uses a road transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, then continues towards Zanzibar via Kilimanjaro. It involves different flight sectors and an airport change.

The selected operator must confirm the Mara airstrip, airline partners, transfer, connection protection, baggage rules and entry documents for your dates. Another carrier can use a different routing. A Zanzibar baggage allowance or a destination name in a timetable does not establish a direct flight. Send the full safari-and-island plan through our enquiry form for a coordinated quotation.

International arrival and the Mara connection

For travellers from the USA and UK, plan the international arrival and onward safari as separate stages. Identify the arrival airport, immigration and baggage requirements, any Nairobi road transfer, and the exact safari joining point. A scheduled Mara flight may leave from Wilson Airport rather than the airport used by your international flight.

Use the Mara flight and airport guide, Nairobi road-arrival guide and Kenya entry-document guide. Nationality and transit history determine entry requirements; residence in the USA or UK alone does not establish them. International flights, Nairobi hotels and airport transfers are included only when the selected itinerary expressly lists them.

Your flight, at a glance

Wilson Airport

Nairobi’s scheduled Mara flights use Wilson. Allow a separate road transfer from JKIA.

Land near your camp

Choose the arrival airstrip with your accommodation and arrange the collection.

15 kg, soft bags

Scheduled Mara allowances include hand luggage. Arrange extra equipment in advance.

Seat or private aircraft

Compare scheduled fares with an itinerary-specific charter quotation.

Compare scheduled flights to Maasai Mara

AirKenya

Request a quote · Dated fare per passenger. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Safarilink

From USD 260 · Per adult, one way, excluding taxes. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

FlyALS

From USD 236 · Per adult, one way, including published tax. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Mombasa Air Safari

From USD 220 · Per adult, one way, with published fuel surcharge. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Governors’ Aviation

From USD 250 · Per adult, one way; published selling rate. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Make the journey your own with a private charter

Scenic Air Safaris

Request a quote · Whole-aircraft charter quotation. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Tropic Air Kenya

Request a quote · Private flight, priced for your itinerary. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Yellow Wings

Request a quote · Whole-aircraft charter for the agreed route. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Phoenix Aviation

Request a quote · Private charter, aircraft and route dependent. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

Z. Boskovic Air Charters

Request a quote · Bespoke private charter itinerary. Explore routes, aircraft and travel details.

AIRLINES AND TIMES

Airlines flying from Nairobi to the Mara

All five airlines fly daily from Wilson Airport, and most need at least two passengers per airstrip. Times are from each airline’s timetable; Airkenya’s are to or from the first Mara airstrip on the route. Flights call at several strips, so the airline confirms your strip’s time.

Scheduled Maasai Mara flights between Nairobi Wilson and the Mara, from the airlines' timetables
Airline	Leaves Wilson	Leaves the Mara	Mara airstrips served
Airkenya	07:30, 10:30, 14:15	08:05, 11:15, 15:10	Ol Seki, Ol Kiombo, Musiara, Keekorok, Mara North, Ngerende, Mara Serena, Kichwa Tembo, Olare Orok
Safarilink*	07:15, 10:00, 14:15	08:30 (high season only), 11:00, 15:15	Cottar’s, Keekorok, Kichwa Tembo, Musiara, Naboisho (Ol Seki), Ngerende, Mara North, Olare Orok, Ol Kiombo, Mara Serena, Siana
Mombasa Air Safari	10:00, 14:15	11:15, 15:30	Keekorok, Ol Kiombo, Mara North, Kichwa Tembo, Musiara, Olare Orok, Mara Serena, Ngerende, Ol Seki and Siana (the last two from Nairobi only)
Governors’ Aviation	07:15 (15 June–31 October only), 09:30, 14:30	08:15 (15 June–31 October only), 10:45, 15:30	Musiara, Kichwa Tembo, Mara Serena, Keekorok, Ol Kiombo, Ol Seki (Naboisho), Olare Orok, Cottar’s, Ngerende, Mara North; its rate sheets also list Ol Kurruk (Angama)
FlyALS	07:00 (early bird), 09:30, 14:30	08:30 (early bird), 11:00, 16:00	Keekorok, Ol Kiombo, Kichwa Tembo, Serena, Angama, Musiara, Naboisho, Ngerende, Mara North, Ol Seki, Olare Orok, Siana, Cottar’s

*Safarilink’s web page shows different times and season dates from its timetable; we quote the timetable, which is the newer document. Mombasa Air Safari calls its timings approximate and asks passengers to reconfirm 24 hours before departure. Governors’ Aviation flights may stop at other strips or route via Nairobi in mid and low season, and on days its aircraft are not flying it may rebook passengers with another airline. Safarilink’s 07:15 and 14:15 flights from Wilson and its 08:30 and 15:15 flights back need at least four passengers, and FlyALS’s afternoon flight needs four to operate.

