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How to get to Nairobi National Park
The park sits about 7 km south of Nairobi's CBD. Most guests do not drive themselves. We pick up from the hotel or JKIA. Uber, Bolt, and matatu 24 also reach Langata Gate if you are joining a group tour.
| Park | Nairobi National Park, Kenya's first, gazetted 1946 |
|---|---|
| Size | 117 km2 of grassland, riverine forest, gorges, and dams |
| Altitude | About 1,500 to 1,800 metres. Cooler than lowland savannah |
| Distance | About 7 km south of the CBD. Langata Main Gate from most hotels. East Gate from JKIA |
| Hours | Gates 06:00-18:00. Last entry 17:15. Hippo Pools walkers out by 17:15 |
| Big Five | Lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino. No wild elephants in this park |
| Wildlife | 100-plus mammal species. 400-plus birds. Black rhino sanctuary |
| Known for | Skyline-and-giraffe photographs, Ivory Burning Site, Hippo Pools walk |
Private tours include hotel, residence, Wilson, or JKIA pickup in the safari-service rate. Group tours meet at Langata Main Gate. A taxi into the park in a saloon car is legal. It is a poor way to see lion and rhino. Book a pop-up van or Landcruiser.
From a Nairobi hotel
- Default. Guide name the night before. 06:00 for morning, 13:00 for afternoon. CBD and Westlands 25 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Karen and Langata 10 to 20 minutes. Kilimani and Hurlingham 20 to 35 minutes.
- Drop at Langata Main Gate if you booked a group tour. Pin "Nairobi National Park Main Gate" or "KWS Headquarters Langata". Do not ask the ride-hail to enter the park. Guest tickets are eCitizen, not cash to the driver.
- Route 24 from Kencom House on Moi Avenue or the Mfangano Street / Kenya Bus area toward Karen and Langata. Ask for the national park or KWS. Budget way to the gate only. You still need a park vehicle once you arrive.
From JKIA
- About 8 to 12 km, 20 to 35 minutes in light traffic. This is the layover gate. We meet at arrivals, drive Mombasa Road, and enter East Gate. See the JKIA layover safari.
- Longer, 40 to 70 minutes via the Southern Bypass or the city. Use Langata only if you are going on to Sheldrick or Giraffe Centre the same morning. For a park-only layover, East Gate is faster.
- International connections need about 6 hours block to block. We keep a 90-minute buffer before scheduled departure. Under 6 hours, stay airside.
Self-drive
You may enter in a private car. Pay the guest ticket and the vehicle fee on kwspay.ecitizen.go.ke. Our 2026 KWS vehicle figures: private car under 6 seats $5 (KSh 600), minivan 6-12 seats $12 (KSh 1,500). Stay on marked roads. Speed limit 40 km/h. No motorcycles. Saloon cars struggle on wet black-cotton soil in April-May and November.
If you only want the car, not a game drive, Nairobi self-drive 4x4s commonly hire around $115 (KSh 15,000) to $138 (KSh 18,000) a day plus fuel. A chauffeur add-on is about $23 (KSh 3,000) to $31 (KSh 4,000). Park game drives are a different product: see safari vehicle hire.
Road times, typical
| From | To | Time |
|---|---|---|
| CBD / Kencom | Langata Main Gate | 20-40 minutes |
| Westlands | Langata Main Gate | 30-50 minutes |
| Karen / Langata hotels | Langata Main Gate | 10-20 minutes |
| JKIA arrivals | East Gate | 20-35 minutes |
| JKIA arrivals | Langata Main Gate | 40-70 minutes |
| Wilson Airport | Langata Main Gate | 10-20 minutes |
The Southern Bypass and the Standard Gauge Railway both cross the southern park. The SGR sits on an elevated bridge about 6 km long so wildlife can pass underneath. You will see the pillars from the southern plains. They are not a gate.
How to get there
Hotel pickup, JKIA East Gate, Uber, matatu 24, or self-drive. The park is 20 to 40 minutes from town.
Best time to visit
Open all year. Dry months for cats on open grass. Wet months for birds and calves. Morning 06:00 is the default.
Park gates
Langata Main from hotels. East Gate from JKIA. Cheetah Gate on the south. Cashless eCitizen at every gate.
Wildlife and Big Four
Lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino. No wild elephants. Giraffe, zebra, and 400-plus birds against the city skyline.
Things to do
Game drive, Hippo Pools walk, ivory site, birding, picnic dams, orphanage, Safari Walk, night drive.
Where to stay
No hotel inside the park. Park-edge lodges, Karen, Langata, and Mombasa Road. We pick up from all of them.
What to wear
Khaki and olive. Fleece at 06:00. Closed shoes for Hippo Pools. eCitizen screenshot at the gate.