RamaniThe reserve and the land around it
Masai Mara map: gates, airstrips, rivers and conservancies
This Masai Mara map shows the one line that sorts everything else: the Mara River. East of it is the reserve's Narok side, entered at Sekenani, Talek, Musiara, Oloolaimutia, Sand River and the new Enoompuai; west of it is the Mara Triangle, entered at Oloololo Gate and Purungat Bridge. The conservancies lie north and east, outside the reserve. Scheduled flights from Nairobi's Wilson Airport land at about a dozen airstrips: AirKenya serves 9, Safarilink 11 and Governors' Aviation 11. Type your camp into the finder at the map to see its airstrip and its side.
HifadhiMasai Mara, Kenya
The map, layer by layer
Layers
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The Narok side is the part of the Maasai Mara National Reserve east of the Mara River, run by Narok County. The reserve covers 1,510 km² (583 sq mi) (Government of Kenya, UNESCO tentative-list entry 2023).
The Mara Triangle is its part west of the river, run by the Mara Conservancy: bounded by the Oloololo Escarpment, the Mara River and the Kenya-Tanzania border, 510 km² (197 sq mi) by the Mara Conservancy's figure. More on the Mara Triangle.
The conservancies are private and community land outside the reserve, with their own fees and rules. The map draws the outlines OpenStreetMap carries; the Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association's 2025 ecosystem map counts 39 conservancies and conservation areas at four stages, 18 of them established; its strategic plan for 2026 to 2036 counts 25 conservancies, and the map adds the areas at earlier stages. How they differ: the conservancies compared.
On a guided trip such as this three-day Masai Mara safari, ask which gate it enters by and on which side of the river it sleeps; the map shows what each answer means.
cls="mp-strips">Safari njemaFlights from Wilson Airport
Which airstrip is yours
Book the flight to the airstrip your camp's airline lists for it. AirKenya publishes its Mara camps strip by strip (destination page); those lists are partial, so a camp missing from them still has a strip: ask the camp. Several camps appear under two strips.
The flight from Wilson takes about 45 minutes as AirKenya and Governors' Aviation state it. The 2026 timetables give 30 minutes to 1 hour by scheduled flight, because one aircraft calls at several strips. AirKenya flies only from Wilson, not from JKIA, and Safarilink allows about 25 minutes by road from JKIA to Wilson, at least 1 hour by road in the morning and evening rush hours (Safarilink).
The reserve's management plan names Keekorok, Olkiombo, Musiara, Mara Serena and Kichwa Tembo as its air entry points; the Mara Conservancy names Mara Serena Airstrip as the Triangle's. Flights and fares are on Nairobi to Masai Mara flights, and camps by side on where to stay.
| Airstrip | Land | Airlines | Camps listed for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ol SekiSafarilink lists it as Naboisho, Governors' Aviation as Ol Seki Naboisho; Mombasa Air Safari flies there from Nairobi only. | Naboisho Conservancy | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Leopard Hill, Porini Bush Camp, Asilia Mara House, Eagle View, Encounter Mara, Hemingways Olseki, Kicheche Bush, Kicheche Valley, Leleshwa, Mara Bush Tops, Mara Nyika, Naboisho Camp, Ol Seki Mara, Porini Cheetah Camp, Rekero Naboisho, Porini Mara Camp, Wilderness Camp, Offbeat Mobile Riding Safaris, Ol Molo Lodge |
| OlkiomboReserve air entry point | Narok side | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Ashnil, Basecamp, Bushtops, Eagle View, Entim, Fig Tree, Ilkeliani, Kananga River Camp, Mara Intrepids, Mara Ngenche, Mara Plains, Olare Mara Kempinski, Porini Lion Camp, Rekero, Sarova Mara, Tangulia, Tipilikwani |
| MusiaraReserve air entry point | Narok side | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Governors' Camp (Main, Little, Il Moran), Cheetah Tented Camp, Ngare Serian, Serian, Speke's Camp, Mara Eden Bush Camp, Olumara, Sentinel |
