The 15 Best Nakuru Tours

1.Lake Naivasha: Crescent Island Game Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 44 reviews · 7 hours · from $70Our pick

Travel from Nairobi to Lake Naivasha for a 40-minute boat ride with hippos, waterbucks, fish eagles, and pelicans, then walk among giraffes, zebras, gazelles, and wildebeests on Crescent Island. Steve has guided some island walks, but transport quality and included fees deserve careful checking.

“The boat trip and walk on Crescent Island were five stars, but the driver to and from was tedious. Driver didn't really talk much and when he did he was difficult to understand. The company charges solo travelers $40 more than couples (or more that book together) even though everyone rides together in same car. I suggest finding another operator for the Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island tour.”

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2.Lake Naivasha & Hell’s Gate National Park Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 8 hours · from $36Best value

Leave Nairobi for the Great Rift Valley with an English-speaking guide, a Lake Naivasha boat ride, and walking or cycling at Hell’s Gate. You may see hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, and birds, then visit a geothermal spring and dramatic gorge. Guides such as Ruth, Douglas, and Kadwaro add local help and personality.

“The trip was great. I was the only one on the trip and it was exactly as explained in the itinerary. We had a short stop at the Great Rift Valley view point which was breathtaking. At Hell’s Gate, the park guide and I cycled to and from the gorges at around ~20km before it became too hot. And finally was driven to the last stop of the tour which was the boat ride at Lake Naivasha. All in all, a great trip.”

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3.A day tour; Lake Nakuru national park& L. Naivasha Boat ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 18 reviews · 10 hours · from $145

Leave Nairobi early with an English-speaking driver-guide for Lake Nakuru’s rhinos and birdlife, then continue to Lake Naivasha for an optional boat ride near hippos, eagles, crocodiles, and Crescent Island. The day is scenic and wildlife-packed, but park, boat, and meal costs are extra.

“The two lakes and the park were both great and I would absolutely recommend them. However the tour company has some things to work on, they were 30 min late to pick us up after writing us specifically the day before to ask us to be ready earlier than was planned and at drop off they stopped at another passenger’s hotel and passed us off to a stranger to drop us off without explaining who the person was. The whole thing came off really unprofessional”

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4.Group Hell’s Gate National Park & Lake Naivasha Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 18 reviews · 1 day · from $50

Travel from Nairobi with an English-speaking guide such as Meshack, then cycle through Hell’s Gate, walk its narrow gorges, and take a boat across Lake Naivasha. The $50 base price excludes park entry, bike hire, boat fees, lunch, and optional Crescent Island access, so budget carefully.

“Les activités étaient très bien. Mais la partie en vélo est assez complexe pour certains donc il faut quand même avoir un bon niveau de sport. Un petit problème de compréhension pour le midi, on a été au restaurant et réservé le plat vers 10h. Cette étape pourrait être oubliée je pense. Mais dans l’ensemble, j’ai passé un agréable moment! Le temps était au rendez-vous donc génial. Et j’avais un doute sur l’ensemble parce que je n’étais pas sûr de voir beaucoup d’animaux. Alors qu’au contraire, j’en est vu une multitude! Je recommande.”

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5.Lakes Nakuru& Naivasha National Park Wildlife Highlights

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · 8 hours · from $180

Leave Nairobi at 6:00 AM for a guided Lake Nakuru game drive, then cruise Lake Naivasha for hippos, birds and eagle feeding. Guides such as Anthony, George, and Patrick have earned praise for careful driving and sharp wildlife spotting. Park fees, lunch, and the $25 boat ride cost extra.

“The trip did not comply with the description provided. Had I known that once we saw the animals on safari that the tour was over, I wouldn’t have booked the tour. We did not stop for lunch and go out in the park again, as stated in the description. We left the park after approximately 2.5 hours after we started with the rationale being that we saw the animals and that was it. Very disappointing and neither the driver nor tour manager provided a satisfactory response to our disappointment. We did not want to book another tour with them”

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6.Day trip lake Naivasha and Hells gate

★★★★★★★★★★3.2 · 8 reviews · 8 hours · from $55

Leave Nairobi early for Hell's Gate National Park, where you can hike or rent a bicycle among cliffs, wildlife, and gorges. After lunch, take a one-hour boat ride on Lake Naivasha. Guides such as Douglas, Surfic, and Kadwaro have earned praise for punctual service and thoughtful stops.

“It was really great. I went alone. So it was like a private trip. The driver was very punctual. I enjoyed alot.”

