Effective from 1st October 2025, all the parks in Kenya managed by Kenya Wildlife service has reviewed their KWS park fees. This new park fee entrance structure will review all the rates to be applicable.
The revised park fee is to be applicable to all the Kenya’s national parks, reserves, marine parks and sanctuaries with categories of classifications being Citizens, residents, East African Residents, African citizens and non-residents therefore affecting many Kenya Safari Tours with packages that are under KWS management.
In the last 2 decades, this change in KWS parks fees is a major overhaul as it is aiming to strengthen wildlife conservation, upgrading park infrastructure while boosting sustainable tourism.
Documents Required to access Kenya National Parks
When planning to visit KWS managed national parks, reserves, marine parks and sanctuaries, there are key documents that one should always carry along. This is simply because the Kenya wildlife service and county governments have clear set of rules which are applicable to both local and international visitors.
When you have the right paperwork, it ensures that you have smooth and stress free safari experience in Kenya.The following documents are essential to enter into any park managed by KWS in Kenya:
- National Identity card for Kenya citizens.
- A valid passport for East African & African Citizen
- A valid resident permit for resident
- A Valid passport for non-resident
- A Valid disability identification card for persons with disability.
- A Valid student identification document for students where applicable.
New Park Entry Fees for Adults (From 1st August 2025)
| Parks | East African (Ksh) | Residents(Ksh) | Non-Residents($) | African Citizen($) | |
| 1 | Amboseli & L. Nakuru National Parks | 1500 | 2025 | 90 | 50 |
| 2 | Nairobi National Park | 1000 | 1350 | 80 | 40 |
| 3 | Nairobi Package (Nairobi National Park, Nairobi Animal Orphanage and Nairobi Safari Walk) | 1300 | 1750 | 105 | 55 |
| 4 | Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks | 1000 | 1350 | 80 | 40 |
| 5 | Meru, Kora and Aberdare National Parks | 800 | 1100 | 80 | 40 |
| 6 | Tsavo West Amboseli National Park Package | 2200 | 2900 | 150 | 80 |
| 7 | Tsavo East Tsavo West Amboseli National Park Package | 3000 | 4000 | 215 | 115 |
| 8 | Mt. Kenya National Park | 800 | 1100 | 70 | 30 |
| 9 | Hells Gate, Mt. Longonot, Mt. Elgon, Ol Donyo Sabuk National Parks and Lake Elementaita Wildlife Sanctuary, Shimba Hills and Kakamega National Reserves | 500 | 675 | 50 | 20 |
| 10 | Mwea, Ruma, Saiwa Swamp, South Turkana, Sibiloi, Central Island, South Island, Ndere Island, Malka Mari, Chyullu Hills, Marsabit National Parks and Tana River Primate | 500 | 675 | 40 | 25 |
| 11 | Nairobi Animal Orphanage, Nairobi Safari Walk and Kisumu Impala Sanctuary | 300 | 405 | 25 | 15 |
| 12 | Nairobi Sanctuary Package (Nairobi Animal Orphanage and Nairobi Safari Walk) | 500 | 675 | 40 | 25 |
| 13 | Kisite Mpunguti, Watamu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kiunga and Diani Chale | 500 | 675 | 25 | 15 |
Access kws park Fees For Students & Children
| Parks | East African (Ksh) | Residents(Ksh) | Non-Residents($) | African Citizen($) | |
| 1 | Amboseli and Lake Nakuru National Parks | 750 | 1050 | 45 | 25 |
| 2 | Nairobi National Park | 500 | 675 | 40 | 20 |
| 3 | Nairobi Package (Nairobi National Park, Nairobi Animal Orphanage and Nairobi Safari Walk sanctuaries) | 700 | 950 | 55 | 20 |
| 4. | Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Meru, Kora and Aberdare National Parks | 500 | 675 | 40 | 20 |
| 5. | Tsavo WestAmboseli Package | 1100 | 1550 | 80 | 45 |
| 6. | Tsavo EastTsavo WestAmboseli Package | 1500 | 2150 | 115 | 60 |
| 7. | Mt. Kenya National Park | 400 | 550 | 35 | 15 |
| 8. | Hells Gate, Mt. Longonot, Mt. Elgon, Ol Donyo Sabuk National Parks, Lake Elementaita Wildlife Sanctuary, Shimba Hills and Kakamega National Reserves | 250 | 350 | 25 | 10 |
| 9. | Ruma, Saiwa Swamp, South Turkana, Sibiloi, Central Island, South Island, Ndere Island, Malka Mari, Chyulu Hills, Marsabit National Parks, Mwea and Tana River Primate National Reserves | 250 | 350 | 25 | 10 |
| 9. | Nairobi Animal Orphanage, Nairobi Safari Walk and Kisumu Impala Sanctuary | 200 | 300 | 15 | 10 |
| 10. | Nairobi Sanctuary Package (Nairobi Animal Orphanage and Nairobi Safari Walk) | 300 | 500 | 20 | 15 |
| 11 | Kisite Mpunguti, Watamu, Mombasa, Malindi, Kiunga and Diani Chale | 250 | 350 | 15 | 10 |
Why the Kws Park Fees Were Revised
The national parks in Kenya are at the heart of Africa tourism industry and offers the visitors chance of experiencing top class wildlife encounters and sightings.
