A non-resident adult pays $200 a day to enter the Masai Mara National Reserve between July and December 2026, double the January to June rate. Most guides stop at the price. The bigger surprise is the clock: your ticket runs from 6am to 6pm, and leaving after 10am on your last day can cost you another full day. This guide gives you the current fees, the timing rules, the Mara Triangle and conservancy differences, and how Gotukio prices handle all of it.

Key Takeaways

• $100 per adult per day from 1 January to 30 June 2026 for non-residents.

• $200 per adult per day from 1 July to 31 December 2026, the migration months.

• $50 per child per day for ages 9 to 17, all year. Children 8 and under enter free.

• 12 hours, 6am to 6pm, is how long a ticket lasts, whatever time you enter.

• 10am is the exit deadline on departure day, by road or at the airstrip.

• 0 cash is accepted at Mara Triangle gates. Pay by Visa, Mastercard or M-Pesa.

• $80 to $160 per adult per night is the typical private conservancy fee, usually built into your camp rate.

• No 2027 schedule has been published by Narok County as of 21 October 2026.

How Much Are Masai Mara Park Fees in 2026?

Masai Mara park fees in 2026 are $100 per non-resident adult per day from January to June and $200 per day from July to December, with children aged 9 to 17 paying $50 all year. The rates are set by Narok County Government, which runs the Masai Mara National Reserve, and they apply on both the Narok side and in the Mara Triangle.

Fees as published for 2026 by Masai Mara Travel and reported by The Kenya Times and Nation. Checked 21 October 2026.

This two-season structure has been in place since January 2024. Narok County has not published a separate 2027 schedule. At a county stakeholders' meeting in July 2026, tourism operators asked for lower fees from October to December, and the Governor defended the increase instead, according to the Mara Conservancy's July 2026 report. Plan your 2027 budget on the 2026 rates and expect them to hold unless the county announces otherwise.

How much do children pay to enter the Masai Mara?

Children aged 9 to 17 pay $50 a day in every month, and children aged 8 and under enter free. The child rate does not double in July, so a family's peak-season premium sits almost entirely on the adults. A family of two adults and two teenagers pays $300 a day in March and $500 a day in August.

Why do Masai Mara park fees vary?

Four things change what you pay: the month, the age of each traveller, your residency and where you sleep. The month decides whether an adult pays $100 or $200. Age decides whether a traveller pays the adult rate, $50 or nothing. Kenyan citizens and East African residents pay shilling rates far below the dollar rates, but only with a national ID or a passport showing a work permit. Where you sleep decides whether you pay reserve fees at all, because a camp in a private conservancy charges its own fee instead.

What Is the Masai Mara 12-Hour Rule?

A Masai Mara ticket is valid from 6am to 6pm on the day you buy it, whatever time you enter, and it does not carry over to the next morning. The rule replaced the old 24-hour ticket in July 2023. Enter at 3pm and you get three hours of game viewing for a full day's fee. Kenya Wildlife Service parks such as Amboseli National Park and Nairobi National Park still run 24-hour tickets, which is why travellers coming from those parks get caught out.

The practical effect depends on where you sleep. If your camp is outside the reserve, you buy a new ticket every day you drive in, including a short morning drive on your last day. If your camp is inside the reserve, you pay for each day you are in it, and the departure-day deadline below decides whether your last morning costs extra.

What is the 10am exit rule in the Masai Mara?

On your departure day you must exit the reserve gate by 10am if you leave by road, or be at the airstrip by 10am if you fly, or you pay another full day. In August that is another $200 per adult. A final game drive that runs late, a slow breakfast or a lion sighting near the gate can all push you past it. Tickets are electronic and time-stamped, so plan as if there is no grace period.

Do I pay extra if I fly out of the Masai Mara in the afternoon?

Yes, an afternoon flight usually means paying for an extra day, because you need to reach the airstrip by 10am to avoid it. Ask for a morning flight out when you book. Guests staying outside the reserve who drive in only to reach an airstrip inside it get a 2-hour transit ticket at the gate instead of a full-day ticket.

Can You Pay Cash at Mara Triangle Gates?

No, the Mara Triangle is cashless: you pay by Visa, Mastercard or M-Pesa only. The Triangle is the western sector of the reserve, run by the not-for-profit Mara Conservancy on behalf of Narok County. Tickets are sold by KAPS staff at Purungat Bridge, Oloololo Gate and Serena Airstrip, or in advance online and at the KAPS office in Nairobi.

The Triangle charges the same seasonal rates as the Narok side, and fees are paid according to where you stay. If you sleep at Mara Serena Safari Lodge, one of only two permanent camps inside the Triangle, and drive in through Sekenani Gate, you pay at Purungat Bridge rather than at Sekenani. Carry your passport: the Conservancy does not accept a driving licence as ID, and anyone without valid ID pays the non-resident rate.

On the Narok side (Sekenani, Talek, Musiara and Oloolaimutia gates), card and M-Pesa are accepted, and some sources say US dollars and shillings in cash still are. Do not plan on cash anywhere in the Mara. If you book through an operator, the fees are normally prepaid and you never queue at a payment desk.

