Golden-hour light over the Maasai Mara plains

Mara Hilltop · Activities

Beyond the game drive

Eleven ways to experience the Mara that most safari-goers never see — hikes, motorcycles, markets and magical evenings, all guided by our Maasai team.

  • Guided by our Maasai team
  • Book at the lodge or on WhatsApp
  • No park fees on most activities
Maasai villagers in traditional dress during a village visit

01

Maasai Village Visit

$25 pp

Traditional dances · Culture and handicrafts

Spend a morning or afternoon in a nearby Maasai village — traditional dances, stories of daily life, and handmade crafts bought straight from the families who make them.

The easiest way to meet the culture that surrounds the lodge. Pairs well with the boma experience and the beads museum further down this page.

Guests hiking toward a hilltop viewpoint over the Maasai Mara

02

Hillside Viewpoint Hike

$75 pp

3–4 h round trip · 8 km · Snacks at the viewpoint · No park fees

A guided hike to a hilltop viewpoint with the whole Mara spread out below — about 3 to 4 hours round trip over 8 km, with snacks waiting at the top.

No park fees needed: a special arrangement for Mara Hilltop guests.

Maasai guide teaching archery on a nature walk

03

Nature Walk + Warrior Skills

$25 pp

1.5 h · Easy · Siana conservancy

An easy 1.5-hour walk through the Siana conservancy right by the lodge — walking among zebras, giraffes and impalas when luck cooperates, with big views the whole way.

Then your Maasai guides hand you a bow and a spear: archery, spear throwing, and nature lessons, warrior style.

Guest riding pillion behind a Maasai rider through the MaraGuest favourite

04

Motorcycle Adventure — Full Day

$150 pp

Full day · No riding skills needed

Experience the Mara from the back of a motorcycle, seated behind an experienced Maasai rider — no riding skills needed, just hold on.

Ride through the Mara conservancy getting close to wildlife in a way no vehicle can match, pass through local villages and open landscapes, and roll back to the lodge by evening.

Motorcycles crossing open country on the way to the Loita hills

05

Motorcycle Adventure to Loita

$250 pp

2 days / 1 night · All meals + homestay · Forest hike included

A two-day epic: through the Mara and into the remote Loita hills behind your Maasai rider, cutting through rivers and beautiful valleys.

All meals, a night in a local homestay, and a forest hike are included. We can extend it into a 3- or 4-day forest camping adventure — just ask.

Know before you go

This is a true adventure: dusty, rocky roads and a basic shower at the homestay. It's built for thrill seekers — and everyone who has done it has loved it.

Sunset over the Maasai Mara at a sundowner setup

06

Sundowner Experience

~$90 pp

~1.5 h + nature walk · Unlimited wine and beer · Bonfire and Maasai dance

We take you to a beautiful spot in nature near the lodge with a stunning view of the Mara sunset, and set a table with unlimited wine and beer, good snacks, a bonfire, Maasai dance and soft music.

It starts with a 30–45-minute guided nature walk — learning the local flora and fauna and seeing wildlife on foot. A really magical evening is what we try to create. About $90 per person, depending on group size.

Night sky over the Mara during a night safari

07

Night Safari

From $275

7 pm – ~10:30 pm · Private Land Cruiser · Conservancy entry included

After dark, the Mara changes shifts. This drive runs in a neighbouring conservancy — night drives aren't allowed in the main reserve — from 7 pm to around 10:30 pm.

Spot nocturnal species you'll rarely see by day, like the white-tailed mongoose, and catch predators at their most active. Private Land Cruiser, guide, flashlights and conservancy entry included. Priced per vehicle group:

1 guest

$275

2 guests

$320

3 guests

$360

4 guests

$400

5 guests

$440

6 guests

$480

Hot air balloon floating over the Maasai Mara at sunrise

08

Hot Air Balloon Safari

$500 pp

Sunrise flight · Champagne breakfast

Lift off at sunrise and drift silently over the plains as the Mara wakes up below you — then land to a champagne breakfast in the bush.

A Maasai family homestead (boma) near Mara Hilltop

09

Authentic Maasai Boma Experience

$25 pp

Real neighbouring homestead · Cow milking · Tea in the huts

Visit a real neighbouring Maasai homestead — less touristy, more genuine. Try traditional cow milking, tour the manyatta with the family, and drink tea made the traditional way inside their huts.

Maasai beadwork on display at the beads museum

10

Beads Museum Tour

$25 pp · $50 with workshop

~2 h · Women-run, not-for-profit

A guided tour of a fascinating small museum run by Maasai women — a not-for-profit women-empowerment program — walking you through the history and traditions of the Maasai across Kenya and Africa.

Add a hands-on bead-making workshop with the local ladies and take home an ornament you made yourself. About 2 hours, and it pairs beautifully with the village visit.

Hundreds of cattle and red-cloaked Maasai crowds at the weekly livestock market

11

Maasai Market Day

$50–60 pp

Tuesdays and Thursdays · ~3 h · Transport + guide included

Twice a week, villages from across the region bring hundreds of cows, goats and sheep to a great open-air auction, while Maasai women run their own market of produce, herbs, beadwork and everyday goods.

Zero tourist staging — this is the Mara's real economy in full voice, and you wander through it with our guide. Transport there and back is included; plan around 3 hours.

Thursdays

$50 pp · solo $80

The big market, in a village about 30 minutes from the lodge.

Tuesdays

$60 pp · solo $100

Another part of the Mara, about an hour's drive — with a good chance of spotting animals on the way.

Plan your days with us

Every activity here can be arranged at reception once you arrive — or message us on WhatsApp before your stay and we’ll build your days around it. Prices are per person unless marked otherwise.

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