Nairobi National Park Entrance Fee 2026 – Citizens, Residents & Non-Residents
Nairobi National Park entrance fee for 2026: KES 1,000 EA citizen / KES 1,350 resident / $40 African citizen / $80 non-resident per adult per day. Children and students pay roughly half. Plus a 5% KWS gateway fee on all transactions. Vehicle entry is separate. Pay online via kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke before arriving. Cash is not accepted at any gate. These rates took effect October 1, 2025 per Kenya Wildlife Service regulations approved by Parliament.
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Book any Nairobinationalpark.co.ke tour or day trip and your park entry, gateway fee, and vehicle entry are included. No eCitizen headaches. No gate queues. Email [email protected] or use the form.
2026 All-Inclusive Nairobi Safari Packages (Rate Per Person)
Based on 2 People Travelling Together
Tour Package | Guest Entry Fees (Approx.) | Total Rate (Per Person) | Best For… |
Half-Day Park Safari | $84 | $234 | Business travelers/Layovers |
Full-Day Park Safari | $84 | $234 | Die-hard wildlife photographers |
Park + Elephant Orphanage | $99 | $249 | Families & Conservation lovers |
Park + Giraffe Centre | $99 | $249 | Iconic “Nairobi” bucket-list photos |
The “Big 3” Combo (Park + Elephant + Giraffe) | $114 | $264 | Seeing the best of Nairobi in one day |
The KWS Nairobi Package (Park + Animal Orphanage + Safari Walk) | $110 | $260 | Exploring the sanctuary walk-throughs |
Tour Package | Guest Entry Fees (Approx.) | Total Rate (Per Person) | Best For… |
Half-Day Park Safari | $84 | $234 | Business travelers/Layovers |
Full-Day Park Safari | $84 | $234 | Die-hard wildlife photographers |
Park + Elephant Orphanage | $99 | $249 | Families & Conservation lovers |
Park + Giraffe Centre | $99 | $249 | Iconic “Nairobi” bucket-list photos |
The “Big 3” Combo (Park + Elephant + Giraffe) | $114 | $264 | Seeing the best of Nairobi in one day |
The KWS Nairobi Package (Park + Animal Orphanage + Safari Walk) | $110 | $260 | Exploring the sanctuary walk-throughs |
Included in the Per Person Rate:
- The Vehicle: Private Safari Land Cruiser with a pop-up roof for 360° viewing.
- Professional Guide: A TRA-licensed driver/guide (who knows a Leopard from a “Jaguar”).
- All Entry Fees: Your personal park entry, the 5% KWS gateway fee, and the vehicle entry fee.
- Fuel & Logistics: Unlimited mileage within the park/attractions and hotel pickup/drop-off.
- Bottled Water: Chilled water provided in the vehicle.
- The “Convenience” Factor: We handle the eCitizen portal and the ANPR smart-gate registration.
Excluded:
- Lunch: (We can stop at the Rangers Restaurant or a spot in Karen at your cost).
- Tips/Gratuities: For your guide (entirely at your discretion).
- Travel Insurance: Personal medical or trip cancellation insurance.
Adult Entry Fees (Per Person, Per Day)
Category | Adult Rate |
EA Citizen (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan) | KES 1,000 |
Kenyan Resident (foreign national with Work Permit or Alien Card) | KES 1,350 |
African Citizen (non-EAC, e.g. Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia) | $40 |
Non-Resident (international visitor) | $80 |
Plus 5% KWS gateway fee on every transaction.
Bring your ID. KWS requires a valid national ID or passport at the gate for EA citizens. Residents need a Work Permit or Alien Card. Without it, you pay the non-resident rate regardless of where you live.
Based on a group of 2 people sharing a private Safari Land Cruiser ($300 total for vehicle/fuel/driver) and the 2026 Non-Resident rates ($80 + 5% gateway fee), here is the pricing breakdown.
