Nairobi Attractions Entry Fees 2026
Fees verified September 2026
Key Takeaway
For a non-resident, the Karen half-day (Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen, Bomas) costs about KES 6,300 in fees; adding Sheldrick pushes it past KES 19,000 because every Sheldrick visitor must also pay the USD 80 Nairobi National Park fee. So do the dawn game drive and the 11:00 Sheldrick visit on the same 24-hour KWS ticket. Kenyan citizens pay a fraction everywhere: the same Karen day is about KES 1,450.
Three sample days and what they cost
Budget
KES 3,500–6,000
per person, non-resident
One CBD/Museum Hill day on foot and matatus, or a Karen morning by Uber, spending only on citizen-tier-style value picks.
Sample day
- Nairobi National Museum + Snake Park combined (USD 25 ≈ KES 3,235)
- walk to Nairobi Arboretum (KES 716)
- Uhuru Park (free). Ubers ≈ KES 500. Non-resident total ≈ KES 4,450. A Kenyan citizen does the same day for ≈ KES 1,350.
Mid-range
KES 14,000–20,000
per person, non-resident
The classic Karen half-day plus Bomas, by ride-hail.
Sample day
- Uber CBD→Karen (KES 900)
- Giraffe Centre (KES 1,500)
- Karen Blixen Museum (USD 17 ≈ KES 2,200)
- Kazuri (free)
- Bomas 14:30 show (USD 20 ≈ KES 2,588)
- Uber back (KES 900). Lunch KES 1,500. Non-resident ≈ KES 9,600 without Sheldrick; add Sheldrick (USD 20 + USD 80 KWS ≈ KES 12,940) and it becomes ≈ KES 22,500 — which is why Sheldrick belongs in the luxury tier for non-residents. Citizens: ≈ KES 4,000.
Luxury
KES 35,000–55,000
per person, non-resident
Private 4x4 dawn game drive plus Sheldrick and Giraffe Centre on one KWS ticket.
Sample day
- Private half-day NNP tour for two (USD 110–209 pp incl. vehicle; USD 80 KWS fee each, valid 24 h)
- Sheldrick 11:00 visit on the same KWS ticket (USD 20)
- Giraffe Centre (KES 1,500)
- lunch in Karen (KES 3,000)
- Kiambethu-style add-on next day. Per person ≈ USD 230–330 ≈ KES 30,000–43,000 plus meals.
Nairobi's attractions have gone through their biggest price reset in two decades.
More detail
KWS introduced new conservation fees in October 2025 that took Nairobi National Park to USD 80 for non-residents, the National Museums revised admissions in May 2026, Karura Forest moved onto eCitizen under the Forest Service, and almost every gate in the city stopped taking cash. The result is a lot of out-of-date numbers online. This guide lists the 2026 fee at 22 sites from each attraction's own notice or charter, with the citizen and resident rates alongside the non-resident price, opening hours, how to pay, and what the trip from town costs by ride-hail, then adds it up into three sample days.
Nairobi National Park & KWS sanctuaries
| Item | Price (KES) |
|---|---|
| Nairobi National Park (24 h)USD 80 non-resident adult; + vehicle KES 600 (<6 seats). Citizen/EAC KES 1,000, resident KES 1,350, other-African USD 40. Child (5–17) half price, under-5 free. eCitizen only. The Oct 2025 KWS fee regulations were challenged in court; KWS has continued charging these rates through 2026, so budget on them. | KES 10,352–10,952 |
| Nairobi Safari Walk or Animal Orphanage (each)USD 25 non-resident adult; citizen KES 300, resident KES 405. Child USD 15 / KES 200 / KES 300. | KES 3,235 |
| Nairobi Sanctuary Package (Orphanage + Safari Walk)USD 40 non-resident; citizen KES 500; resident KES 675. | KES 5,176 |
| Nairobi Package (Park + Orphanage + Safari Walk)USD 105 non-resident; citizen KES 1,300; resident KES 1,750. Saves USD 25 vs buying separately. | KES 13,587 |
Karen & Lang'ata wildlife
| Item | Price (KES) |
|---|---|
| Giraffe Centre (AFEW)Citizens and work-permit residents KES 400; child 3–12 KES 750 / 200; under-3 free. Cashless. | KES 1,500 |
| Sheldrick Wildlife Trust 11am visitUSD 20 donation (cash) — but every visitor must also pay the USD 80 KWS park fee, so budget ~USD 100. Kenya residents KES 2,000 + KES 1,350 KWS. Under-12 USD 5 / KES 500. Advance email booking only. | KES 2,588–12,940 |
| Mamba VillageUSD 10 non-resident (2025 figure, unverified for 2026); citizen KES 200; resident KES 250–400. Check it is open. | KES 1,294 |
