3 Day Tsavo East and Tsavo West Safari

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A 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari lets you see both halves of Kenya’s largest wildlife area in one short trip. Tsavo West gives you springs and lava. Tsavo East gives you red elephants and open plains.

• FromUSD 790per person sharing, budget tier, 6 people, low season
• Duration3 days, 2 nights
• StartsNairobi, with an option to end at Voi or Mombasa
• Best forTravellers who want wide landscapes, elephants and few vehicles
• StylePrivate 4×4, your own driver guide

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Rated 4.9 on Google from 47 reviews. Price confirmed in writing before you pay.

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Golf is part of who we are, so we put our name behind the Alumni Golf Challenge. Want more golf after the day? Tell us when you are free. We book your tee time at Karen, Muthaiga or Vipingo Ridge and sort the transfers and the stay.

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You travel from Nairobi in a private pop up roof 4×4 with a driver guide. Two nights are enough to see the best of each park, with a game drive on arrival and a full day in between.

Below you find the plan day by day, price tiers, fees and the points that make a 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari worth the drive.

Highlights

• Mzima Springs and the lava fields of Tsavo West
• Red elephants and wide plains in Tsavo East
• Lugard Falls and the Galana River
• Few vehicles and a sense of real space
• Option to end at Voi for the SGR or at Mombasa
• Private 4×4 with a pop up roof

Day by day plan

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to Tsavo West

   You leave Nairobi at 7 am and drive about 4 hours on the Mombasa highway to the Mtito Andei gate of Tsavo West. You enter the park for lunch at your lodge. In the afternoon you take a game drive among hills, thorn bush and lava rock. Look for elephant, buffalo, giraffe and lesser kudu and ask your guide to stop at the lava rock viewpoints for photographs. Dinner is at the lodge, with a briefing from your guide on tomorrow’s plan. Nights in Tsavo are dark and quiet, so you hear hyenas and owls from your room.

2. Day 2

   Mzima Springs and on to Tsavo East

   In the morning you visit Mzima Springs, where crystal clear water rises through lava rock and holds hippos, crocodiles and fish. You can see them through an underwater viewing chamber. After lunch you drive about 3 hours to Tsavo East by the Voi gate and take an afternoon game drive. You sleep at a lodge or camp near the Galana River, where hippos grunt in the night and the stars are bright.

3. Day 3

   Tsavo East and back to Nairobi

   You take a dawn game drive for the best light. Red elephants, lion and buffalo are often active in the cool air. After breakfast you drive back to Nairobi, about 6 to 7 hours, or end at Voi for the SGR train or at Mombasa for the beach. We confirm your plan in writing. Your 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari ends with dust on your shoes and a long list of sightings.

3 Day Tsavo East Tsavo West Safari, guide price per person sharing, USD, low season

• Guide price per person sharing, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before any payment
• Low season (Apr to Jun, Nov) shown, with Tsavo fees included
• Jul to Oct and Dec add about USD 40 to 100 per person for lodge rates
• Ending at Mombasa or Voi changes the price slightly, we quote in writing

Get my exact price on WhatsApp

Why Pick a 3 Day Tsavo East Tsavo West Safari

Tsavo is Kenya’s biggest wildlife area and the two parks are quite different. A 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari lets you compare them without a long trip.

Tsavo West is hilly and green near springs. Tsavo East is flat and dry, with long views. For a one night version at the coast, see our 2 day Tsavo East safari from Mombasa.

Tsavo also feels different from the Mara. Vehicles are fewer, the land is bigger and the animals are less used to crowds. That gives you a more private kind of safari, which suits travellers who dislike queues at sightings.

If you prefer a longer plan, our 3 day Tsavo East and Amboseli safari from Mombasa adds Amboseli and the 4 day Amboseli and Tsavo West safari adds a night.

How Much Does a 3 Day Tsavo East Tsavo West Safari Cost?

Prices start at USD 790 per person for six people sharing a budget tier in low season. Two people in mid range pay about USD 1,100 each and two people in luxury about USD 1,200.

The price covers the vehicle, guide, two nights on full board and park fees. Our 3 day Tsavo East and West itinerary follows the same route.

Mid range is the most popular tier, because a pool and shade matter in hot Tsavo and the extra cost buys a private bathroom and better meals. Budget works well if you spend the day out in the vehicle.

Group size drives the price. Six people split the vehicle six ways, while a couple pays for the same vehicle between two. If you travel as a couple, ask whether other guests want to share your 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari, which cuts the cost.