| KeekorokReserve air entry point | Narok side | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Keekorok Lodge, Enkewa, Sand River, Sala's Camp, Sarova Mara, Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp, Mara Simba, AA Lodge, Spirit of the Mara, Mara Springs, Sekenani Camp, Entumoto, Olkeri, Oltome Mara, Mara Sopa Lodge, Ol Moran Tented Camp, Enchoro |
| Mara North | Mara North Conservancy | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Alex Walker Serian, Elephant Pepper, Karen Blixen, Kicheche Mara, Mara River, Offbeat Mara, Richard's Camp, Saruni Mara, Saruni Wild |
| NgerendeMombasa Air Safari takes at most 8 passengers on take-off here. | Ol Chorro Conservancy | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Acacia, Mara House, Bogani, Enkerende, House in the Wild, Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Ngerende Island Lodge |
| Mara SerenaReserve air entry pointThe Mara Triangle's air entry point. Mombasa Air Safari takes at most 8 passengers on take-off here. | Mara Triangle | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Mara Serena, Kampi Ya Mungu, Mara Engai Wilderness, A&K Mobile Camp, Wild Eye Mobile Camp |
| Kichwa TemboReserve air entry point | Mara Triangle | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors', Mombasa Air | Bateleur, Kichwa Tembo, Kilima Camp, Mara Engai Wilderness, Mara Siria, Mara West, Mpata Club, Sanctuary Olonana, Angama Mara Lodge, Earth Watch, Enkipai, Mara River Camp |
| Olare Orok | Olare Motorogi Conservancy (Olare Orok) | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors' | Eagle View Base Camp, Kicheche Bush Camp, Mahali Mzuri, Mara Olapa, Mara Plains, Olare Mara Kempinski, Porini Lion Camp, Topi Mara House, Nyumbu Camp, Lyok Mara |
| Cottars | Olderkesi Wildlife Conservancy | Safarilink, Governors' | No list published |
| Ol Kurruk (Angama) | Conservancy land | Governors' | No list published |
| SianaMombasa Air Safari flies there from Nairobi only. | Outside the reserve | Safarilink, Mombasa Air | No list published |
Mara North airstrip sits at 5,515 ft (1,681 m) (Mara North Conservancy). Olare Motorogi Conservancy gives its Olare Orok airstrip as 1,728 m (5,669 ft) above sea level, about an hour's flight from Wilson, on a page dated 14 May 2018 (conservancy page).
The Mara Conservancy lists 15 camps outside the Triangle whose guests use it, among them Angama, Kichwa Tembo, Bateleur, Kilima and Mara West (camps and lodges). The finder marks them.
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LangoRoad entry points
The gates on each side
The reserve's management plan lists Sekenani, Talek, Musiara, Oloolaimutia, Sand River, Enoompuai (new) and Oloololo as its public road entry points. Three of them have a position in OpenStreetMap and appear on the map; the others are listed here only. Park fees by side are on the entrance fee page.
- SekenaniAt the end of road B131 from Narok, about 82 km (51 mi) by road (KeNHA, two sections).
- TalekPublic road entry point.
- Musiara on the mapIn the reserve's north, near Musiara airstrip.
- Oloolaimutia on the mapJoined to Sekenani Gate by the 12 km Oloolaimutia road, which Narok County had under maintenance works in July 2024 (county report).
- Sand RiverOn the Tanzania border. The Kenya Revenue Authority lists it as a closed point of entry: no crossing into the Serengeti in Tanzania there (KRA list).
- EnoompuaiNew in the management plan.
- Oloololo Gate on the mapPark fees can be paid here. Reached from Aitong through Mara North Conservancy, or from Kisii via Kilgoris down the Siria escarpment (Mara Conservancy).
- Purungat Bridge Gate bridge on the mapPark fees can be paid here. From Oloololo Gate it is a little over 1 hour by road at 50 km/h on the Triangle main road.
- BarriersLittle Governors', Angama and Kilo Two are barriers, not fee gates.
18:30 No entry after this on the Narok side, by the management plan.
19:00 Out of the reserve or in your camp, on both sides.
