Nairobi National Park: Top Tips & Info
The oldest, and most iconic, national park in Kenya, Nairobi National Park was founded in 1946 with the hope of protecting animals and reducing human-animal conflict. At 117 square km, the national park covers a huge area and is located only 15km outside the city of Nairobi. It is both surreal and incredible to witness such iconic species of animal set against the backdrop of the city skyscrapers, and you certainly won’t forget the time you spend on a game drive here.
Home to giraffe, zebra, lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo, cheetah, wildebeest, and many more mammals, as well as over 400 bird species, Nairobi National Park is a great place to take a safari whilst in Kenya. Not only is it home to some of the most unique species on the planet, but this is a national park with a twist. It’s just 15km (around 30-45 minutes depending on the traffic) away from Nairobi city centre! This makes it one of the most accessible National Parks in the world for game drives.
This safari was our first in Africa and we really enjoyed our day, but there are a few things we would’ve appreciated knowing beforehand. Read on to find out our top tips on safaris in Nairobi National Park!
TOP TIPS:
- Visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage on the same day. Why? Because the Elephant Orphanage is located in the boundary of the National Park, it’s best to visit on the same day as you do your game drive. This will save you paying the National Park entry fee multiple times ($43 per person per day in November 2024).
- Wear hiking boots or closed-toe shoes that you don’t mind getting muddy. The ground in the National Park and at the Elephant Orphanage is usually very muddy and slippery underfoot, although we did visit in rainy season so maybe it isn’t as bad in dry periods.
- Go with the flow – safari’s are unpredictable and things change in minutes. Relaxing into your new environment is key to enjoying things.
- Set up an e-citizen account with Kenya Wildlife Service and pay your park entry fees before the day of your safari. This can save you valuable time at the entry gate and gives you more time inside the national park. Set up account & pay entry fees: https://kws.ecitizen.go.ke/
- Wear comfortable clothing – you’re going to be in it for a long time and you don’t want to be uncomfortable! Linen is great, and loose is best for safaris.
- Respect the wildlife – this is their home and you are a guest. Make sure your driver doesn’t go too fast or honk their horns. If you see wildlife at a picnic area (which is common) don’t get too close or make sudden movements. Be calm and considerate of the animals.
- This national park can get busy so be prepared for some traffic jams if there is headline wildlife around - things such as lions and leopards are rare and therefore people gather to see them if they’re spotted.
- Don’t drink too much coffee at breakfast! There are a few picnic areas in the national park with toilets but you won’t be stopping very often. We stopped twice during our four hour game drive which was great. Make sure you use the toilets at the park entry gate before you enter the park too; they are the best quality ones. Although, if you’re desperate – ask the driver/guide, and they will stop for you.
- Take a rain coat & a hat – the weather can change in seconds in Kenya and we found our rain coats and hats really useful on this safari.
- Take your own binoculars. Something we remembered at the last minute and threw in our bag – we thought there’d be some in the vehicle for us, but there weren’t! We were so happy we’d taken our own so we could make out the animals better whilst on the move.
- Book with Get Your Guide for ease and simplicity, simply adding on the activities you want to do. We did the game drive, elephant orphanage and giraffe centre option and it cost £190 for two people (excluding park entry fees).
- Consider upgrading to have a private day tour. We upgraded last minute for an extra £100 to have a private driver and guide. In hindsight, this was one of the best decisions we made! We had so much room in the vehicle on the game drive that we stood up for the entire drive and could both access both sides of the van with no issues. We were able to stop when we wanted at picnic sights, or continue on and seek more wildlife if we preferred. We weren’t constricted by other passengers requirements for more stops and longer breaks, which enabled us to maximise our time on the game drive and spot more wildlife.
What did we see?
Some of the incredible wildlife we spotted included white & black rhino’s, giraffes, zebra, ostriches, monkeys, crocodiles, hippos, tortoise, impala, eagles, hundreds of birds species, and more!
Would we recommend a safari in Nairobi National park?
YES! The ease, accessibility, range of wildlife and expertise of the guides made for an incredible safari experience and we would recommend it to everyone.