SMALL GROUP JOURNEYOFFERS

The Great Migration Explorer

2026▾
7
Days
1
Mara Lodge
7
Guests (Max)

Dedicated migration tracking — Mara River crossings, big cat territory, and a dawn balloon over the plains

See Pricing & Inclusions ↓
7 Days
Small Group
from $8,800 pp
Home  ›  Safaris  ›  Kenya  ›  The Great Migration Explorer

OverviewThe Maasai Mara is home to the greatest wildlife spectacle on Earth — the annual migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest and 500,000 zebra across the Mara River from Tanzania's Serengeti. The Great Migration Explorer is built entirely around this phenomenon: seven dedicated days at Ishara Mara with a specialist migration-tracking guide, positioned at the river crossings at dawn, covering multiple herds across the Mara Triangle, and experiencing the full drama of one of nature's most extraordinary events without distraction or dilution.

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Seven days dedicated entirely to migration tracking — no split destinations, no wasted transfer days

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Ishara Mara — an intimate camp on the bank of the Talek River, inside the heart of migration territory

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Daily Mara River crossing positions tracked in real time across multiple herds with a specialist guide

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Hot air balloon safari at dawn over the plains — champagne bush breakfast served on landing

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Mara Plains Scenic Overlook sundowner — private setup above the escarpment as the sun falls

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Night game drive — hyenas, civets, and the nocturnal predators of the Mara after dark

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Walking safari in the private conservancies with a specialist walking guide

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Private Maasai Enkiama cultural immersion on the final morning

The Great Migration Explorer

Why Travel With Finders & Keepers Safaris

All-inclusive luxury camps and lodges, hand-picked for every leg of the journey

Private or small-group journeys with a dedicated chauffeur-guide and butler service throughout

Authentic conservation and cultural experiences shaped by local guides and communities

Custom-built 4x4 Land Cruisers and, where needed, private regional & bush flights

Flexible, tailor-made scheduling — every itinerary can be adjusted to your pace

Signature experiences, fine dining and wellness moments woven into every day

Route Map
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Interactive Route Map

Nairobi → Wilson Airport → Maasai Mara Airstrip → Ishara Mara (Days 2–7) → Mara Airstrip → Wilson Airport → JKIA, Nairobi

Itinerary

Nairobi

Day 1 | Nairobi — Welcome & Pre-Departure Briefing

Your journey begins with a VIP arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. A private luxury chauffeur transfers you to the JW Marriott Hotel Nairobi, where your Finders & Keepers Safaris specialist joins you for a welcome dinner and pre-departure briefing — reviewing the itinerary, current migration patterns, and what to expect on the Mara plains.

If you arrive with time to spare, an optional private city tour of Nairobi's highlights can be arranged — the Karen Blixen Museum, the Giraffe Centre, and the vibrant Carnivore Road market district.

Day 1 | Nairobi — Welcome & Pre-Departure Briefing
Maasai Mara

Day 2 | Fly Into the Mara — Ishara Mara Arrival

After an early breakfast, your private driver transfers you to Wilson Airport for the scheduled safari flight into the Maasai Mara. The approach over the Rift Valley escarpment and the rolling savannah plains gives your first aerial sense of the scale of the landscape below.

Your Mara-based guide and 4x4 Land Cruiser collect you from the airstrip and head directly into the reserve. The afternoon game drive targets the current migration front — your guide tracks the latest wildebeest and zebra movements using a real-time ranger network, positioning the vehicle for unobstructed views across the open plain. Check into Ishara Mara for a sundowner and dinner.

Day 2 | Fly Into the Mara — Ishara Mara Arrival
Ishara Mara, Maasai Mara
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3 | Full Day Migration Tracking & River Crossings

A full day dedicated to tracking the wildebeest migration. The morning drive departs before dawn to reach the Mara River crossing points at first light — the hour when the herds are most likely to commit to the crossing and when the light is most extraordinary for photography.

Your guide maintains contact with a network of rangers across the reserve, tracking multiple herds in real time. Lunch is served in the bush. The afternoon drive continues along the migration front, with additional sightings of lion prides hunting the herd periphery, cheetah on open ground, and crocodiles waiting in the river.

