How much does it cost to visit Amboseli for a safari?

Amboseli National Park is one of the top tourist destinations in Kenya, popularly visited by different types of tourists, making it the second most visited national park in the country after Masai Mara. The cost of the safari to Amboseli depends on several factors, and these dictate whether you are to have a budget or luxury safari to Amboseli National Park. There are different categories of tourists that visit Amboseli National Park, and these include students, children, foreign non-residents, residents, African citizens and East African citizens.

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Students: These are visitors to Amboseli National Park who are from a recognized education institution, for example, primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions and universities for research purposes and conservation. Students can be in the age bracket of 3 to 23 years and you need to have an ID proving that you are a student. The institution has to write a letter to the Kenya Wildlife Services informing them about the trip at least two weeks before the travel date. Note that students planning a private safari to Amboseli do not qualify and have to either pay a citizen’s or resident’s fee.

EAC Citizens: Citizens are visitors in Kenya with citizenship status from Kenya and other East African Community countries, including Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. All citizens are required to provide a valid passport or National ID from their respective countries.

Children: These are visitors with an age range of 3 to 16 years.

Residents: Residents are foreigners staying and working in Kenya. These have to documentation about their residence and work permits before they are allowed to gain access to Amboseli National Park.

Foreign non-residents: These are foreigners visiting Kenya who have neither a residence nor work permits.

The cost of a safari to Amboseli National Park varies depending on several factors and these include:

The cost of park fees

To be able to visit Amboseli National Park, you need to know the different park fees that need to be paid by all tourists and need to be considered. At the end of 2023, Kenya Wildlife Services revised the park fees, and these will run from January 2024 to 31^st December 2025. below are the updated Amboseli Park fees. When visiting Amboseli National Park, no cash will be allowed at the entrance and only cashless payments are allowed. This can be done using direct bank deposits to Kenya Wildlife bank accounts, visa cards, MasterCard, and M-pesa among others.

Park entrance fees:

The Amboseli Park entrance fees from 2024 to 2025 are categorized depending on the season of travel, the status of the visitor (students, foreign non-residents, residents and East African citizens) and their age.

The park entrance fees during the low season which is from March to May are:

• Foreign non-resident adults pay $80 per person and $20 per child per day.
• Adult Residents pay Kshs800 and Kshs250 for children per person per day.
• Adult African citizens pay $35 per person and children $10 per person per day.
• East African citizen adults pay Kshs800 and Kshs250 for children per person per day.

The park entrance fees in Amboseli during the peak season from June to October are:

• Adult foreign non-residents pay $100 and children pay $35 per person per day.
• Adult residents pay Kshs1,000 and children pay Kshs500 per person per day
• Adult African citizens pay $50 and children $20 per person per day
• Adult East African citizens pay Kshs1000 and Kshs500 per person per day.

Park Vehicle fees:

The cost of the vehicles accessing Amboseli National Park is different depending on the seating capacities and these include the following.

• Less than 6 seats: Kshs500
• 6-12 seats: Kshs1,500
• 13-24 seats: Kshs3,000
• 25-44 seats: Kshs4,500
• 45 and above: Kshs 5,000

Campsites

There are two types of camps in Amboseli National Park, and these are special campsites and public campsites, and each of these costs differently.

The special campsites cost the following per category of tourists. Note that the special campsites offer a reservation fee for East African community citizens and residents of Kshs7,500, and African citizens, including other international tourists, pay $75.

• Resident adults pay Kshs500 and children pay Kshs250 per person per day.
• Adult African residents pay $25 and children $15 per person per day.
• East African citizen adults pay Kshs500 and kshs250 per person per day.

The public campsite includes the following:

• Adult foreign non-residents pay $30 and children pay $25 per person per day.
• Adult African citizens pay $15 and $13 for children per person per day.
• Adult residents and East African community citizens pay Kshs250 and children pay Kshs200 per person per day.

Aircraft fees including single landing fees:

• Less than 3 seats: Kshs500
• 4 to 6 seats: Kshs1,000
• 7 to 14 seats: Kshs 1,500
• 15 to 20 seats: Kshs 2,500
• 12 seats and above Kshs 3,500

Vehicles stationed in the park per year:

All the vehicles that are parked in Amboseli National Park pay an annual fee based on the type of the vehicle and the weight.

• PSVs less than 6 seats and commercial vehicles less than 2 tonnes: Kshs10,000
• PSVs 6 to 12 seats and commercial vehicles 2 to 5 tonnes: Kshs20,000
• PSVs 6 to 13 seats and commercial tour vehicles not stationed in the park: Kshs60,000
• PSVs with more than 14 seats and commercial vehicles 5 tonnes: Kshs100,000

Trucks and delivery vehicles:

The delivery vehicles and trucks that enter Amboseli National Park are charged depending on the tinnes that they weigh and below are the costs from 2024 to 2025.

