Kimana and Loitokitok: how the places fit together
Kimana is a small town on the road to Amboseli National Park in Kajiado County, southern Kenya. The Kimana shopping center is the turnoff for the access road to Kimana Gate. Kimana Gate is one of the entrances to the national park. Kimana Sanctuary is something else again: a protected area on community land that links Amboseli with Tsavo. Loitokitok is a larger town further along, at the land border with Tanzania. It is not a gate of the park.
The names get mixed up often, so it helps to keep the four apart before you book a lodge, a transfer or a drive. If you are still choosing your trip, look at the Amboseli safari tours first and come back here for the detail on the area around the gate.
Four names, four different things
What each one is and what it is not.
Kimana town
A roadside town with a shopping center. It is the turnoff for the access road to Kimana Gate. The town itself is outside the national park.
Kimana Gate
One of the park entrances. Iremito, Kimana and Meshanani are the park's access gates. Park entry rules and fees apply here as at any gate, so read the park fees before you arrive.
Kimana Sanctuary
A conservation area on community land, not a part of the national park. It is a link between two larger protected areas, Amboseli and Tsavo.
Loitokitok
A town in Kajiado County and a land border post with Tanzania. Treat it as a regional town, not as an entrance to Amboseli.
Our pick: in through Kimana Gate
This day trip enters the park through Kimana Gate on the way to the swamps.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Amboseli tours that pass Kimana
Day trips from Nairobi and multi-day safaris to Amboseli, with live prices and availability.
Kimana Sanctuary
Community land between two parks.
Kimana Sanctuary is protected community land of about 5,700 acres, supported by the conservation group Big Life. It forms a link between Amboseli and Tsavo, so wildlife can move between the two larger protected areas.
Big Life has been working with the sanctuary since about 2017 to 2018. That makes it a much younger arrangement than the national park, which was gazetted in 1974.
Keep two points in mind when you plan. The sanctuary and the national park are separate places with separate arrangements, and a stay in the sanctuary is not a substitute for park entry. Ask your lodge or operator how a visit to the sanctuary works for your dates, because access is arranged locally. For the lodging side, see where to stay.
Loitokitok and the Tanzania border
A town and a border post, not a park entrance.
The border post
Loitokitok in Kajiado County is a land border crossing to Tanzania. It belongs on your map as a regional town and a border post, not as part of the park.
Opening hours
Customs at Loitokitok is open 08:00 to 22:00 daily, and immigration control runs roughly 06:30 to 18:30. These are different services, so there is no single opening time for a crossing. Check the current hours before you plan around them.
The Tanzania side
Tarakea is the port of entry on the Tanzanian side. Do not assume that visa handling or a drive through with a rental car works on the day. Carry the entry and vehicle papers you need and ask your operator first.
Climbing Kilimanjaro
The mountain is in Tanzania. A climb is a separate program, and an Amboseli ticket is not a mountain permit. See the Kilimanjaro National Park guide for routes and planning.
If you want to combine Amboseli with the Tsavo parks, the sanctuary lies on the natural link between them. Read more about Tsavo East and Tsavo West.
Plan the rest of your trip
Roads, lodging and what lies nearby.
Getting to Amboseli
Gates, the road from Nairobi and flights to the airstrip.
Where to stay
Lodges and camps inside the park and around Kimana.
Maasai village visits
How visits work and how to behave respectfully.
Chyulu Hills
Green hills and lava fields north of the park.
Kimana and Loitokitok: frequently asked questions
Is Kimana inside Amboseli National Park?
No. Kimana is a town outside the park. Kimana Gate is the park entrance reached through the town, and Kimana Sanctuary is a separate protected area on community land.
Is Loitokitok a gate of Amboseli?
No. Loitokitok is a town and a land border post with Tanzania. The park gates are Iremito, Kimana and Meshanani.
Can I visit Kimana Sanctuary on a day trip?
Access is arranged locally, so ask your lodge or operator how it works for your dates. Do not assume that the national park fee covers the sanctuary or the other way round.
Can I cross into Tanzania at Loitokitok?
Loitokitok is a land border crossing. Hours differ between customs and immigration, and the Tanzanian side at Tarakea has its own requirements. Check the hours and your papers with your operator before you plan a crossing.
Which gate should I use?
That depends on where you come from and where you sleep. The road from Nairobi runs through Emali to Iremito Gate, with Kimana as an alternative, and Meshanani is reached via Namanga. The getting there page lists the distances.
Is amboseli-national-park.org an official site?
No. This is an independent travel guide. It is not run by the Kenya Wildlife Service, Kajiado County, the sanctuary or any safari operator or lodge.