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A band of flamingos along the shore of Lake Nakuru, April 2022.

MajiLake Nakuru, Great Rift Valley

Lake Nakuru National Park: worth a day on the way to the Mara?

Lake Nakuru National Park lies 156 km (97 mi) by road north-west of Nairobi on the A104, as Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) gives it, on a different road from the one to the Masai Mara, Kenya. Since 1987 it has been Kenya's first government-managed rhino sanctuary, for black and white rhinos. A stop there adds a fenced rhino park for USD 90 per person per 24 hours, single entry and a detour on a different road. Nights are cold: mean lows of 9 to 12 °C (48 to 54 °F).

Photo: Bett Duncan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Edited by Rainer Lang Updated

BarabaraNairobi to the Mara, with a detour

The stop on the road to the Mara

Nakuru is not on the way to the Mara so much as beside it. The A104 runs north-west from Nairobi past Mount Longonot and Naivasha to Nakuru; the Mara road leaves Nairobi for Narok. On a circuit, ask your operator how long the drive from Nakuru on to the Mara takes: the cost of the stop is the day it plans plus the fee.

Some links on this page are affiliate links: the guide earns a commission when you book through them. The partner sets the price; the guide adds no fee.

Lake Nakuru and the Naivasha parks on the way to the Masai Mara A schematic of two roads out of Nairobi: the A104 north-west past Mount Longonot and the Naivasha junction for Hell's Gate to Lake Nakuru National Park, and the road west through Narok to the Masai Mara. A dotted flight runs from Naivasha to the Mara and a dashed link from Nakuru to the Mara has no published time. Numbered badges match the key. A104 NairobiMount LongonotNaivasha junctionHell's Gate, Elsa GateLake Nakuru National ParkNarokMasai Mara 1234567
Schematic, not a map. Along the A104 the stops sit to scale by the distances Kenya Wildlife Service gives; the Naivasha junction (hollow dot) is placed by eye.
  1. 1

    Mount Longonot National Park

    90 km (56 mi) by road from Nairobi on the Nairobi-Nakuru highway (Kenya Wildlife Service). Fee: USD 50 per person per 24 hours, single entry.

  2. 2

    Hell's Gate National Park

    On the A104 to Naivasha, then Moi South Lake Road; Elsa Gate is 25 km (16 mi) by road from that junction. No distance from Nairobi to the junction is published. Fee: USD 50 per person per 24 hours, single entry.

  3. 3

    Lake Nakuru National Park

    156 km (97 mi) by road north-west of Nairobi on the A104 (Kenya Wildlife Service). Fee: USD 90 per person per 24 hours, single entry.

  4. 4

    Narok, on the way to the Mara

    Nairobi to Narok is about 2 to 2.5 hours by road, as Mara North Conservancy states it.

  5. 5

    Masai Mara reserve

    Nairobi to the Mara is about 5 to 6 hours by road (Mara North Conservancy). Fee: USD 100 from 1 January to 30 June and USD 200 from 1 July to 31 December, per person per day, valid 6:00 to 18:00.

  6. 6

    Naivasha to the Mara by scheduled flight

    Safarilink flight 01, 10:15 to 11:00, high seasons only from the Loldia strip, USD 275 single or return, excluding taxes; minimum 4 passengers at the Loldia strip (Safarilink 2026 timetable). The flight can route via Loldia, and loads may be combined to other Mara airstrips.

  7. 7

    Lake Nakuru to the Mara

    Ask your operator how long their route takes and where it stops: the time cost of the stop is the day they plan.

Southern white rhino at Lake Nakuru

Photo: Kandukuru Nagarjun / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

FaruLake Nakuru National Park

A fenced park, run for rhinos since the 1980s.

FaruRhino sanctuary and bird lake

What the park is: a lake, a fence and rhinos

The park grew out of a bird sanctuary. The southern tip became a bird sanctuary in 1961 and the whole lake in 1964; in 1968 the lake and its shoreline were gazetted as Lake Nakuru National Park. It covers 188 km² (73 sq mi) since its 1974 expansion, by KWS's figure.