The Park Fees Behind the Price

Fees are per adult per day for non residents and are included. They are approximate, so we confirm the current figures at booking.

Camps and lodges outside a gate may add a small community fee, which we list in your quote. Our Kenya park entry fees guide lists KWS fees for every park.

• Tsavo West: about USD 80 a day
• Tsavo East: about USD 80 a day
• Children 9 to 17 pay about half and under 9s are free in most parks
• Kenyan residents and citizens pay lower fees in shillings

Tsavo West Highlights

Mzima Springs delivers millions of litres of water a day from the Chyulu Hills. The pools hold hippos and crocodiles and an underwater viewing chamber lets you see fish and hippos at eye level.

The Shetani lava flow, formed by an eruption a few hundred years ago, is a black field of rock and the Chaimu crater is a short climb. A rhino sanctuary protects black rhino. See our 4 day Amboseli and Tsavo West safari for a longer Tsavo West stay.

The park also has a rich bird list, with hornbills, rollers and eagles. Lions here are less often seen than in the Mara, but leopards can appear on the rocky slopes and your guide checks the trees and ridges as you drive.

Mzima Springs is best in the morning, when the light is soft and the animals are active, so we visit early on Day 2.

Tsavo East Highlights

Tsavo East is wide and flat. The Galana River draws game and Lugard Falls is a short stop with rapids and crocodiles. Mudanda Rock is a long outcrop where elephants gather in the dry months.

Red elephants are the star. They roll in the park’s red dust, which turns them the colour of brick. Read about the park in our Tsavo East day safari from Mombasa.

The Yatta Plateau, one of the longest lava flows on earth, runs along the western edge of the park. It is a good place to see the scale of the land and your guide can point out its outline across the plain.

Best Time for a 3 Day Tsavo East Tsavo West Safari

Jun to Oct and Jan to Mar are dry, with game gathered at rivers and springs. Nov and Dec bring short rains and green views. Apr and May are wettest, with the lowest rates.

Tsavo is hot, so we plan early starts. See the Kenya safari month by month guide for weather detail.

Dry months make wildlife easier to find, because animals cluster at rivers and springs. Wet months turn the bush green and thick and the sunsets are dramatic, but game viewing needs more patience.

Early mornings are cool, so wear a jacket. By noon the heat builds and animals rest in shade, which is why a long lunch at the lodge works well on a 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari.

Accommodation You Can Expect

Budget tiers use simple camps and small lodges. Mid range uses larger rooms with a pool. Luxury uses the best lodges in each park, though high end options are limited in Tsavo.

Our guide to safari accommodation types explains the differences.

Meals are a hot breakfast, a picnic or lodge lunch and a three course dinner. Tell us about dietary needs when you book and we pass them on to each stop on your 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari.

Rooms differ by park. Tsavo West lodges often sit on hillsides with long views and Tsavo East lodges overlook rivers or waterholes. We choose each stop for its position and its comfort.

Ending at Voi, Mombasa or Nairobi

Many guests combine a 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari with a coast holiday. We can drop you at Voi for the SGR train, or at Mombasa or Diani. This saves the long road back to Nairobi.

Read the SGR Madaraka Express guide for fares and timing.

If you end at the coast, tell us your hotel and your preferred time. We plan the last day around check in so that you do not wait in the lobby with a dusty bag.

The SGR train from Voi to Nairobi takes about 3 hours and avoids the long road, which many guests enjoy after a dusty trip.

What to Pack

Pack for heat, dust and cool mornings.

Tsavo dust gets everywhere, so bring a dust cover for your camera and a pack of wet wipes. Laundry is available at most lodges.

• Light cotton clothes in neutral colours
• A warm layer for early game drives
• A scarf or buff for dust
• Binoculars and a camera with a zoom lens
• See our Kenya safari packing checklist for more

Book Your 3 Day Tsavo East Tsavo West Safari

Send your dates, group size and tier on WhatsApp at +254 720 731957. We reply with a written quote.

Book Jul to Oct trips three to four months ahead. Low season trips often work with two weeks of notice.

Tell us if you travel with children or older guests. We plan the pace and room types around the people on your 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari.

How to book your 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari

Booking your 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.

1. Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
2. Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
3. Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
4. Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
5. Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.

What every trip with us includes

Every 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.

We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.

Why book with a Nairobi team

We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good 3 day Tsavo east Tsavo west safari into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 4.9 from 47 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.

Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.

Questions people ask

Official information: Kenya Wildlife Service.

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