Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate Day Trip
Cycle through a gorge where wildlife walks beside you, then a boat out to the Naivasha hippos. The one day trip from Nairobi that genuinely gets you out of the city.
Duration
Full day
Group
1 - 12 guests
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Package overview
Cycle through a gorge where wildlife walks beside you, then a boat out to the Naivasha hippos. The one day trip from Nairobi that genuinely gets you out of the city.
Hell's Gate is the only national park in Kenya where you are allowed to walk and cycle among wildlife, because it has no resident big predators. You ride a bicycle through a valley of red cliffs and volcanic towers with zebra, giraffe, warthog and buffalo grazing beside the track, which is an entirely different sensation to watching them from a vehicle. The gorge walk at the far end takes you down into a narrow slot canyon with hot springs running through it, and a local Maasai guide takes you through the section that needs one. The landscape is the one Disney used for The Lion King, which the guides will point out and you will immediately recognise. The afternoon is Lake Naivasha: a freshwater Rift Valley lake with one of the largest hippo populations in Kenya and extraordinary birdlife, done from a small boat with a guide who knows the pods. Crescent Island can be added, one of very few places in Kenya you can walk on foot among giraffe, zebra and wildebeest. On price, one honest thing. Hell's Gate entry rose to USD 50 per adult under the October 2025 KWS revision, and listings still quoting USD 30 are out of date. That fee, the bike hire, the boat trip and lunch are all inside our price. The economics of this trip are genuinely better in a group: at two people it is USD 260 to USD 275 per person, at four it is USD 200 to USD 210, and at six it drops to around USD 180. If you are a couple, ask us about joining an existing departure. It is a long day, roughly twelve hours door to door with two hours of driving each way, and it is worth every one of them.
The route
The Itinerary
06:30 — Nairobi departure
Hotel pickup and two hours down the Rift Valley escarpment, with a stop at the viewpoint over Mount Longonot and the valley floor.
09:00 — Hell's Gate by bicycle
Park entry and bike hire, then a ride through the gorge among zebra, giraffe, warthog and buffalo. Hell’s Gate has no resident big predators, which is why cycling and walking are permitted here and nowhere else. Flat terrain, moderate fitness; e-bikes can be sourced with notice.
11:30 — The gorge walk
Down into the slot canyon with a local Maasai guide, past the hot springs and the rock formations that inspired the Lion King landscape. Closed after heavy rain because of flash-flood risk, in which case we substitute Crescent Island.
13:30 — Lunch and Lake Naivasha
Lunch, then a small-boat trip on the lake among one of the largest hippo populations in Kenya, with fish eagles and the drowned fever trees along the shoreline.
16:30 — Return to Nairobi
Back up the escarpment, arriving Nairobi early evening. Roughly twelve hours door to door.
What's Included
Not Included
- We believe in transparency. No hidden fees.
Sister Company
Explore Kibera Tours
Interested in community-led cultural experiences? Our sister company Explore Kibera Tours runs safe walking tours through Kibera — markets, artisans, schools, and community projects with local guides.