Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park: Overview

There’s nowhere quite like Nairobi National Park, with incredible animals roaming free and wild against a not-so-distant backdrop of city skyscrapers. It’s among the best places in Kenya to see rhinos, and there’s a good chance that you’ll spot lions and an extensive portfolio of other safari species. Whether you visit the park as a precursor to a longer safari, a final goodbye to Kenya, or the main event, Nairobi NP deserves as much time as you can give it.

Nairobi National Park: Background Information

Nairobi National Park has a decent variety of wildlife. Aside from elephants, all of the Big Five are present. There is a good population of both black rhino and white rhino, and the latter are often seen grazing on the open plains. Leopards are shy, and cheetah and hyena are rarely spotted, but lion is regularly seen. It’s a good place to see many different antelope species in one park.

Nairobi National Park is a sampler for Kenya’s safari landscapes, but with city buildings on the horizon (which can make for some unusual wildlife pictures). You enter the park along a track that descends through dry woodland before the panorama of savannah grasslands opens up before you. Elsewhere in the park, there are waterholes, riverine woodlands and rolling grasslands. In the park’s south, the Athi River Track shadows the river.

The main activity in Nairobi National Park is the guided game drives, where you’ll be driven around the park for wildlife and bird watching. Self-guided game drives are also possible if you have your own vehicle. Except for a small handful of picnic sites (and the animal orphanage or Safari Walk at the park entrance), you’re not allowed to step down from your vehicle anywhere inside the park.

Wheather & Climate & Where to find the Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park has a cool and temperate climate. Temperatures are reasonably constant year-round, and it cools off considerably at night. There is very little rain in the Dry season (June to October). The Wet season (November to May) has two periods of rain. The short rains are heaviest in November, and the long rains are at their peak in April.

Wildlife at the Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park has a good variety of wildlife. Apart from elephants, most big safari animals are present. There is a very good chance of seeing lion (the park has a carrying capacity of around 40 lions) and rhino. White rhino are easiest to spot as they graze on the open plains, but the park is one of Kenya’s most successful sanctuaries for the more-plentiful black rhino, which like to keep hidden in the thickets.

Lion, Masai giraffe, zebra and buffalo are just some of the animals you can encounter on a half-day trip in Nairobi NP. It’s also an excellent place to see a wide range of antelope species, including oribi, Coke's hartebeest, impala, Grant’s gazelle, Thomson’s gazelle, waterbuck, bohor reedbuck and even bushbuck. If you are lucky, a herd of shy eland or pairs of little Kirk's dik-dik are also possible.

Rhino at the Nairobi National Park

Birdlife at the Nairobi National Park:

With nearly 500 bird species recorded, Nairobi National Park gives Kenya’s capital one of the longest bird lists of any city in the world. The park’s substantial area of undisturbed grassland is of great importance for species such as the restricted-range Jackson’s widowbird, which breeds here regularly after good rains. Other grassland birds include ostriches, secretary birds and bustards. Waterbirds also gather around Hyena Dam and Nagolomon Dam. Nairobi NP is a popular birding destination and it’s easy to book a full- or half-day guided birding trip at short notice.

Nairobi National Park offers good bird watching throughout the year, but the best time is November to April when the migrants from Europe and North Africa are present. Many species are nesting at this time as it coincides with breeding season. The spectacular Jackson’s widowbird displays from March to May. Although April is a good month for birding, it may be difficult to get around because it can be very wet.