5 Days Masai Mara Serengeti Safari: The Honest 2026 Guide
A 5 Days Masai Mara Serengeti Safari will see you cross the Kenya-Tanzania border in 5 days. That means 2 nights in the Mara, 1 transit day, and 2 nights in the Serengeti. You get 4 game drives in each park and lose a full day to border logistics. For the 2026/2027 season, all-inclusive rates for two people sharing range from KES 495,000 ($3,800) to KES 1,280,000 ($9,845) per person. This covers private 4×4 Land Cruisers in both countries, all park fees, and internal flights. The honest advice is that 5 days is tight for a cross-border trip. If you only have 5 days, spending all of them in one park gives you a better safari. If you insist on both, this is how to make it work.
5 Days Masai Mara Serengeti Safari Costs (2026/2027)
This is the 5-day version of our Masai Mara and Serengeti Safari. For a more realistic schedule, see the 8-day version.
This trip crosses an international border. The pricing includes park fees in both Kenya and Tanzania, two separate 4×4 vehicles with guides, border logistics, and internal flights. These are all-inclusive prices for two people traveling together.
5-Day All-Inclusive Rates (Per Person Sharing)
Package Tier | Suggested Hotels | Regular (KES) | Peak (KES) |
Budget | Talek Bush Camp + Tukaone Camp | KES 495,000 | KES 715,000 |
Mid-Range | Ashnil Mara + Kubu Kubu Tented Lodge | KES 680,000 | KES 945,000 |
Luxury | Mara Serena + Serengeti Serena | KES 1,020,000 | KES 1,220,000 |
Luxury Plus | Angama Mara + Sasakwa Lodge | KES 1,280,000 | KES 1,450,000 |
Book Now | Current Rates |
Note: Peak season is July–October for the wildebeest migration. For a luxury safari upgrade, request a custom quote.
What’s Covered in the Price?
- Vehicles. Private 4×4 Safari Land Cruiser in Kenya and a separate 4×4 in Tanzania.
- Flights. Internal flights via Masai Mara flying packages.
- Guides. TRA-licensed guide for the Kenya leg. Tanzanian guide for the Serengeti leg.
- Park Fees. Kenya fees via eCitizen. Tanzania fees via TANAPA.
- Accommodation. Full board throughout, 4 nights.
Excluded. Kenya eTA ($30–$50), Tanzania eVisa ($50–$100), tips (KES 4,000/day recommended for guides in both countries), hot air balloon ($450–$500), international flights.
Before You Book This Trip
Safari Option | Total Game Drives | Core Trade-Off (2026) |
5-Day Combined
(Mara + Serengeti) | 8 total
(4 in Mara / 4 in Serengeti) | Loses 1 full day to cross-border flight connections and vehicle swaps. |
5-Day Single-Park
(Masai Mara Only) | 8 total
(All in Masai Mara) | Zero transit days; allows extra night drives and walking safaris. |
I’ve been guiding for ten years and I run this route regularly. Five days is not a lot of time to cross an international border and safari in two different parks. You lose an entire day getting from the Mara to the Serengeti, which leaves you with one full day in each park. That’s 4 game drives on each side. It works, but it’s tight.
Something else worth knowing is that the Big Five are the same in both parks. You won’t see different animals on the Serengeti side. What you will see is a different landscape. The Mara is hilly and concentrated, while the Serengeti is flat and open in a way that’s hard to describe until you’re there. Whether that contrast is worth the extra cost and the transit day depends on what matters to you.
For most first-time visitors with 5 days, a 5 days Masai Mara safari with conservancy nights is a better use of the time. You get 8 game drives instead of 4, plus night drives and walking safaris that the Serengeti doesn’t offer. No border paperwork, no vehicle swap, no lost day.
But if you’ve already done the Mara, or if seeing both sides of the migration on one trip is something you’ve set your mind on, this is how to make 5 days work.
The 5-Day Itinerary
You spend two nights in the Mara, one day crossing the border, and two nights in the Serengeti.
Day 1: Nairobi to Masai Mara
Morning flight from Wilson Airport. Arrive for lunch and an afternoon game drive. Your park ticket is valid from 6 AM to 6 PM on each calendar day, so if you enter at 2 PM you’re paying the full day rate for 4 hours of driving. Some operators skip the afternoon entry and do a Masai village visit or a conservancy drive outside the reserve instead, saving the full-day fee for Day 2 when you can use it from 6 AM.
Day 2: Full Day in the Mara
Morning and afternoon game drives. If the migration is in the Mara (July–October), we position near the Mara River crossing points. If you’re in a conservancy, do your night drive tonight. The Serengeti doesn’t allow them.
Day 3: Mara to Serengeti
This is the transit day. You fly from the Mara to Nairobi, then from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro or directly into a Serengeti airstrip. The flights take most of the day. You arrive in the afternoon or early evening. If your operator routes you via the Isebania land border instead, it takes 10–12 hours and you arrive exhausted. On 5 days, flying is the only option that makes sense.