Day 3 | Full Day Migration Tracking & River Crossings
Ishara Mara, Maasai Mara
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 | Hot Air Balloon Safari & Mara Plains Sundowner

Rising at 04:30 for the signature Maasai Mara experience — a hot air balloon safari drifting silently over the plains at dawn. The balloon lifts off before sunrise and floats above the waking savannah as the first light catches the horizon, the herds becoming visible below.

After landing, a full champagne bush breakfast is served on the open plains — tables set in the grass with the Mara stretching to every horizon. The afternoon drive explores the Mara Triangle and concludes at the Mara Plains Scenic Overlook, where sundowner drinks are served as the light fades over the escarpment.

Day 4 | Hot Air Balloon Safari & Mara Plains Sundowner
Ishara Mara, Maasai Mara
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 | Big Cat Territory & Night Drive

The Maasai Mara's resident predator population is among the densest on Earth. Today's morning drive focuses on the cheetah coalitions of the open plains, the lion prides resting in the shade of fig trees, and the leopards that haunt the riverine forest along the Talek River.

A private bush lunch in a secluded section of the reserve. The evening brings a night game drive — a torch-lit experience of the Mara after dark, when hyena clans are active, civets move through the grasslands, and the nocturnal face of the ecosystem reveals itself.

Ishara Mara, Maasai Mara
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 | Conservancy Walking Safari & Final Sundowner

Today moves beyond the main reserve into the adjoining private conservancies — areas where vehicle density drops to almost zero and walking safaris are permitted. A specialist walking guide accompanies the morning walk: tracking on foot, reading the landscape, and covering ground that no vehicle can reach.

Afternoon drive through the conservancy grasslands. Return to camp for a farewell sundowner bonfire around the fire pit as darkness falls over the Mara.

Ishara Mara, Maasai Mara
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 | Maasai Cultural Immersion & Departure Flight

A final morning devoted to a private Maasai village visit — a genuine cultural encounter organised in direct partnership with the local Enkiama community. Elders explain the traditional enkiama homestead architecture, demonstrate the fire-making technique, and share the oral history of the Maasai relationship with the land and wildlife around them.

After lunch at the camp, your guide transfers you to the Mara airstrip for the scheduled safari flight back to Wilson Airport, Nairobi, and your private guide transfer to JKIA for international departure.

Day 7 | Maasai Cultural Immersion & Departure Flight
Departure from Maasai Mara
Breakfast, Lunch

Want to adjust the pace, swap a lodge, or extend this journey?

We are here for that. Every Finders & Keepers Safaris itinerary is a starting point, not a fixed departure — the pace, the lodges, the length, the dates and the party travelling can all be reshaped around you. Tell us what you would change and a specialist will rebuild the journey and price it honestly, before you commit to anything.

Tailor This Journey →
Tailor this journey with Finders & Keepers Safaris
Where You Will Stay

Hand-Selected For An Unmatched Experience

JW Marriott Hotel NairobiNight 1
Nairobi, Kenya

JW Marriott Hotel Nairobi

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Ishara MaraNights 2–7
Maasai Mara, Kenya

Ishara Mara

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Why This Journey

What sets this journey apart

A week with one purpose: following the Great Migration through the Maasai Mara, with no split destinations and no wasted transfer days.

01

Tracked in real time

Mara River crossing positions are followed daily across multiple herds with a specialist guide, so you are where the action is rather than guessing.

02

A camp inside the action

Ishara Mara is an intimate camp on the Talek River, with a private sundowner at the Mara Plains Scenic Overlook and a dawn balloon with champagne breakfast.

03

After dark too

A night game drive for hyenas, civets and the Mara’s nocturnal predators, a conservancy walking safari and a Maasai cultural immersion.

Best ValueJan – MayGreen season — lush landscapes, fewer crowds
Peak SeasonMay – SepPeak dry season & the Great Migration
Shoulder SeasonSep – DecMigration wind-down, still excellent game viewing
Best forMigration seekersPhotographersShort on time
Plan this journey with us →

Inclusions & Offers

Deposit Offer

Hold 2027 for half the usual deposit

Confirm any 2027 departure with a 15% deposit instead of the usual 30%, booked before 31 December 2026.

  • Your balance is not due until 60 days before departure.
  • The reduced deposit holds your camps, permits and internal flights at today’s rates, so a mid-year price movement does not reach you.
  • Applies to new 2027 bookings only and cannot be combined with a group discount on the same booking.
Solo Travellers

30% off the single supplement

Travelling on your own? We cut the single traveller supplement by 30% across selected 2027 departures.

