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Combine Kenya's two largest protected wildernesses in one trip with multi-day safaris covering Tsavo East, Tsavo West, and in some cases Amboseli. Expect daily game drives, meals and park entry fees included, and itineraries ranging from 3 to 6 days.
Free Cancellation Four-day guided safari covering Tsavo West, Amboseli and Tsavo East, with meals included.
Free Cancellation 3-day guided safari from Mombasa covering both Tsavo East and Tsavo West, with lodging, meals, and park fees included.
Free Cancellation Six-day safari covering Amboseli, Tsavo West and Tsavo East, with airport pickup and all meals included.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Tsavo East National Park — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Most tours pair Tsavo East's flat, dust-red plains with Tsavo West's volcanic hills and Mzima Springs, usually adding Amboseli for Kilimanjaro views and big elephant herds. You'll spend your days on 4WD game drives with a driver-guide, split between the two parks and connected by road in 2-4 hours. Crowds are thin here — three hours without seeing another vehicle is normal, and the animals are wilder for it.
Tsavo's elephants coat themselves in the park's fine red soil, turning rust-coloured against the pale plains. Aruba Dam and the Galana River are where herds drink, bathe and cross, often in big family groups. Bring a zoom lens — the light at dawn on those red hides is the shot of the trip.
Tsavo's male lions grow scant manes, an adaptation to hot, thorny country. These are descendants of the region that produced the 1898 man-eaters, though today's lions hunt wildlife, not railway workers. Prides on the open plains are seen regularly, especially in the cool hours.
In Tsavo West, crystal-clear springs filtered through volcanic rock supply Mombasa's water and feed hippo pools you walk along for 1-2 hours. Crocodiles bask on the banks. It's the greenest, coolest stop on any Tsavo itinerary.
The Galana River funnels through polished ancient rock in a series of sculpted rapids on Tsavo East's side. The pools draw crocodiles and kingfishers. Combine it with a slow drive along the river for hippos.
A huge inselberg that catches water and feeds a natural dam below. Climb it for a lookout over plains where elephants, zebras and antelope come to drink — one of the park's classic vantage points. The walk is over uneven rock, so wear closed shoes.
Tours that add Amboseli get morning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro over elephant herds — the mountain clears most reliably at sunrise. Many itineraries include a Maasai village visit here. Chyulu Hills lava caves and the Shetani Lava Flow in Tsavo West round out the volcanic side of the trip.
Tours here run 3 to 6 days, start from either Mombasa or Nairobi, and vary widely in what's bundled. Check the fine print before you pay.
The three common formats: a 3-day, 2-night loop covering both Tsavo parks from Mombasa; a 4-day loop adding Amboseli; and a 6-day version with Amboseli, a Maasai village visit and a lava plateau walk in Tsavo West. All are driver-guide tours with daily game drives plus lodge downtime. Private guides speaking English, German, French, Italian or Spanish are available on the longer tours.
The 3-day and 6-day tours include park entry fees, accommodation, all meals, transport and water — the 3-day even throws in a t-shirt. The 4-day tour covers meals only, so you'll pay the USD 80 per adult per 24 hours park fee yourself. Gratuities are excluded everywhere.
If your tour doesn't bundle entry, non-residents pay USD 80 adult / USD 40 child (3-17) per 24 hours under the tariff effective 1 October 2025. Vehicle entry is charged separately (KES 600/day for cars under 6 seats). A Tsavo East ticket never covers Tsavo West — you need a combination package bought in one payment.
Book at least a month out for travel in the July-October dry season, when wildlife concentrates at the Galana River and Aruba Dam. The train from Nairobi (KES 1,050 economy to Voi) sells out well ahead on metickets.krc.co.ke if you're arranging your own arrival. Last-minute coast departures are usually possible outside peak weeks.
All three tours allow a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. That's generous for a multi-day safari — but 24 hours won't cover a missed flight two days prior, so sort travel insurance. Fees in Kenya changed in October 2025 and remain under legal challenge, so reconfirm pricing before you go.
All three tours list wheelchair-accessible transport and surfaces, with infant seats available. The 4-day tour flags against spinal injuries, pregnancy and heart conditions due to long bumpy drives. Game viewing is vehicle-based, so limited mobility is rarely a barrier — but Mudanda Rock and Mzima Springs involve walking on uneven ground.
Coast-based tours pick up at Mombasa hotels, the airport, port and apartments — Bachuma Gate is 110 km from Mombasa, about 2.5-3 hours. From Nairobi, allow 4-5 hours by road to Mtito Andei Gate or 4 hours on the SGR train to Voi. The 6-day tour meets arrivals at the airport terminal with a name placard.
Guided walking safaris in Tsavo cost USD 50 per person through KWS or your operator. Birding is a real draw — over 500 species recorded, from kingfishers along the Galana to bustards and hornbills in the dry scrub. Look out for lesser kudu, gerenuk and the critically endangered hirola antelope.
