KenyaMaasai Mara Luxury Safari from India: Cost & Season 2026
A private luxury Maasai Mara safari from India typically costs ₹7.8 lakh to ₹20 lakh+ for two for five nights, flying Mumbai to Nairobi nonstop in about six hours.
Answered · checked 30 October 2026
Kenya or Tanzania: which is better for a private safari from India?
The short answer
Choose by month. Kenya's Maasai Mara and its private conservancies are best from July to October, when the migration crosses the Mara River, and Nairobi is about six hours nonstop from Mumbai. Tanzania's Serengeti wins from December to March for the calving and June for the Grumeti crossings. Plan ₹9 lakh to ₹20 lakh or more for two for six nights, land only.
- For two, 6 nights
- ₹9L to ₹20L+, land only
- Per person
- ₹4.5L to ₹10L+
- Kenya
- eTA online, usually 3 working days
- Flying
- Mumbai to Nairobi nonstop, about 6 hours
- Health
- Yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before
Where the herds are, month by month
The Great Migration is a loop of about two million wildebeest and zebra between Tanzania's Serengeti and Kenya's Mara, steered by the rain. These are typical positions; the rain moves them weeks either way.
| Month | Where the herds usually are | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| January to March | Southern Serengeti and Ndutu, calving peaks in February | Tanzania |
| April to May | Moving north through the central Serengeti, long rains | Tanzania, quietly |
| June | Western corridor, Grumeti River crossings | Tanzania |
| July to October | Northern Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, Mara River crossings | Kenya, or northern Tanzania |
| November | Heading south through the Serengeti, short rains | Tanzania |
| December | Arriving in the southern Serengeti | Tanzania |
Kenya and Tanzania, side by side
| Kenya | Tanzania | |
|---|---|---|
| Signature areas | Maasai Mara and its private conservancies, Laikipia, Amboseli | Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire |
| Entry for Indians | eTA online, usually 3 working days | eVisa online before travel |
| From India | Nonstop Mumbai to Nairobi, then a 45-minute light aircraft | Via Nairobi to Kilimanjaro or Arusha, then light aircraft |
| Private touches | Conservancies allow off-road driving, night drives and walking | Vast parks, fewer vehicles in the remote corners |
| Lodges we would book | Angama Mara, Mahali Mzuri, Cottar's 1920s Camp | Singita Grumeti, Four Seasons Safari Lodge, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge |
| Best for | Shorter trips, July to October, first safaris | Calving season, longer trips, the Crater |
Entry and health
Kenya issues Indians an electronic travel authorisation through the official eTA portal, usually within three working days; apply two weeks ahead to be safe. Tanzania issues an eVisa online. Take the yellow fever vaccine at least ten days before you fly: India's health ministry checks for a valid certificate when you return from a yellow fever risk country, and a certificate under ten days old is not valid. Malaria prophylaxis is sensible for both.
Safari as a family of four
East Africa is one of the great family journeys if the design is right. Book your own vehicle and guide, so a restless ten-year-old never spoils a sighting for strangers. Choose a camp with family tents or a private house, and check minimum ages, which vary by camp for walking and some drives. Plan on about 1.7 to 1.9 times the couple's figure.
What it costs.
Considered · ₹9L to ₹13L for two
Six nights split between two excellent tented camps, near-private game drives, all meals and park fees, and light-aircraft hops between airstrips.
Elevated · ₹13L to ₹20L for two
A private conservancy in the Mara or the remote northern Serengeti, your own vehicle and guide throughout, night drives and walking, and a balloon at dawn.
The rarest · ₹20L+ for two
Singita Grumeti or Angama Mara at migration peak, a private photographic guide, a helicopter day over the plains, and a Nairobi or Arusha house night to land softly.
July to October and the Christmas weeks price at the top of each band and book out early, often by March for the crossings. A family of four lands at about 1.7 to 1.9 times. Business-class flights from Mumbai add roughly ₹1.5L to ₹3L per person.
Questions, answered
Also asked.
How much does a private Kenya or Tanzania safari cost from India?
About ₹9 lakh to ₹20 lakh or more for two for six nights, land only, or ₹4.5 lakh to ₹10 lakh per person. The finest camps at migration peak sit above ₹20 lakh for two.
When is the best time to see the Great Migration?
July to October in the Maasai Mara and northern Serengeti for river crossings, January to March in the southern Serengeti for the calving, and June for the Grumeti crossings in Tanzania's western corridor.
Is Kenya or Tanzania better for a first safari?
Kenya, for most Indian travellers: Nairobi is about six hours nonstop from Mumbai, the Mara is 45 minutes away by light aircraft, and the private conservancies offer exceptional game with few vehicles.
Do Indians need a visa for Kenya and Tanzania?
Kenya uses an online eTA, usually issued within three working days. Tanzania issues an eVisa online. Apply at least two weeks ahead for both.
Is the yellow fever vaccine required?
Take it at least ten days before you fly. India checks for a valid yellow fever certificate when you return from a yellow fever risk country, and quarantine of up to six days applies without one.
Is a safari good for a family of four?
Yes, with a private vehicle, a family tent or house, and attention to camp minimum ages. Budget about 1.7 to 1.9 times the couple's ₹9 lakh to ₹20 lakh figure.
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