A park ticket is valid 6:00 to 18:00 on its day, whatever gate you pass and whenever; the entrance fee page counts the ticket days for a stay.
Camp-only access points: Angama, Mara Engai and Osero Sopia, for those camps' guests.
Mto MaraRivers and crossings
Rivers and the bridges across
The Mara River runs north to south through the reserve and is the line between the two sides, so which bank your camp is on decides which gates and which fee office you use. Kenya's 2023 UNESCO entry names the Sand, Talek and Mara as the reserve's main rivers (tentative list). The Talek is the Mara's major tributary within the reserve, as the Mara Conservancy puts it (monthly report). The Olare Orok and Ntiakitiak run down from the conservancies to the north-east.
Purungat Bridge, in the south, is where the Mara Conservancy's route from Sekenani crosses into the Triangle via Keekorok. Narok County reported in July 2024 that the Mara Bridge, repaired after rain damage, again connects the reserve with the Mara Triangle side (county report). In November 2024 it reported that the Mara Simba Bridge, which connects Sekenani and Talek, had been swept away by El Niño rains the year before (county report). Ask your camp which crossing your driver will use.
Where the herds cross the Mara, and how often, is on the migration page.
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Hippos on a sandbar of the Mara River, the line between the Narok side and the Mara Triangle.
510 km²Mara Triangle, Mara Conservancy
1,510 km²Whole reserve, Government of Kenya
Photo: Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
BarabaraThe roads in
The tarmac runs from Narok to Sekenani; the gate decides the side.
BarabaraBy road and by air
Roads and travel times
From Narok town the road to Sekenani Gate is B131, a national road managed by KeNHA, described as the key link road to the reserve (KeNHA tender). The Mara Conservancy names three road routes to the Triangle:
- via Sekenani Gate and Keekorok to Purungat Bridge, the fastest for Mara Serena guests;
- via Aitong through Mara North Conservancy to Oloololo Gate, the fastest for the camps just outside the Triangle such as Angama, Kichwa Tembo and Bateleur;
- from Kisii via Kilgoris and Lolgorian down the Siria escarpment to Oloololo Gate.
The full drive is on Nairobi to Masai Mara. Where the reserve sits in Kenya: where the Masai Mara is.
- Narok to Sekenani Gateabout 82 km (51 mi) by roadKeNHA's two B131 sections; the second is given as 36 km, also about 37 km in the same document
- Sekenani Gate to Oloolaimutia12 km (7.5 mi) by roadNarok County, 2024
- Oloololo Gate to Purungat Bridgea little over 1 hour by road at 50 km/h on the Triangle main roadMara Conservancy
- Nairobi to the Maraabout 5 to 6 hours by roadas Mara North Conservancy states it
- Nairobi to Mara Siana Conservancyabout 3 to 4 hours by roadabout 240 km (149 mi) by road, as the conservancy states it
- Wilson Airport to the Maraabout 45 minutesby scheduled flight, as AirKenya and Governors' Aviation state it
- JKIA to Wilson Airportabout 25 minutes by roadat least 1 hour by road in the morning and evening rush hours, Safarilink
MaswaliMap questions
Questions
The reserve's boundaries and rules: the management plan 2023 to 2032. The Triangle's roads: the Mara Conservancy. The airlines' Mara lists: AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors' Aviation, Mombasa Air Safari. The conservancies: the 2025 ecosystem map. The places on the map as a file: the data page.
Is the border to the Serengeti open at the Masai Mara?
No, not inside the reserve. The Serengeti in Tanzania lies across the reserve's southern border, one landscape for the herds but another country with its own parks and fees. The Kenya Revenue Authority lists the Sand River gate on that border as a closed point of entry, so there is no crossing there; on the map, Sand River is a gate of the Narok side only. The two parks side by side: Masai Mara or Serengeti.
Which airstrip do I fly into for my camp?
The strip your camp's airline lists for it. AirKenya publishes its Mara camps strip by strip, and the finder beside the map searches those lists together with the Mara Conservancy's list of camps that use the Triangle. The lists are partial, so a camp missing from them still has a strip: ask the camp, then book that strip.
