Map of Kenya › Tsavo
Map of Tsavo: East and West, Gates, Airstrips and the Road Between
Tsavo is two parks wearing one name, split by the Nairobi-Mombasa highway and railway. Together they cover about 22,800 km², the biggest protected block in Kenya, bigger than some countries. This Tsavo map shows both boundaries, the gates along the A109, the airstrips, and why ‘which Tsavo’ is the first question to answer when you plan a trip here.
Interactive map of Tsavo East and Tsavo West
The two big green shapes are Tsavo East (right) and Tsavo West (left), with the A109 highway threading between them. Chyulu Hills tops the gap in the northwest. Blue pins are airstrips; dark pins are the key gate towns of Voi and Mtito Andei.
The interactive map could not load on this connection.
You can still use the guide and tables below, or open the area on Google Maps.
East or West? Two different safaris
Tsavo East is the classic red-earth savannah: open sightlines, the Galana River, big elephant herds dusted rust-red, and the flat-topped Yatta Plateau, one of the world’s longest lava flows. Tsavo West is greener and hillier, volcanic country where the game hides better but the scenery works harder: Mzima Springs pushing out millions of litres of crystal water a day (watch hippos from the underwater hide), the Shetani lava flow, and rhino in a fenced sanctuary at Ngulia.
| Tsavo East | Tsavo West | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 13,747 km² | 9,065 km² |
| Landscape | Open, red, flat | Volcanic, green, hilly |
| Signature sight | Red elephants on the Galana | Mzima Springs, Shetani lava |
| Game spotting | Easier, long sightlines | Harder, thicker bush |
| Main gates | Voi, Manyani, Bachuma, Sala | Mtito Andei, Tsavo Gate, Chyulu |
Gates and getting here
Every main gate hangs off the A109 highway, which is what makes Tsavo the easiest big park to reach from the coast. From Mombasa, Bachuma Gate into Tsavo East is about 100 km; Voi, the park headquarters town, is around 160 km. From Nairobi, Mtito Andei (the main Tsavo West gate) is about 230 km and Voi about 330 km. The SGR train stops at both Voi and Mtito Andei, and several lodges collect guests from the stations, a genuinely useful budget route.
Coming from Amboseli, the Chyulu gate track connects through to Tsavo West in about four hours; see the Amboseli map for that side and the Map of Kenya for the whole picture.
When to visit Tsavo
June to October is driest, with game concentrated on the rivers and waterholes. January and February work well too. The rains (November-December, March-May) turn Tsavo East’s red dust to green fast; sightings scatter, but the light and the empty roads reward photographers who do not need guarantees.
Tsavo map questions
How big is Tsavo?
Tsavo East (13,747 km2) plus Tsavo West (9,065 km2) come to about 22,800 km2, roughly 4 percent of Kenya and the country’s largest protected area by far.
What is the difference between Tsavo East and Tsavo West?
East is open red savannah with easier game viewing; West is greener volcanic country with bigger scenery, Mzima Springs and a rhino sanctuary. They are separate parks with separate tickets.
How far is Tsavo from Mombasa?
Bachuma Gate into Tsavo East is about 100 km from Mombasa, around two hours by road. That closeness is why Tsavo is the classic add-on safari from the coast.
Where is Mzima Springs?
In Tsavo West, off the Mtito Andei side. Around 200 million litres of Chyulu-filtered water surface here daily, with an underwater viewing chamber for the hippos and crocs.
Add Tsavo to your route
Beach first, safari after? Tsavo is the natural bridge between the coast and the rest of Kenya, and we run it in both directions. Ask us which side fits your trip.
Book a Tour With UsPark and reserve boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under ODbL. Basemap © OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Satellite imagery © Esri. Terrain tiles by Mapzen and AWS Open Data. Boundaries for Chyulu Hills National Park from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2026), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK. Available at protectedplanet.net.