Rhinos are what set it apart on a Kenya circuit. It got an electric perimeter fence in 1986, and KWS states it supports one of Kenya's largest populations of black rhinos, as well as white rhinos. That is a statement of who lives there, not a promise you will see one on a given drive. For rhinos in the Mara itself, see the Masai Mara animals page.

Away from the shore, KWS lists Makalia Waterfalls, scenic viewpoints and picnic sites; Makalia is also the public campsite. You enter at Lanet Gate, Nderit Gate or the Main Gate near Nakuru City, and KWS gates open at 6:00 and close at 18:00 unless you stay overnight. Naishi airstrip, next to Naishi Guest House, is serviceable.

Compare the other common add-on, Amboseli National Park, which KWS charges at the same rate and which is known for elephants rather than rhinos.

White rhinos in Lake Nakuru National Park
Two white rhinos resting on the grass in Lake Nakuru National Park, July 2007.Photo: Whit Welles / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Lesser flamingos at Lake Nakuru
Thousands of lesser flamingos on Lake Nakuru, December 2007.Photo: Syllabub / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

BeiKenya Wildlife Service, 2025 schedule

What the stop adds to the bill

USD 90Lake Nakuru, per 24 hours

USD 50Hell's Gate, per 24 hours

USD 50Mount Longonot, per 24 hours

USD 200Masai Mara reserve, per day from 1 July

The figures are for a non-resident adult. Every KWS fee is per person per 24 hours, single entry: the fee sheet defines a daily fee as a single access, valid for not more than 24 hours, with one rate all year. A child or student pays USD 45 at Nakuru. The Mara is different: USD 100 per person, non-resident adult, 1 January to 30 June (Narok County 2025/26 schedule); valid 6:00 to 18:00 on the day.

Two smaller lines can turn up. A safari vehicle pays the KWS vehicle charge, KES 600 (about USD 4.50) per vehicle per day for fewer than six seats. KWS also lists a parking charge at Lake Nakuru for non-residents of USD 30 per vehicle per day; it does not apply to park visitors with paid tickets. Check your category on the KWS fee sheet, and ask KWS at the gate how many 24-hour tickets your stay needs.

Lake Nakuru entry by visitorAdult, per person per 24 hours, single entry
VisitorAdult
Non-residentUSD 90
Non-resident child or studentUSD 45
African citizenUSD 50
Kenya residentKES 2,025 (about USD 16)
East African citizenKES 1,500 (about USD 12)

UsikuClimate 1991 to 2020

Cold nights by the lake

Nakuru is cool for a safari park. Mean daily lows run 9 to 12 °C (48 to 54 °F) in every month, and mean highs 20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F). An early game drive starts in the cold, so pack a warm layer; what to wear on safari in Kenya covers the rest.

It is also wetter. The yearly mean is 1,055 mm, more than the 955 mm at Keekorok in the Mara, and the wettest month is April, at 145 mm on average, with May close behind at 130 mm.

MajiLake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha, Hell's Gate and Mount Longonot

Lake Naivasha is the other stop on this road, with two KWS parks close to it.

Hell's Gate National Park was gazetted in 1984 and covers about 68 km² (26 sq mi) in the Great Rift Valley. KWS describes it as one of the few parks in Kenya where people can walk and cycle, and lists its cliffs and gorges, Fischer's Tower for rock climbing, the Obsidian Caves, the Olkaria Geothermal Spa, and hiking and cycling trails. Its public campsites are Naiburta and Oldubai, with Endachata as a special campsite. Public transport operates to it.

Mount Longonot National Park, near Naivasha, was gazetted in 1983, covers about 52 km² (20 sq mi) and protects a stratovolcano that last erupted in 1863. Both parks charge USD 50 per person per 24 hours, single entry per non-resident adult (Hell's Gate, Longonot).

If you want to be on the water, KWS's 2025 schedule lists lake boating at USD 15 per person per hour for non-residents.

