Full-day Nairobi safari
Park at dawn, elephants at 11:00, giraffes after lunch. About 8 to 10 hours. Private pop-up van or Landcruiser. Hotel or JKIA pickup. No prepayment.
| 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 |
The full day is the half-day park circuit plus Langata. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust public hour is 11:00 to 12:00 only, every day except 25 December. If that hour is full, we keep you in the park longer and still do Giraffe Centre (09:00-17:00). Karen Blixen Museum is optional if you want the farmhouse after the giraffes.
Day plan
- Pickup from your Nairobi hotel, residence, or JKIA. Fleece for the first hour.
- Game drive from Langata or East Gate. Ivory Burning Site, open plains, rhino country, skyline viewpoints. Aim to leave the park in time for Sheldrick.
- David Sheldrick Nairobi Nursery. Milk feed, mud bath, keeper talk. Book the slot. Donation at the gate. KWS ticket applies if you enter through the park.
- Lunch at your cost in Karen or Langata. We stop where you ask, or skip food and go straight to the giraffes.
- Giraffe Centre, Langata. Raised platform, Rothschild giraffes, nature trail. Ticket is cashless.
- Optional Karen Blixen Museum on Karen Road, or Kazuri Beads, or return to the hotel. Museum last entry around 17:00.
- Drop-off at the hotel or JKIA. Evening flights need an earlier Sheldrick skip. Tell us the takeoff time at booking.
What you can see in the park
- Lion
- Leopard
- Cheetah
- Black rhino
- White rhino
- Buffalo
- Maasai giraffe
- Plains zebra
- Wildebeest
- Eland
- Impala
- Hartebeest
- Waterbuck
- Thomson gazelle
- Grant gazelle
- Warthog
- Spotted hyena
- Jackal
- Ostrich
- Hippo at the Athi River
- Nile crocodile
- 400-plus bird species
- Nairobi city skyline
Sheldrick is orphaned elephants and sometimes rhino calves, not a wild elephant population. Giraffe Centre is Rothschild giraffe conservation, not the Maasai giraffe you see on the park plains.
Safari-service price, per person
| Paying guests | Safari van USD / KSh | Landcruiser USD / KSh |
|---|---|---|
| 1 guest | $200 (KSh 26,000) | $250 (KSh 32,500) |
| 2 guests | $115 (KSh 14,950) | $135 (KSh 17,550) |
| 3 guests | $90 (KSh 11,700) | $110 (KSh 14,300) |
| 4 guests | $75 (KSh 9,750) | $90 (KSh 11,700) |
| 5 guests | $65 (KSh 8,450) | $78 (KSh 10,140) |
| 6 guests | $58 (KSh 7,540) | $68 (KSh 8,840) |
USD shown at 130 Kenyan shillings to 1 US dollar, updated 4 September 2026. Confirm on WhatsApp before you pay.
Children under 3 ride free if they sit with an adult and do not need a park ticket. Ages 3-11 pay 75 percent of the adult safari-service rate. Ages 12 and up pay the adult rate. KWS still charges its own child tariff at the gate.
Included
- Hotel, residence, or JKIA pickup and drop-off
- Private safari van or Landcruiser with pop-up roof, only your group
- Licensed English-speaking driver-guide
- Fuel for the park circuit
- Vehicle and driver park entry
- Bottled drinking water
- Government taxes on the safari service
Not included
- Guest KWS park tickets (table below)
- Giraffe Centre, Sheldrick, museum, or orphanage tickets unless named
- Lunch, snacks, and soft drinks
- Tips (usually $10-$20 per vehicle after an NNP drive)
- Personal items, souvenirs, travel insurance
- Lunch
- Giraffe Centre ticket (non-resident adult KSh 1,500)
- Sheldrick donation (adult $20)
- Karen Blixen ticket if you add it
Typical extra cash for a non-resident adult who does park + Sheldrick + Giraffe Centre: park $80 (KSh 10,400) + Sheldrick $20 (KSh 2,600) + Giraffe Centre $12 (KSh 1,500). See all Nairobi attraction fees.
KWS park tickets
| KWS category | USD / KSh |
|---|---|
| East African citizen adult | $8 (KSh 1,000) |
| East African citizen child | $4 (KSh 500) |
| Kenya resident adult | $10 (KSh 1,350) |
| Kenya resident child | $5 (KSh 675) |
| African citizen adult | $40 (KSh 5,200) |
| African citizen child | $20 (KSh 2,600) |
| Non-resident adult | $80 (KSh 10,400) |
| Non-resident child | $40 (KSh 5,200) |
| Private vehicle under 6 seats | $5 (KSh 600) |
| Minivan 6-12 seats | $12 (KSh 1,500) |
USD shown at 130 Kenyan shillings to 1 US dollar, updated 4 September 2026. Confirm on WhatsApp before you pay.