Where to camp around Lake Naivasha, what it costs and how to plan a budget trip from Nairobi … from someone who runs these trips and grew up in Naivasha, ill give you .
Lake Naivasha is one of the easiest places in Kenya to camp well without spending much. It’s about two hours from Nairobi, it’s freshwater (so no salt and good birdlife) and you can pitch a tent within earshot of hippos and wake up to fish eagles or monkeys. This is a practical guide to finding affordable camping sites near Lake Naivasha… the sites, rough costs and how to do it on a budget.
We run camping trips here, so the advice below is what we’d tell a friend and you are a friend 🙂
Why we recommend affordable camping sites near Lake Naivasha
It’s close to Nairobi, it’s cheap and there’s a lot to do from one base. You can camp on the lakeshore and spend your days on a boat safari, cycling Hell’s Gate next door, walking Crescent Island among the wildlife, hiking Mount Longonot or even drive up and visit Ragia falls or Elephant hills or even decide to go on an adventure to Aberdare national park, my favourite place inKenya. Few places in Kenya pack that much into a short, affordable trip.
The lake sits at altitude, so nights get cool. It’s freshwater, fed by rivers and the birdlife is some of the best in the country. Hippos come out of the water to graze at night, which is part of the experience and the main thing to respect (more on that below).
Camping sites around Lake Naivasha
Most of the camping sits on the southern shore, along Moi South Lake Road on private land where you pay the site’s own rate. Here are the real options, grouped by what kind of trip they suit. We’ve left exact prices out on purpose, since site rates change often. Confirm the current rate with the camp or with us when you book.
Budget and backpacker camps (bring your own tent)
These are the classic, cheap Naivasha spots: flat grassy ground, lake views, basic ablutions, a fire pit and usually tents for hire if you don’t have your own.
- Fisherman’s Camp — the best-known budget camp on the south shore. Pitch your own tent or hire one, hire bedding too. Lively, social, good for groups and first-timers.
- Camp Carnelley’s — sits right next to Fisherman’s. Camping plus basic dorms and en-suite bandas if you want a step up from a tent. Known for a good restaurant and bar.. Quieter than Fisherman’s.
- Naivasha West Beach Camp — one of the cheapest per-person rates on the lake. Own tent, hired tents and dorm beds available
- Crayfish Camp — camping plus rented tents and hireable mattresses and blankets.
Mid-range and more comfort
- Oloiden Camping Site — own-tent camping plus a range of rented tents, including a large group tent that sleeps eight to ten. Good for families and bigger groups.
- Elwai Camping Centre — fully-serviced grass pitches, a tidy, well-run option if you want camping without the rough edges.
Camps with a wildlife or safari-tent feel
- Sanctuary Farm — camp on a working farm and wildlife sanctuary where you can walk and ride among zebra and giraffe. A public campsite, a more exclusive campsite and fully-equipped safari tents with beds and bedding. One of the nicer settings on the lake.
- Crater Lake Tented Camp & Game Sanctuary — more a luxury tented camp than a basic campsite, set around a jade-green crater lake in its own sanctuary. Worth it if you want comfort and your own wildlife reserve.
- Lake Naivasha Crescent Camp — fully furnished canvas safari tents on the shore, full-board. Not basic camping; this is the soft, no-effort end.
Camping inside Hell’s Gate (KWS public campsites)
If you’d rather sleep inside the park next door, Hell’s Gate has three public campsites run by Kenya Wildlife Service: Naiburta, Endachata and Olduvai, near the gorge and park road. You’re properly out in it here, with wildlife around and no fences.
Camping fees at Hell’s Gate (per person, per night): KES 250 adult / KES 200 child (East African citizen), KES 350 / KES 250 (resident), USD 35 / USD 20 (non-resident). Standard Hell’s Gate park entry applies on top of the camping fee.
KWS camping and entry fees set under Legal Notice No. 160, effective October 2025. Confirm current rates with KWS before you travel.
We’ve used most of these ourselves, so if you tell us your budget and group size, we’ll point you to the right one and handle the booking. But the list above is the honest lay of the land whether you book with us or not.
What camping at Lake Naivasha costs
The honest picture is that Lake Naivasha is one of the cheaper places to camp near Nairobi, and a weekend here costs far less than a lodge-based trip.
Your main cost is the campsite fee, charged per person, per night. The budget own-tent camps are the cheapest, hiring a tent costs more and the safari-tent and tented-camp options are the priciest (but still well under lodge rates). On top of the site fee, budget for transport from Nairobi, food and any activities like a boat safari, Hell’s Gate or Crescent Island.
If you camp inside Hell’s Gate rather than on the lakeshore, you pay the KWS camping fee plus park entry (see the Hell’s Gate fees above), which usually works out a little more than a basic lakeshore pitch but puts you inside the park.
If you want, we can put together an all-in costed plan so there are no surprises.
Getting to Lake Naivasha from Nairobi
Driving: Take the A104 toward Naivasha, then turn onto Moi South Lake Road for the southern-shore campsites. About two hours. A normal car is fine.
By matatu: Catch a Naivasha-bound matatu from the city centre stages (roughly KES 400 to 500). From Naivasha town, take a Kongoni-bound matatu along Moi South Lake Road (roughly KES 100 to 200) and ask to be dropped at your campsite. Tell the conductor where you’re headed when you board.
What to bring
A tent and sleeping mat (or book a banda). Warm layers for the cool nights. A torch or headlamp, since sites are dark and you’ll want it for the hippo rule below. Water and food or cash if your site has a kitchen or restaurant. Insect repellent. Cash for site fees and activities.
The hippo rule and other safety
This is the one thing to take seriously. Hippos leave the lake at night to graze on the shore grass, exactly where you’re camped. They’re not aggressive unless you get between them and the water, but that’s easy to do by accident in the dark. So: don’t walk around the shoreline at night, keep your torch handy, zip your tent, and listen to the site staff about where it’s safe to pitch. Treat the lake edge as theirs after dark and you’ll be fine. (Most sites have an electric fence but best to confirm with the staff)
Also be careful of the vervet monkeys as they will steal your food!
Otherwise, standard camping sense: secure your valuables, store food properly and respect the fire rules.
Things to do from your Naivasha camp
This is why Naivasha is such good value, you can fill days from one campsite:
- A boat safari on the lake (hippos, pelicans, fish eagles)
- Cycling Hell’s Gate National Park, right next door
- Crescent Island, a walking sanctuary with zebra and giraffe and no big cats
- Hiking Mount Longonot’s crater rim
- Birdwatching, which is excellent year-round
Camping Naivasha with us
We run camping trips to Lake Naivasha and the wider area, with transport from Nairobi, gear, a guide and the activities sorted. Park and site fees go in your quote clearly, no markup.