Routes · Africa

Chicago to Kenya: Nairobi and the Maasai Mara

Chicago → Nairobi → Maasai Mara

Great Migration safari Best season (general guide): Jul–Oct

Kenya's Maasai Mara is one of the best places in Africa to see the big cats and the vast herds of the Great Migration. This route keeps it simple: a couple of nights in Nairobi after the long flight from Chicago, which usually connects in Europe or the Gulf, then several days on safari in the Mara.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two in Nairobi: day one, arrive and settle in; day two, elephant orphanage, Giraffe Centre or Nairobi National Park. Then spend days three to six in the Maasai Mara: day three, road to the Mara, then afternoon game drive; day four, full day of game drives; day five, morning drive, then optional walk with Maasai guides; day six, last game drive.

Nairobi is more than a transit stop. Nairobi National Park, just outside the city, has lions and rhinos against a backdrop of skyscrapers. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's elephant orphanage and the Giraffe Centre are popular morning visits, and the Karen Blixen Museum tells the story behind Out of Africa. From the city, the road to the Mara drops into the Great Rift Valley, with views over its floor, before crossing farmland to the reserve. Many visitors fly instead, on light aircraft from Wilson Airport. In the Mara, morning and afternoon game drives are the rhythm of the day, and some camps also offer walks with Maasai guides or balloon flights at dawn.

The migration usually reaches the Mara from around July and stays until about October, with river crossings most common in August and September. Its timing depends on rain, so no crossing is guaranteed on a particular date. Wildlife is present all year, and the long rains, roughly April to May, make some roads difficult.

Light-aircraft flights have strict baggage limits, often soft bags only. Neutral-coloured clothing is best on game drives, and a warm layer helps on early-morning drives, which can be chilly. Check vaccination and entry requirements for Kenya well ahead of travel.

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