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Entrance Fee of Karura Forest 2026
The entrance fee of Karura Forest in 2026 is KES 174 for a Kenyan citizen or an East African resident adult. A child in those groups pays KES 55. A non-resident adult pays KES 850. A non-resident child pays KES 450. You pay Kenya Forest Service at the gate. Karura Bikes does not collect this fee.
| Who is paying | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Kenyan citizen | KES 174 | KES 55 |
| East African resident | KES 174 | KES 55 |
| Non-resident | KES 850 | KES 450 |
This record was updated as of . The receipt at the gate is the amount you pay if the till adds VAT or an eCitizen fee on top of the base charge.
Entrance Fee for Adults in Karura Forest
An adult pays KES 174 for the day as a Kenyan citizen or an East African resident, and KES 850 as a non-resident.
You pay at the gate when you arrive. The clerk tickets the visit on eCitizen, and you pay on your phone at the window. Bring a national ID, passport, or resident permit so the clerk can place you in the right category. One adult ticket is for one person. It lasts for that day’s opening hours and ends when the forest closes. It does not add time after closing, and it does not include a bicycle.
Gates on this site post opening from 6:00 to 18:00. Last ticket times differ by gate. Gate C lists a last ticket at 17:45. Gate A lists a last ticket at 17:30. Arrive before the last ticket at the gate you use. See Karura Forest bike gates for the three hire meeting points.
| Adult entrance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Kenyan citizen or East African resident | KES 174 per person |
| Non-resident | KES 850 per person |
| Where you pay | At the gate, by phone on eCitizen |
| How long it lasts | The day you pay, during opening hours |
| What to carry | National ID, passport, or resident permit |
| Bike hire | Not included |
Entrance Fee for Children at Karura Forest, Nairobi
A child pays KES 55 for the day as a Kenyan citizen or an East African resident, and KES 450 as a non-resident.
The child rate is the lower daily entry charge at Karura Forest in Nairobi. The gate clerk confirms the age band when you pay. Ask at the window if a teenager still qualifies. Do not assume an older child pays the child rate. A child ticket is forest entry for that child only. An adult who comes in with the child still pays the adult rate. The child ticket does not include a hired bike, a picnic booking, or food inside the forest.
| Child entrance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Kenyan citizen or East African resident | KES 55 per child |
| Non-resident | KES 450 per child |
| Age band | The gate clerk confirms it when you pay |
| Adult with the child | Pays the adult rate separately |
Parking Fee at Karura Forest
Parking at Karura Forest is KES 295 per vehicle for the day. You pay it at the entrance, with the person entrance fee.
The charge is for the vehicle, not for each person in the car. A car or a 4x4 uses this daily rate on the schedule Karura Bikes records. If you walk in, or someone drops you at the gate and leaves, you do not pay parking. Parking is separate from the person entrance fee and separate from bike hire.
| Parking | Detail |
|---|---|
| Car or 4x4 | KES 295 per vehicle, per day |
| Who the charge is for | The vehicle, not each passenger |
| Where you pay | At the entrance, with the entry ticket |
| On foot or drop-off | No parking charge |
Who Collects the Entrance Fee at Karura Forest
Kenya Forest Service collects the Karura Forest entrance fee.
Gate staff issue the ticket at the entrance. You pay on your phone through eCitizen at the gate. You do not buy this ticket in advance on the Karura Bikes form, and you do not pay Karura Bikes for it. Friends of Karura Forest works with Kenya Forest Service on the forest. Entry, parking, and other gate charges go through eCitizen. Friends of Karura Forest has also published a worked example of one Kenyan adult paying KES 121, made of a KES 100 entry, KES 16 VAT, and a KES 5 eCitizen convenience fee. The schedule on this page is the daily rate Karura Bikes records. The receipt in your hand is the amount you pay that day.
Karura Bikes hires bicycles. Karura Bikes does not set the entrance fee, does not receipt it, and does not add it to the hire checkout.
How Long Is the Karura Forest Entrance Fee Valid?
The entrance fee is valid for the day you pay, during that day’s opening hours.
It is not a 24-hour pass that carries into the next morning. It is not a weekly ticket and it is not a monthly ticket. If you come back on another day, you pay again. Buy the ticket when you arrive at the gate. Ticket sales run while that gate is open and stop at the last-ticket time posted there. This page does not treat a same-day exit and re-entry as a free second visit. Ask the clerk at the window if you plan to leave and come back later the same day.
When I Pay the Entrance Fee, Is Bike Hiring Included?
No. Bike hiring is not included in the Karura Forest entrance fee.
Paying Kenya Forest Service at the gate does not pay for a bicycle. Karura Bikes hire is a second payment: KES 650 per person for 2 hours, booked and paid on this site before you ride. A bicycle rented from someone else at the forest, if the gate offers one, is a third charge. That gate hire is not the Karura Bikes booking. Read the Karura Forest bike hire cost and how to book for the hire steps. Paths inside the forest are on cycling in Karura Forest.
What the Karura Forest Entrance Fee Covers
The entrance fee covers entry to Karura Forest for that day.
Once you are inside, you can use the public forest and the trails for the rest of that day’s opening hours. The fee does not cover bike hire. It does not cover vehicle parking. It does not cover a meal at a café or restaurant in the forest. It does not cover a reserved picnic site, horse riding, or a guided walk when the gate or another operator charges those on their own. If a sign at the entrance lists a separate price for an activity, that price sits on top of entry.