Child and Student Fees
Category | Child / Student Rate |
EA Citizen | KES 500 |
Resident | KES 675 |
African Citizen | $20 |
Non-Resident | $40 |
Children under 5 enter free. Child rates apply ages 5-17. Student rates apply to those under 23 with valid student ID, enrolled in a recognized institution, visiting on an organized educational trip. The student rate requires a letter from the institution addressed to: The Assistant Director, Nairobi National Park, P.O. Box 42076-00100, Nairobi, at least two weeks in advance. Without the stamped approval letter, you pay adult rate. If you forgot the letter but have a Kenyan university ID, some education liaisons at Main Gate may accept a digital scan of your current semester’s fee statement as proof of enrollment. Foreign student IDs alone won’t work.
Free entry: Kenyan citizens aged 70+, children under 5, persons with disabilities (with valid card), and TRA licensed tour guides and drivers.
Vehicle Entry Fees (Separate from Person Fees)
Vehicle Type | Daily Fee |
Car / small SUV (under 6 seats) | KES 600 |
Safari Land Cruiser (6-12 seats) | KES 1,500 |
Minibus / Coaster | KES 3,000 |
Large tour bus (13-25 seats) | KES 4,500 |
Coach (25+ seats) | KES 5,000 |
If you book a tour through us, the vehicle entry fee is included in your package price. Self-drivers pay at the gate.
The Nairobi Package (Bundle Deal)
KWS sells a bundled ticket covering Nairobi National Park, the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, and the Safari Walk in one purchase.
Category | Adult | Child / Student |
EA Citizen | KES 1,300 | KES 700 |
Resident | KES 1,750 | KES 950 |
African Citizen | $55 | $20 |
Non-Resident | $105 | $55 |
This saves you the combined gateway fees of buying each ticket separately. If you plan to visit all three in one day, the package is cheaper.
Note: The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage is NOT included in this package. Sheldrick has its own separate donation (KES 1,500 citizen / $15 non-resident) paid directly to SWT.
How to Pay
Cash is not accepted at any NNP gate. There are only two ways to pay.
Online (Recommended)
Pay through kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke before you arrive. As of 2026, there’s a “Guest” checkout that doesn’t require full account registration. This is the easiest option for tourists.
Screenshot your receipt before leaving your hotel. Mobile signal at both Main Gate and East Gate is unreliable. If you can’t pull up the email or QR code at the gate, you could be stuck.
At the Gate
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at the gate POS machines. M-Pesa works if you have a Kenyan SIM. The machines go down sometimes. I’ve seen visitors wait 20 minutes for the system to come back online while the queue builds behind them.
Steve Ndungu, who manages operations for Nairobinationalpark.co.ke, recommends paying online the night before every time. No exceptions.
The Exchange Rate Trap
KWSPay reviews its USD-to-KES exchange rate monthly. The rate inside the portal is usually 3-5% above the bank rate. It updates on the 1st of every month.
If you’re a non-resident paying in USD, the amount debited to your card might be slightly higher than you expected because of this built-in markup. There’s nothing you can do about it. Just be aware.
If your international card triggers a fraud alert (it happens, eCitizen is a Kenyan government payment processor), whitelist “eCitizen Kenya” with your bank before travelling. Or ask your guide to pay via M-Pesa and reimburse in cash.
What You Actually Pay (Hidden Fees Included)
On top of the 5% gateway fee, most international banks add a 2.5-3.5% card processing surcharge for non-resident cards.
Category | Listed Fee | Gateway + Card Fees | Actual Cost |
Non-Resident Adult | $80 | ~$6.40 | ~$86.40 |
African Citizen Adult | $40 | ~$3.20 | ~$43.20 |
Resident | KES 1,350 | ~KES 108 | ~KES 1,458 |
EA Citizen | KES 1,000 | ~KES 80 | ~KES 1,080 |
The M-Pesa “Pending” Glitch
Common problem in 2026: you pay via M-Pesa, the money leaves your phone, but the eCitizen receipt stays “Pending.” Don’t pay again. At the gate, ask specifically for the “KWS Revenue Clerk.” They have a back-end portal that can push the payment through using your Safaricom M-Pesa transaction code. Regular gate rangers can’t do this. Only the Revenue Clerk.
Which Gate to Use in 2026
Locals rarely use Main Gate (Lang’ata Road) anymore because of the Bomas International Convention Centre construction traffic.
