One hundred and seventeen square
kilometres, seven kilometres from town.
Nairobi National Park is the only national park in the world sitting on the edge of a capital city. It covers about 117 square kilometres, the gate is roughly seven kilometres from the city centre, and the skyline is visible from inside the park, which produces photographs nobody quite believes. It is fenced on three sides and open on the fourth, so animals still move in and out along the southern corridor. Lion, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and one of Kenya’s densest black rhino populations all live here.
On the city boundary
Approximate park area
Ideal length of stay
Driest months, easiest viewing
Why visit Nairobi National Park
Giraffe and rhino in the foreground, office towers behind. There is nowhere else you can photograph this.
One of Kenya’s most successful rhino sanctuaries, and sightings are more likely here than in most larger parks.
You can be through the gate at dawn and back at your hotel or the airport by lunchtime.
Perfect for a layover, or for the day before a flight when a longer park is out of the question.
Lion are genuinely resident here, not brought in. So are cheetah, hyena and leopard.
The elephant orphanage, Giraffe Centre and Karen Blixen house are all within a short drive of the gate.
What there is to do
Game Drives
Morning and late afternoon drives in an open-roof vehicle, timed for when the animals are actually moving.
Nairobi Safari Walk
A raised boardwalk over enclosures, which works well with children and takes about ninety minutes.
Ivory Burning Site
The monument where Kenya publicly burned confiscated ivory, and a direct piece of conservation history.
Giraffe Centre Visit
A short drive away, where you can feed endangered Rothschild giraffe from a raised platform.
Animal Orphanage
A rescue and rehabilitation centre at the main gate, usually combined with a morning drive.
When to go
Open all year and rarely a wasted morning, though the dry months make the tracks easier.
Dry season
Short grass, firm tracks and animals concentrated around the dams. The most reliable window.
Short dry spell
A second clear stretch between the rains, with warm mornings and good light.
Peak season
Busiest months for visitors, so aim for the gate opening rather than mid-morning.
Long rains
Green and quiet, with some tracks needing a vehicle with proper clearance.
Add Nairobi National Park to your trip
It is the most booked of our twenty Nairobi day trips, and works either side of a longer safari.