Tsavo East National Park

Quick answer · Updated 28 October 2026

Tsavo East is Kenya's largest national park, about 13,747 km² of red earth and open plains in the south-east of the country. It's known for red-dusted elephants, the palm-shaded Galana River and more than 500 bird species. From Diani it's about a 3–4 hour drive to Bachuma Gate, close enough for a day trip.

Schematic map, not to scale.

At a glance

Area: ~13,747 km²^source
Established: April 1948^source
Main gates from the coast: Bachuma (~110 km from Mombasa), Voi (~156 km from Mombasa); Sala Gate from Malindi^source
Bird species: More than 500^source
Gate hours: 06:00–18:00^source
Non-resident park fee: USD 80 adult / USD 40 child as of 28 October 2026 · fees & court note

Wildlife

A large herd of red-dusted elephants in Tsavo East — Red elephants

Lionesses and cubs resting together on red earth — Lion

Three cheetahs resting close to safari vehicles — Cheetah

Leopard resting on a tree branch during a game drive — Leopard

Gerenuk, the long-necked antelope of Tsavo — Gerenuk

Lesser kudu at a lodge waterhole — Lesser kudu

Nile crocodile basking on rocks beside the river in Tsavo — Nile crocodile

Hirola antelope (critically endangered)
Somali ostrich

Sights

Aruba Dam

A reservoir that draws elephants, buffalo and waterbirds in the dry season.

Galana River

The palm-shaded river that runs through the park.

Lugard Falls

A series of rapids on the Galana.

Crocodile Point

A riverside viewpoint for crocodiles and hippos.

Mudanda Rock

A ~1.6 km-long rock outcrop that collects rainwater.

Yatta Plateau

A 13.5-million-year-old lava flow running roughly 290 km, one of the longest lava flows on Earth.

Best time to visit

Driest and best for wildlife June–October and January–February; wettest April and November–December; migrant birds November–April.

JanDry
FebDry
MarMixed
AprWet
MayMixed
JunDry
JulDry
AugDry
SepDry
OctDry
NovWet
DecWet

Dry (best for wildlife): June–October, January–February. Wettest: April, November–December. Source: SafariBookings.

Getting there

Diani → Tsavo East: About 3–4 hours
Mombasa → Bachuma Gate: About 2–4 hours
Mombasa → Bachuma Gate: ~100–110 km

Park fees

Park	Visitor category	Adult	Child
Tsavo East	Non-resident	USD 80	USD 40
	Rest-of-Africa citizen	USD 40	USD 20
	Kenya resident	KES 1,350	KES 675
	East African citizen	KES 1,000	KES 500

Source: Kenya Wildlife Service park pages, checked 28 October 2026.

About the 2025 fee change: Kenya Wildlife Service introduced new conservation fees on 1 October 2025. On 2 October 2025 the High Court issued an order suspending them while a petition was heard. KWS's own park pages list the new rates as of the date shown. We confirm the fee that applies when we quote your trip. Park fees guide