Hell's Gate and Lake Naivasha Day Tour: Hike and Bike
Walk into Hell's Gate's gorges instead of watching them from a vehicle
A full-day hiking and biking tour from Nairobi to Hell's Gate National Park and Lake Naivasha, the only park where you can leave your vehicle and explore on foot. Pickup at 7am from your hotel. The day includes park entry, bike rental, a professional guide and round-trip transport. You cycle 7 kilometers through the park, walk into the distinctive gorges and narrow passageways carved into sedimentary rock, stop at a local Maasai community to learn about traditional life, and finish with a 1-hour boat ride on Lake Naivasha to spot hippos and birdlife (boat ride is optional and costs extra).
Step-by-step itinerary
Hell's Gate and Lake Naivasha tour
- Pick up at Nairobi hotel at 7am
- Drive to Great Rift Valley viewpoint
- Arrive at Hell's Gate National Park at 9:30am
- Choose game drive or bike ride in park
- Cycle 7 kilometers to ranger's post
- Walk safari through park gorges
- Visit local Maasai community
- Lunch at Naivasha Fisherman’s camp (own expense)
- Take 1-hour boat tour on Lake Naivasha
- Return transfer to Nairobi hotel at 4pm
What’s included
- Park entrance fees.
- bike rental for the 7-kilometer ride through Hell's Gate.
- a professional guide fluent in English.
- round-trip transport from your Nairobi hotel with pickup at 7am.
- and access to the gorges and Maasai community visit.
Times
- Every day 07:00
Before you book
Operated by Gracepatt Safaris
Prices and times updated today
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The experience
The tour picks you up at 7am from your Nairobi hotel and drives down the Great Rift Valley, stopping at a viewpoint for photographs before arriving at Hell's Gate National Park around 9:30am. Once inside, you have a choice: take a safari vehicle through the park or ride bikes. Most travelers choose the bikes. You cycle 7 kilometers into the park before stopping at a ranger's post to rest. From there, you leave the bikes behind and walk on foot into the park's gorges, where narrow passageways and caves cut into sedimentary rock. The walking section lasts about an hour and takes you deeper into the landscape than a vehicle tour can reach.
After the gorge walk, the tour stops at a local Maasai community where you learn about traditional life and customs in the Great Rift Valley. Lunch follows at Naivasha Fisherman's camp (you pay separately for meals). At 4pm, you return to your Nairobi hotel. If you want to add a 1-hour boat ride on Lake Naivasha (to watch hippos at the surface and spot African fish eagles, lesser flamingos, African spoonbills and little grebes), that costs $20 per person and is arranged separately. The full day runs about 8 hours from pickup to drop-off.
Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want to walk into Hell's Gate's gorges and caves instead of viewing them from a vehicle. It's the only park in Kenya where you can leave your car and explore on foot. The bike section adds variety to the day and covers more ground before the walking safari begins.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 9 years); Infant (under 3).
What's the difference between biking and taking a safari vehicle through Hell's Gate?
Biking lets you ride 7 kilometers into the park before dismounting for the walking safari through the gorges. A safari vehicle keeps you inside the car for the full park visit. Most travelers bike because it gives you more time on foot in the gorges, which is what makes Hell's Gate different from other parks.
Do I need to be fit to hike and bike on this tour?
The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You bike 7 kilometers at a steady pace and then walk for about an hour through the gorges. The ranger's post offers a rest break between the two, so the effort is spread across the day rather than concentrated.
What wildlife will I see on Lake Naivasha?
Lake Naivasha is home to hippos, African fish eagles, lesser flamingos, African spoonbills and little grebes. The 1-hour boat ride (optional, $20 per person) is the best way to spot them, especially the hippos that linger just at the surface of the water.
What's included in the tour price?
Park entrance fees, bike rental, a professional Hell's Gate guide, fuel, driver charges and round-trip transport from your Nairobi hotel are all included. Lunch, the optional boat ride on Lake Naivasha and gratuities are separate.
What time does the tour start and end?
Pickup is at 7am from your Nairobi hotel. The tour returns you to your hotel around 4pm, making it a full 8-hour day.
Will I meet the Maasai community during the tour?
Yes. After the walking safari through the gorges, the tour stops at a local Maasai community in the Great Rift Valley where you learn about their traditional life and customs before heading to lunch.
Hell's Gate and Lake Naivasha Day Tour: Hike and Bike
8h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 185 per person
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