  • USD 275

    Loldia to the Mara

    Safarilink flight 01, 10:15 to 11:00, high seasons only; the fare is the same each way, single or return, excluding taxes. Timetable: Safarilink 2026.

  • Minimum load

    minimum 4 passengers at the Loldia strip. Low seasons, when flight 01 does not fly: 1 April to 15 June and 1 November to 15 December 2026.

BarabaraTours and the road

Nakuru on a tour

Most visitors see Nakuru on a tour from Nairobi. Viator lists a private full-day Lake Nakuru tour with an optional Naivasha boat ride from USD 202 per person, park fees excluded (listed 12 November 2026).

As part of a Mara trip, the 4-day Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru group safari is listed from USD 350 per person for 4 days and 3 nights, park fees excluded, and the 7-day Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha and Amboseli budget safari on TourRadar from USD 1,315, with "All park entry fees" included (both listed 12 November 2026).

On the road itself, the US State Department advisory states that the Nairobi-Nakuru highway is only two lanes, and that tourists, who may not always use seatbelts, have been seriously injured or killed in safari vehicle accidents (advisory of 18 October 2026). More on safety on a Masai Mara trip.

To stay inside the park, KWS rents Naishi Guest House, sleeping 8, at USD 280 per unit for non-residents; ask KWS whether that is per night and what it includes.

To build the days, start with a Kenya safari itinerary, keep the Mara days on the Masai Mara itinerary, and compare the road and air ways in on Nairobi to Masai Mara.

USD 202Private day tour on Viator, listed from, fees excluded

USD 90Nakuru fee per non-resident adult

FaruLake Nakuru questions

Lake Nakuru questions

The park page: Kenya Wildlife Service. All the open data behind these pages: the data page.

What is special about Lake Nakuru National Park?

Rhinos, above all. In 1987 it became Kenya's first government-managed rhino sanctuary, for black and white rhinos, inside an electric fence put up in 1986. The park also has Makalia Waterfalls and viewpoints over the lake.

Is Lake Nakuru worth visiting on a Masai Mara trip?

It adds a fenced rhino park the Mara does not have, for USD 90 per person per 24 hours, single entry plus the time it takes. It sits 156 km (97 mi) by road from Nairobi on a different road from the Mara's, so ask your operator how long the drive on to the Mara takes and what the day looks like.

What is the Lake Nakuru National Park entry fee?

For a non-resident adult it is USD 90 per person per 24 hours, single entry, under the Kenya Wildlife Service 2025 schedule, the same in every month. A non-resident child or student pays USD 45, a Kenya resident adult KES 2,025 (about USD 16) per person per 24 hours, single entry.

Are there rhinos in Lake Nakuru National Park?

Yes. KWS states Lake Nakuru supports one of Kenya's largest populations of black rhinos, and white rhinos, and the park has been a rhino sanctuary since 1987. Sightings on any one drive are not certain; they depend on where the animals are that day.

How far is Lake Nakuru from Nairobi?

It is 156 km (97 mi) by road north-west of Nairobi on the A104, as KWS gives it. The US State Department advisory notes the Nairobi-Nakuru highway is only two lanes (18 October 2026). A private day tour is listed on Viator from USD 202 (12 November 2026), park fees excluded.

