Few places in the world let you watch a rhino graze with skyscrapers on the horizon. Nairobi National Park is a real safari, ten minutes from the city, and the best way to spend a spare morning in Nairobi.
Opened in 1946, Nairobi National Park was Kenya's first national park. It covers about 117 square kilometres of grassland, river forest and rocky valleys on the city's southern edge. The north, east and west sides are fenced, but the south is open, so animals can move in and out of the plains beyond.
What you can see
The park is one of Kenya's best places to see black rhinos, and it has white rhinos too. You will often find lions, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, hippos and many antelope, and with luck cheetahs and leopards. There are no elephants: the park is too small for them.
Don't miss the Ivory Burning Site near the main gate, where Kenya burned its stockpile of ivory in 1989, a turning point for elephant protection.
A half-day plan
Enter at 6 am, when the gates open and the animals are most active. Spend three to four hours on the plains, looking for rhinos and lions in the cool of the morning. From 11 am to noon, visit the baby elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery, which must be booked in advance on the Trust's own website. The Giraffe Centre in Lang'ata is a short drive away for the afternoon.
Gates, tickets and hours
The Main Gate is on Lang'ata Road, about 7 km from the city centre. The East Gate is on the Airport Road side, handy before or after a flight from JKIA. The park opens at 6 am every day. Gates are cashless, so buy your ticket online on eCitizen before you arrive, and check the Kenya Wildlife Service for current times.
Before or after your flight
With a late-afternoon or evening flight, a dawn game drive is easy: leave your hotel at 5.30 am, spend the morning in the park, and reach JKIA with time to spare. If you land early in the morning, you can do it the other way round.
Quick questions
What are the best things to do in Nairobi for a day?
Start with a dawn game drive in Nairobi National Park, visit the baby elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust from 11 am, then feed the giraffes at the Giraffe Centre in Lang'ata.
What time does Nairobi National Park open?
The gates open at 6 am every day. Check the Kenya Wildlife Service for current closing times.
Can you see the Big Five in Nairobi National Park?
Four of them: lions, rhinos, buffalo and, with luck, leopards. There are no elephants in the park.
Can I visit Nairobi National Park before my flight?
Yes. The East Gate is close to JKIA, so a dawn game drive fits well before an afternoon or evening flight.
Park at dawn, flight at noon?
We'll drive you there.
From your hotel to the park, then on to JKIA, with a local chauffeur.
Book a ride
