Planning essentials
Kenya park entry fees explained
Reviewed 23 Oct 2026 · Each statement is labelled.
Who pays which rate
The Kenya Wildlife Service charges different daily entry fees for four groups of visitors: East African citizens, Kenya residents, African citizens and non-residents.
Source: Kenya Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) · checked 17 Oct 2026
East African citizens and Kenya residents pay in Kenya shillings; African citizens and non-residents pay in US dollars.
Source: Kenya Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) · checked 17 Oct 2026
At KWS parks, children aged five and younger enter free, and the child rate covers ages 5–17 — and students up to 23 on an organised visit from their school or college.
Source: Kenya Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) · checked 17 Oct 2026
Kenyan citizens aged 70 and over, and persons with disability, are exempt from KWS entry fees.
Source: Kenya Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) · checked 17 Oct 2026
A KWS entry fee covers one visit of up to 24 hours. Vehicles, camping and activities are charged on top.
Source: Kenya Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) · checked 17 Oct 2026
Why parks cost different amounts
KWS groups its parks into categories with their own rates. Amboseli and Lake Nakuru are premium parks; Nairobi National Park has its own urban rate; Tsavo, Aberdare and Mount Kenya are wilderness or mountain parks; Hell's Gate and Kakamega are scenic; and the marine parks share one rate.
Source: Kenya Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) · checked 17 Oct 2026
KWS's 2026 fees for East African citizens, reported in September 2026, are the same as the 2025 tariff at Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and Nairobi National Park.
Source: The Kenya Times (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
| Park | East African citizen | Kenya resident | African citizen | Non-resident / foreign visitor | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amboseli National Park | KES 1,500 / 750 | KES 2,025 / 1,050 | USD 50 / 25 | USD 90 / 45 | Information status: Verified |
| Lake Nakuru National Park | KES 1,500 / 750 | KES 2,025 / 1,050 | USD 50 / 25 | USD 90 / 45 | Information status: Verified |
| Nairobi National Park | KES 1,000 / 500 | KES 1,350 / 675 | USD 40 / 20 | USD 80 / 40 | Information status: Verified |
| Tsavo East National Park | KES 1,000 / 500 | KES 1,350 / 675 | USD 40 / 20 | USD 80 / 40 | Information status: Verified |
| Mount Kenya National Park | KES 800 / 400 | KES 1,100 / 550 | USD 30 / 15 | USD 70 / 35 | Information status: Verified |
| Tsavo West National Park | KES 1,000 / 500 | KES 1,350 / 675 | USD 40 / 20 | USD 80 / 40 | Information status: Verified |
| Meru National Park | KES 800 / 500 | KES 1,100 / 675 | USD 40 / 20 | USD 70 / 40 | Information status: Verified |
| Shimba Hills National Reserve | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 20 / 10 | USD 50 / 25 | Information status: Verified |
| Mount Elgon National Park | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 20 / 10 | USD 50 / 25 | Information status: Verified |
| Aberdare National Park | KES 800 / 500 | KES 1,100 / 675 | USD 40 / 20 | USD 70 / 40 | Information status: Verified |
| Kakamega National ReserveKakamega Forest | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 20 / 10 | USD 50 / 25 | Information status: Verified |
| Hell's Gate National ParkNaivasha | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 20 / 10 | USD 50 / 25 | Information status: Verified |
| Watamu Marine National Park | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 15 / 10 | USD 25 / 15 | Information status: Verified |
| Malindi Marine National Park | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 15 / 10 | USD 25 / 15 | Information status: Verified |
| Diani-Chale and Kisite-Mpunguti marine areasDiani Beach | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 15 / 10 | USD 25 / 15 | Information status: Verified |
| Mombasa Marine National Park | KES 500 / 250 | KES 675 / 350 | USD 15 / 10 | USD 25 / 15 | Information status: Verified |
Adult / child, per person per visit of up to 24 hours. Each park's page shows its source, check date and notes.
The Maasai Mara is different
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is run by Narok County, not KWS, and its fees are set in the county's Finance Act.
Source: County Government of Narok (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
The reserve charges adults twice as much from July to December (high season) as from January to June (low season), for every group of visitors.
Sources: County Government of Narok: The Narok County Finance Act, 2023 — First Schedule, Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 7, Narok County Acts No. 3) (opens in a new tab); County Government of Narok: Narok County Finance Bill, 2024 (draft, April 2024) — First Schedule (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
From the Narok County Finance Act, 2023; the county's 2024 Finance Bill proposed the same figures.
Children aged 8 and under enter the reserve free; the child rate covers ages 9 to 17. Narok County residents and East African residents have their own rates.
Source: County Government of Narok (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
The conservancies around the reserve are separate and charge their own fees, which KenyaPlus doesn't hold. If your camp is in a conservancy, ask which fees your package includes.
KenyaPlus planning advice, not from an official source.
| Visitor | High season (July–December) | Low season (January–June) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident / foreign visitor | USD 200 / 50 | USD 100 / 50 |
| Kenyan citizen | KES 3,000 / 500 | KES 1,500 / 300 |
| East African resident | KES 5,000 / 2,000 | KES 2,500 / 1,000 |
| Local county resident | KES 2,000 / 500 | KES 1,000 / 200 |
Information status: Verified The Narok County Finance Act, 2023 (Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 7), checked on 23 Oct 2026. The county's draft Finance Bill, 2024 proposed no change to these fees. We found no later Act; confirm with Narok County before you pay.
Amboseli and the court case
In July 2026 the High Court issued interim orders stopping Kajiado County from taking over Amboseli while a case challenging the transfer is heard, which keeps the park under its existing management.
Source: The Star (Kenya) (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
If the county takes over, it may set its own fees.
Adding fees to your budget
In Plan a trip, “Add park entry fees” works out the total for your group from these tariffs, and picks the Maasai Mara's season from your start date.
How KenyaPlus works, not a travel fact.
Confirm before you travel
- How to pay each park's or reserve's fees
- Whether a newer KWS tariff or Narok County Finance Act has changed the rates
- Conservancy, vehicle and activity charges for where you stay
Ready to plan?
Turn this into a day-by-day plan and run the Trip Reality Check.
Sources
- Kenya Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) — Conservation Fees 2025 — official KWS tariff (PDF supplied by the KenyaPlus owner; copy in docs/sources/) (checked 17 Oct 2026)
- The Kenya Times (opens in a new tab) — KWS releases new 2026 park, sanctuary and marine area fees (8 September 2026) (checked 23 Oct 2026)
- County Government of Narok (opens in a new tab) — The Narok County Finance Act, 2023 — First Schedule, Maasai Mara National Reserve (Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 7, Narok County Acts No. 3) (checked 23 Oct 2026)
- County Government of Narok (opens in a new tab) — Narok County Finance Bill, 2024 (draft, April 2024) — First Schedule (checked 23 Oct 2026)
- The Star (Kenya) (opens in a new tab) — Court halts Kajiado takeover of Amboseli National Park (13 July 2026) (checked 23 Oct 2026)