The 15 Boat Trips in Nairobi That Earn Their Price

1.Day Trip: Hell’s Gate Bike Ride & Lake Naivasha Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 251 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $34Our pick

Spend 9 to 10 hours exploring Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. Ride 16 km past zebras and giraffes in Hell’s Gate, walk through a geothermal gorge, then cruise Lake Naivasha near hippos and birdlife. Guides such as Ruth, Isaiah, Erick, and Patrick have earned special praise for their care and local insight.

“The excursion was nice overall. The driver and guide were punctual and we arrived soon enough to the place. We could eat at a place that was a bit too touristic but otherwise we could visit Hell’s gate national park and Naivasha Lake during the day. I recommend !”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Day tour to Hell’s Gate National park and optional Boat ride on lake Naivasha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews · from $125Top rated

Leave Nairobi at 7am for Hell’s Gate National Park, where your private guide leads a two-hour bike ride past zebra, eagles, and dramatic rock walls. After lunch at Fisherman’s Camp, add a $25 Lake Naivasha boat ride for bird watching and hippo sightings. Guides may include Stephen, Gaddafi, Charles, Isaac, or Sammy.

“Amazing trip, so fun and went rock climbing which was an amazing experience. Would definitely recommend as a nice one day trip. Driver Charles was also very friendly and we had very interesting conversations :) thank you all!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Full Day Lake Nakuru Park and optional boat ride on Lake Naivasha

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 95 reviews · from $202

Leave Nairobi early for Lake Nakuru’s rhinos, giraffes, lions, flamingoes, and birdlife, then continue to Lake Naivasha for an optional hippo and eagle boat ride. Private guides such as Paul, Peter, Jimmy, and Simba tailor the day, though park fees, meals, and the boat cost extra.

“Our guide was Jimmy again (yay) - and he's very patient and fun to hang with - amazing driver (both on road and offorad!) - we enjoyed our game drive in this park. He was able to spot animals for us and explain to us a lot of things. We've been to Southern Africa before and on several other game drives, yet we were still able to learn a lot from Jimmy on this game drive! Thanks for the tour and would recommend to friends and family!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Small Group Budget Tour to Hells Gate National Park and Lake Naivasha Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 85 reviews · from $57

Join guides such as David, Jaffar, or Kazungu for a shared day from Nairobi to Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha. Cycle 8 kilometers through the park, walk the gorges, then add a one-hour boat ride for hippos and birds. Vehicle support is available if the bike ride wears you out.

“This was a major highlight of my trip to Kenya. My driver and guides were great and gave me lots of time to make stops to watch the animals or take pictures. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Day Tour To Lake Nakuru Park With Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 84 reviews · from $210

Leave Nairobi at 6:00am with a private driver-guide for Lake Nakuru wildlife viewing, a Great Rift Valley viewpoint, and an optional Lake Naivasha boat ride. Guides such as Festus Kazungu and Samuel are praised for warm, personal guiding. Bring a VISA card for the $60 park fee.

“We had an excellent day around beautiful, peaceful Lake Nakuru. The national park offers much more than the famous flamingos; we saw plenty of wildlife while enjoying the surroundings. Samuel was a highly knowledgeable guide who really made an effort to give us the besRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Day Tour To Hell’s Gate National Park and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 78 reviews · from $65

Leave Nairobi at 7 a.m. with a private driver and guide, stop above the Great Rift Valley, then cycle about 16 kilometers through Hell’s Gate beside zebras, giraffes, and warthogs. Add a Lake Naivasha motorboat ride for hippos, pelicans, and fish eagles. Guides may include Calvin, Frank, or Gaddafi.

“Hell’s gate and lake Naivasha is a must!!!!! This is by far one of the most unique experience I have had while traveling period. The opportunity to bike alongside a wide variety of animals was incredible!! Even without any animal sightings the Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · from $125

Leave Nairobi at 6:00 am for a guided Mount Longonot hike, a Rift Valley viewpoint, and lunch beside Lake Naivasha. Your private guide can set the walking pace, while the optional boat ride adds birdwatching and hippo viewing for $25 per person.

“Thanks for a spectacular tour to Mount Longonot and Lake Naivasha. Peter and "black Santa" picked me up at the hotel early in the morning. Black Santa brought us in two hours to the starting point of the hike. Climbing up the crater of Mount Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Lake Nakuru National Park & Boat Ride at Lake Naivasha Day Tour From Nairobi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 13 reviews · from $195

Leave central Nairobi at 6:00am with a private driver-guide such as Joe, Stephen, John, or Kelvin. Visit the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, spend about three hours on safari in Lake Nakuru, then take an optional one-hour boat ride at Lake Naivasha to see hippos, birds, and eagle feeding.