Mbagathi Workshop Gate (locals call it “Cheetah Gate”) on Magadi Road is the preferred entry for photographers and anyone heading to the elephant orphanage. It puts you straight into the Western Uplands where leopards and black rhinos are more active in early morning. Rangers here are more relaxed than at Main Gate, but the M-Pesa and eCitizen signal is zero. Screenshot your QR code before you turn off Magadi Road.
East Gate is fastest from JKIA and the Nairobi Expressway (Exit 14). Best for layover visitors and anyone heading to the Athi Basin for rhinos.
One thing worth knowing: KWS cleared nearly 100 acres of trees near the park’s northern fence in early 2026 for the Animal Orphanage relocation. That cleared area has temporarily become a sighting hotspot. Secretary Birds and Silver-backed Jackals are hunting rodents in the freshly disturbed earth. Ask your guide about it.
Common Fee Problems
The Sheldrick complaint comes up constantly. Non-residents pay $80 park entry just to visit the elephant orphanage for one hour. The orphanage is inside the park. KWS controls the gate. There’s no orphanage-only ticket. The upside: your ticket is valid all day, so do a game drive before or after.
“They charged me non-resident even though I live here.” You need your national ID or passport at the gate. No ID, no citizen rate. It’s not negotiable.
The price jump catches people off guard. The October 2025 update roughly doubled rates for EA citizens (KES 430 → KES 1,000) and nearly doubled non-resident rates ($43 → $80). First comprehensive review in 18 years.
If you can’t find the park on eCitizen, you’re probably on the old portal. Use kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke, not kws.ecitizen.go.ke. The URL changed. The old link still shows up on outdated websites.
Other Fees Inside the Park
Fee | EA Citizen | Non-Resident |
Drone permit | KES 5,000/day | $300/day |
KWS ranger hire (guided patrol) | ~KES 2,000 / 4 hrs | ~KES 2,000 / 4 hrs |
Night game drive | KES 3,000/person | KES 3,000/person |
Commercial photography (tripod/gimbal) | KES 5,000/day | $300/day |
Camping | KES 500/night | $30/night |
Vehicle recovery (if you get stuck) | KES 10,500 | KES 10,500 |
Banda reservation (picnic shelter) | ~KES 2,000 | ~KES 2,000 |
Drones require a separate Kenya Civil Aviation Authority permit on top of the KWS fee. Night drives are only available to guests at Nairobi Tented Camp or with a specialized KWS permit, paid separately on eCitizen under “Special Activities.” Personal photography (phones, handheld cameras) is free. But if you use a tripod or professional gimbal, rangers may classify it as commercial. Carry a “personal use” justification or pay the fee to avoid gear issues at the gate.
The Annual Pass (Expat and Local Secret)
If you live in Karen, Lang’ata, or anywhere near the park, the daily fees now make the annual pass worth calculating.
Rate | |
Citizen / Resident annual pass | KES 45,000 |
Smart card fee (one-time) | KES 1,000 |
If you visit more than 33 times a year (roughly 3 times a month), the pass pays for itself. It’s smart-card based, non-transferable, and requires photo ID for every entry. The pass also gives you access to the “Member Lane” at Main Gate, which bypasses the tourist queue.
ANPR at Main Gate (2026 Update)
KWS has implemented an Automated Number Plate Recognition system at Main Gate. When paying on kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke, you must enter your vehicle’s registration number exactly. If you’re in a rental car and the number doesn’t match what you entered online, the smart gate won’t open. You get diverted to the manual verification lane, which can mean a 30-45 minute wait during busy mornings.
If you’re using a rental, double-check the plate number on your booking confirmation before paying online. If your rental car changes at the last minute, don’t panic. The manual lane works, it’s just slow.
Citizen 70+ Free Entry (Important Note)
The eCitizen system often fails to recognize “Senior” status during Guest Checkout. If you’re a Kenyan citizen over 70, don’t pay online. Present your original national ID at the gate for a manual zero-rated ticket. KWS does not offer refunds for accidental payments, so if you pay the KES 1,000 online by mistake, that money is gone.