Sources

  1. Safarilink flight 01 Naivasha (Loldia) to Masai Mara: departs 10:15, arrives 11:00, daily; USD 275 single and return, high seasons only (note b); the Loldia strip is subject to a minimum of 4 passengers (note e) (2026 timetable, fares exclusive of taxes). Safarilink: Timetable and Fares 2026, 1st Edition (valid up to 31 December 2026).
  2. Safarilink: Mara flight 01 can route via Naivasha (Loldia airstrip); operations may combine loads to alternative Mara airstrips because of aircraft limitations at some strips. Safarilink: Timetable and Fares 2026, 1st Edition (valid up to 31 December 2026).
  3. Safarilink 2026 low seasons are 1 April to 15 June and 1 November to 15 December 2026 (timetable). Safarilink: Timetable and Fares 2026, 1st Edition (valid up to 31 December 2026).
  4. Kenya Wildlife Service tourism activity fee (2025 schedule): Lake boating per person per hour, African citizens and non-residents: USD 15. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  5. Kenya Wildlife Service fee sheet defines the daily fee as the fee for a single access to a national park, national reserve or sanctuary, valid for not more than 24 hours. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  6. Kenya Wildlife Service park gates (Nairobi, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru, Hell's Gate and the other park pages) open at 6:00 AM and close at 6:00 PM, unless the visitor is staying overnight. Kenya Wildlife Service: Nairobi National Park park page.
  7. Kenya Wildlife Service vehicle parking charge per day at Malindi, Mombasa, Shimoni, Longonot, Hell's Gate and Lake Nakuru National Park, non-residents (not applicable to park visitors with paid tickets): USD 30. Kenya Wildlife Service: Conservation Fees 2025 (fee sheet PDF, file name 'KWS-Conservation-Fee-October-2025').
  8. GetYourGuide listing 'From Nairobi: 4-Day Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru Group Safari' (operator EXCELLENT GAMESPOTTING ADVENTURES), read 12 November 2026: listed price from USD 350 per person, 4 days and 3 nights, small group, shared transport (private option available), park fees excluded. GetYourGuide: From Nairobi: 4-Day Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru Group Safari, 2026-11-12.
  9. TourRadar listing '7 Days Masai Mara, L. Nakuru, L. Naivasha & Amboseli Budget Safari' (operator Bencia Africa Adventure and Safaris), read 12 November 2026: public from price USD 1,315 per person (USD 1,302 shown to a signed-in Level 1 member), 7 days and 6 nights, group tour, 1-50 travelers, park fees included (listing inclusion 'All park entry fees'), about USD 188 per day. TourRadar: 7 Days Masai Mara, L. Nakuru, L. Naivasha & Amboseli Budget Safari, 2026-11-12.
  10. Viator listing 'Full Day Lake Nakuru Park and optional boat ride on Lake Naivasha' (operator not shown on the page), read 12 November 2026: listed price from USD 202 per person, 1 day, private tour, park fees excluded. Viator: Full Day Lake Nakuru Park and optional boat ride on Lake Naivasha, 2026-11-12.
  11. Hell's Gate National Park was gazetted in 1984 and covers about 68 square kilometers in the Great Rift Valley, per the Kenya Wildlife Service. Kenya Wildlife Service: Hell's Gate National Park park page.
  12. Kenya Wildlife Service: Hell's Gate is reached from Nairobi on the A104 to Naivasha, then Moi South Lake Road; Elsa Gate is 25 km from the Moi South Lake Road junction and public transport operates. Kenya Wildlife Service: Hell's Gate National Park park page.
  13. Kenya Wildlife Service lists Hell's Gate attractions: cliffs and gorges, Fischer's Tower (rock climbing), Obsidian Caves, Olkaria Geothermal Spa, and hiking and cycling trails. Kenya Wildlife Service: Hell's Gate National Park park page.
  14. Kenya Wildlife Service: Hell's Gate public campsites are Naiburta and Oldubai; special campsite Endachata. Kenya Wildlife Service: Hell's Gate National Park park page.
  15. Kenya Wildlife Service Hell's Gate National Park page rate card: non-resident adult USD 50, non-resident child USD 25 (matches the 2025 fee sheet). Kenya Wildlife Service: Hell's Gate National Park park page.
  16. Kenya Wildlife Service describes Hell's Gate as one of the few parks in Kenya where people can walk and cycle. Kenya Wildlife Service: news post 'Nature Ndio Form: KWS Invites Kenyans to Spend the Festive Season in the Wild', 2026-11-09.
