July through October is peak season, when the wildebeest migration is in the Mara and wildlife viewing is at its most dramatic — along with the most vehicles and highest prices. January to March brings dry, clear days, excellent big-cat sightings, and newborn animals. November's short rains turn the landscape green with very few tourists.
Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra cross into the Mara. Sightings are spectacular and predators are highly active. Expect more vehicles at each sighting and higher lodging prices across Kenya.
Warm days, short grass, and excellent visibility for lions, cheetah, and elephants. Many animals give birth in this window. Fewer visitors than the migration months.
The short rains arrive in brief afternoon bursts and the plains turn vivid green. Photography is at its best, the park is uncrowded, and prices soften. This is the season several of our expeditions use deliberately.
The wettest months. Roads can be difficult and some camps close, though the landscape is beautiful and visitor numbers are lowest.
For combining humanitarian work with safari, the January–March and November windows are ideal: comfortable temperatures for full project days, easy travel between communities, and excellent game viewing without peak-season crowds.
No one can guarantee it. The herds move with the rain, and even in peak months crossings are unpredictable.
Yes, if you accept muddier roads. The landscape is at its most beautiful and the park is nearly empty.
Two full days of game drives, which is what our expeditions include, gives most travelers a strong range of sightings.