However, managing and conserving the parks normally comes with a lot of operational costs attached to it and that is why the new rates have been introduced starting from October 2025.
The first reason that made the KWS managed park fees to increase is due to the ever-increasing costs related to wildlife conservation. Most of protected areas in Kenya continues to face threats from poaching, human wildlife conflicts, ranger welfare and also the need to have modern security surveillance systems in the parks.
The efforts to curb the poaching threats and also to ensure that the conservation standards are maintained are quite costly, which has led to the increase in park entrance fees.
How the New Fees Affect Safari Planning
One of the immediate and most noticeable effects of revised Park fees rates as of 1st October 2025 is the increase in the overall cost of tour safari in Kenya. In some of the KWS managed parks such as Nairobi national park and Mt Longonot National Park.
For the Kenyan citizens, the park fees adjustments remains relatively the same. For instance, Nairobi National Park fees has increased form Ksh.430 to Ksh 1000 for adults.
The tour operators and travelers who are in need of exploring Kenya wildlife parks from 1st August 2025 henceforth may be required to factor in those new rates into their safari packages.
Old vs New Park Fees (Effective October 2025, used in 2026)
| Kenyan Citizen Rates | Old(2024) | New(2025 1st Aug) |
| Amboseli/Nakuru | 860 | 1500 |
| Tsavo East/ Tsavo West | 515 | 1000 |
| Aberdare | 300 | 500 |
| Nairobi National Park | 430 | 1000 |
| Hell’s Gate | 300 | 250 |
| Mt Longonot | 300 | 250 |
| Kisite Mpunguti | 215 | 250 |
| All other parks | 300 | 300 |
Tips for Traveler’s & Tour Operators
With the new KWS rates having taken full effect, it is important that the tour agencies and operators to advice the clients accordingly in regards to the new rates. This should be applicable to all the parks in Kenya managed by Kenya Wildlife Service.
In addition, the new costs that had been created for 2026 should be re-costed so that it can reflect the new park entrance fees structure.
One practical way of managing the overall park entrance fees for parks managed by KWS is combining the parks strategically. For instance, instead of visiting premium destinations such as Nairobi National Park, you can opt to mix mid-tier wilderness parks such as Tsavo, Meru and Aberdare. In doing this, it will ensure that you have a perfect balance of nature while keeping the park entrance fees in check.
Another strong option that tour operators may have is to explore the conservancies in Kenya.The community conservancies that adjorn Amboseli or Laikipia normally provides excellent game viewing opportunities and at the same time they are less crowded.
Whereas the conservancy fees are normally charged separate from KWS fees, they at times offer better value by offering a more exclusive experiences.
Who are Excepted in the 2025/26 KWS New Park Fees?
With the introduction of new Kws park fees that affects major parks in Kenya, the following are category of persons who will be excepted from paying KWS Fees in major parks, reserves and conservancies managed by KWS.
- Pesons Living with disability.
- Child who is 5 years old or younger
- Kenyan citizen of aged 70 and above-senior citizens.
- A licenced tour guide/driver who is registered and is a member of an association.
How to Pay the new Park Entrance Fees as from 1st October 2025
Option A — Quick purchase (no account)
- Open the official KWSPay page: kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke.
- Pick the park you’re visiting (e.g., Nairobi National Park) and choose Single Park Entry.
- Select visit date & duration (standard tickets are time-bound per park rules).
- Choose residency category (Kenyan/EAC Resident/Non-Resident) and enter guest details.
- Add vehicle details (if driving in).
- Pay digitally (M-Pesa or card) and download your e-ticket/receipt.
- Carry ID/passport/resident permit and show the QR/receipt at the gate.
Option B — With an eCitizen account (good for repeats)
- Go to kws.ecitizen.go.ke and sign in / create an account.
- Choose Kenya Wildlife Service → Park Entry, pick your park & date, select visitor categories, and add vehicle.
- Pay via M-Pesa (GoK Paybill 222222), card, or bank (RTGS/EFT), then save the e-ticket.
- Present ticket + ID at the gate.
Option C — Tour operators / groups (“Create a Trip”)
- On KWSPay, click Create a Trip.
- Capture group size & guest details, and (optionally) add multiple parks under one trip.
- Enter vehicle(s), add any activities, pay, and share the e-tickets with guests/driver.
What you can (and can’t) use to pay
- Digital only at KWS gates: M-Pesa, Visa/Mastercard, and bank (RTGS/EFT) accepted via the eCitizen/KWSPay flow. Cash is not accepted at points of entry.
- M-Pesa Paybill: Use GoK Paybill 222222 when that option appears in the eCitizen checkout (enter the reference shown on screen).
What to carry to the gate
- E-ticket/receipt (QR/Barcode) on phone or printed, original ID/passport/resident permit, and vehicle details if self-drive.