Hotels in Kenya: Where to Stay, Park Fees and Budget Tips
A practical guide to stays across Kenya, from $17 rooms in Nairobi to beach hotels on the south coast and camps beside the Masai Mara, with the park fees that decide your real budget.
Short answer
Hotels in Kenya run from $17 rooms to $2,000 safari camps, and the price depends far more on where you are than on the standard of the room. Nairobi rooms start around $17 a night, Diani Beach around $22, Mombasa around $26, and camps near the Masai Mara start around $74 and climb past $2,000.
Park entry fees are charged separately, per person per 24 hours, and are usually the second biggest cost after your stay.
Hotels in Kenya by region
| Where | From | Go for |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | $17/night | Arrival and departure nights, business, city food and museums |
| Masai Mara | $74/night | The great migration, big cats, the classic safari |
| Diani Beach | $22/night | White sand, reef diving, the best value beach week |
| Mombasa | $26/night | Old Town, the coast road, Tsavo safaris from the coast |
Live two-night searches for one room and two adults, November 2026. Rates move with season and availability.
Nairobi
Almost every Kenya trip starts and ends here. Nairobi has over 600 bookable properties and the widest price range in the country, with a median around $64 a night. Westlands suits most visitors, the city centre has the cheapest central rooms, and the airport hotels are worth it only for a pre-dawn flight.
Cheap hotels in Kenya
Cheap hotels in Kenya are easy to find in the cities and on the coast. Nairobi has rooms from about $17 a night, Diani Beach from about $22 and Mombasa from about $26. Affordable hotels in Kenya with a little more comfort, such as private bathrooms, breakfast and reliable hot water, usually sit between $50 and $90. Mombasa has a median near $51 a night, so the average traveller pays well above the lowest prices quoted.
The only place where low prices are hard to find is the Masai Mara itself. That is where the next section picks up.
The Masai Mara and the safari parks
The Mara is the reason most people come to Kenya, and it is the most expensive place to sleep in the country. Camps inside the reserve and in the bordering conservancies run from about $150 to well over $2,000 a night. Stay in a camp just outside the gate and the same standard of tent costs a third as much, at the price of a short drive each morning.
Kenya's other parks are much cheaper and far quieter. Amboseli has the Kilimanjaro views, Tsavo East and West are enormous and reachable from the coast, Lake Nakuru is an easy add-on from Nairobi, and Samburu in the north has species you will not see in the Mara.
Best national parks in Kenya
The best national parks in Kenya depend on what you want to see. The table compares the six most visited, with distances measured from Nairobi. Drive times are approximate and vary with traffic and road conditions.
| Park | Known for | Approx. drive from Nairobi |
|---|---|---|
| Masai Mara National Reserve | Big cats and the wildebeest migration, which usually arrives between July and October | 5 to 6 hours |
| Amboseli National Park | Large elephant herds and views of Mount Kilimanjaro | 4 to 5 hours |
| Tsavo East and Tsavo West | Two of the largest parks in Africa, with red-dust elephants and wide open plains | 5 to 6 hours to Tsavo West |
| Lake Nakuru National Park | Rhino sanctuary and birdlife on the lake | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Hell's Gate National Park | Gorge scenery, with walking and cycling allowed among the wildlife | 2 to 3 hours |
| Samburu National Reserve | Northern species such as Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk | 5 to 6 hours |
Nairobi National Park deserves a mention too. It sits on the edge of the city, only a short drive from the centre, and works well for a half day before a late flight.
Kenya national parks entry fees
Kenya national parks entry fees are charged per person for each 24 hours inside the park, on top of your accommodation and vehicle. They differ for citizens, residents and non-residents, and they are revised regularly, so the number to trust is the one on the authority's own site on the day you book. The body that sets the fee depends on the park.
| Park or area | Who sets the fee |
|---|---|
| Amboseli, Tsavo East and West, Lake Nakuru, Hell's Gate, Nairobi National Park | Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) |
| Masai Mara National Reserve | Narok County Government, not KWS |
| Samburu National Reserve | Samburu County Government |
| Private conservancies bordering the Mara | Each conservancy, charged as a nightly fee per guest and often bundled into the camp rate |
If anyone in your party holds Kenyan or East African residency, say so when booking. Children and residents pay much less.
Budget park fees as a separate line from day one. A family of four on a four-day Mara trip can easily pay more in entry fees than for two nights of accommodation.
