The amount of acid sites on external surface and L/B ratio of the zeolite catalysts are close relative to the catalytic performance of the catalysts in butene trimerization. The doping of Ni into the zeolite modifies the textural and acidic properties of the catalyst. NiH beta(32) exhibits the highest catalytic performance and the lowest apparent activity energy in butene trimerization among the investigated catalysts, due to the reason that it has the proper amount of acid sites on external surface and the proper L/B ratio.