“The trip was amazing! Safari guide Joe was very friendly, he had a big knowledge about the animals and their habits- his stories were very interesting. Joe stopped anytime I wanted to take a pic which was really nice :) I highly recommend this guide. Also a boat ride was full of details about the birds living around plus hippos ❤️”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Tour to Hells Gate National park & L Naivasha boat ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · from $90

Leave Nairobi at 7 am for Hell’s Gate National Park, where a local guide leads a cycling safari and gorge walk. Then take an optional boat ride on Lake Naivasha to see hippos, fish eagles, flamingos, spoonbills, and grebes. Drivers such as Jimmy and Peter are noted for smooth, informative transfers.

“Would definitely recommend this tour. It was just me and one other person. Jimmy and Dominic were fun and enthusiastic as tourguide and driver. Saw a lot of animals while biking and a lot of hippos during the boat tour. The bikes in the national park were a little bit worn down, and Dominic even offered to switch bikes to make my experience better.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Day trip to Hells Gate National Park with boat ride on Lake Naivasha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $75

Leave Nairobi at 7:00 a.m. for Hell's Gate National Park, where you can cycle 8 km toward the gorge with a guide, then hike among volcanic formations and hot springs. After lunch, take a one-hour Lake Naivasha boat ride for hippos, birds, and Crescent Island views. Jared may be your guide.

“I had the most amazing time biking, hiking and boating with Jared in Hells Gate and Lake Naivasha! He's friendly and incredibly knowledgeable with animal facts. Jared picked me up from Simba Lodge on time and the whole day just felt really carefree. I highly recommend booking a tour with Jared!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Day Trip -Hells Gate & Lake Naivasha With Boat Ride From Nairobi

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 7 reviews · from $112

Meet your guide at 7:30 am for a full-day trip from Nairobi to Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha. Walk among dramatic cliffs, gorges, zebra and gazelle, then take a boat toward Crescent Island. Check which park, boat, lunch, and conservation fees are included before booking.

“the local tour company has no idea what promises this viator giving you when you book the tour, its only driving you from city to the park and returning you from park to city. as you have to pay extra for every single entrance during the day tour. so 140 usd instead of paying to Read more”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Day Trip to Mt. Longonot with Boat Ride in Lake Naivasha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $60

Leave Nairobi at 6:00 am with a private driver-guide, often Peter, for the 3.1 km climb to Mt. Longonot’s crater rim. After lunch, take a one-hour Lake Naivasha boat ride for hippos, birds, and Crescent Island views. Park and boat fees, food, and drinks cost extra.

“Really enjoyed the hike. This was one of my favorite activities in Kenya. The views were spectacular and Peter was a wonderful guide. I’m a slow hiker and he was very patient. Everything went smoothly. Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Hells Gate Cycling park & Lake Naivasha Boat tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $150

Leave Nairobi at 6 a.m. with a driver-guide for the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, then cycle Hell's Gate among zebra and giraffes, walk the gorge if weather allows, and take a two-hour Lake Naivasha boat ride past hippos, fishermen, and water birds. Bikes, transport, water, and boat fees are included.

“It’s really nice and amazing and maybe you are as lucky as we and have the chance to get really close to a giraffe. Our guide Julius was also really nice and friendly.”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Private Layover Tour to Hells Gate National park with Optional Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · from $90

Use a Nairobi layover for a private trip to Hell’s Gate National Park. Your driver-guide, possibly Dennis or Gaddafi, takes you by private vehicle to the Rift Valley viewpoint, then to a two-hour bike ride, gorge walk, and optional Lake Naivasha cruise.

“Was an amazing day! We love all the trip, we saw beautiful landscapes and views . Denis and Gaddafi are really cool, and we fell so comfortable with them! Thanks.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.HELL’S GATE AND LAKE NAIVASHA BOAT RIDE FROM NAIROBI.

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 3 reviews · 8 hours · from $75

Travel from Nairobi to Hell’s Gate for a two-hour bike safari among cliffs, gorges, and local wildlife, then take a boat on Lake Naivasha for hippos and birdlife. Hotel pickup, a guide, and bottled water are included, but park, bike, cycling, boat, and meal costs are extra.

Check availability →Read our full review