Budget Alternatives Most Visitors Don’t Know About
The KWS shuttle bus. Not everyone needs a private Land Cruiser. KWS runs a shuttle (locally called “Jiachilie”) from a pickup point near the CBD on weekends and public holidays. Around KES 1,500 citizen / KES 2,000 resident. No AC, dusty windows, bring your own water. But it’s the only way to do a game drive without paying the private vehicle entry fee (KES 600-1,500). Solo budget travellers take note.
The KWS VIP Van is a mid-range option. Hire it directly from the Warden’s office at Main Gate. KES 10,000 for 2.5 hours or KES 15,000 for 4 hours. These vans are driven by KWS rangers on the internal radio. They don’t just look for animals. They know exactly where the lions settled for their morning nap. It’s rarely advertised on booking sites.
If you have small children who can’t handle a 4-hour drive, ask about the Wildlife Sanctuary Package. Around $40 non-resident, it covers only the Safari Walk and the Animal Orphanage, without the full $80 park conservation fee. Kids get to see lions and cheetahs up close at the walk-through exhibits.
Hidden Costs Summary (2026)
Service | Cost | Who needs it |
KWS shuttle (weekends) | KES 1,500-2,000 | Solo budget travellers |
VIP ranger van | KES 10,000-15,000 | Small groups without a tour operator |
Vehicle recovery | KES 10,500 | Anyone who ignores “stay on track” signs |
Sanctuary Package | ~$40 non-resident | Families with small children |
Night drive permit | KES 3,000/person | Photographers and campers |
Ranger hire | ~KES 2,000 / 4 hrs | Rhino-focused visitors |
Which Ticket Type Is Best for You?
Ticket | Best for | Watch out for |
Standard entry | One-time game drive | No re-entry if you leave for lunch |
Nairobi Package | Families doing park + orphanage + Safari Walk | Must be used in a single 24-hour window |
Annual Pass | Residents in Karen/Lang’ata | Non-transferable, photo ID every entry |
Night drive permit | Photographers and campers | Requires a KWS-authorized guide (extra cost) |
People Also Ask
How much is Nairobi National Park entrance fee? KES 1,000 EA citizen / KES 1,350 resident / $40 African citizen / $80 non-resident per adult. Plus 5% gateway fee. Full tour pricing.
How much is NNP for Kenyan citizens? KES 1,000 adult, KES 500 child/student. With valid national ID. Free for citizens over 70 and children under 5.
Do I pay for a vehicle separately? Yes, unless your tour operator includes it. A standard safari Land Cruiser is KES 1,500 per day. Personal cars under 6 seats are KES 600.
Can I pay with cash? No. Only card (Visa/Mastercard), M-Pesa, or online through kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke.
Is the Sheldrick orphanage included in the park fee? No. The elephant orphanage has a separate donation (KES 1,500 / $15). But you must also pay the KWS park entry fee to reach it since it’s inside the park.
What’s the Nairobi Package? A bundle covering the park + Animal Orphanage + Safari Walk. KES 1,300 EA citizen / $105 non-resident. Saves on combined gateway fees.
When did fees change? October 1, 2025. The previous comprehensive review was 18 years earlier. Rates roughly doubled across categories.
Is the entrance fee valid for the whole day? Technically yes, 24 hours. But NNP is strictly single-entry. This is the #1 source of arguments at the gate. If you enter at 6:30 AM, exit at 11 for a lunch meeting in Karen, and try to re-enter at 2 PM, your ticket shows “Used” on the ANPR scanner. You pay the full fee again. No exceptions, no re-entry passes. Plan your day so you don’t need to leave and come back.
Did someone see a jaguar in the park? No. There are no jaguars in Africa. That’s a common mix-up in online reviews. What visitors see is a leopard, called chui in Swahili. If a guide tells you they’ve found a “jaguar,” they’re either confused or overselling the sighting.
Written by James Miner. Edited by Cess Wambui and Steve Ndungu (TRA licensed safari guide).
Last updated: March 2026. Fees per Kenya Wildlife Service Conservation Fee Regulations (October 2025). Payment via kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke.
