Your Safari Guide to the Nairobi National Park
Famed for being the only wildlife park in a capitol city, this 117 square kilometre park has many hidden treasures and shouldn’t be overlooked as a worthy wildlife watching area. Regardless of it’s small size and proximity to Kenya’s capital it’s a great wildlife haven with lions, cheetah, leopards, giraffe, zebra and rhino to name just a few who roam it’s grasslands.
Zebra’s grazing in Nairobi National Park with the city skyline beyond
I was lucky enough to be the sole resident of Nairobi National Park or NNP as it’s often abbreviated to for over a year as the manager of Nairobi Tented Camp, the only camp within the park and what a place to be able to call home. It’s proximity to the city meant you could be at a shopping mall one minute and then 10 minutes later be surrounded by some of Africa’s most impressive animals. There was a time or two when I could be found parked up with a KFC bucket watching a wild pride of lions playing with their young. There are few places in the world you could do that!
How much does it cost to go to Nairobi National Park?
Nairobi National Park has some of the cheapest park fees in Kenya. At time of writing the entrance fees are:
Non-resident Adult - USD $43
Non-resident Child - USD $26
The ticket is valid for 12 hours for those staying outside of the park and 24 hours for those staying inside.
Check the most up-to-date rates as well as resident and citizens entrance fees on the Kenya Wildlife Services website.
Is Nairobi Park Worth it?
Nairobi National Park is a little hidden gem, if you have a day to spare at the beginning of your trip and you don’t want to spend the day in the city or bursting to get out to see the wildlife then it’s the perfect spot to start your safari experience.
If in Nairobi on business or visiting friends without time to safari, its a great way to get some animal viewing time in and much cheaper then heading to the larger, better know wildlife areas.
Giraffe standing in Nairobi National Park with the Nairobi city skyline behind
The park is also an incredible way for the children who live and grow up in the city to experience the incredible wildlife that their beautiful country has to offer and so well worth supporting it as a way to give back and make sure it stays naturally wild for everyone to enjoy and appreciate.
What can you see in Nairobi National Park?
NNP has a whole host of wildlife who have made the park their home. All of the Big 5 can be found here, although only 4 as wildlife populations, elephant can only be seen at the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage.
The park is a great spot for viewing the very endangered black rhinoceros which is extremely hard to find in other parks in Kenya, so for a good chance of seeing those its well worth a visit.
Large predators such as Lion, Cheetah, Hyena and leopard can be found as well as giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, eland, serval cat and over 100 mammal species and 400 bird species.
What is there to do in Nairobi National Park?
Visit the incredible Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - the founder, the late Daphne Sheldrick started rescuing orphaned baby elephants while her husband was the Warden of Tsavo National Park and raised them to later release into the wild. Her commitment to the species is inspiring and nowadays the Trust has an orphanage in the Nairobi National Park grounds which can be visited daily at 11am so you can enjoy seeing their herd of rescued toddler elephants, 2 years and under play around, have their milk bottles and wallow in the mud while you learn all about this incredibly worth project.
Enjoy a picnic - the park is very popular with Nairobi residents, especially at the weekend where they take picnics and enjoy a Sunday lunch surrounded by nature. There are marked areas where you can park up and get out of the car but do be careful as these sites are not fenced in and animals can roam within them so don’t wander too far from your vehicles and keep an eye out for monkeys, especially baboons who can be very confident and try to grab a sandwich or two. We recommend hiring a professional game driver who knows their way around the park and can also keep an eye out while you enjoy your lunch.
Game Viewing - Of course the main activity is to enjoy incredible African wildlife in their natural environment which the unique backdrop of high rise towers of a capitol city.
Bird Watching - With over 400 species of birds being found in the park, its a great spot to park up with your binoculars and start ticking species off your list.
Keeper feeding a milk bottle to an orphaned baby elephant at Sheldricks Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi.
Why is Nairobi National Park Famous?
Ivory Burning - To help eliminate poaching, Kenya completely banned hunting in 1977 and in 1989 the then President Moi made a worldwide statement by burning 12 tons of illegal ivory in a gesture to persuade the world to halt the ivory trade. The 20 foot pile was carefully arranged to go up in flames creating an incredible spectacle that was widely reported worldwide.
Again in 2016 105 tons of confiscated elephant tusks and 1.4 tons of rhino horn was again burnt in the park to help suppress the illegal ivory trade.
The monument to show where these burnings took place is still an attraction in the park today.
Rhino Sanctuary - Nairobi National Park is a safe haven for the dangerously endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and is often referred to as Kifaru Ark. Kifaru being the Swahili word for Rhino. With fewer then 2500 black rhino thought to exist in the wilds of Africa, in 2018 Kenya was reported to have around 745 and 101 of these were found in Nairobi National Park. Its one of the best place to find these rare and incredible prehistoric looking animals, living in the wild anywhere in the world.
A National Park in a Capital City - Nairobi National Park is the only National Park within a city anywhere in the world and is particularly unique as it has such an incredible array of wildlife and bird species. With over 400 species of birds found within the park alone, thats more then the throughout the United Kingdom!
What is the best time to visit Nairobi National Park?
The Nairobi National Park is a great year round destination although as with many wildlife areas in Kenya it can get boggy in the rainy season and the animals are harder to view when the heavens open.
In Kenya the long rains are usually in April & May with the short rains in November so when planning a trip best to work around these months unless you’re looking for a deal as the lodges are at their cheapest during this time.
Where is there to stay in Nairobi National Park?
Nairobi Tented Camp is the only camp within Nairobi National Park, around 20 minutes drive from the main gate. this small 9 tented camp is the perfect escape from the city or first night stay on your safari holiday as you’ll fall to sleep with the noises of the forest animals and forget you are just minutes away from the capitol.
I managed NTC for over a year and it was one of my favourite camps with an intimate dining area and forest setting. Get in touch if you would like to find out more about this camp.
Emakoko is a beautiful 10 rooms boutique lodge run by the lovely Emma and Anthony Childs who live on site with their young family and will host your throughout your stay alongside their friendly team. Located just 45 minutes away from Nairobi’s airports, on the edge of Nairobi National Park, there is just a riverine that separates them from the park with a footbridge to get you back and forth to your vehicle so although on the outskirts you’ll feel as if you’re within in.
Maasai staff at Nairobi Tented Camp drinking tea in the lounge area