Fees

Maasai Mara Park Fees

Reserve and conservancy fees are a real, meaningful part of your safari cost — and one of the most frequently changing. Here's how they're structured, without pretending we can quote you today's exact rate.

Plan My Safari See the Full Cost Breakdown

Reviewed August 2026 — verify current park fees and rates with our team.

Park and conservancy fees change, sometimes with little notice

Entry fees are set by government and county authorities (for the reserve) or by individual conservancy management (for private conservancies), and both are revised periodically. Any figure on this page is illustrative only, not a current rate. Our team confirms the exact fees that apply to your dates and area at the time of booking.

How the fee structure works

Rather than one flat "Maasai Mara entry fee," you're actually dealing with several distinct charges depending on where you stay and travel:

Reserve entry fees: The Maasai Mara National Reserve is managed in two parts — the Mara Triangle (run by the Mara Triangle Conservancy) and the wider reserve (administered by Narok County). Both charge a non-resident entry fee, typically billed on a per-person, per-day basis.
Conservancy fees: The private conservancies surrounding the reserve — Naboisho, Mara North, Olare Motorogi and others — each set their own entry fees, usually payable through the camp you're staying at rather than at a gate.
Resident vs non-resident tiers: Kenyan citizens and East African residents typically pay a substantially lower rate than international non-resident visitors. Most travellers using this site will fall into the non-resident tier.
Children's rates: Reserves and conservancies generally offer reduced rates for children below a set age threshold, with younger children sometimes exempt entirely. Age brackets vary by authority.
Per-day billing: Fees are usually charged per 24-hour period or calendar day of your stay, not as a single flat entry charge — so a longer stay accumulates more fee days.

Roughly what to expect (illustrative only)

To give you a general sense of scale rather than a number to plan around: non-resident adult entry fees for East African reserves and conservancies of this kind are commonly discussed in the region of indicatively $70–$100 per person, per day, with conservancy fees sometimes bundled into your accommodation rate rather than charged separately. This is a broad, illustrative planning range only — it is not sourced from a live fee schedule, may already be out of date, and must be confirmed by our team before you budget against it.

What park fees typically do NOT include

Accommodation — camps and lodges are booked and paid separately
Transport — road transfer or fly-in flights are additional
Your guide and vehicle — usually part of your safari package, not the entry fee
Balloon safaris, night drives or walking safaris — these are optional extras with their own fees

In other words, the park fee is one line item within a broader safari cost, not the total. See our safari cost guide for how it fits alongside accommodation and transport.

Reserve vs conservancy fees — why they differ

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a public protected area with fees set by county and reserve management, generally allowing higher vehicle density since access isn't limited by bed count. Private conservancies, by contrast, cap the number of beds and vehicles allowed, funding conservation and community payments partly through their entry fees. This is one reason conservancy stays often cost more overall, even though the wildlife experience — lower vehicle density, off-road driving, night drives — is frequently the trade-off travellers are paying for.

Frequently asked questions

Why won't you just tell me the current park fee?

Because government and conservancy fee schedules change periodically and we have no way to guarantee a figure published here is still accurate when you read it. Our team checks current rates at the time you book, which is the only reliable source.

Are park fees included in my safari package price?

It depends on the operator and package. Some quotes bundle park and conservancy fees into the overall price, others list them separately. Always confirm this explicitly before comparing quotes.

Do children pay full park fees?

Typically not. Most reserves and conservancies offer reduced children's rates, with an age cutoff for free or discounted entry that varies by authority. Our team can confirm the applicable bracket for your children's ages.

Do I pay park fees at the gate or in advance?

This varies. Reserve fees are often paid or pre-arranged through your operator and settled at the gate; conservancy fees are usually collected by the camp as part of your stay. Our team handles this logistics for you.

Need today's actual fee figures?

Our team checks current reserve and conservancy rates for your exact dates and area before you book.

Plan My Safari

Get accurate current fees for your trip

Share your dates and areas of interest — our team will confirm exact current fees as part of your quote.