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7.Group joining day tour to Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 7 hours - 1 day · from $90Top rated

Join a Nairobi day trip with guides such as Isaac, Patrick, Ismael, and Leki. Stop at the Rift Valley viewpoint, cycle through Hell’s Gate, then cruise Lake Naivasha. You can add Crescent Island for a guided walk among giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests.

“Everything went very smoothly. We had an amazing experience. Definitely recommend it. Tasha and George were awesome guides. Again i definitely recommend them.”

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8.4 DAYS MAASAI MARA GROUP SAFARI: (WITH MARA PARK FEES) – 4WD

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 4 days · from $750

Spend four days exploring the Maasai Mara in a 4WD Landcruiser with a pop-up roof. You get an evening drive, two full safari days, meals, camp lodging, park fees, and Nairobi transfers. Guides such as Jacob and Peter M are assigned according to availability.

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9.Lake Nakuru National Park Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 8 hours · from $155

Travel from Nairobi to Lake Nakuru National Park for a private four-hour game drive with an English-speaking guide. Look for white and black rhinos, lions, hippos, giraffes, and flamingos, plus more than 400 bird species. Guide Manasseh is praised for his strong park knowledge.

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10.4 Days 3 Nights Masai Mara, L.Nakuru Jeep.

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3 reviews · 4 days · from $332

Travel from Nairobi to Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru in a pop-up-roof Land Cruiser. Expect afternoon and full-day game drives, a Rift Valley stop, full-board budget stays, and guides in five languages. Cassandra Dan is one guide noted for sharp wildlife spotting.

“Easy & quick communication with tour operator, perfect itinerary, comfortable vehicle, great camp & hotel with nice meals. Guide was the best & made us feel at home, taking care of all our needs. Had a keen eye for wildlife & helped us spot all that can be seen on the game drives, which were comfortable in spite of all the driving involved. Overall a great, comfortable & wholesome experience to be cherished with fond memories. Very reasonably priced also. Highly recommended!!!”

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11.4 Days group safari in a safari van With no park fees

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 3 reviews · 4 days · from $350

Join a group safari from Nairobi to Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru in a pop-top van. You get three nights of private, self-contained accommodation, guided game drives, a Maasai village option, meals, bottled water, and a full day in the Mara. Park fees cost extra.

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12.Day tour to Mount Longonot

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 6 hours · from $100

Pick up in Nairobi and hike Mount Longonot National Park with an English-speaking guide such as Kelvin. Walk the steep 13.5 km route around the crater, spot zebra and antelope, and add an optional Lake Naivasha boat ride if time and plans allow.

“What a great experience! Kelvin our guide was fantastic, accommodating and very knowledgeable. Do yourself a favour and book with him for any of your tours in Nairobi and especially the Mount Longonot tour as he was very attentive and accommodating throughout the trip.”

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13.Day Trip to Lake Nakuru National Park from Nairobi

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $175

Leave Nairobi early for a private, guide-led safari at Lake Nakuru National Park. With Stanley or a colleague, you’ll seek rhinos, flamingos, lions, giraffes, and birds, stop at Baboon Cliff, enjoy a picnic lunch, and return by early evening.

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14.Hell’s Gate Bike Ride & Crescent Island Boat Ride Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $105

Travel from Nairobi with guide Patrick, stop at the Great Rift Valley and Kenya’s oldest church, then bike past zebras and gazelles in Hell’s Gate. Finish with a Lake Naivasha boat ride and a Crescent Island walk, with wildlife, birds, and film locations along the way.

“I'd happily recommend this tour to anyone interested in exploring Hell's Gate and Lake Naivasha. I had a private tour which meant we could be a lot more flexible than if it's in a big group. We were able to stop on Crescent Island and explore, too, which I highly recommend if you have the time. A private tour on your own means a lot of time chatting with your guide. Luckily Patrick is very easy to talk to. He's also very knowledgeable about the area and Kenya in general which made for great conversation throughout the day. He's also a very safe driver, and goes out of his way…”

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15.Hell’s Gate & Lake Naivasha: Bike Tour, Hike & Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 1 day · from $36

Join a private, English-speaking tour with local guides such as Eric for a full day of biking, hiking, wildlife viewing, and a Lake Naivasha boat ride. Expect volcanic cliffs, zebras, gazelles, hippos, birds, and optional rock climbing or camping. Fees for entry, bikes, boat, and transport are extra.

“The tour was great. Our guide Eric is really friendly, funny and open for all kind of ideas and variations of the tour. We had a great day and it was also totally affordable for our budget. Next time I definitely will come back to him. thanks:)”

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