Destination guide
Tsavo East: red elephants and the Galana River
Reviewed 16 Oct 2026 · Each statement is labelled.
The park
Tsavo East and Tsavo West were gazetted as national parks in 1948 and are managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Source: Kenya Biodiversity — National Clearing House Mechanism (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
Tsavo East, in Taita Taveta County, covers about 13,747 km² and is about 333 km from Nairobi.
Source: The Star (Kenya) (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
It lies in low, semi-arid country north of the Mombasa–Nairobi road and railway. The Athi and Tsavo rivers join to form the Galana, a permanent river that crosses the park.
Source: Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
From a factsheet last assessed in 2001.
The park is known for its herds of dust-red elephants and for the Yatta Plateau, described as the longest lava flow in the world, about 300 km long.
Source: Kenya Biodiversity — National Clearing House Mechanism (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
About 500 bird species have been recorded, and the park is an important stopover and wintering ground for migrant birds from Europe and Asia.
Sources: Kenya Biodiversity — National Clearing House Mechanism (opens in a new tab); Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
Getting there
Every Madaraka Express train between Nairobi and Mombasa stops at Voi: the Inter-County train stops at several stations including Voi, and the afternoon and night trains stop only at Voi.
Source: Kenya Railways (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
If you're travelling by train, ask your camp whether they collect guests from Voi station.
KenyaPlus planning advice, not from an official source.
Road times
The table below shows KenyaPlus estimates to one point in the south-west of the park. Tsavo East is very large, so the drive to your camp may be much longer.
Worked out as described under the table: from openrouteservice road routes plus an allowance for stops where KenyaPlus holds them, otherwise straight-line distance × 1.3 at an assumed 50 km/h average, including stops. Times run to an approximate point near the south-west of the park.
| To | From Nairobi | From Mombasa |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | — | ~6½ h (long day) |
| Maasai Mara | ~5 h | ~11½ h (too far for one day) |
| Amboseli | ~4½ h | ~6½ h (long day) |
| Diani Beach | ~7 h (long day) | ~½ h |
| Mombasa | ~6½ h (long day) | — |
| Naivasha | ~1½ h | ~8 h (long day) |
| Lake Nakuru | ~2½ h | ~9 h (long day) |
| Tsavo East | ~5½ h | ~3 h |
| Samburu | ~5½ h | ~12 h (too far for one day) |
| Lamu | ~10 hto Mokowe + boat (too far for one day) | ~5½ hto Mokowe + boat |
| Mount Kenya | ~3 h | ~9½ h (too far for one day) |
| Malindi | ~9 h (long day) | ~2 h |
| Watamu | ~8½ h (long day) | ~2 h |
| Aberdare National Park | ~4 h | ~10½ h (too far for one day) |
| Lake Bogoria | ~4½ h | ~11 h (too far for one day) |
| Kakamega Forest | ~6 h (long day) | ~12½ h (too far for one day) |
| Tsavo West National Park | ~4½ h | ~4½ h |
| Meru National Park | ~6 h (long day) | ~12½ h (too far for one day) |
| Shimba Hills National Reserve | ~11½ h (too far for one day) | ~1 h |
| Mount Elgon National Park | ~6½ h (long day) | ~13 h (too far for one day) |
Driving time on the road route plus 20% for stops and slower traffic (Road routes © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT, map data © OpenStreetMap contributors). Orange: a long day (over 6 h). Red: too far for one day (over 9 h).
Confirm before you travel
- Park entry fees and payment methods with the Kenya Wildlife Service
- Which gate is closest to your camp, and road conditions inside the park
- The current Madaraka Express timetable if you're arriving by train
Ready to plan?
Turn this into a day-by-day plan and run the Trip Reality Check.
Sources
- Kenya Biodiversity — National Clearing House Mechanism (opens in a new tab) — Tsavo National Parks (Tsavo East and Tsavo West) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- The Star (Kenya) (opens in a new tab) — Know Kenya: Tsavo East National Park (2 Sep 2025) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- Key Biodiversity Areas Partnership (opens in a new tab) — Tsavo East National Park — Key Biodiversity Area factsheet (last assessed 2001) (checked 16 Oct 2026)
- Kenya Railways (opens in a new tab) — Madaraka Express Passenger Service (checked 16 Oct 2026)