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| 3-Day Tsavo East & West Tour | 4-Day Tsavo West, Amboseli & Tsavo East Safari | 6-Day Amboseli, Tsavo West & Tsavo East Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 3 days / 2 nights (72h), Mombasa to Mombasa | 4 days (96h), three-park loop | 6 days (144h), Amboseli first then both Tsavos |
| Price From (USD) | $1,290 | $2,235 | $2,200 |
| Parks Covered | Tsavo East and Tsavo West | Tsavo West, Amboseli, Tsavo East | Amboseli, Tsavo West, Tsavo East |
| Best For | Coast-based travellers wanting both parks without rushing; balanced drives and lodge downtime | First-timers wanting Kilimanjaro elephant herds plus both Tsavos in one trip | Travellers who want a slower pace, a Maasai village visit and a lava plateau walk; airport pickup with placard |
| Park Fees Included | Yes — entry fees, meals, transport, accommodation and water all included | No — meals included, park entry paid separately (USD 80/adult per 24h) | Yes — entry fees, guide, all meals and mineral water included |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 reviews) | 4.9 (36 reviews) | 5.0 (2 reviews) |
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Gates open at 6:00 AM and close at 6:00 PM daily, year-round — unless you're staying overnight inside the park, in which case you keep your gate pass. There's no night driving, full stop.
Your ticket is valid for 24 hours of continuous stay, not per calendar day. A multi-day trip means paying per 24-hour block, so plan a 2-day visit as exactly that rather than overlapping days.
Game drives should follow the light anyway. Wildlife is most active near water at dawn and late afternoon, and midday heat averages 31°C — animals retreat to shade and so should you. Nights drop to about 20°C, so a fleece for sunrise drives is standard kit.
From Mombasa or Diani: the Mombasa–Nairobi highway is the fastest route. Bachuma Gate is 110 km away (2.5–3 hours), Voi Gate 156 km, Manyani Gate 191 km. Most coast safaris enter at Bachuma.
From Nairobi by car: Mtito Andei Gate is 233 km south, about 4–5 hours, then rough tracks to camps inside. Vehicle entry costs KES 600/day for cars under 6 seats (KES 1,500 for 6–12 seats).
By train: the SGR Madaraka Express runs from Syokimau, Nairobi to Voi or Miasenyi in about 4 hours — KES 1,050 economy, KES 3,200 first class. Book at metickets.krc.co.ke, not resellers, and pre-arrange a 30–60 minute pickup at the station.
By air: charters from Nairobi Wilson (50–60 minutes) or Mombasa (30–45 minutes) land at Voi, Ithumba, Aruba, Satao and several other strips. Pick the strip that matches your camp; landing fee for aircraft under 1,500 kg is USD 10.
June to October and January to February are the months to target. It's dry, the vegetation thins, and animals concentrate at the Galana River and Aruba Dam — sightings get much easier.
July to October is the strongest window, and the park stays far quieter than the Maasai Mara throughout.
Avoid April if you can: it's the wettest month of the long rains (March–May), when tracks turn to mud and travel gets genuinely difficult. November, peak of the short rains, spreads animals across fresh grass and water, so sightings thin out. If you're tied to those months, book a lodge-based itinerary with short drive loops rather than an ambitious circuit.
No formal wheelchair infrastructure exists in the park, and the terrain is rough, dusty 4WD track. But since the core experience is vehicle-based, wheelchair users who can transfer into a safari vehicle can do the drives — the three multi-day tours here all list wheelchair-accessible transport and surfaces. Arrange an adapted vehicle through your operator in advance.
For older visitors, it's very manageable: little walking, with heat (31°C midday), dust and early starts the main challenges. Skip the Mudanda Rock and Lugard's Falls walks if uneven rock is a problem and stay in the vehicle.
Children aged 3–17 pay half fare and under-5s enter free. All wildlife is viewed from vehicles with a 20 m minimum distance. Malaria is present in this coastal lowland zone — get paediatric advice on prophylaxis before bringing kids, and check camp age policies.
Services inside the park are minimal. KWS's own packing list tells you to bring drinking water, food, a camera, binoculars, sunscreen, insect repellent, a first-aid kit and sunglasses — take that seriously, especially self-driving.
Lodges in the southern circuit (reachable from Bachuma and Voi gates) cover Aruba Dam, Mudanda Rock and the Galana River with Lugard's Falls, so a full day's driving needs no facilities beyond your vehicle. The northern area around Ithumba is quieter and wilder — that's where 3+ day itineraries pay off.
Expect basic facilities at gates and public sites: long-drop standards, not lodges. Payment is electronic — KWSPay on eCitizen by card or M-Pesa — so there's no cash office to fall back on.
Stay in your vehicle except in designated areas, doors closed, at least 20 m from wildlife, moving slowly and quietly. Never feed animals. Lions, elephants and buffalo are genuinely dangerous, and camp guests must not walk unescorted at night.
Driving: the speed limit is 40 km/h, off-road driving is prohibited, and night driving is banned. Penalties apply for speeding. Visitors enter at their own risk.