  • The supplement covers the sole-occupancy cost a camp charges when a room sleeps one rather than two.
  • Available on selected camps and dates — your specialist will tell you which of your nights qualify before you commit.
  • Nothing changes about the journey itself: same guide, same vehicle, same rooms.
Group Offer

Bring three, the fourth travels free

Book four guests on a 2027 group departure and the fourth guest’s safari cost is on us.

  • The waiver covers the land portion — camps, meals, guiding and game drives.
  • International flights, visas, gorilla and chimpanzee permits and personal spending are excluded, as those are paid to third parties per head.
  • All four guests must travel on the same departure date and book together.
What's Included
  • All accommodation, Full Board
  • All alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages (excl. premium imported spirits)
  • All park & conservancy fees
  • Scheduled safari flight Nairobi–Mara–Nairobi (return)
  • Hot air balloon safari with champagne bush breakfast
  • Night game drives
  • Walking safaris in the private conservancies
  • All daily game drives with specialist migration-tracking guide
  • Mara Plains Scenic Overlook sundowner setup
  • Maasai Enkiama cultural village visit
  • Private 4x4 Land Cruiser & driver-guide
  • Bottled water & in-vehicle refreshments
  • ✓Travel insurance facilitated on your behalf (adjusted in your quote if you are already covered)
  • Visa application fees
  • Airport transfers (Nairobi)
  • Complimentary Nairobi city tour for early arrivals
What's Not Included
  • International flights to/from Nairobi
  • Premium imported spirits & Champagne
  • Gratuities for guides & camp staff
  • Items of a personal nature

Per Person Pricing

Per Person Sharing$9,800
Single Traveller SupplementOn Request
ⓘ Prices are per person and based on double/twin sharing accommodation. Single travellers pay the supplement shown above. Speak to us for current availability and tailor-made options.

2027 Season Pricing

The same unforgettable journey, priced by season.

Jan – May Best ValueGreen season — lush landscapes, fewer crowds
$8,800
May – Sep Peak SeasonPeak dry season & the Great Migration
$11,250
Sep – Dec Shoulder SeasonMigration wind-down, still excellent game viewing
$10,000

Flexible Payment Plan

1

Reserve today with a low early deposit to lock in your 2027 dates and pricing.

2

Spread the rest across convenient instalments, at a pace that suits you.

3

Final balance due one month before departure — nothing more to pay once you fly.

Speak To Us

Journey Details

Minimum Age

Varies by camp, activity and national park

  • Camps and lodges — Most safari camps accept children from six years, with shared game-drive vehicles usually from eight to twelve. Many properties will take younger children on a privately booked vehicle.
  • Walking safaris — Guided walking safaris carry a firm minimum of fifteen or sixteen years across most reserves. This is set by the licensing authority, not the camp, and is never waived.
  • Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking — Uganda and Rwanda both enforce a strict minimum of fifteen years. It is a national park regulation and there are no exceptions.
  • Hot-air balloon safaris — Operators generally require children to be at least seven, and tall enough to brace unaided in the basket on landing.
  • Family and exclusive-use camps — A number of our camps run dedicated family units, child-minding and tailored activity programmes, and will relax their usual age limit for a sole-use booking.
  • Talk to us first — Age limits vary from property to property and from activity to activity. Speak to our experts before you book, and we will pre-arrange the details with each lodge around the ages of the children travelling with you.

Safari Duffel

Duffel, safari hat, vest and hooded jumper

  • Your duffel — A soft-sided Finders & Keepers Safaris duffel, sized for the 15 kg limit on the light aircraft that move you between camps. Rigid suitcases cannot be carried on those flights at all.
  • What is inside it — A branded Finders & Keepers Safaris safari hat, a safari vest, and a hooded jumper for cold dawn starts and balloon mornings.
  • Yours to keep — The bag and everything in it is a gift, not a loan. Nothing is returned at the end of your journey.
  • Packing around it — Soft luggage, neutral colours, and layers. Laundry is included at nearly every camp, which is why 15 kg goes further than it sounds.

Note

Best timed around wildlife movement patterns

Kenya's game viewing is exceptional year-round, though the Great Migration river crossings in the Maasai Mara peak between July and October. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended for all safari areas — please consult your doctor before travel.

