With Masai Mara being a destination that is loved by many tourists, you may be wondering on which is the best airport when going to the Masai Mara from Nairobi.
The Best Airport when going to Masai Mara is Wilson Airport in Nairobi. It has daily, all-year-round flights to and from the Masai Mara. Wilson Airport is a local airport that is a short drive from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which is where all International Flights in Kenya land and take off from.
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Learn MoreLet’s talk about why the Wilson Airport is the best airport to get to the Masai Mara and other alternatives you may want to consider depending on your location..
Why Wilson is the best Airport to and from the Masai Mara
Wilson Airport remains the most popular airport for domestic flights. Unlike its big brother, The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Wilson Airport is used by light aircraft serving nearby destinations like national parks and and other remote locations in Kenya.
Since JKIA is not used by smaller aircraft, the most popular and appropriate airport when travelling to the Masai mara is the Wilson Airport.
Which Airlines Fly from Wilson to the Mara
Some of the airlines that offer daily flights from Wilson Airport to the Mara are:
There are more airlines plying this route but I recommend the ones above since they are the ones that had an online booking system that worked and they are more popular here in Kenya.
Most of these airlines have daily flights to and from the Masai mara and so are almost certainly going to find an appropriate flight for you.
A quick caveat on their accessibility
I tried calling all three airlines at an odd hour to make an inquiry and none of them answered. If you are planning to make a call, or book online, try to do so in between 8am-5pm East African Time just in case anything goes wrong and you need to ask them to adjust anything.
Which other airports fly to the Masai Mara
With Wilson Airport being the most popular airport, most flights to the Mara start and terminate from here. However, if you are not in Nairobi, you may want to connect directly from your location to the Masai Mara. So is this possible?
I made a call to Safari Link and found that the only way to get to the Masai Mara from any other national park is through connecting from that park to Wilson Airport then take one of their two daily flights to the Masai Mara. (I made this call on 05/05/2019 and this might have changed: you can check by giving them a call here: +254 20 669 0000. I receive no commission for recommending Safarilink, just trying to be helpful.)
Getting to Wilson Airport/ Connecting from JKIA to Wilson Airport
Ordinarily, when you land in Kenya from your home country, you will land in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and will have to connect to Wilson Airport if you are flying directly to the Mara as shown in the map below. (Here are the directions)
Nairobi’s traffic is usually horrendous and it will typically take you between an hour to two hours on bad days to make the 10 Mile (16 KM) trip. You will need to put that into consideration when making your flight booking to avoid getting into any trouble with your flight to the Mara.
Booking a Flight from Wilson to Mara
The airlines I have recommended above have an online booking system that would allow you to book a flight ahead of time. When trying to book a flight with them, I found that booking a flight for the next day was nearly impossible since they would be all full. I would, therefore, advise you to book ahead to avoid disappointments and inconveniences.
Best Airport from Tanzania to Masai Mara
Getting from Tanzania to Masai Mara requires you to connect at Wilson Airport. This is because of Immigration requirements. However, in the Mara high season, you can get a flight that connects you directly from Mara to Serengeti through the Isabania Border Point Here is the Safari Link article describing the route. Normally, your tour operator will take care of this transfer but it helps to know how you will be traveling.