Is the Mara Triangle part of the reserve?
Yes. The Mara Triangle is the part of the reserve west of the Mara River, run by the Mara Conservancy, and covers 510 km² (197 sq mi) by its figure. The larger part east of the river, the Narok side, is run by Narok County. The conservancies around the reserve are private and community land outside it, with their own fees and rules.
Which gate do I use for the Mara Triangle?
By road, Oloololo Gate in the north or Purungat Bridge Gate in the south, where park fees can be paid. The Mara Conservancy calls the route via Sekenani Gate and Keekorok to Purungat Bridge the fastest for Mara Serena guests, and the route via Aitong through Mara North Conservancy to Oloololo Gate the fastest for the camps just outside the Triangle. By air, Mara Serena Airstrip.
How far is the Masai Mara from Nairobi?
By road, about 5 to 6 hours by road as Mara North Conservancy states it for its own land, with Nairobi to Narok town about 2 to 2.5 hours of that. By scheduled flight from Wilson Airport it is about 45 minutes, as AirKenya states it, and the airline lands at the strip it lists for your camp. Both ways compared: Nairobi to Masai Mara.
Sources
- Olare Motorogi Conservancy's page (dated 14 May 2018) gives its own airstrip as Olare Orok airstrip (1°19'33.77"S 35°14'57.23"E, 1,728 m / 5,669 ft), with scheduled Safarilink and Air Kenya flights from Nairobi Wilson taking roughly an hour, and a 5-6 hour drive from Nairobi. Olare Motorogi Conservancy: How to get here, 2018-05-14.
- Safarilink's booking widget lists eleven Masai Mara airstrips as destinations: Cottars Camp, Keekorok, Kichwa Tembo, Musiara, Naboisho, Ngerende, Mara North, Olare Orok, Olkiombo, Serena and Siana. Safarilink Aviation: online booking widget destination list, 2026-11-12.
- AirKenya serves 9 Masai Mara airstrips: Olseki, Olkiombo, Musiara, Keekorok, Mara North, Ngerende, Mara Serena, Kichwa Tembo and Olare Orok. AirKenya: Frequently Asked Questions.
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges, among others, under its Olseki airstrip in the Masai Mara: Leopard Hill, Porini Bush Camp, Asilia Mara House, Eagle View, Encounter Mara, Hemingways Olseki, Kicheche Bush, Kicheche Valley, Leleshwa, Mara Bush Tops, Mara Nyika, Naboisho Camp, Ol Seki Mara, Porini Cheetah Camp, Rekero Naboisho, Porini Mara Camp, Wilderness Camp (the page lists more, e.g. Offbeat Mobile Riding Safaris, Ol Molo Lodge). AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges under its Olkiombo airstrip in the Masai Mara: Ashnil, Basecamp, Bushtops, Eagle View, Entim, Fig Tree, Ilkeliani, Kananga River Camp, Mara Intrepids, Mara Ngenche, Mara Plains, Olare Mara Kempinski, Porini Lion Camp, Rekero, Sarova Mara, Tangulia, Tipilikwani and others (long list). AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges under its Musiara airstrip in the Masai Mara: Governors' camps (Main, Little, Il Moran), Cheetah Tented Camp, Ngare Serian, Serian, Speke's Camp, Mara Eden Bush Camp, Olumara, Sentinel and others. AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges, among others, under its Keekorok airstrip in the Masai Mara: Keekorok Lodge, Enkewa, Sand River, Sala's Camp, Sarova Mara, Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp, Mara Simba, AA Lodge, Spirit of the Mara, Mara Springs, Sekenani Camp, Entumoto, Olkeri, Oltome Mara, Mara Sopa Lodge, Ol Moran Tented Camp, Enchoro. AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges under its Mara North airstrip in the Masai Mara: Alex Walker Serian, Elephant Pepper, Karen Blixen, Kicheche Mara, Mara River, Offbeat Mara, Richard's Camp, Saruni Mara, Saruni Wild and others. AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges under its Ngerende airstrip in the Masai Mara: Acacia and Mara House, Bogani, Enkerende, House in the Wild, Mara House, Fairmont Mara Safari Club, Ngerende Island Lodge. AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges under its Serena airstrip in the Masai Mara: Mara Serena, Kampi Ya Mungu, Mara Engai Wilderness, A&K Mobile Camp, Wild Eye Mobile Camp. AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges, among others, under its Kichwa Tembo airstrip in the Masai Mara: Bateleur, Kichwa Tembo, Kilima Camp, Mara Engai Wilderness, Mara Siria, Mara West, Mpata Club, Sanctuary Olonana, Angama Mara Lodge (the page also lists Earth Watch, Enkipai, Mara River Camp and Maasai Mara Wilderness). AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- AirKenya lists these camps and lodges under its Olare airstrip in the Masai Mara: Eagle View Base Camp, Kicheche Bush Camp, Mahali Mzuri, Mara Olapa, Mara Plains, Olare Mara Kempinski, Porini Lion Camp, Topi Mara House, Nyumbu Camp, Lyok Mara. AirKenya: Maasai Mara destination page (Camps and Lodges by airstrip).
