Serengeti or Maasai Mara? How to Choose Between Tanzania and Kenya

It is one of the most common questions we hear: Serengeti or Maasai Mara? The two parks sit on either side of the Kenya–Tanzania border and form a single great ecosystem, but the experience of visiting each can be surprisingly different.

Key takeaways

• The Serengeti and Maasai Mara are part of one ecosystem, linked by the Great Migration.

• The Serengeti is far larger, with a feeling of vast, open wilderness.

• The Maasai Mara is compact and easier to reach, with famously dense wildlife.

• Your travel dates are often the deciding factor, because the migration moves through the year.

One ecosystem, two countries

Each year, well over a million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, move in a great loop between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara, following the rains and fresh grass. Wherever you go, you are visiting the same remarkable landscape, just from a different side of the border.

At a glance

Choose the Serengeti if…

• You want a sense of endless space and true wilderness.

• You are travelling between December and March, when the herds gather in the southern Serengeti for the calving season.

• You would like to combine your safari with the Ngorongoro Crater and a beach stay in Zanzibar.

• You have a little more time, as distances inside the park are long.

Choose the Maasai Mara if…

• You are travelling between about July and October and want the best chance of Mara River crossings.

• You have limited time and want maximum wildlife in a short stay.

• You value the private conservancies, which limit vehicle numbers and can offer walks and night drives.

• You plan to combine your safari with other Kenyan highlights such as Amboseli or the coast.

There is no wrong answer: the right park is the one that best fits your dates, your time and the kind of safari you dream of.

Why not both?

With enough time, you can combine the two, crossing between Kenya and Tanzania overland or by air. Many travellers start in the Mara and continue to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro, or the other way round, experiencing the ecosystem from both sides.

Start planning

Leaning towards Tanzania? The 4 Days Serengeti Safari covers the iconic plains of the Serengeti with an experienced guide. Prefer Kenya? Browse our safari tours to find the Maasai Mara trip that suits you.