FLIGHT TIMES

Flight times and intermediate stops

Airkenya’s published times are to the first Mara airstrip on its route. A Maasai Mara flight drops and collects passengers at several strips in turn, so your Mara airstrip may come later than the timetable shows: Safarilink says times on some routes vary by up to 40 minutes depending on the routing, and it limits each aircraft to four stops. Governors’ Aviation’s early flight makes no more than two stops. Airkenya gives 45 minutes as its Mara flight time.

Some flights back to Nairobi take longer because they call at several Mara airstrips to collect passengers. Airkenya’s three return flights take 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes from the first pick-up to Wilson, Safarilink’s 11:00 flight 1 hour 20 minutes and Governors’ 10:45 flight 1 hour 15 minutes. Safarilink’s operations team gives your strip’s time if you call between 16:00 and 18:00 the day before, and Airkenya asks passengers to call its operations on the day.

FARES

Published flight fares and extra charges

Four of the five airlines publish fares; Airkenya gives prices only when you book. All fares are per adult in US dollars, between Wilson and any Mara airstrip, from each airline’s fare table.

Published Wilson–Maasai Mara fares per adult, in US dollars
Airline	One way	Return	What is added or different
Safarilink	USD 260	USD 425	Excludes taxes (domestic tax USD 11–15 per sector). Same fare all year. Children 2–11 pay 75%. Promotional fares exist, and fares may change if fuel prices or taxes rise
Mombasa Air Safari	USD 200 + USD 20 fuel surcharge	USD 370 + USD 40 fuel surcharge	The fuel surcharge is payable on top; the airline does not say whether airport taxes are included. No child fare published
Governors’ Aviation	USD 250 (all year)	USD 420 (1 January–30 June and 1 November–15 December) or USD 434 (1 July–31 October and 16–31 December)	“Recommended selling rates”; a fuel surcharge may be added, and taxes are not stated. Child rates apply from 2 to 15 years
FlyALS	USD 220 + USD 16 tax	USD 380 + USD 32 tax	Rack rates; the same fare on all three daily flights. No child fare shown
Airkenya	Not published	Not published	Fares are quoted including taxes when you book; children 2–11 pay 70% of the adult fare; lap infants under 2 fly free

OTHER ROUTES

Coast, Amboseli and Laikipia connections

Yes: Maasai Mara flights also link the Reserve with the coast and other parks, some only in high season or with a minimum number of passengers. Fares are one way, per adult, in US dollars, from the airlines’ timetables and fare tables.

Flights between the Maasai Mara and the coast or other parks, with published one-way fares
Route	Airline and schedule	One-way fare
Mombasa, Diani or Malindi to the Mara	Mombasa Air Safari, daily 07:30–10:30 (from Malindi 08:30, at least 4 passengers)	USD 295 + USD 35 fuel surcharge
The Mara to Mombasa, Diani or Malindi	Mombasa Air Safari, daily 11:30–13:45 (at least 4 passengers to Malindi); Safarilink to Diani/Mombasa 11:00–12:50, high season only	Mombasa Air Safari USD 420 + USD 35; Safarilink USD 435 + taxes
Amboseli to the Mara	Safarilink 08:20–09:40 (listed daily); Mombasa Air Safari from Amboseli/Tsavo West 09:15–10:30; Governors’ Aviation from Amboseli/Kimana 13:45–14:50 (at least 4 guests 15 June–31 October, otherwise on request); FlyALS from Amboseli 08:00 or Finch Hattons 08:30, arriving 09:45, 16 June–30 September only	Safarilink USD 390 + taxes; Mombasa Air Safari USD 310 + USD 20; Governors’ USD 484; FlyALS USD 400 + USD 16 (Finch Hattons USD 450 + USD 16)
Nanyuki to the Mara	Safarilink 09:05–11:00 (listed daily); Airkenya 12:00–13:00 (may route via Wilson in low season); FlyALS 11:30–13:30 (may route via Wilson)	Safarilink USD 441 + taxes; FlyALS USD 355 + USD 16
Lewa, Loisaba or Samburu to the Mara	Airkenya daily 11:00–13:00 (from Samburu may route via Wilson in low season); Safarilink 09:05–11:00, high season only; FlyALS 11:30–13:30 (may route via Wilson)	Safarilink USD 467 + taxes; FlyALS USD 415 + USD 16
Naivasha (Loldia) to the Mara	Safarilink 10:15–11:00, high season only; Governors’ Aviation 10:00–11:00	Safarilink USD 275 + taxes; Governors’ USD 298

Airkenya has no scheduled coast flights, and Safarilink has no direct coast-to-Mara flight, so coast passengers on Safarilink fly via Wilson. In low season Safarilink may route some park-to-Mara passengers via Wilson. Safarilink’s high season in its timetable runs 1 January–31 March, 16 June–31 October and 16–31 December; its web pages give different dates, so check when you book.