• 1 to 3 tonnes: Kshs515
• 4 to 7 tonnes: Kshs2,155
• Above 7 tonnes: Kshs 3,015.

Annual passes:

• Adult annual passes: Kshs45,000
• Child annual pass: Kshs10,400
• Corporate annual pass: Kshs 120,000
• Tour driver personalized annual pass: Kshs6,000
• Marine Park annual pass: Kshs 10,500
• Couple’s annual pass (adults): Kshs80,000
• Family annual pass (2 adults $5 children under the age of 8): Kshs130,000

 All annual passes are valid for a year.

International flights:

 This is one of the factors that affect most of a safari to Amboseli National Park and should be put into consideration when planning your visit. When planning the visit, the cost of your flights is often not included in the safari package and t, and therefore, depending on where you are coming from, you need to know the cost of the international flights to Kenya and then back. The cost of the flights will depend on your country of origin season of travel, booking time and the airlines used.

To be able to get the best deals, ensure that before booking; compare the different airline costs using flexible dates. The peak season, which is usually in high demand, will be expensive, and if you are traveling on a fixed budget, you still have time to compare and get the best prices for yourself. we are also available to help you navigate and get the best safari that fits you.

Visa:

This is one of the things that you need to put into consideration when planning a visit to Amboseli National Park and an expense that cannot be ignored. Depending on your nationality, you have to either apply for the visa online before your trip or immediately upon arrival.

The Kenya tourist visas are valid between 3 months to 12 months, and the available ones include the single entry visa, which is valid for 3 months, and the multiple entry visa, which can be valid for 6 to 12 months. There is also an option of getting the East African Tourist visa, valid for 90 days, which can be used multiple times, and allows you to visit three countries, including Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

To be able to apply for the visa, you need an official valid passport, a recent photograph, proof of return flight, an application form and hotel booking information. The cost of the visas in Kenya is $51 for online applications and $50 for offline applications. The East African Tourist visa is $100 per person.

Accommodation:

Accommodation is important as you start planning a safari to Amboseli, and there are various options to choose from, including campsites, budget facilities, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities, Airbnb, hotels and homestays, among others.

The cost of accommodation in Amboseli depends on the location, facilities, services included and the quality. Staying inside the national park or any private reserve is more expensive because you have to pay park and conservation fees as compared to staying in facilities that are located outside the national park. Staying in a full board lodge is also more costly though effective as compared to staying in a hotel where you have to buy your food. The average cost of accommodation facilities in Kenya is $50 to $100 for budget facilities, $100 to $400 for mid-range facilities and $500 to $1000 or more for luxury accommodation facilities.

Individual facilities, however, remain with the authority to change the room rates, and these can change anytime, especially during the dry/peak season.

Transport:

Depending on the itinerary and your preference, there might be a need to use different modes of transport when you get to Kenya to travel to Amboseli National Park, and these include flying or driving to the park. The most common mode of transport used to travel from the airport to Amboseli is by driving, either by using a group tour operator or a private guide. The cost of traveling by road is cheaper with a bigger group since the costs, including fuel and vehicle hire costs, are shared. Driving gives you a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the stopovers at the different interesting spots. The safari cars used are 4x4 WD well-maintained and kept in good mechanical conditions so that they are easy to operate both along the way and in the wilderness. 

The other option is flying from the international Airport using domestic flights to Amboseli. Flying saves time for tourists who have various safari destinations to visit with limited time. However, it is an expensive way to travel compared to the road. To be able to save money, we will help with organizing your transport with a carefully planned itinerary to minimize the costs.

Extra cash:

After getting your itinerary and knowing what to bring on your safari, you need to know that extra cash is important and will affect the cost of your safari, although it will not be part of the safari package to Amboseli National Park. The extra cash will be for personal use, and it should be in small bills for easy transactions, when you get into the country, it is better to exchange the money for Kshs. The extra cash can be used to buy souvenirs, tip service providers at restaurants, guides, porters, buy snacks and fruits among others. Amboseli National Park is located in a remote area, and international cards might not be of use, and that is why you need to carry the cash with you at all times. Be aware of thieves, however, and not walk with large wards of cash, especially at night.

Safari activities:

There are a lot of activities that are carried out in Amboseli National Park, and the only activity that is covered by the park entrance fees are the two game drive sessions that are offered per day. Other activities including bird watching cultural trips and guided nature walks among others are paid for independently. The more activities that you choose to include in your itinerary, the higher the cost of the safari and vice versa. To be able to enjoy the different safari activities, first pay for the flight tickets, including the return ticket, and the rest of the budget can be divided among the activities.

In conclusion, the cost of a visit to Amboseli National Park is a combination of the above factors and more, and they determine whether you are going to have a budget-friendly safari or a luxury safari. Send us an email to help you plan and choose the best Amboseli National Park safari for you putting your budget into consideration.