  17. Mount Longonot National Park (near Naivasha) was gazetted in 1983, covers about 52 square kilometers and protects a stratovolcano that last erupted in 1863, per the Kenya Wildlife Service. Kenya Wildlife Service: Mt. Longonot National Park park page.
  18. Kenya Wildlife Service Mt. Longonot National Park rate card: non-resident adult USD 50, non-resident child USD 25. Kenya Wildlife Service: Mt. Longonot National Park park page.
  19. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru and its shoreline (about 6,000 hectares) were gazetted as Lake Nakuru National Park in 1968, after the southern tip became a bird sanctuary in 1961 and the whole lake in 1964. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park park page.
  20. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park got an electric perimeter fence in 1986 and in 1987 became Kenya's first government-managed rhino sanctuary, for black and white rhinos. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park park page.
  21. Kenya Wildlife Service states Lake Nakuru supports one of Kenya's largest populations of black rhinos, and white rhinos. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park park page.
  22. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park is 156 km north-west of Nairobi by road on the A104, entered at Lanet Gate, Nderit Gate and the Main Gate 4 km from Nakuru City. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park park page.
  23. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru's Naishi airstrip, next to Naishi Guest House, is serviceable. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park park page.
  24. Kenya Wildlife Service lists Makalia Waterfalls and scenic viewpoints and picnic sites among Lake Nakuru attractions; public campsite Makalia; special campsites Reedbuck, Naishi, Rhino, Chui, Soysambu, Kambi Nyuki, Kambi Nyati. Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park park page.
  25. Kenya Wildlife Service Lake Nakuru National Park page rate card: non-resident adult USD 90, non-resident child USD 45 (matches the 2025 fee sheet). Kenya Wildlife Service: Lake Nakuru National Park park page.
  26. Kenya Wildlife Service house 'Naishi Guest House' in Lake Nakuru National Park (Mbugani Homes 2025 rate card): non-resident USD 280 per unit, citizens and residents KES 20,000 per unit, capacity 8 per unit; the card does not print the period (per night implied) or what is included. Kenya Wildlife Service: KWS Mbugani Homes 2025 Rates (rate card PDF).
  27. The Narok County Finance Act 2023 defines the Maasai Mara park entry fee as the amount charged for entry into the Maasai Mara from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, regardless of the time of entry. Narok County Finance Act, 2023 (No. 3 of 2023), First Schedule: Maasai Mara National Reserve park fees and charges, 2023-10-13.
  28. The US State Department advisory states car accidents are one of the main causes of injury and death of Americans in Kenya, the Nairobi-Nakuru and Nairobi-Mombasa highways are only two lanes, and tourists, who may not always use seatbelts, have been seriously injured or killed in safari vehicle accidents. US Department of State: Kenya Travel Advisory (as published in the State Department travel advisory data feed), 2026-10-18.
  29. Park, camping, vehicle and balloon fees. Narok County 2025/26 Park Fees & Charges and Narok County Finance Act 2023 (reserve, Narok side); Mara Conservancy conservation fees (Mara Triangle); Kenya Wildlife Service Conservation Fees 2025 (Nairobi, Amboseli, Lake Nakuru); Enonkishu Conservancy fee page
  30. Travel times and distances. Drive times as stated by Mara North Conservancy, Mara Siana Conservancy, the Mara Conservancy, Safarilink and AirKenya; road distances from KeNHA, Narok County, Kenya Wildlife Service and Mara Siana Conservancy; flight times from the 2026 timetables of Safarilink, AirKenya, Governors' Aviation and Mombasa Air Safari
  31. Climate 1991 to 2020. Rain: CHIRPS v2.0 daily rainfall, UCSB Climate Hazards Center, 1991 to 2020 (satellite and gauge grid); temperature: NASA POWER daily point data (MERRA-2 reanalysis), 1991 to 2020; monthly means and the 8-of-10-years range computed from the daily series
  32. Unit conversions. Metric figures with US equivalents (1 km = 0.621371 mi, 1 m = 3.28084 ft, 1 kg = 2.20462 lb, 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 acre = 0.404686 ha, °F = °C × 9/5 + 32)