Taita Taveta County
Tsavo East
Source: The Star (Kenya) (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
Photo: Byrdyak · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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About Tsavo East
A national park of about 13,747 km², gazetted in 1948 and managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service, known for its herds of dust-red elephants.
Sources: Kenya Biodiversity — National Clearing House Mechanism (opens in a new tab); The Star (Kenya) (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
Highlights
- Herds of dust-red elephants
- The Yatta Plateau, described as the longest lava flow in the world, about 300 km long
- About 500 recorded bird species
Source: Kenya Biodiversity — National Clearing House Mechanism (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
More photos of Tsavo East
See all 2 in the gallery ›
Suggested time
At least 2 days
KenyaPlus editorial guidance for a comfortable visit, not an official rule.
Confirm before booking
- Park entry fees and payment methods
- Which gate is closest to your camp — the park is very large
- Road conditions inside the park, especially after rain
KenyaPlus does not yet hold verified data for these.
When to go
Rain affects travel in Kenya, especially on unpaved roads. Here is the yearly pattern and the current forecast for Tsavo East, both from the Kenya Meteorological Department.
- January: between the rains.
- February: between the rains.
- March: long rains.
- April: long rains, expected peak.
- May: long rains.
- June: between the rains.
- July: between the rains.
- August: between the rains.
- September: between the rains.
- October: short rains.
- November: short rains.
- December: short rains.
- Long rains
- Short rains
- Between the rains
- Expected peak (2026 outlook)
A summary of Kenya's national rainfall pattern from the Kenya Meteorological Department: long rains March to May (with the peak in April inland and May on the coast, as KMD expected for 2026) and short rains October to December. Other months are shown as between the rains. Rain varies by year and place, and between-the-rains months can still be wet.
Forecast: October–December 2026
For Taita-Taveta County, the Kenya Meteorological Department expects above-average rainfall in October–December 2026, with rains starting in the 3rd to 4th week of October and continuing into January.
Source: Kenya Meteorological Department (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
A seasonal forecast, not a guarantee. KMD also issues monthly and weekly updates.
Kenya's rainy seasons
March to May is the main rainfall season — the “long rains” — over most parts of Kenya.
Information status: VerifiedSources: Kenya Meteorological Department: Climate outlook for the 'Long Rains' (March–May) 2026 season (KMD/FCST/01-2026/SO/01) (opens in a new tab); Kenya Meteorological Department: Climate outlook for the 'Long Rains' (March–May) 2025 season (KMD/FCST/01-2025/SO/01) (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
For the 2026 long rains, the Kenya Meteorological Department expected the peak in April over most regions, and in May along the coast.
Information status: VerifiedSource: Kenya Meteorological Department (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
October to December brings the “short rains”, a major rainfall season in Kenya.
Information status: VerifiedSource: Kenya Meteorological Department (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
More in our guide: Best time to visit Kenya.
Park entry fees
Information status: VerifiedTsavo East National Park — daily entry
Per person, per 24 hours. Children under 6 enter free.
| Visitor | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| East African citizen | KES 1,000 | KES 500 |
| Kenya resident | KES 1,350 | KES 675 |
| African citizen | USD 40 | USD 20 |
| Non-resident / foreign visitor | USD 80 | USD 40 |
Official KWS tariff "Conservation Fees 2025", supplied by the KenyaPlus owner and checked on 17 Oct 2026.
- Same rates as Tsavo West. KWS also sells combined Tsavo and Amboseli packages at different rates.
- Entry is charged per person and is valid for one visit of up to 24 hours.
- Children aged five and younger enter free; the child rate covers ages 5–17, and students up to 23 on an organised visit from their school or college.
- Kenyan citizens aged 70 and over and persons with disability are exempt.
- Vehicle charges are extra (from KES 600 a day for a vehicle with fewer than 6 seats), as are camping and activities.
Guides for Tsavo East
Tsavo East: red elephants and the Galana River
One of Kenya's largest parks, between Nairobi and the coast — what sources confirm, and reaching it by train or road.
Tsavo West: Mzima Springs, lava and rhinos
Kenya's second-largest national park — springs under the lava, the rhino sanctuary, Lake Jipe, and reaching it by road or train.
Things to do in Tsavo East
Photo: Ami Gorasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Journeys
Ride the Madaraka Express from Nairobi to the coast
The train from Nairobi to Mombasa, past Tsavo.
Where: Nairobi · Tsavo East · Mombasa
Photo: Byrdyak · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Wildlife encounters
Find the red elephants of Tsavo
Dust-red herds in a park of almost 14,000 km².
Where: Tsavo East
Where next from Tsavo East
Close by
Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Mombasaabout 3 h by road (estimate)
Photo: Mutisya Maingi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
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Shimba Hills National Reserveabout 3 h by road (estimate)
Photo: FredD · CC BY-SA 3.0 · original
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Diani Beachabout 3½ h by road (estimate)
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If you like Tsavo East
Photo: Richard Mortel · CC BY 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
Tsavo West National ParkAlso good for safari, wildlife
Photo: Ninaras · CC BY 4.0 · original
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AmboseliAlso good for safari, wildlife
Photo: Syllabub · CC BY-SA 3.0 · original
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Lake NakuruAlso good for safari, wildlife
Thinking of visiting Tsavo East?
Add it to a plan and run the Trip Reality Check.
Sources
- The Star (Kenya) (opens in a new tab) — Know Kenya: Tsavo East National Park (2 Sep 2025) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- Kenya Biodiversity — National Clearing House Mechanism (opens in a new tab) — Tsavo National Parks (Tsavo East and Tsavo West) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Spotted something out of date? Tell us — we check corrections against the source before changing anything.