Kayaking Lake Naivasha 1-Day Tour: Paddle, Bike and Hike | Daring Escapes

You are up early on Lake Naivasha with a kayak beside you and the water still quiet. The first few strokes take you away from the shore and into a wide Rift Valley lake where you can watch hippos from a distance while fish eagles call from the trees. Kayaking Lake Naivasha gives you a close view of the lake without the engine noise of a boat safari.

Kayaking Lake Naivasha in the morning

Your guide knows the lake and leads you through the quieter water. From a safe distance you can watch hippos along the shoreline while the birds take over the morning. African fish eagles call from dead trees. Kingfishers flash between the reeds. Herons lift off the water as you pass. At times you stop paddling and let the kayak drift while you watch the lake settle around you.

Lake Naivasha sits in a wide section of the Rift Valley. The Aberdares rise beyond one side of the lake while Mount Longonot forms a volcanic cone on the other. You follow the shoreline and move through papyrus-edged coves before crossing open water.

Cycling through Hell’s Gate

After the kayak you take a short transfer to Hell’s Gate National Park. The scenery changes as red cliffs rise around the road and wildlife moves across the open ground. Giraffes feed near the track while zebras graze further out on the plains. Along the route you may also see different antelopes, hyrax, warthogs and buffalo.

Cycling lets you take in the park at your own pace. You can stop when animals appear along the route or when the cliffs open into a wider view. The ride gives you a different way to experience Hell’s Gate before walking into Ol Njorowa Gorge.

Walking into Ol Njorowa Gorge

Inside the gorge the walls narrow around you. Layers of old volcanic rock run through the cliffs and the route leads between boulders and cool pools. In some sections you squeeze sideways through the rock. Steam vents rise from the ground nearby.

You spend the day moving through the Rift Valley in three different ways: by kayak, bicycle and on foot. Rock climbing is also possible at Hell’s Gate. If you want more time around Lake Naivasha and an overnight stay with rock climbing in the park, see our Hell’s Gate adventure with rock climbing in Kenya.