Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park Safari | The Ultimate Guide (2026)
Get a complete travel guide to Nairobi National Park, the world’s only wildlife park that lies within the reach of Nairobi.
Located about 7 km away from the heart of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi National Park features among the very few distinct tourist sites worth exploring in Africa. This charming wildlife park is located South of Nairobi city.
Quick Facts to Know
Size: Nairobi Wildlife Park is a compact savanna park with an area coverage of only 117 sq. km. This is approximately 30,000 acres or 11700 ha.
Establishment: Nairobi National Park became Kenya’s first park in 1949.
Opening hours: Visitors to Nairobi National Park have daily access anytime from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (Kenyan/Nairobi time).
Top Attractions and Wildlife Highlights of Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park boasts of diverse wildlife that make up the long checklist of attractions to explore on a Kenya safari. Embarking on a Nairobi National Park safari is a great chance to look out for the park’s resident wildlife, including 4 of the Big 5.
Wildlife to see:
Leopards, lions, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, zebras, Rothschild giraffes, hippos, and cheetahs. The park also shelters plains animal species such as Coke’s hartebeest, eland, Thomson’s gazelles, jackals, and impalas. In the main sanctuary, there reside the massive black and Southern white rhinos.
Approximately 100 mammal species survive in the scenic Nairobi National Park alone. The majority of them can be spotted towering against the backdrop of Nairobi skyscrapers.
Bird species
About 500 bird species make Nairobi National Park a rich urban birding site. The park contains diverse raptors, grassland and savanna species, water birds, plus resident bird species.
Birds you are likely to see on a Nairobi National Park tour include grey crowned cranes, snake-hunting secretary birds, martial eagles, Kori bustards, bateleur, and superb starlings.
Common ostriches, hartlaub’s turacos, white-bellied bustards, white-bellied go-away birds, black-faced sandgrouse, white-browed coucal, Dedric cuckoos, African cuckoos, levailant’s cuckoos, thick-billed cuckoos, great spotted cuckoos, freckled nightjars, sombre nightjars, red-chested cuckoos, and Klaas’s cuckoos.
Additional birds in Nairobi Game Park include streaky-breasted flufftails, Nyanza swifts, white-rumped swift, mottled swift, Horus swift, red-knobbed coot, African crakes, black crakes, Allen’s gallinule, African rail, African swamphen, Eurasian moorhen, and spotted thick-knee.
The Rhino Sanctuary
This Park features among the very few successful rhino sanctuaries in Kenya. It is a key breeding site for rhinos, and they are often translocated to other parts of Kenya. It is popular as the Kifaru Ark, protecting over 50 endangered black and white rhinos.
The word “Kifaru” is derived from Kiswahili, given its vital role in breeding and sheltering rhinos. Kifaru, together with Nairobi National Park, is under the care of the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Hippo Pools and Walking Trails
The hippo pools and walking trails are a must to explore on a tour in Nairobi Game Park. Tourists can embark on guided walks along these trails starting from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Saturday.
While on a walking excursion on these trails, expect to enjoy scenery and also educational experiences. Visitors should expect to find crocodiles and some interesting monkeys, as well as bird species.
Ivory Burning Site Monument
The historic Ivory Burning Site and Picnic spot remains a landmark inside the lush Nairobi Safari Park. It marks significant moments in global wildlife conservation with historical insights, including the 1989 burn where former Kenyan president –H.E. Daniel Arap Moi set fire to 11 to 12 tons of seized ivory.
In 2016, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta also burned a total of about 105 tons of Ivory and 1.35 tons of rhino horns.
Visitors can access the Ivory Burning Site Monument inside the main Langata route gate. It is open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm. Available amenities at the Ivory Burning Site Monument include open lawns, commemorative plaques, and a picnic site.
Park Entry Fees
To have access to Nairobi National Park, a visitor is required to have cleared entry fees. Non-residents are charged USD 80 (adults), children USD 40, and Kenyans and the rest of the East African citizens KES 1000.
Top Activities to do in Nairobi National Park –Kenya
- Game drives. Traverse across the vast grassland and acacia woodland. Enjoy sightings of different wildlife such as leopards, cheetahs, lions, and more while they become active in the morning/evening.
- Photography tour. While in Kenya, Nairobi National Park is an excellent destination to experience the best of a photography holiday. Capturing your favorite wildlife standing against a city skyline is such a memorable insight any nature lover shouldn’t miss.
- Bird watching. Expect to explore countless bird species in Nairobi Game Park, including the Great blue-eared starling, Abyssinian thrush, African bare-eyed thrush, Hildebrand’s starling, violet-backed starling, African dusky flycatchers, ostriches, superb starling, and red-winged starling.
- Visit Nairobi National Game Park for guided walks.
Where to stay (Best Luxury and Midrange Lodges)
The lodges and camps available for you to stay on a tour in Nairobi Game Park include Ololo Lodge, a luxury accommodation option that lies on the edge of the park. Giraffe Manor, Nairobi Tented Camp, and Emakoko Boutique Lodge.
When to Visit Nairobi National Park
The dry season –from June to October: This provides optimal game viewing with clear skies and visitors having a chance to encounter predators active. The short dry months from January to February are perfect for wildlife tours, especially if your interest is to embark on a Kenya photography safari.
Wet or green season –Nairobi Game Park records two wet or rainy seasons each year. The first phase begins from March to May, and the 2nd period occurs from November to December. During the green season, expect to find lush green landscapes and newborn wildlife, etc.
How to get there
Nairobi National Park can be reached in about a 30-minute drive from the heart of Nairobi city/airport through the Langata route. Langata Gate is the main entry gate to Nairobi Game Park and is set near the Kenya Wildlife Service Headquarters.
The East Gate offers easier access to visitors traveling along the Mombasa route. Mbagathi Gate is ideal for guests using the Mgadi route to reach Nairobi Game Park. Lastly, the Cheetah and Maasai Gates also serve as secondary entry points to Kenya’s Nairobi Wildlife Park.