Plastics and drones: single-use plastics are banned in all Kenyan national parks, and drones need written KWS permission plus KCAA authorisation (permits quoted at USD 300/day) — operators flying without them risk confiscation. Commercial filming runs about USD 200 per week for crews of 1–5.
ID: carry the passport or ID matching your ticket category (citizen/resident/African/non-resident) — KWS checks eligibility at the gate. Never buy wildlife products; normal Kenyan law applies inside the park.
The 3-day Tsavo East and West tour and the 6-day three-park tour both include park entry fees. The 4-day Tsavo West, Amboseli and Tsavo East safari covers meals only, so you'll pay entry yourself — USD 80 per non-resident adult per 24 hours under the tariff effective 1 October 2025, with children aged 3-17 at USD 40. Note that a Tsavo East ticket never covers Tsavo West; crossing both parks requires a combination package bought in one payment.
The 3-day, 2-night Tsavo East and Tsavo West tour starts and ends in Mombasa, with hotel, airport, port and apartment pickup included. A driver-guide runs the whole trip, mixing daily game drives with lodge downtime. It's the shortest option that covers both parks properly.
Tsavo East is flat, open, semi-arid plains famous for its red elephants and the Yatta Plateau, with few camps and almost no crowds. Tsavo West is hillier, more wooded and volcanic, home to Mzima Springs and the Shetani Lava Flow. Most tours split time between both — the contrast is the point.
Chances at lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino all exist, but densities are lower than in the Maasai Mara — the trade-off is genuine wilderness where going three hours without another vehicle is normal. Red elephants are near-guaranteed at Aruba Dam and the Galana River in the dry season, and the parks also hold rarer species like gerenuk, lesser kudu and the critically endangered hirola.
Bachuma Gate is 110 km from Mombasa along the Nairobi highway — about 2.5 to 3 hours' drive. Voi Gate is 156 km. Coast-based tours typically enter at Bachuma for morning and afternoon game drives on day one.
Yes. The SGR Madaraka Express runs from Syokimau Terminus to Voi or Miasenyi stations in about 4 hours — KES 1,050 economy, KES 3,200 first class. You then need a pre-arranged transfer of 30–60 minutes to your gate or lodge. Book on the official metickets.krc.co.ke portal well ahead.
All three tours list wheelchair-accessible transport and surfaces, and specialized infant seats are available. Children aged 3-17 pay half park fare and under-5s enter free. The main cautions are malaria (prophylaxis advice needed for kids), long dusty drives with early starts, and the 4-day tour's warning against travel with spinal injuries, pregnancy or heart conditions.
All three offer a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before departure. For a multi-day safari that's unusually generous, but it won't help if a flight problem hits two days before — sort travel insurance separately.
June to October and January to February. It's dry, vegetation thins, and animals gather at the Galana River and Aruba Dam, making sightings much easier. Avoid April (long rains turn tracks to mud) and November (short rains scatter wildlife). Book dry-season departures at least a month ahead.
Most foreign nationals need the Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation, applied for online before departure with a passport valid at least six months. Citizens of most African countries are exempt and enter visa-free for up to two months. Your eTA category needs to match the park ticket category on your tour booking.
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This 4-day safari links three parks in one loop: Tsavo West, Amboseli and Tsavo East. Amboseli sits below Mt. Kilimanjaro and is known for its large elephant herds, while the Tsavo parks cover savannah, rolling hills, acacia forest and springs where wildlife gathers. Expect lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes and rhinos across the three. All three meals are covered each day — breakfast, lunch and dinner. Gratuities for guides are not included, so budget for those separately. Guides run the tour in English, German, Italian, French or Spanish. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before departure.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
German, English, Italian, French, Spanish
Three days and two nights, split between Tsavo East and Tsavo West, starting and ending in Mombasa. A driver guide runs the whole trip, and the itinerary mixes daily game drives with downtime at the lodges rather than packing every hour with driving. All transport between the parks is handled. It's a fully packaged deal: park entry fees, accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, a bottle of water, and even a company T-shirt are included. The only extras are whatever falls under the operator's "other" category, so ask before booking what's actually excluded. Guides work in English. Pickup is flexible — hotels (lobbies), airport terminals, the port, or apartments. Your driver guide will be wearing the company's T-shirt so you can spot them on arrival. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund; later than that and you lose the payment.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English
This is a six-day, three-park itinerary: Amboseli first, then Tsavo West, then Tsavo East. Amboseli is where you get the morning views of Mt. Kilimanjaro and the large elephant herds; the tour also includes a visit to a Maasai village. In Tsavo West there's a lava plateau to walk, and Tsavo East rounds out the trip with more Big 5 game drives — elephants, lions, buffalos, leopards and rhinos. Everything practical is covered. A professional driver-guide (English-speaking) handles all the driving and spotting, all park entry fees are paid for, and meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — plus mineral water are included. You won't be hunting for restaurants inside the parks. Pickup happens right at the airport arrival terminal. Staff in company uniform with a logo carry placards with your name or the company name, so they're easy to find after a long flight. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
English