The Masai Mara has resident wildlife all year, so there is no genuinely bad time to visit. If your main goal is the wildebeest migration and the river crossings you've seen in documentaries, aim for July through October. If you'd rather avoid the busiest months and don't mind missing the migration, the shoulder months either side of that window are worth considering.
This is when large numbers of wildebeest and zebra move into the Mara from the Serengeti, and when the dramatic river crossings at the Mara River typically happen. It's also the reserve's busiest and most expensive period, and vehicle numbers at popular crossing points can be high. Exact timing varies year to year with rainfall, so no operator can promise a crossing on a specific date.
Outside the migration window, the Mara still holds strong resident populations of lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and both leopard and cheetah. The short rains (November) and long rains (April-May) bring greener scenery and fewer other visitors, though some roads can get muddy. January to March overlaps with the migration's calving season further south in the Serengeti, so wildebeest numbers in the Mara itself are lower during those months.
If seeing the river crossings is a priority for you, book July-October well in advance, since accommodation fills up early. If you're more interested in general game viewing at a calmer pace and lower cost, the rest of the year works well and the reserve is markedly quieter.
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