MARA TO SERENGETI

Air connections with the Serengeti

Yes, but not directly: the usual route goes through Migori in Kenya and Tarime in Tanzania, with a road transfer and immigration in between. Airkenya and its partner Regional Air sell it as one booking: the flight leaves the Mara at 08:05, reaches Migori at 08:50, and after the road transfer and border formalities leaves Tarime for the Serengeti strips, arriving around 12:30. It runs daily with at least two passengers per strip, except from 1 April to 20 May, and needs four passengers from 1 November to 15 December.

Safarilink and FlyALS also connect the Mara with Migori for onward flights with Tanzanian airlines, Safarilink with at least four passengers and FlyALS in high season (16 June–30 September); FlyALS also flies via Kisumu and Musoma. Carry a yellow fever certificate and get any Tanzanian visa you need before you travel, as the airlines advise, and check whether your Kenya eTA allows you back into Kenya.

AIRSTRIPS

Choosing the camp's arrival airstrip

Your camp decides your airstrip, so ask the camp which Mara airstrip it uses and check that your airline serves it. The table below shows what each strip serves; airline lists of which camps use which strip overlap and sometimes conflict, so the camp has the final word.

Each Mara airstrip is an unsealed murram or dirt runway. Some Mara airstrips, such as Ol Kiombo and Keekorok, were not built for the 30 to 50 seat aircraft that now use them daily, and they need resurfacing from time to time. A strip can then close for repairs, and the airline lands at another Mara airstrip.

STRIP BY STRIP

Airstrips and the areas they serve

Maasai Mara airstrips, the area or camps each serves, and the airlines that list it in their schedules
Mara airstrip	Area or camps	Airlines
Kichwa Tembo	In the Mara Triangle; camps that use it include Kichwa Tembo, Bateleur, Sanctuary Olonana, Mpata Club and Angama Mara	Airkenya, Safarilink, Mombasa Air Safari, Governors’ Aviation, FlyALS
Mara Serena	The Mara Triangle; KAPS staff sell Triangle park tickets at this strip	All five
Musiara	Governors’ Camp’s transfers run from this strip; ask your camp	All five
Ol Kiombo	Camps in the Reserve; ask your camp	All five
Keekorok	Camps around Keekorok in the Reserve; some Cottar’s guests too	All five
Mara North	Mara North Conservancy, the north-western zone of the Mara	All five
Olare Orok	Olare Motorogi Conservancy’s own strip; game viewing starts on the way to camp	All five
Ol Seki (Naboisho)	Mara Naboisho Conservancy, and a camp in Ol Kinyei Conservancy	All five (Mombasa Air Safari from Nairobi only)
Cottar’s	The private strip of Cottar’s camp in Olderkesi Conservancy, south-east of the Reserve	Safarilink, Governors’ Aviation, FlyALS
Ngerende	Ask your camp	All five
Siana	Ask your camp	Safarilink, Mombasa Air Safari (from Nairobi only), FlyALS
Ol Kurruk (Angama)	Ask your camp	Governors’ Aviation; FlyALS lists an “Angama” strip

FlyALS lists Naboisho and Ol Seki separately, while Safarilink and Governors’ Aviation sell them as one strip; ask the airline if you are flying to either. Mombasa Air Safari carries no more than eight passengers on take-off from Mara Serena and Ngerende.

ARRIVAL

Airstrip arrival and camp collection

Your camp usually sends a vehicle to meet the flight at the Mara airstrip, and the drive to camp can double as a first game drive; ask the camp whether the transfer is included. Some Mara airstrips are close to camp, others further: guests of one camp in the south-east who land at Keekorok instead of the camp’s own strip face a drive of about two hours, and that camp charges for the road transfer.

If you are staying in the Mara Triangle, you can buy park tickets on arrival from KAPS staff at Serena Airstrip, by M-Pesa or card but not cash. Elsewhere, ask your camp whether park and conservancy fees are on its invoice. On your last day, guests staying in the Reserve do not pay again if they are out by 11:00 am and do not go on a game drive, so an afternoon flight out can cost another day’s park fee. Our guide to how to pay Maasai Mara park fees explains the options.