Kenya on a budget
Kenya has a reputation as an expensive destination. That is true of the Mara in high season and not especially true of anything else. Budget travel in Kenya comes down to a handful of choices.
- Travel in April, May or November. These are the cheapest months and the parks are quiet.
- Sleep outside the reserve. This is the largest single saving on a Kenyan trip.
- Swap one safari day for two coast days. Diani costs a fraction of a Mara camp per night.
- Use the smaller parks. Tsavo and Amboseli deliver a full safari at a lower fee and lodging cost than the Mara.
- Share a vehicle. A private 4x4 is priced per car, not per person.
Season matters more than anything else on that list, so here is how the year breaks down.
| Months | Weather | What it means for your budget |
|---|---|---|
| January to February | Hot and dry | Good wildlife viewing and higher prices |
| March to May | Long rains, heaviest in April and May | Lowest prices and fewest visitors, though some roads and camps are difficult in the wettest weeks |
| June to October | Cool and dry | Peak season, with the Mara migration and the highest camp rates |
| November to December | Short rains | Prices are lowest in November and climb again toward the holidays |
Compare hotels in Kenya on your dates
Live prices inclusive of taxes and fees across Nairobi, Mombasa, Diani and the safari camps.
Search Kenya hotelsThe coast
Kenya's coast is the country's best value week. Diani Beach, south of Mombasa, is the headline: white sand, a reef, and a price range from $22 guest houses to $400 beach resorts. Mombasa itself is cheaper still, with a median around $51 a night, and works well as a base for Tsavo East. Watamu and Malindi further north are quieter.
Getting around Kenya
| Route | Options | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi to Mombasa | Standard gauge railway, road or flight | About 5 hours by train |
| Nairobi to Masai Mara | Road transfer or light aircraft | 5 to 6 hours by road, under an hour by air |
| Nairobi to Amboseli | Road transfer or light aircraft | 4 to 5 hours by road |
| Nairobi to Lake Nakuru | Road transfer | 2.5 to 3 hours |
The Nairobi to Mombasa railway is comfortable, cheap and books out ahead of time. Light aircraft transfers save most of a day and cost considerably more. Within Nairobi, ride hailing is the simplest option.
EA Booking currently sells hotels, resort stays, car rental and activities. Flights are not part of the booking engine today, so arrange those separately.
Kenya at a glance
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Capital | Nairobi |
| Languages | English and Swahili are both official |
| Currency | Kenyan shilling (KES) |
| Time zone | East Africa Time (UTC+3), with no daylight saving |
| Electricity | 240V, with UK style three pin (Type G) sockets |
| Entry | Most visitors need an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) before they fly, so check the official Kenyan government portal |
Planning your trip
A first Kenya trip usually runs nine to twelve days: two nights in Nairobi, three or four in the Mara or another reserve, and four or five on the coast. If you want to add Tanzania, the natural pairing is a safari plus Zanzibar. Read our blogs for more trip planning advice.
Common questions
How much is a hotel in Kenya?
Rooms start around $17 a night in Nairobi and $22 on the coast at Diani. A comfortable mid-range hotel is typically $50 to $90. Safari camps near the Masai Mara are a separate market, starting around $74 and running past $2,000 a night.
Are there cheap hotels in Kenya?
Yes. Cheap hotels in Kenya start around $17 a night in Nairobi, $22 in Diani and $26 in Mombasa. Prices are highest near the Masai Mara, where even budget camps tend to cost more than city rooms.
What are the best national parks in Kenya?
The Masai Mara for big cats and the migration, Amboseli for elephants and Kilimanjaro views, Tsavo East and West for scale and easy access from the coast, Lake Nakuru for flamingos and rhino, and Samburu in the north for species found nowhere else in the country.
How much are Kenya national park entry fees?
They are charged per person for each 24 hours in the park and vary by park, season and residency. The Kenya Wildlife Service publishes rates for the national parks, and the Masai Mara sets its own through Narok County. Always confirm the current figure on the official site before you budget.
Can you visit Kenya on a budget?
Yes. Travel in April, May or November, sleep just outside the reserves rather than inside them, use Tsavo or Amboseli instead of the Mara, and spend more of the trip on the coast. Done that way Kenya is no more expensive than many mainstream destinations.
How many days do you need in Kenya?
Nine to twelve days is the usual first trip: a night or two in Nairobi, three or four on safari and four or five at the coast. A safari-only trip works in five or six days.