Olkaria Geothermal Spa Naivasha Entrance fee : Olkaria Geothermal Spa is located inside Hell’s Gate National Park in Nakuru county Kenya. It is approximately 100 km by road from Nakuru city the county headquarters. The Olkaria Geothermal power plant is also known as Olkaria V Geothermal power station. It is 122 km a distance by road northwest of Nairobi. The Olkaria Geothermal power plant is a series of six Geothermal power plant some of which are already operational while others are in plan, its construction was started in 2017 and the completion and commercial power production began in 2019. It is best place to visit for a day trip for visitors visiting the park from Nairobi. It is under the ownership of Kenya Electricity Generating Company ( KenGen). The construction of the Spa started in April 2011 and it was accomplished in July 2013. It is the largest Spa in Africa. It is known as Geothermal because the hot water that is collected from its different Wells within the plant and empties into a large pool. The main pool has its temperatures ranging between 30- 40 degrees centigrade.
From the pools you will be able to have the breath-taking views of the entire main pool ,the hills and magnificent towers of the steam that fuse with the clouds in the background giving Olkaria its unique identity. There is a large adult pool that is so big that it almost looks like a mini lake and there is also a baby pool with equipped playground for small children to keep them entertained.
The pools at Olkaria Geothermal Spa are made of steel trowels concrete, this is because the water at the regions contains natural minerals and can corrode the ceramic tiles. The pool’s deepest end is 1.5 metres deep but the other regions has four steps which are around the pool that enable people to sit and relax in the warm water.
The water in the spa is natural ,there are no any treatments or additions that have been added to it. There is a wet steam known as Brine which is brought in by pipes , the steam is first allowed to cool off before being released into the pool. The water is believed to have a lot of health benefits as it contains a lot of minerals such as sulphur and Silica and they are the reason as to why the steam appear whitish cloudy when viewed from a distance. The sulphur and Silica is believed to have some therapeutic and health benefits which includes improvement of blood circulation in the body ,muscle relaxation for the arthritis patience and best known for treating skim conditions such as acne and eczema.
Many people who visit the spa chose to have a bath in the natural spa as it is believed to have many health especially skin benefits. Because of its high concentration of natural minerals such as sulphur and Silica which are essential in treating diseases such as psoriasis, arthritis and fibromyalgia. When the water touches the skin one’s feels divine and it is as if you are floating on bubbling bathtub.
Olkaria Geothermal Spa Fees
There are two chargeable fees at the Olkaria Geothermal Spa, one is for unlimited access to Hell’s Gate National Park and the other for accessing Geothermal Spa swimming pool which are charges as follows.
1.Hell’s Gate National park Entrance Fees
The Hell’s Gate fees are varying depending on its two seasons of High season and low season.
High season
This is the period between July and February and the rates at Hell’s Gate are as follows:
| Citizens/ Residents | Charges |
| Adults | Ksh 300 |
| Child | Ksh 215 |
| Non- Resident | Charges |
| Adult | 30USD |
| Child | 20 USD |
Low season
Low season at Hell’s Gate National Park Naivasha is the period between March and June.
| Citizens/Resident | Charges |
| Adult | Kshs 250 |
| Child | Kshs 215 |
| Non- Residents | Charges |
| Adult | 20 USD |
| Child | 15 USD |
2.Olkaria Geothermal Spa Entry Fees
The Geothermal Spa entry fees are charged as follows
| Citizens | Charges |
| Adult | Ksh 400 |
| Child | Ksh 100 |
| Residents-East Africa | Charges |
| Adult | Ksh 1000 |
| Child | Ksh 500 |
| Non-Residents | Charges |
| Adult | 18 USD |
| Child | 8.5 USD |
It is important to Note that all KenGen adult staff are allowed to pay kshs 200 as entrance fees while their children pay ksh 50 to access the Geothermal Spa.
Olkaria Geothermal Spa Naivasha Opening Hours
The Olkaria Geothermal Spa is always open from Monday to Sunday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. For those who want who wish to have a more private sessions or simply enjoy a quiet place it is advisable to visit during the weekdays. You will enjoy the tranquillity all by yourself almost alone.
There are no accommodation facilities within Olkaria Geothermal Spa but there are plenty in the nearby town of Naivasha and its environs. It is therefore important to pre-plan your holiday early enough to secure accommodation of your choice from Naivasha and it variety of lodges and hotels.
Olkaria Geothermal Spa Restaurant
There is a restaurant in which they serve the best and delicious meals. Some visitors who visit the restaurant find the food to be expensive while others consider it affordable. The restaurant sell a plate of French fries at a cost of $3 and a plate of food costs $ 6. The restaurant can also prepare Buffet for groups more than six people upon request and they have plenty of Non Alcoholic drinks.
The Olkaria Geothermal Spa resumed it operations on 4th September 2021 after closing for more than one year due to the Corona virus pandemic. Since its resumption visitors can now enjoy the enchanting pale blue warm waters like before.
There are three cascading pools that have been set up to ensure that the direct steam from the ground that has high temperatures of more than 350 degrees Celsius does not pass to the final lagoon. There is the first pool that no one is allowed to access it because of its high temperature that sometimes go to more than 100 degrees Celsius. The second pool is more conducive and has its temperatures same as that of a Jacuzzi with the temperatures of between 50 and 70 degrees Celsius. The third is now the spa with the temperatures of between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius it is so big that it can accommodate up to 400 pax at once.
