Tourists are facing higher costs to visit the Maasai Mara as Narok County adopts a low-volume, high-value tourism model ahead of the peak wildebeest migration season.

The revised charges have set the entry fee for non-resident adults at $200 per person for a 12-hour ticket from July to December, up from $100 during the January-June low season. The ticket validity period is 12 hours, with the reserve operating between 6am and 6pm.

Kenyan citizens pay Sh3,000 during the high season and Sh1,500 in the low season, according to the current fee schedule.

The increase has unsettled tourism operators, some of whom say the changes came after they had already quoted clients and received payments based on earlier rates.

Narok County Executive Committee Member for Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Robert Rotich Simotwo said the county had deliberately moved towards a seasonal pricing model to reduce pressure on the reserve during peak months.

“Narok County has adopted a strategic marketing model for Maasai Mara as both a low-volume and high-value tourism destination,” Mr Simotwo said.

Also Read: From Maasai Mara luxury lodges to SGR: Legal war over wildlife migration corridors

He said the county had considered higher charges before settling on a maximum of $200 for the peak season.

“Initially, there were recommendations for fees to go as high as $400 for premium conservation areas, but Narok County settled on a maximum of $200 during peak migration season,” he said.

The county says the policy is intended to spread visits more evenly across the year, protect the reserve’s fragile ecosystem and improve tourism returns rather than maximise visitor numbers.

Tour vans entering the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve's Sekenani Gate.

Photo credit: Robert Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

The Mara has historically attracted the largest crowds between July and September, when tourists arrive to watch wildebeest cross the Mara River from Tanzania’s Serengeti ecosystem.

The wider migration involves more than 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras and antelopes moving through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.

In July 2025, the Maasai Mara was recognised by the World Book of Records, UK, for hosting the “World’s Greatest Annual Terrestrial Wildlife Migration”.

The migration is a year-round cycle. Animals move between the Serengeti and Maasai Mara in search of grazing and water, with the best-known river crossings occurring around July to October. They return to Tanzania later in the year, with calving taking place in the southern Serengeti and Ndutu area early in the year.

Narok says the pricing model is partly informed by the National Tourism Strategy 2021-2025, which recommended seasonal pricing for premium parks and reserves.

The county argues that the Mara cannot sustainably operate as a mass-tourism destination because of its relatively small and sensitive ecosystem. It says spreading visitors beyond the migration months will ease congestion and improve conservation outcomes.

The approach has drawn comparisons with Rwanda, where high-value tourism, particularly gorilla tourism, has been used to generate substantial revenues while limiting pressure on sensitive habitats.

Also Read: Human development disrupts decades-old wildlife migration routes in Kenya

The county says revenue from the Mara is being used to improve infrastructure, conservation and community benefits.

Over the past year, it says it has upgraded more than 200 kilometres of roads inside the reserve. Airstrips, washrooms, gates and rest areas have also been maintained or improved.

Speed cameras have been introduced to deter motorists from speeding and reduce the risk of vehicles striking wildlife.

Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu said the county was also using technology to strengthen conservation and security.

“We are embracing technology in conservation through systems such as EarthRanger, which helps in wildlife monitoring, security coordination, and real-time management of the ecosystem,” he said.

Mr Ntutu said the county had established a conservation centre and renovated a research centre to support scientific research, conservation planning and environmental management.

He said ranger operations had also been strengthened through additional vehicles, uniforms and other equipment. Some rangers have been trained and are serving as National Police Reservists, he added.

A legislative framework is being developed to enable the county to support communities in expanding conservation areas and conservancies, Mr Ntutu said.

Maasai Mara — Tourists watch the movement of wildebeests at Masaai Mara Game Reserve.

Photo credit: File I Nation Media Group

The changes, however, have raised concerns among tourism operators, who fear that higher costs could make Kenya less competitive against Tanzania.

Tour Operators Society of Kenya acting chief executive officer Raymond Cheruiyot said the industry was concerned about the higher fees and other costs passed on to operators and tourists.

“A lot of the tourists are heading to Tanzania where the charges are lower and the experience is the same. There is a need for both the national and county governments to have a re-look at the charges,” said Mr Cheruiyot, who is also managing partner of Euray Safaris East Africa.

He said operators were already dealing with high operating costs, taxes and other levies and cautioned against measures that could hurt tourism demand and jobs.

Also Read: Peak tourism, rising costs: Operators protest raft of new levies as State targets Sh1trn in earnings

Mr Nathan Rana, chief executive officer of Ranath Tours and Travels, said higher park charges were also increasing the cost of additional experiences.

He cited hot-air balloon safaris, which he said now cost $550, up from $450, with the increase adding to the cost of a Mara trip.

Some domestic tourists also say the higher costs could put the reserve beyond the reach of ordinary families.

“I had planned to take my family to watch the wildebeest migration, but the prohibitive entry fees and cost of transport are way above my reach now. I will have to change plans to travel elsewhere in December,” said trade unionist Kibet Langat.

For Pauline Pareiyo, however, the higher cost will not cancel a long-held ambition.

Tourists on game drive watch a herd of elephants at Musiara area of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

“Even with the increased entry fees, I will have to ensure that I travel to the Maasai Mara, as it has been on my bucket list for long,” said Ms Pareiyo, a businesswoman.

Narok County maintains that the long-term objective is to protect the reserve while ensuring tourism remains commercially viable and communities benefit from the resource.

The county says extreme weather, including prolonged drought and heavy rainfall, is already affecting wildlife movement, vegetation, infrastructure and the wider ecosystem.

The county has previously reported that the reserve received close to 400,000 visitors in one year, a level it says can place pressure on the ecosystem. Its officials say the model is not aimed at stopping tourism, but at managing demand, improving visitor distribution and ensuring that conservation costs are matched by tourism revenues.

Major contributor

The tourism sector remains a major contributor to Kenya’s economy. Government figures have put tourism’s annual contribution at about Sh1.2 trillion and supported employment at about 1.7 million jobs.

Kenya is also pursuing a target of raising direct tourism earnings from about Sh500 billion to Sh1 trillion by 2028 and increasing international tourist arrivals to more than five million, from about 2.7 million.

The higher charges at the Mara therefore come as the country seeks to grow tourism earnings while protecting the natural assets on which the sector depends.

The reserve is part of the wider Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, a transboundary landscape supporting hundreds of mammal species and more than 1,100 bird species across Kenya. Its appeal extends beyond the migration to the Big Five — lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino — as well as cheetahs, giraffes, hippos and zebras.

For Narok, the challenge is to demonstrate that higher prices can deliver better conservation, visitor experience and community returns without pricing Kenyan families and other travellers out of one of the country’s most celebrated wildlife destinations.

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