How Much Does It Cost A Trip to Kenya

How much does it cost a trip to Kenya? Whether you go backpacking into the wilderness with the lowest possible budget or let yourself pampered in the most luxurious resorts. The cost will vary depending on what you want. Like if you’re going to rent a vehicle or do most of the safari, these can enumerate the expenses. You will undoubtedly have to incur some fixed costs before and during your trip. We spent 16 days in Kenya, and to reduce the costs of hotel rooms, we camp a couple of nights.

Accommodation prices in Kenya 

The prices of hotels in Kenya depend on the location and type of rooms, and most of it, breakfast is included. In Nairobi, for example, there are so many choices, but we choose to stay in (Karen) the quiet area of the city at Acacia Tree Lodge. Regarding other places, the cost of accommodations is higher in Kenya. If you love the outdoors, camping is an alternative for a budget place to stay.

For a more comfortable stay but not cheap, try one of the lodges in the game parks. We book two lodgings at booking.com, in Tsavo West at Severin Safari Camp and Shaba; Sharova Shaba Game Reserve. It cost more than a hundred euros per night in December, and if you want to save money on food, the one in Tsavo offered a room with a cooking facility. And while in Shaba Reserve Park, they have a full board for the price.

Camping Prices in Kenya

Camping in Kenya is an alternative for budget accommodation. You don’t need to bring a tent; read what to pack for Kenya. Some campsites provide tents with an additional charge, but you can pitch your tent for 5 USD per person. Nevertheless, raising a tent in a national park costs around 25 USD. Just a big reminder, don’t expect too much for the sanitary facility of campings in Kenya. Some places are pretty low, like the one we had in Sabache, scarcely water for a shower. Camping in Kenya is pretty cheap, but you can’t compare the facility to your home country.

Cost of vehicle with Driver in Kenya

Hiring a car in Kenya costs a lot of money, especially if you rent a 4×4. These kinds of vehicles are closed and have a pop-up roof that can open. Our jeep cost 119 euro per day, includes comprehensive insurance, 24/7 road support, and unlimited mileage. If you could find cheaper elsewhere, go for it. I book the jeep with Roadtrip Africa.  

You can choose to do self-drive or hire a driver. Please note that they drive on the other side of the road in Kenya, which can be a challenge for less trained drivers. As we will be doing much off-road on this trip, we conclude to hire a driver. A driver’s costs are 35 euro per day, which provides for all his meals and accommodation. And for the regular camp gear, set price of 5 euro per person per day. Hiring a vehicle was the most expensive on our trip but the most convenient way of traveling around the country. As for gasoline, we spend 230 euros for the entire trip.

Safari Costs 

The cost of a safari varies widely and is affected by many factors; therefore, it is better to do some research first and compare. The entrance fee can sum up if you visit more than two parks. Price range from 50 USD to 80 dollars, and if you come with a vehicle and a driver, you’re going to pay an additional fee. They charge roughly 10 USD for the driver and 5 USD for the car.

In our 16 days in Kenya, we visited seven parks. These are parks we’ve seen on this trip: Hells Gate, Nakuru, Aberdare, Samburu reserve, Kimana Sanctuary, Amboseli, and Tsavo. At the bottom line on this blog, you will see how much we spent on the safari.

Cost for a Meal 

Kenya can be expensive on other things, but they’re relatively cheap when it comes to food. The average price for dinner in a restaurant costs less than 10 euros per person, in which you get a significant portion. In some places, you get extensive menus for the price. However, we do some cooking during our stay at the camping. You’ll find mostly supermarkets where you can contrive of what to prepare. A local market is also the right place for various fresh products.

To Summarize the Cost

Kenya is an affordable destination; however, we spent more money on this trip than visiting four countries in Central America, Mauritius, and Seychelles. As mentioned earlier, you can determine the budget before or during your journey. We choose not to stay in the cheapest hotel, but we have alternate campings done. And for the air ticket, I book multiple flights as we combine the trip with Zanzibar Tanzania. Nevertheless, it’s a last-minute trip, and our schedule isn’t flexible, so we pay a little more for the flight. It isn’t how we do it a lot; we mostly book flights in advance to get the lowest price; read my blog on how to find cheap tickets. 

Below are the expenses for two-person. We’re fortunate that some of the game parks were half-price because of the global pandemic. It was peak season during our trip, but fewer visitors.

• Air tickets –1486 euro
• Jeep — 2490 euro  
• Fuel — 230 euro  
• Accommodations — 693 euro  
• Food and drinks — 307 euro 
• Park Fees — 540 euro 
• Other expenses (tips) — 60 euro

Once in a Lifetime Trip

The significant stripe on our bank account wasn’t a surprise. We know in advance how much we spend when planning the trip. All I can say, visit this beautiful country once in a lifetime. Don’t forget, Kenya has two currencies; the US dollar and the Kenyan Shilling. It is good to carry some dollars as they’re widely accepted; however, most parks are only accepting credit cards. Also, Kenya is more like a cashless country; most people used M-PESA – a mobile money transfer service. It is not obligatory to do that if you don’t want to, you can pay in cash everywhere.