BAGGAGE

Baggage allowances and soft bags

Maasai Mara flights use light aircraft with strict weight limits. Every airline allows 15 kg per person including hand luggage, in a soft bag; the details and extra-weight options differ.

Baggage allowances and extra-weight options on Maasai Mara flights, by airline
Airline	Allowance	Bags	Extra weight and storage
Airkenya	15 kg per passenger, including carry-on (carry-on up to 5 kg). Children 2–11 get the full 15 kg; lap infants get none	Soft-sided bags; guide sizes 60 × 45 × 33 cm (checked) and 30 × 53 × 23 cm (hand luggage). Soft bags sold at check-in for USD 20	5 kg for USD 30 or 10 kg for USD 50 booked at least 48 hours ahead; USD 5 per kg at check-in if space allows; or a freight seat for up to 75 kg. Free luggage storage at Wilson
Safarilink	Strictly 15 kg per person including hand baggage; 20 kg on Diani, Entebbe, Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Zanzibar routes. Lap infants get none	Soft bags; one piece per person, no larger than 60 × 45 × 30 cm	Check-in staff may allow up to 2 kg over. Buy 10, 20 or 30 kg bundles up to 48 hours ahead, or a freight seat at the adult fare for an extra 75 kg. Free storage at its Wilson office
Mombasa Air Safari	15 kg total per passenger, including hand baggage and cameras	Soft-sided duffels or rucksacks are mandatory	Excess carried only if the captain allows, at the freight rate
Governors’ Aviation	15 kg per passenger, including hand luggage	Its web page says soft-sided bags; its baggage policy also allows a small hard-shell case. Use a soft bag	USD 3 per kg at the pilot’s discretion. Free storage at its Wilson office
FlyALS	Strictly 15 kg per passenger, including hand luggage; 20 kg to and from Diani. Infants without a seat get none	Soft-sided bags	Excess only at the captain’s discretion, at USD 3 per kg

For a journey combining Mara and coastal sectors, use the baggage allowance shown on each booked flight.

ON BOARD

Aircraft and seating arrangements

The Mara airlines’ fleets include small, high-winged Cessna Caravans and larger twin-engine Dash 7 and Dash 8 aircraft. Safarilink flies Cessna Caravans with up to 12 passengers and two pilots, which it calls ideal for the dirt strips of the game parks, and pressurised Dash 8s of 37 to 52 seats with flight attendants. Mombasa Air Safari mainly flies Cessna Grand Caravans with up to 13 passengers and no cabin attendant. Airkenya’s twin-engine fleet includes the Dash 7 (49 seats), the Dash 8 and the 18-seat Twin Otter, and FlyALS flies Dash 8s, a 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D and Caravans. No airline says which type flies which Maasai Mara flight.

Seats are not assigned in advance on Airkenya: seating is first come, first served, with priority for the aircraft’s weight balance. Flights are too short for meals; Airkenya gives bottled water and mints. If you want a window for photographs of the plains, board early and ask.

CHILDREN

Child and infant fares

On some airlines. Safarilink charges children aged 2 to 11 75% of the adult fare, Airkenya charges children 2 to 11 70% and carries lap infants under 2 free, and Governors’ Aviation has child rates from 2 to 15 years. Mombasa Air Safari and FlyALS publish no child fare.

On Airkenya, children aged 2 to 11 get the full 15 kg baggage allowance, while lap infants get none on Airkenya, Safarilink or FlyALS. Airkenya accepts unaccompanied children aged 5 to 12 with a form completed at booking; Safarilink and Mombasa Air Safari carry under-12s only with an adult, and Governors’ Aviation under-11s. FlyALS asks for a copy of a child’s birth certificate or passport at check-in.

SEATS

Passenger seating and weight conditions

Seats on the light aircraft used for Maasai Mara flights are small. Safarilink recommends that women weighing 90 kg and men weighing 110 kg or more book an extra seat, charged at the child rate, and may charge for one at check-in. Airkenya sets no weight limit but asks passengers who cannot fit comfortably in one seat, with the seatbelt fastened, to buy an adjacent seat in advance at the child’s rate plus taxes. Airkenya carries collapsible wheelchairs free, outside the 15 kg allowance; tell the airline when you book.

