A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Masai Mara vs. Geneva for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Masai Mara or Geneva?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Masai Mara and Geneva. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Masai Mara or Geneva?

Masai Mara

Masai Mara National Reserve is a beautiful, scenic, nature reserve in southwest Kenya, just west of the capital city, Nairobi. The reserve belongs to the Masai people and was created in order to protect the land and the people and animals living on it. Masai Mara is considered to be one of the best reserves in all of Africa, offering the quintessential African safari experience.

Geneva

Geneva is the second largest city in Switzerland and was previously the home for the United Nations Headquarters. The UN is now housed in New York City, but there is still a very strong presence in Geneva. Geneva is not known to be as energetic as some other European cities, but if you search it out, then you're sure to find some interesting places and lively nightlife. It's a very international city, in part because of the heavy UN presence, giving it an interesting feel. It is a French speaking city, and advertisements, signs, and television are all done in French.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Luxury Tours to Kenya, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Switzerland, and The Best Adventure Tours to Switzerland.


Which place is cheaper, Geneva or Masai Mara?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Masai Mara is $132, while the average daily cost in Geneva is $288. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Masai Mara and Geneva in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Masai Mara $37
    Geneva $168
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Masai Mara $74
    Geneva $336
Compare Hotels in Masai Mara and Geneva

Looking for a hotel in Masai Mara or Geneva? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Masai Mara


Hotels in Geneva


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Masai Mara Hotel Prices and Geneva Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Masai Mara $47
    Geneva $11

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Masai Mara

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Masai Mara:

  • Nairobi Airport (NBO) Private Transfer to Nairobi City/Hotels: $17

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Geneva

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Geneva:

  • Transfer from Geneva to Chamonix: $18
  • From One-Way Transfer from Geneva Airport to Morzine: $23
  • Geneva Airport (GVA) Private Transfer to Geneva/Lausanne/Chamonix: $48
  • Transfer from Geneva airport to hotel or home: $50
  • VIP Transfer: $82
  • Geneva Airport (GVA) to Geneva - Arrival Private Transfer: $93
  • Geneva to Geneva Airport (GVA)- Departure Private Transfer: $93
  • Private Transfer from Geneva Hotels to Geneva Airport: $102
  • Private Transfer from Geneva Airport to Geneva Hotels : $104
  • Private Transfer from Geneva Cornavin station CFF to Hotels: $106
  • Geneva hotel to Geneva Gare Cornavinof Station CFF Transfer: $106
  • Airport Transfer: Geneva to Geneva Airport GVA by Luxury Van: $112

Is it cheaper to fly into Masai Mara or Geneva?

Prices for flights to both Geneva and Masai Mara change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Masai Mara $57
    Geneva $105

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Masai Mara

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Masai Mara.

  • Carnivore experience Lunch Or Dinner (Optional Bomas of kenya ): $40

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Geneva

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Geneva.

  • City Tour and Fondue Cooking Class, Swiss Folklore: $223
  • Taste Geneva – A Full Food Tour of Swiss Flavors by Do Eat Better: $226
  • Geneva City Tour with Cooking Class: $227

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Masai Mara $60
    Geneva $35

Tours and Activities in Masai Mara

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Masai Mara are as follows:

  • Half Day Giraffe Center,Baby Elephant&Karen Blixxen Guided Tour: $38
  • Nairobi African Shopping Tour: $55
  • Bomas of Kenya cultural Dance and Acrobatic Show Tour: $64
  • Giraffe Center Half-Day Guided Tour from Nairobi: $75
  • Nairobi City Tour and Afternoon Visit to Bomas of Kenya: $80
  • Half Day Private Tour to Lake Nakuru National Park: $80
  • Ngong Hills Adventure from Nairobi: $85
  • Private Day Tour to Nairobi Arboretum and Nairobi National Museum: $109
  • Nairobi Museum KICC Tower Kobe and Bomas of Kenya Day Tour: $115
  • Fairview Coffee Farm Day Tour in Nairobi: $120
  • Amboseli national park full day tour: $160
  • Airport Layover Tour to Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Center: $225

Tours and Activities in Geneva

Here are a few actual costs in Geneva for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • From Brunswick Monument to the Botanical Garden: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $8.99
  • The Many Faces of Self-Guided Audio City Tour: $13
  • Geneva (International District) City Sights Self-Guided Tour: $18
  • Guided Tour of Capital of Peace ( Outside ): $20
  • 50-Minute Lake Geneva Cruise: $24
  • Audioguided sightseeing cruise of Geneva: $24
  • Unusual Audio Tour of Geneva: $30
  • Open-Top Sightseeing Bus Tour: $33
  • International & Panoramic Tours Geneva: $33
  • Scenic Lake Cruise with Snacks and Wine: $36
  • (STTG04) - Sightseeing Cruise at Geneva with Wine and Aperitif: $37
  • Hop-on Hop-Off Bus & Scenic Mini-Train Tour: $42

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Masai Mara $26
    Geneva $26

Sample the Local Flavors in Geneva

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Geneva:

  • Geneva Countryside Wine tasting, Aperitif, Castle By E-bike: $175
  • Swiss Vineyard Wine Tasting Tour in Vaud: $263
  • Lavaux, Chexbres, and Valais Wine Tasting Tour: $450
  • Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting by TukTuk: $541


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Masai Mara and Geneva, we can see that Geneva is more expensive. And not only is Masai Mara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Masai Mara is in Africa and Geneva is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Masai Mara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Masai Mara and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Geneva would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Geneva than you might in Masai Mara.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Masai Mara Expensive? and Is Geneva Expensive?.