- Mombasa Air Safari serves the Mara airstrips Keekorok, Olkiombo, Mara North, Kichwa Tembo, Musiara, Mara Serena (max 8 passengers on take-off), Ngerende (max 8 passengers on take-off), Ol Seki (from Nairobi only) and Siana (from Nairobi only). Mombasa Air Safari: Masai Mara destination page.
- Governors Aviation lists the Mara airstrips it accesses as Musiara, Kichwa, Mara Serena, Keekorok, Olkiombo, Ol Seki Naboisho, Olare Orok, Cottars, Ol Kurruk/Angama, Ngerende and Mara North. Governors Aviation: Recommended Selling Rates, validity 01-Jan-2026 to 31-Dec-2026, 2026-02-27.
- The reserve management plan lists the approved public road entry points to the Maasai Mara National Reserve as Sekenani, Talek, Musiara, Oloolaimutia, Sand River, Enoompuai (new) and Oloololo; Angama, Mara Engai and Osero Sopia are camp-only access points. Narok County: Maasai Mara National Reserve Management Plan 2023-2032 (Final, February 2023).
- The reserve management plan lists the approved air entry points (airstrips) of the Maasai Mara National Reserve as Keekorok, Olkiombo, Musiara (Governors), Mara Serena and Kichwa Tembo. Narok County: Maasai Mara National Reserve Management Plan 2023-2032 (Final, February 2023).
- The Mara Triangle road entry points are Oloololo Gate and Purungat Bridge Gate (where park fees can be paid) plus Little Governor's, Angama and Kilo Two barriers; the air entry point is Mara Serena Airstrip. Mara Conservancy: Driving to the Mara Triangle.
- The Mara Conservancy lists 15 camps and lodges outside the Mara Triangle whose guests use it and pay its park fee: Ahadi Mara Camp, Angama Mara Lodge, Bateleur Camp, Kichwa Tembo Camp, Jacaranda Bush Camp, Kilima Camp, Mara Elatia Camp, Mara Engai, Mara Pure, Mara Siria, Mara Sun Lodge, Mara West, Nyota Mara Lodge, Pearl Mara Expedition and Sanctuary Olonana. Mara Conservancy: Camps & Lodges.
- Figures where sources differ. One register row per figure where official sources conflict (data/canon.json names the row, the body and the reason)
- Travel times and distances. Drive times as stated by Mara North Conservancy, Mara Siana Conservancy, the Mara Conservancy, Safarilink and AirKenya; road distances from KeNHA, Narok County, Kenya Wildlife Service and Mara Siana Conservancy; flight times from the 2026 timetables of Safarilink, AirKenya, Governors' Aviation and Mombasa Air Safari
- Unit conversions. Metric figures with US equivalents (1 km = 0.621371 mi, 1 m = 3.28084 ft, 1 kg = 2.20462 lb, 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 acre = 0.404686 ha, °F = °C × 9/5 + 32)