Get active in Hell’s Gate & Lake Naivasha EXpedition
Go cycling in Hell’s Gate and enjoy a sunset boat safari at Lake Naivasha, all on the same day!
Hell’s gate and Lake Naivasha are a popular hideaway for people from the capital. Less than 2 hours from Nairobi, this area offers plenty of fun activities to enjoy on an extended weekend. You can mountain bike among the zebra’s and giraffes in Hell’s gate, how cool is that, and there’s a nice campsite with great facilities. It is a great budget destination too.
Get active in Hells Gate National Park
Hell’s Gate is a great adventurous destination with plenty of possibilities to get active. It is one of the few Kenyan parks where you can cycle or hike through. You can hire mountain bikes (test them before you take them out) at Elsa Gate or Fisherman’s Camp. It is very exciting to get up close with large animals, such as zebra’s, giraffes, impala’s and even buffalo (keep your distance!).
After a bike ride, you can hike through Hells Gate, a gorge with strange rock formations, dozens of shades of red soil and waterfalls. For the experienced rock climbers out there, there’s a stand-alone rock in Hell’s Gate Valley which you can climb.
How much is the entrance fee for Hell’s Gate National Park
Hell’s Gate is under management of the Kenyan Wildlife Service. In 2020/21 the entrance fee for non-residents is $ 20. For more information on charges, please follow the KWS website, here.
What to see and do in Lake Naivasha
A visit to Hell’s Gate National Park is perfectly combined with a trip to Lake Naivasha. Naivasha is known as a world class birding destination, under which its pelican colony, and great for enjoying a sunset boat safari. Much of the lake is surrounded by forest of the yellow barked acacia trees. Giraffes nibble from the acacia trees, Colobus monkey call from the tree trips, buffalo wallow in the mud, and hippos relax in the shallow waters of the lake.
A visit to Lake Naivasha can be combined with lunch or an overnight stay at Elsamere. This is where the story of George and Joy Adams took place. A colonial couple who adopted a lion: Elsa. The film Born Free (1966) is based on this (book) story.
Camping options in Hell’s Gate and Lake Naivasha
Roadtrip Kenya’s favorite place to stay at Lake Naivasha is Camp Carnellys ( see below). It’s a camp ground with great facilities to to pitch your own tent, and they also offer budget lake view Banda’s.
For those wishing to camp inside Hells Gate, you can pitch your tent at Endachata, Naiburta or Oldubai Campsite.
