Nairobi National Park Tour: Africa's Most Unusual Safari
Nairobi National Park is one of Africa's most extraordinary wildlife destinations for a simple reason: it exists at all. A 117 km² unfenced national park just seven kilometres from the centre of a capital city of 5 million people. Lions, black rhino, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, and over 400 bird species, all against a backdrop of Nairobi's glass-and-steel skyline.
A Nairobi National Park tour is the ideal way to spend the day before your main safari begins, or to decompress after an early-morning return flight from the Mara. It is also one of Kenya's most genuine conservation stories — a wildlife corridor that has survived immense urban pressure to remain one of Africa's most important black rhino sanctuaries.
What Wildlife Can You See?
Black Rhino
Nairobi National Park is one of Kenya's most important black rhino sanctuaries. A significant population lives within the park, and the open landscape makes sightings more reliable here than in many other Kenyan parks where dense bush obscures views. The rhino population is carefully monitored, and sightings, while not guaranteed, are among the most reliable in Kenya.
Lion
Several lion prides are resident in Nairobi National Park. The surreal experience of watching a lion hunt against a backdrop of Nairobi office towers has been photographed countless times — and is still as unlikely and extraordinary as it sounds on your first visit.
Leopard
Leopard are present in the park's riverine forest zones and around the Nairobi Dam area. Sightings are less predictable than in the Masai Mara but the park's relatively small size means regular guides know where to look.
Giraffe, Buffalo, Zebra, and Wildebeest
The open grassland supports large herds of plains game. Masai giraffe move freely across the park; Cape buffalo herds graze the eastern sections; zebra and wildebeest are numerous in the short-grass plains near the Athi Basin viewpoint.
Birds
Over 400 bird species have been recorded in the park — an exceptional count for a destination this small. Raptors are particularly well-represented, including martial eagle, augur buzzard, and various vulture species that soar on thermals above the park's open areas.
What to Expect on a Nairobi National Park Tour
A standard half-day Nairobi National Park tour leaves Nairobi hotels at around 6:30–7:00am and returns by midday. The early morning departure takes advantage of the golden morning light and the period when predators are most active before the heat of midday. Afternoon tours are also possible, particularly for the evening light.
Tours are conducted in a 4×4 game-viewing vehicle with a licensed guide-driver. The park's main game-viewing circuits cover the open plains, the hippo pools at Nagolomon Dam, the Athi Basin viewpoint (where the city skyline backdrop is most dramatic), and the riverine forest zones where leopard and smaller mammals concentrate.
Nairobi Safari Walk and Animal Orphanage
Adjacent to the main park gate is the Nairobi Safari Walk — a raised boardwalk through native forest habitat where rescued and rehabilitated wildlife are kept. It includes lion, cheetah, serval, African wild cat, hyena, and several antelope species in large enclosures. This is a good option for families with young children or for visitors whose game drive didn't yield the specific sightings they wanted.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage, just outside the park at Mbagathi Gate, is one of Nairobi's most popular attractions. Rescued orphaned elephant calves are raised here before being rehabilitated into wild populations. A daily feeding at 11am is open to the public. Book visits in advance.
Combining Nairobi National Park with a Longer Safari
Most visitors to Nairobi are there for a single night before flying to the Masai Mara or driving to Amboseli. A Nairobi National Park tour makes excellent use of the morning before a midday or afternoon departure. Many Kikwetu guests combine the park visit with a stop at the Giraffe Centre (where you can hand-feed Rothschild giraffes) and the Karen Blixen Museum for a full Nairobi cultural and wildlife day.
Ask Kikwetu to include a Nairobi National Park tour in your Kenya itinerary.