Day 4: Full Day in the Serengeti
Your one full day. Morning and afternoon game drives. The Serengeti feels bigger than the Mara within the first hour. Tell your Tanzanian guide your priorities immediately. You don’t have time to build rapport over three days. If you care about leopards, say so in the first 10 minutes. If you’ve already seen plenty of lions in the Mara, ask for smaller predators and birds instead.
Day 5: Departure
Morning game drive. Fly to Arusha or Kilimanjaro Airport. Transfer to Nairobi for your international connection.
Getting Across the Border
Transition Step | What Happens | Action Required |
1. The Boundary | Sand River Gate is closed. | You must fly via Nairobi to cross legally. |
2. Your Guide | Kenyan guides stay in Kenya. | You meet a new Tanzanian guide across the border. |
3. Your 4×4 | Vehicles cannot cross borders. | You switch to a completely separate 4×4 vehicle. |
4. Hand Luggage | Bags are moved during transit. | Keep passport, cash, and physical Yellow Fever card with you. |
See the Masai Mara and Serengeti Safari main page for full details on the border logistics, the vehicle swap, and why the Sand River gate between the parks has been closed for over 40 years.
Your Kenyan guide and vehicle stay in Kenya. Your Tanzanian guide and vehicle meet you on the other side. Keep your passport, yellow fever card, and cash in your hand luggage during the transition.
Advice for This Route
- Time It for August or September. This is the only window where parts of the migration are in both the Mara and the northern Serengeti. Outside this window, the herds are concentrated in one park and the other feels empty. On a 5-day trip, visiting the empty park is a waste.
- The Serengeti Fee Runs on a 24-Hour Clock. Unlike the Mara, the Serengeti permit starts from the moment you enter. If you enter at 3 PM on Day 3, your permit covers you until 3 PM on Day 5, which means your departure morning drive is included without an extra fee.
- No Ngorongoro on 5 Days. If an operator suggests adding Ngorongoro Crater to a 5-day cross-border trip, they’re selling you a drive, not a safari. The crater needs a half-day and the transfer takes 3–4 hours. There’s no time.
- Pack One Bag. On longer cross-border trips, you swap bags at Wilson Airport. On 5 days, the transit is too tight. Pack one soft duffel that works for both parks. The climate and terrain are the same on both sides.
- Pre-Apply for Your Tanzania eVisa 30 Days in Advance. Print three copies. Border technology fails. Power outages happen. Guests without pre-approved visas have waited hours in concrete rooms while officers entered data manually.
- Do Your Night Drive and Walking Safari in the Mara. The Serengeti doesn’t allow either. If these matter to you, use your Day 2 evening for the night drive and ask about a short morning walk in the conservancy on Day 2 before the main game drive.
- Siana Gate. Sekenani and Talek are bottlenecks for eCitizen validation. I use the Siana Gate for faster entry.
- Masai Mara booking Operator Check. Verify your Kenya operator on the KATO directory and your Tanzania operator on the TATO directory before paying any deposit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 5 days enough for both parks?
See the Before You Book section above. Short answer: it works, but a 5 days Masai Mara safari is better for most first-timers. For the full cross-border experience, see the 8-day version.
What is the best month?
August to September for herds in both parks. Check our best time to visit Masai Mara guide and the Masai Mara vs Serengeti comparison.
Do I need separate visas?
Yes. Kenya eTA ($30–$50) and Tanzania eVisa ($50–$100). Apply for both at least 2 weeks before travel.
Is a 4×4 mandatory?
Yes, in both countries. Every private safari we run uses a 4×4.
Will I see different animals in each park?
No. See the Before You Book section above for what the actual difference is.
Should You Do This Trip
If you’ve already done the Mara and want to see the other side of the migration, 5 days gets you there and back with enough time to feel the difference in scale. If this is your first safari in East Africa, see the Before You Book section above.
If a Kenya-only trip suits you better, see our 5 days Masai Mara safari or 4 days Masai Mara safari. Want to add a beach? See the Masai Mara and Diani Beach Safari or the Masai Mara and Zanzibar Safari. Want a different Kenya circuit? See the Masai Mara Amboseli Nakuru Safari or the 6 days Masai Mara Amboseli safari. Browse everything on our Masai Mara packages page.
Ready to start? Fill out our booking form at Masaimara.co.ke here and I’ll get both vehicles and the border logistics ready.
Related Reading:
- Masai Mara and Serengeti Safari
- Masai Mara vs Serengeti
- Masai Mara and Zanzibar Safari
- Masai Mara and Diani Beach Safari
- Masai Mara and Mombasa Safari
- Masai Mara Amboseli Nakuru Safari
- 6 Days Masai Mara Amboseli Safari
- 5 Days Masai Mara Safari
- 4 Days Masai Mara Safari
- Masai Mara Packages
- Luxury Safari Masai Mara
- Masai Mara Flying Packages
- Masai Mara Migration
- Masai Mara Booking
- Wildebeest Migration Kenya
- Masai Mara Entrance Gates
- Official KWS Park Fee Portal
- Kenya Wildlife Service
This guide was authored by David Njunge, a TRA-licensed safari guide with over 10 years of experience, and edited by Cecilia Wambui, a travel consultant with a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
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