Flying To The Masai Mara And Other Safari Strips
21 Oct 2026 · 2 min read
The fastest way into Kenya's game reserves is by air, onto a dirt strip a short drive from camp. What to expect, what to pack, and how a private flight fits in.
Most of Kenya's best-known reserves are a long drive from Nairobi. The Masai Mara, for example, is five to six hours by road, the last stretch on rough tracks. By air, it is roughly 45 minutes to an hour from Wilson Airport to one of several airstrips inside or beside the reserve, with your camp's vehicle waiting at the end of the runway.
Airstrips, not airports
Safari strips are usually short runways of compacted earth or gravel, with little more than a windsock and a shaded bench. There is no terminal, no security queue and no baggage hall. The aircraft lands, your guide meets you at the steps, and the game drive can start on the way to camp.
Because the runways are short and unpaved, they suit light aircraft: single and twin turboprops such as the Cessna Caravan and the Beechcraft King Air. Larger business jets generally can't use them, which is why many safari itineraries combine a jet into Nairobi with a light aircraft onward.
Scheduled or private
Several airlines run scheduled shared flights from Wilson to the main reserves, stopping at more than one strip on the way. They work well for individual travellers on standard dates.
A private flight makes sense when you are travelling as a family or group, want to leave at your own time, need to reach a strip the scheduled service doesn't cover, or are linking several camps or reserves in one trip without going back through Nairobi.
What to pack
- Soft bags rather than hard suitcases. Light aircraft have small holds, and baggage weight limits are strict, often around 15 to 20 kg per person including hand luggage on scheduled services. Your quote will confirm the allowance for your aircraft.
- Layers. Early morning game drives are cold; afternoons are hot.
- Anything you need during the flight in a small bag you can keep on your lap.
Beyond the Mara
The same approach works for Amboseli, Samburu, Laikipia and Lewa in Kenya, and across the border for the Serengeti and other reserves in Tanzania, subject to customs and immigration formalities on international legs.
Tell us which camps you're staying at and when, and we'll plan the flights between them, including the connection from your international arrival.
