Ithumba Camp
Exclusive-use bush camp · Tsavo East, Northern Area at the base of Ithumba Mountain · Sheldrick Lodges, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Top-end
Inside the park
Owner/family-run
The ground-level counterpart to Ithumba Hill, tucked at the foot of the mountain where the bush closes in around the tents. Leopard and wild dog both work this area, and the same orphan-unit access applies.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Ground-level bush immersion rather than a clifftop view
- Leopard and wild dog country right around camp
- Bush pool with a communal table for gatherings
- Exclusive access to the Ithumba orphan elephant unit
- Whole camp booked exclusively for up to eight guests
Cons
- Whole-camp booking only; no single room or sharing option
- Conservation fees are extra on top of the camp rate
- Site publishes no rates or child policy; the Trust confirms these directly
- Road access needs your own hired car and driver
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Tsavo National Parks charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThe non-resident rate, and East and West are ticketed separately.
- $80per person, per day
- VehicleKSh 600 a day for a typical hire car, roughly $5.
- $5per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $495 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
A combination ticket covering both parks saves about $35 over two single tickets.
The full fee schedule for Tsavo National ParksRates at Ithumba Camp
On request. Exclusive use only, quoted per camp per night for up to eight guests, not per person.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026 rates gathered in July 2026 from operators' own rate cards and the official KWS tariffs. Watch the pricing basis: most Tsavo camps quote per person per night sharing, while Serena, the KWS guest houses and the self-catering bandas quote per room or per unit, so two sets of numbers are not directly comparable. KWS conservation fees are extra almost everywhere at $80 per adult per park per day, plus KSh 600 for a car under six seats.
Questions about Ithumba Camp
Is Ithumba Camp good for families?
Sheldrick Lodges' site does not display rates or booking conditions, so no minimum age or child policy is published. The whole camp is taken as one booking, four rooms for up to eight guests, so a family has it entirely to themselves at ground level in the bush. Ask about child rates when you enquire.
How much does it cost to stay at Ithumba Camp?
Ithumba Camp is booked as the whole camp rather than by the room, so the quote is per camp per night for up to eight guests, not per person, and it is given on request. Conservation fees are extra on top. Its clifftop sister, Ithumba Hill, sits nearby if you want more elevation.
Can you self-drive to Ithumba Camp?
Ithumba Camp's nearest airstrip is Ithumba, and Sheldrick Lodges describes roughly a 50-minute flight or a five to six hour drive from Nairobi for its Tsavo East camps, reaching the park's remote Northern Area. Driving yourself means arranging your own hired car and driver; the Trust can advise if you need help booking one.
What does the rate at Ithumba Camp include?
Ithumba Camp's rate covers its bush pool, game drives and the camp's ground-level setting in leopard and wild dog country, plus exclusive access to the Trust's Ithumba Reintegration Unit. Sheldrick Lodges says park and conservation fees are not included in its lodge rates and are paid direct to KWS.