Official KWS rates
Amboseli National Park entry fees
Amboseli is one of two KWS premium parks, with Lake Nakuru, and the dearest for a non-resident. Every fee is per person for a single entry of up to 24 hours: leave the park and drive back in and you buy a new ticket. One rate all year, no seasons.
If you only want the answer
A non-resident adult pays $90 to enter Amboseli and a child aged 5 to 17 pays $45, per entry of up to 24 hours, the same all year under the KWS card in force since 1 October 2025. A car with fewer than six seats adds KSh 600 a day, about $4.60. Pay in advance on KWSPay, because the gates are cashless, and ignore the $100 figure: that rate was struck down in court in 2024.
Amboseli entrance fees (per person, per entry of up to 24 hours)
| Non-resident adult | $90 | flat all year since 1 October 2025; Nairobi and both Tsavos charge $80 |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident child or student | $45 | child is 5 to under 18; a student is up to 23 and on an organised school trip |
| African citizen (outside the East African Community) | $50 | child $25 |
| Kenya resident (with a residence permit) | KSh 2,025 | child KSh 1,050 |
| East African citizen, Kenyans included | KSh 1,500 | child KSh 750 |
| Children aged 5 and under | Free | also free: Kenyans aged 70 and over, persons with disability, licensed tour drivers and guides |
Two combination tickets include Amboseli. Tsavo West plus Amboseli costs $150 per non-resident adult against $170 bought separately, and Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboseli $215 against $250. They must be paid in one go, for a continuous stay on fixed dates, and shown at the gate. KWS does not explain how the 24-hour rule works inside a package.
Updated 4 October 2026
Why some sites still say $100, and why we say $90
The $100 figure comes from Legal Notice 215 of 2023, which brought in seasonal rates: $100 from July to March and $80 from April to June. The High Court at Malindi declared that regulation illegal and unconstitutional on 23 August 2024 for want of public participation, and KWS's own 2024 fee card still showed $60. Nothing suggests the $100 rate was ever charged at an Amboseli gate.
The real history is simpler. Amboseli cost a non-resident adult $60 for most of the past decade, with a COVID-relief rate of $35 in 2020 and 2021, and $90 flat since 1 October 2025. That was a 50 per cent rise, not a cut from $100.
One case is still open. On 2 October 2025, a day after the new card took effect, the High Court in Nairobi issued temporary orders on a Kenya Tourism Federation petition against the roll-out, and no final ruling has been published. KWS's park page and fee card still showed $90 on 4 October 2026, and that is what its payment system charges.
The 2024 High Court judgment that quashed the seasonal rates ↗
Vehicle entry (per vehicle, per day)
| Under 6 seats, the typical hire car or 4x4 | KSh 600 | about $4.60 at KSh 129.45 to the dollar, the same for every visitor |
|---|---|---|
| 6 to 12 seats | KSh 1,500 | a safari minivan or Land Cruiser |
| 13 to 24 seats | KSh 3,000 | |
| Drone | $300 | per drone, per day, per park, and only with a KCAA licence |
| Vehicle recovery inside the park | KSh 10,500 | a special service, charged if KWS has to pull you out |
Tour operators' vehicles pay an annual Tourist Service Vehicle fee instead of the daily rate, which is why a package quote does not list it.
Updated 4 October 2026
Camping and KWS accommodation
| Public campsite, non-resident | $30 | per person per night, child $25; water, toilets and a kitchen area; no booking needed |
|---|---|---|
| Special campsite, non-resident | $50 | child $25; priced on the card, but KWS names no special campsite operating in Amboseli |
| Special campsite reservation | KSh 10,000 | per week, non-refundable, on top of the nightly fee |
| Kilimanjaro Guest House (KWS) | $300 | per house per night, sleeps 7, self-catering |
| Simba and Chui Cottages (KWS) | $110 | per cottage per night, sleeps 2, so $55 each |
Camping fees are higher here than in most KWS parks, where a public pitch is $20. KWS also lets Kibo House (sleeps 4) at $250 and the Kilimanjaro Annex (sleeps 4) at $200 a night on its 2025 Mbugani Homes rate card. Book the houses on reservations@kws.go.ke or WhatsApp +254 113 434 304. The conservation fee comes on top of every line here.
Updated 4 October 2026
Activity fees (on top of park entry)
| Night game drive, non-resident | $50 | per person per trip, 'in selected parks'; KWS does not say whether it runs in Amboseli |
|---|---|---|
| Balloon safari | $80 | per landing per person, child $40, on top of the operator's price |
| Animal tracking, by prior arrangement | $20 | per person |
| Warden's lecture | $30 | per group |
| Picnic charge at a KWS station | $10 | per person |
The KWS walking-safari fee applies only in Tsavo East, Tsavo West, Meru and Kora, and Amboseli is on neither the cycling nor the motorcycle list. Inside the park you stay in your vehicle except at designated places such as Observation Hill.
Updated 4 October 2026
Something this page does not answer?
Fees are the one thing park authorities change without telling anyone, and some of them publish nothing at all.
Ask us. We answer questions about the park itself, and we can usually tell you which camps work on one route and who to write to. If what you want is a trip someone else arranges, we will say so and hand you to an operator we know, and we earn a commission if that becomes a booking.
Nothing on this site sits behind the form. Every figure we have is already on the page.