The World’s Only Wildlife Capital

Nairobi National Park Click to open side panel for more information is a unique ecological marvel, offering the surreal experience of watching wild lions and rhinos graze against a backdrop of shimmering city skyscrapers. Established in 1946 as Kenya’s first national park, it serves as a vital sanctuary for biodiversity just a few kilometers from the bustling city center.

The landscape is a classic African savannah, characterized by wide-open grass plains, scattered acacia bushes, and a riverine forest that lines the southern boundary. It is perhaps the only place on earth where you can land at an international airport and be on a high-stakes game drive within twenty minutes.

  • Nairobi National Park

    Nairobi National Park

    The Rhino Sanctuary: The park is one of Kenya’s most successful havens for the endangered black rhinoceros. Visitors are almost guaranteed a sighting of these solitary giants, which thrive within the park’s secure and well-monitored borders.

  • Big Cat Sightings: Despite its proximity to urban life, the park supports a healthy population of lions, leopards, and hyenas. The open plains make it an ideal spot for observing predators as they hunt during the cooler hours of the dawn and dusk.
  • The Ivory Burning Site Monument: This historic location marks the spot where former President Daniel arap Moi made a global statement against the ivory trade by burning 12 tons of tusks in 1989. It remains a powerful symbol of Kenya’s commitment to conservation.
  • Diverse Ecosystems: In addition to the plains, the park features the permanent Athi-Kapiti plains and the Mbagathi River, which attract over 400 species of birds and diverse aquatic life like hippos and crocodiles.

 

Essential Experiences Within the Park

Nairobi Safari Walk

Located at the main gate, this raised wooden boardwalk provides a spectacular vantage point to observe rare animals that are otherwise difficult to spot in the wild.

  • Features a rare chance to see bongo antelopes, white rhinos, and albino zebras.
  • Offers an educational journey through three distinct habitats: wetlands, savannah, and forest.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Bordering the park, this world-famous elephant orphanage is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned baby elephants and rhinos.

  • Visitors can watch the infants being bottle-fed and playing in the mud during a strictly controlled one-hour daily visiting window.
  • Provides a deeply emotional look at the individual stories of conservation and the effort required to return these animals to the wild.

Nairobi Animal Orphanage

Acting as a treatment and rehabilitation center for wild animals, this facility offers a closer look at many of the park’s inhabitants.

  • Provides a safe haven for lions, cheetahs, and monkeys that have been injured or abandoned.
  • Serves as a vital educational tool for local communities to foster a peaceful coexistence with wildlife.