CONNECTIONS

Arriving at JKIA? Getting to Wilson for your Mara flight

International flights land at Jomo Kenyatta International (JKIA), but every scheduled Maasai Mara flight leaves from Wilson Airport, on Langata Road about 8 km from the city centre. Safarilink says Wilson is about 18 km from JKIA, about 25 minutes’ drive, but to allow at least an hour in the morning and evening rush hours; it can arrange a JKIA–Wilson taxi with 48 hours’ notice. Airkenya has its own terminal at Wilson, and Safarilink is based at Phoenix House; tell your driver which airline you are flying.

Check in at Wilson 60 minutes before departure (Airkenya refuses check-in within 30 minutes of departure); at Mara airstrips, Airkenya and Safarilink ask for 30 minutes. Safarilink flights may leave up to 15 minutes early, and FlyALS flights up to 20 minutes early. Every airline asks for a passport or other photo ID at check-in, and Safarilink and Mombasa Air Safari ask to see the card used to pay online. Most visitors also need a Kenya eTA before they board the international flight to Kenya: apply on the official site, etakenya.go.ke.

Connect your international arrival with the Mara flight

A Nairobi arrival is not the same as reaching the departure point for your Mara flight. When the international flight arrives at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the domestic service leaves Wilson Airport, the journey includes arrival procedures, a road transfer and domestic check-in. The confirmed flight booking determines the airport, baggage basis and onward airstrip.

Choose the airstrip around the named accommodation and its collection arrangements, using the airstrip guide and Maasai Mara map. A guest who books accommodation separately can arrange a private Land Cruiser with a professional guide for the agreed ground programme; an airstrip transfer and a game drive remain separate itinerary components.

CHARTERS

Charters and flights between airstrips

Yes. Safarilink, Airkenya, Governors’ Aviation and FlyALS all offer charter flights, which suit a group, a honeymoon, an awkward timing or a Mara airstrip the scheduled flights do not serve. The price depends on the size of the aircraft, the distance and landing fees. Safarilink’s charter aircraft have 5 to 52 seats, and on its charters with empty seats more than 15 kg of baggage can be carried. We can include a charter in a safari quote.

Short hops from one Mara airstrip to another are possible on scheduled aircraft when the routing allows. Safarilink books these transfers only within 24 hours of travel, not online, and charges the single Nairobi–Mara fare; Governors’ Aviation offers them on request.

FLY OR DRIVE

Comparing road and fly-in arrivals

Flying saves most of a day. The drive from Nairobi takes about five to seven hours, depending on the gate and the traffic, while a flight reaches the Mara 30 minutes to an hour after leaving Wilson, and the drive from the Mara airstrip to camp can double as a game drive; ask your camp. The cost is the fare and the 15 kg soft-bag limit, which matters if you are carrying camera gear or travelling on to the beach.

Driving lets you stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoints and in Narok, carry more luggage and keep the vehicle and driver for game drives. Many visitors combine the two: fly in to save time and drive out, or the other way round. Our guide to Nairobi to the Maasai Mara by road covers the route, the gates and the drive times, and what a Maasai Mara safari costs compares flying and road safaris.

DELAYS

Weather delays and changes to a flight

Flights can be delayed or rerouted when rain or low cloud cuts visibility at a Mara airstrip, most often in the long rains from April to June. Safarilink may change departure times or aircraft for weather, safety or operational reasons; it rebooks passengers on another flight the same day, or offers a refund if the new timing does not suit you. Airkenya puts passengers on the next available service. Safarilink and Governors’ Aviation provide a night’s accommodation and meals if a flight cannot be completed in one day.

The Mara airlines guarantee connections only to their own flights, so leave plenty of time between an international arrival and a Maasai Mara flight. Safarilink treats passengers who miss a flight as no-shows, who must pay for new tickets; with at least 12 hours’ notice, a booking can be moved to the next flight for a fee.

CHECKLIST

Before you fly to the Mara

Ask your camp which Mara airstrip it uses, and book an airline that serves it.
Pack in a soft bag and keep to 15 kg including hand luggage and cameras; book extra weight ahead if you need it.
Leave extra luggage in the free storage at Wilson if you are returning through Nairobi.
Allow at least an hour from JKIA to Wilson in rush hour, and check in 60 minutes before your flight.
Reconfirm your flight time the day before: flights call at several Mara airstrips, so times vary by strip.
Leave plastic carrier bags at home: Kenya bans them, and duty-free bags must be left at the point of entry.
Do not bring a drone without a Kenya Civil Aviation Authority permit; flying one in parks and reserves is generally banned without separate prior permission.
Most visitors need a Kenya eTA before they fly to Kenya: apply online at etakenya.go.ke.

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