Notes / Kenya in 7 days: safari, train to the coast and what it costs
Kenya in 7 days: safari, train to the coast and what it costs
Two nights in Nairobi, two in the Maasai Mara and three on the Indian Ocean coast. Park fees, the Madaraka Express train fare and camp costs we have checked.
This seven-day route combines Kenya's wildlife parks with the Indian Ocean coast: two nights in Nairobi, two nights for game drives in the Maasai Mara (via Narok), and three nights in Mombasa and Diani Beach after riding the Madaraka Express train from the highlands to the sea.
Park and reserve entry fees
In Kenya, national park and reserve tickets are a major part of the budget and are priced in US dollars or Kenyan shillings for non-resident adults:
- Maasai Mara National Reserve (two 24-hour tickets): 200 USD per adult from January to June (100 USD a day), rising to 400 USD per adult during the July to December migration season (200 USD a day, checked October 2026).
- Nairobi National Park: 80 USD per non-resident adult for 24 hours (Kenya Wildlife Service fee schedule effective October 2025, reported by The Star).
- Giraffe Centre, Nairobi: 1,500 KES per non-resident adult and 750 KES per child (official Giraffe Centre rates, checked March 2026).
- Shimba Hills National Reserve (day trip inland from Diani): 50 USD per non-resident adult (effective October 2025).
Getting between stops: road and the SGR train
- Nairobi to Narok and the Maasai Mara (and back): About 5 to 6 hours each way by road (240 to 270 km to the reserve; Narok Town is 93 km before the gates). Most travellers go in a camp or safari vehicle rather than buying a separate bus ticket, so no standalone road fare is listed in our table.
- Nairobi to Mombasa by train: 1,500 KES per person in economy class on the SGR Madaraka Express (about 4 hours 30 minutes; First Class is 4,500 KES, checked April 2026 via Kenyans.co.ke citing Kenya Railways).
Safari camps, coastal stays and caveats
Inside the Maasai Mara, camp and lodge prices are usually full board (meals included):
- Budget safari camp: 140 to 240 USD a night for two people full board (Mara Explorers Camp 2026 rate table, quoting a banda at 120 USD per person).
- Comfort safari lodge: 503 to 989 USD a night full board (Mara Serena Safari Lodge 2026 rate table).
In Nairobi and Mombasa, daily food from Numbeo's October 2026 meal tables works out to roughly 1,650 to 2,475 KES a day on a budget (about 700 to 1,050 KES in Mombasa) and 2,250 to 4,500 KES mid-range (1,625 to 3,250 KES in Mombasa).
When you open the 7-day Kenya trip planner, check the Not included line under the total: depending on the budget tier you pick, missing tiers (such as a mid-range Mara camp rate or Mombasa's budget hotel rate) are left out rather than guessed.