Hell's Gate National Park bike tour with Lake Naivasha boat option

You can bike through a national park where most visitors stay in vehicles.

A day tour from Nairobi to Hell's Gate National Park in Naivasha where you cycle for two hours through the park, walk the gorges, and optionally take a boat on Lake Naivasha to see hippos and fish eagles. The tour includes park entry, an English-speaking guide, bike hire and hotel pickup. Lunch is available for purchase. The boat ride costs extra and is your choice at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Hell's Gate National Park3h · entry included
2. Lake Naivasha2h

Hell's Gate and Lake Naivasha Tour

• Depart Nairobi hotel at 7am
• Drive to Hell's Gate National Park
• Stop at viewpoints of Great Rift Valley
• Arrive Hell's Gate and start biking tour
• Explore Hell's Gate on foot or drive
• Visit the gorges and take panoramas
• Have lunch (own expense) at 1pm
• Enjoy boat ride on Lake Naivasha
• Spot hippos and water birds
• Drive back to Nairobi, arrive around 6pm

The experience

The tour departs your Nairobi hotel at 7am and drives to Hell's Gate, stopping at viewpoints along the Great Rift Valley escarpment. You arrive mid-morning and spend two hours cycling through the park: an option most national parks don't allow. The route passes through habitat where you might see giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, impalas, hartebeests, gazelles and hyenas, along with smaller animals like dikdiks, klipspringers and mongooses. The park is also home to rare lammergeyer vultures.

From 11am you walk through the gorges for an hour, moving underneath the thin depressions of rock and land where the terrain narrows. At 1pm there's a lunch break (food available for purchase). Then at 2pm, if you've added the boat option, you take a one-hour ride on Lake Naivasha where hippos rest on the shores and water birds (fish eagles, pelicans and others) move across the water. The return drive to Nairobi takes about four hours, arriving around 6pm.

What’s included

• Hell's Gate National Park entrance fee.
• bike hire for the two-hour cycling section.
• services of an English-speaking driver and professional Hell's Gate guide.
• hotel pickup from Nairobi and return transport.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (16 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 15 years) · Under 3: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyNot for pregnant travelersInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Gracepatt Ecotours Kenya

Is this one for you?The cycling option is what sets this tour apart: most parks require you to stay in a vehicle, but Hell's Gate lets you move through it on a bike. Choose this if you want to cover more ground under your own power and get closer to the landscape. Pick the driving option if you prefer to move faster and conserve energy for the gorge walks.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 15 years). Under 3: they can't be included in the booking.

Can I bike the whole way through Hell's Gate or do I have to drive?

Cycling is optional for the two-hour park tour. Some travelers bike the route while others drive. Both are allowed within Hell's Gate, so you choose when you arrive.

What animals am I likely to see on this tour?

Hell's Gate holds giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, impalas, hartebeests, gazelles, hyenas, dikdiks, klipspringers, mongooses, baboons and monkeys. Lake Naivasha, if you add the boat ride, is where you'll see hippos, buffalo and water birds including fish eagles and pelicans.

Is the boat ride on Lake Naivasha included in the tour price?

The boat ride is optional and costs US$20 per person extra. You can add it when you book or skip it and end the day after the gorge walk and lunch.

What time does the tour start and when do I get back to Nairobi?

Pickup from your Nairobi hotel is at 7am. The full day with the boat ride ends around 6pm. Without the boat, you'd return a bit earlier.

Do I need any experience to bike in Hell's Gate?

The tour suits all fitness levels. Bike hire is included, and you're cycling at your own pace through the park for two hours with your guide.