Karen culture & craft
| Item | Price (KES) |
|---|---|
| Bomas of Kenya afternoon showUSD 20 non-resident; residents/EAC KES 1,000; Kenyan citizen KES 500; students USD 15. Shows 14:30 weekdays, 15:30 weekends. | KES 2,588 |
| Karen Blixen MuseumUSD 17 non-African foreigner; residents & other Africans USD 9; citizens KES 550 (child 300). eCitizen only. | KES 2,200 |
| Oloolua Nature TrailCitizens KES 200, residents KES 400; children half. 2024 figures. | KES 600 |
Museum Hill & CBD
| Item | Price (KES) |
|---|---|
| Nairobi National Museum + Snake Park combinedUSD 25 combined (singles USD 18 each); residents/other Africans USD 15; citizens KES 600 (child 300). Effective 7 May 2026. | KES 3,235 |
| Nairobi Gallery (Murumbi)USD 14 foreigner; residents KES 600; citizens KES 300. | KES 1,812 |
| Nairobi Railway MuseumCitizens KES 200, EAC residents KES 500; children half. eCitizen/M-Pesa, no cash. | KES 600 |
| Kenya National Archives / Murumbi GalleryCitizens KES 50, child/student KES 20. Unverified for 2026. | KES 200 |
| Nairobi ArboretumCitizens KES 242, residents KES 479; child 3–13 KES 179/121/63. Cashless. | KES 716 |
Parklands, Karura & Kiambu
| Item | Price (KES) |
|---|---|
| Museum of Illusions Nairobi (Parklands)Flat KES 1,600 adult; child 4–12 KES 1,000; student KES 1,200; family KES 4,200. Online adds a service charge. | KES 1,600 |
| Karura ForestKES 696 non-resident adult (child KES 348); Kenya and EAC resident KES 232 (child 116); citizen KES 116 (child 58), VAT inclusive, plus a KES 50 eCitizen fee per transaction. Parking KES 232 a day for cars and 4x4s. Open 6am–6pm, last entry 5:30pm. eCitizen, no cash. | KES 696 |
| Paradise Lost, KiambuKES 500 citizen/resident; child KES 300; activities KES 200–1,500 extra. Non-resident tier unverified for 2026. | KES 1,000 |
| Kiambethu Tea Farm tour + lunchFlat KES 4,900 all nationalities; under-12 half; under-4 free. Closed Mon–Wed; pre-book. | KES 4,900 |
Kitengela & Ngong day trips
| Item | Price (KES) |
|---|---|
| Kitengela GlassWatching the glassblowing is free; the swing bridge KES 300, garden KES 300, Dragon Pool KES 500. Glass-blowing sessions KES 500–10,000. | KES 300–800 |
| Ngong Hills hikeKES 600 non-resident (citizens KES 200, residents KES 400) + ranger escort ~KES 1,000 per group (mandatory for summit). | KES 600–1,600 |
Money tips
- Nairobi National Park tickets are valid 24 hours — buy one KWS ticket and use it for the dawn game drive and the 11:00 Sheldrick visit the same morning; Sheldrick visitors must pay the KWS fee anyway.
- Non-residents: the KWS Nairobi Package (USD 105) saves USD 25 over park + orphanage + safari walk bought separately; the NMK combined museum + Snake Park ticket (USD 25) saves USD 11.
- Almost nothing takes cash any more: KWS, NMK, Bomas eCitizen, Giraffe Centre, Karura, Arboretum, Ngong and the Railway Museum are all M-Pesa/card/eCitizen. The one exception is the Sheldrick donation, which is cash on the day (USD or KES).
- Set up M-Pesa or carry a Visa/Mastercard that works on eCitizen; pay KWS online the night before to skip the gate queue at Mbagathi.
- Kenya residents on a work permit: KWS, Bomas, Giraffe Centre and KFS give you the cheaper tier with your permit/alien card, but NMK museums charge residents the same USD rate as other Africans — bring your permit anyway.
- Children under 5 are free at all KWS sites, under 3 at the Giraffe Centre, under 4 at the Museum of Illusions and Kiambethu; students under 23 get child rates at the Giraffe Centre and (with institutional letter) at KWS.
- Any Nairobi NP tour quoted under ~USD 120 per person almost certainly excludes the USD 80 KWS fee — ask before you compare.
- Book Sheldrick by email directly (max 3 months ahead); it refuses bookings made through Viator, GetYourGuide or TripAdvisor.
- Museum of Illusions is at Laxcon Court, Parklands — not Two Rivers — and walk-in tickets avoid the online service charge.
- Free things worth planning around: Kazuri Beads runs free guided workshop tours Monday to Saturday (book ahead), Uhuru Park is free with ID, and Kitengela Glass is free to watch.