Kenya's first national park, where rhinos, lions and giraffes roam grassland a few kilometres from the capital's skyscrapers
Few capital cities have a park like this on their doorstep. Fences separate Nairobi National Park from the city on three sides, but the southern boundary, along the Mbagathi River, is open to the Kitengela and Athi-Kapiti plains, so wildlife can move in and out of the wider ecosystem. Inside are grassy plains, patches of highland forest near the main gate, and wooded valleys with dams and pools that draw animals in the dry season.
The park is one of Kenya's most successful rhino sanctuaries, and black rhinos are seen more reliably here than in many larger parks. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and many antelope species also live here, and up to 500 resident and migratory bird species have been recorded. Because it is so close to the airport and city, it is easy to fit a game drive into a stopover.
Nairobi National Park was established in 1946, the first national park in Kenya. It became an important rhino refuge, and since 2005 it has also been designated a Lion Conservation Unit. In 1989 President Daniel arap Moi set fire to twelve tonnes of ivory in the park, a widely reported act that helped shift international attention onto the ivory trade.
The park sits under growing pressure from the city around it, with new roads, railway and housing on its edges and the migration corridor to the south increasingly fenced. Near the main entrance are the Nairobi Safari Walk and an animal orphanage, and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's elephant and rhino nursery, founded in 1963, operates nearby.
The park lies between busy Nairobi suburbs and the Maasai lands of Kajiado County to the south. Many of the animals that use the park also range onto community land in Kitengela, where pastoralists keep cattle alongside wildlife. The park is popular with Kenyan families and school groups at weekends, and it is a common first safari for city residents.
Most visitors take a half-day game drive, ideally starting when the gates open in the early morning, when predators are most active and the light is soft. Routes loop through forest near the main gate, across the plains and down to the dams and river valleys in the south. The Nairobi Safari Walk, a raised boardwalk near the entrance, and the nearby elephant orphanage are easy additions. The park suits travellers with a few spare hours before a flight as well as those starting a longer safari.
The park can be visited year-round. The dry months from June to October and January to February give the best viewing, as grass is shorter and animals gather near water. Wildebeest and zebra migrations into the park can occur in July and August. During the rains some tracks may become muddy.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
The main gate is on Lang'ata Road, close to the Nairobi Safari Walk and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery. The Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum are a short drive west in Lang'ata and Karen. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport borders the park to the east, and the open Kitengela plains extend south towards Kajiado.
Kenya · 7 nights4★ LodgeKenya · 9 nights4★ ResortThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