How Much Are Masai Mara Conservancy Fees?

Private conservancies bordering the Mara charge roughly $80 to $160 per adult per night in 2026, usually built into your camp's nightly rate rather than paid at a gate. The money funds lease payments to Maasai landowning families plus conservancy rangers, which is why a conservancy fee is not a park ticket. These fees are set by each conservancy, not by Narok County.

Exact fees vary by camp, so check the breakdown for your dates.

Do I pay Masai Mara reserve fees if I stay in a conservancy?

Only on the days you drive into the reserve itself, when you pay the full daily reserve fee on top of your conservancy fee. A conservancy guest who spends one day at the Mara River crossings in August pays $200 for that day's reserve ticket. If you stay inside the conservancy for your whole visit, you pay no reserve fee at all, which is one reason a conservancy stay can cost less than it first appears in peak season. Our guide to Masai Mara National Reserve vs Conservancies covers the trade-offs.

Are Park Fees Included in Gotukio Masai Mara Prices?

Yes, Gotukio itinerary prices include the Masai Mara reserve or conservancy fees for your exact dates, ages and camp, and they appear as their own line in the price breakdown. That means the $100 or $200 rate is applied to the days you are actually in the reserve, child rates are applied by age, and the fees are prepaid through the local operator so you are not paying at the gate. If you move your dates from June into July, the breakdown updates to the peak rate before you book.

Worked example 1: Kenyan Lakes & Masai Mara, two adults

Gotukio's Kenyan Lakes & Masai Mara trip is 4 nights with 2 in the Mara, from $1,410 per person. Here is what the reserve fee alone comes to for a couple.

The same two nights cost the couple $400 more in August than in March. One late exit in August adds another $400.

Worked example 2: family of four at Mara Serena in September

Two adults and children aged 14 and 11 stay 3 nights at Mara Serena Safari Lodge in the Mara Triangle. Each day costs $200 + $200 + $50 + $50 = $500, so 3 fee days total $1,500, paid by card or M-Pesa. In April the same stay would cost $900.

Worked example 3: conservancy stay with one reserve day

A couple on Kenyan Classics (7 nights, from $2,450 per person) chooses Losokwan in Mara North Conservancy for their Mara nights in August. The conservancy fee sits inside Losokwan's nightly rate. If they add one full day in the reserve for river crossings, that day adds $200 each, $400 for the couple.

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What to Check Before You Book a Masai Mara Safari

1. Note which months your Mara nights fall in. 30 June and 1 July are priced differently.

2. Check whether your camp is inside the reserve, outside it, or in a conservancy.

3. Count your fee days, including your last morning.

4. Book a morning flight out, or a road transfer that clears the gate before 10am.

5. Confirm the fee line in your quote covers every traveller at the right age rate.

6. Carry your passport on game drives for ID checks at the gate.

Common Masai Mara Park Fee Mistakes

• Budgeting at $100 for a trip that crosses 1 July. A stay from 29 June to 2 July pays both rates.

• Assuming the ticket lasts 24 hours. It ends at 6pm, so an afternoon arrival is a full day's fee for a few hours.

• Booking an afternoon flight out. Reaching the airstrip after 10am adds a full day per adult.

• Turning up at the Triangle with cash. Purungat Bridge, Oloololo Gate and Serena Airstrip take only card and M-Pesa.

• Leaving passports at camp. A driving licence is not accepted as ID in the Triangle, and you default to the non-resident rate.

• Forgetting the reserve fee on a conservancy trip. Every day you cross into the reserve is charged on top.

Masai Mara Park Fees FAQ

What are the Masai Mara park fees for 2027?

Narok County had not published a 2027 schedule as of 21 October 2026. The 2026 rates of $100 (January to June) and $200 (July to December) per non-resident adult are the safest planning figures. Gotukio updates trip prices when the county confirms new rates.

When does the Masai Mara peak fee start?

The $200 rate starts on 1 July and runs to 31 December. The $100 rate covers 1 January to 30 June.

Are Masai Mara park fees per day or per night?

Reserve fees are charged per 12-hour day from 6am to 6pm. Conservancy fees are charged per night and are usually part of your camp rate.

Is the Mara Triangle cheaper than the main reserve?

No, the Triangle charges the same seasonal rates. It is managed separately by the Mara Conservancy and only accepts cashless payment.

Do children pay Masai Mara park fees?

Children aged 9 to 17 pay $50 a day all year. Children aged 8 and under enter free.

Can I pay Masai Mara park fees in advance?

Yes. Tickets can be prepaid through KAPS in Nairobi or online, and operators normally prepay them for you. On Gotukio the fees are included in your booking.

Is a Masai Mara conservancy cheaper than the reserve in peak season?

Often it is closer than it looks. A conservancy fee of around $130 a night can be lower than the $200 reserve fee in July to December, though conservancy camps usually charge more per night overall.

What to Do Next

• If you want the lowest fees, plan your Mara nights between January and June

• If you want the migration, budget $200 per adult per day 

• If you are combining Kenya and Tanzania, start with Cross-Border Migration, 9 nights from $3,300 per person.

• If you want a short trip, start with Kenyan Lakes & Masai Mara.

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