  • Early starts — Safaris begin very early in the morning. Your guide will confirm what time you will be collected from your camp or lodge.
  • Tailoring this journey — If you would like this package with more or fewer days, arranged for a group, a family or a solo traveller, or with add-ons, reach out and we will tailor it for you.
  • Route changes — Your guide or driver may alter the route in certain circumstances, but every destination set out in the itinerary will be covered.

Documents

Kenya eTA required before arrival

  • Passport — Valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, with at least two blank pages for stamps.
  • Kenya eTA — Kenya replaced its tourist visa with an Electronic Travel Authorisation in January 2024. Apply online before you fly — approval normally lands within 48 to 72 hours, but allow a week.
  • African passport holders — Citizens of almost every African country now enter Kenya without an eTA. East African Community nationals — Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda — may stay up to six months; other African nationals up to two.
  • Yellow fever — A vaccination certificate is required if you are arriving from, or have transited, a country with yellow fever risk.
  • We file it for you — Whether you are flying in from overseas or travelling from elsewhere on the continent, we complete and submit your visa application on your behalf. You hand us your documents once. We do the filing, chase the approval, and carry the confirmations in your travel pack so nothing rests on you remembering a reference number at a counter.
  • Most of Africa is open to you — The great majority of our African destinations are now either visa-free or issue a visa on arrival, so an embassy queue is rarely in your future at all. Where a visa on arrival does apply, we prepare and lodge the paperwork ahead of you — you reach the desk with a finished file rather than a blank form and a biro.
  • Before you travel — Entry rules change frequently and without much notice. Your specialist confirms the current requirements for every passport in your party at the time of booking, and checks them again before you fly.

Guaranteed Departures

Guaranteed to operate with a minimum of 7 guests

  • Once confirmed, you travel — When your departure date is confirmed, it is guaranteed. We do not cancel, merge or reschedule a confirmed departure for commercial reasons, however the final numbers fall.
  • What confirms a departure — A departure becomes confirmed once the agreed number of travellers has been reached and paid for in line with the agreed payment schedule. Places held without payment do not count towards it.
  • If the minimum is not reached — Where a group departure has not reached its agreed numbers, we tell you early rather than late, and you choose: move to the next available date, continue at a revised small-group rate, or take a full refund of everything you have paid.
  • Solo journeys — Solo and tailor-made itineraries carry no group minimum at all. Your dates are confirmed the moment your deposit is received.
  • Visas — We prepare and submit your visa application on your behalf. Please note that the granting of a visa rests solely with the immigration authority of the country concerned, and is never guaranteed by us.
  • Medication — We arrange malaria prophylaxis, together with anti-nausea and anti-anxiety tablets, for your journey. Any prescription medicine should be confirmed with your own doctor before you travel — they remain the final authority on what is suitable for you.
  • Africa is not always hot — Despite the stereotype, Africa moves through distinct seasons and mornings at altitude can be genuinely cold. A hooded jumper is provided for cold conditions, and for every guest joining a hot-air balloon safari.
  • Dietary requirements — If you have strict dietary needs, please tell us at the time of booking. This includes vegans, guests in recovery, non-drinkers, and anyone following a prescription from their doctor.
  • Travel insurance — We facilitate travel insurance for our clients. If you are already covered, please say so during booking so we can take it into account in your final quote.
  • Tailoring your quote — Some of our inclusions — hot-air balloon safaris, for example — may not be what you want. Point these out and we will adjust your final offer accordingly.
  • The Maasai massage & spa recovery — Guests travelling the safari circuit by road rather than by air should expect long and tiring days. The rough terrain of the jungle gives the vehicle a constant jolting ride, known affectionately as the Maasai massage. A spa session is provided at the end of your safari to recover.
  • What to pack — Neutral colours are the rule on safari: khaki, olive, stone and brown. Avoid black and dark blue, which draw tsetse flies, and leave camouflage at home entirely — it is reserved for the military and illegal for civilians in several African countries. Bring layers for cold dawn game drives, long sleeves and trousers for dusk when the mosquitoes are out, closed walking shoes, a sun hat and sunglasses. Lodge dinners are smart-casual; nothing formal is needed.
  • Your safari duffel & kit — The duffel bag is used when flying into the parks, where luggage is limited to 15 kg per person. A branded Finders & Keepers Safaris safari hat and safari vest are also provided.

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