Nairobi National Park

Few capitals have anything like it. About ten kilometres from the city centre, Nairobi National Park’s open plains and river habitats hold more than 100 animal species and over 400 kinds of birds, with skyscrapers rising behind the grazing herds. Kenya Wildlife Service calls it the world’s only wildlife capital, and its closeness to the city means a game drive here can fit around a flight or a meeting.

It also carries Kenya’s conservation history. Gazetted in 1946, it was the country’s first national park, and Kenya Wildlife Service notes that it influenced the creation of other parks and reserves. When it began, wildlife roamed close to what is now the city centre, with lions once heard near the railway stations. It has long been a refuge for black rhinos, which faced severe poaching in the 20th century, and it holds the historic Ivory Burning Site.

Kenya Wildlife Service describes July to March as the main season for wildlife viewing across its parks, when short grass makes animals easier to see, and April to June as the low season of the long rains, when roads may need four-wheel drive. The Kenya Meteorological Department adds a second rainy season from October to December. Because the park is so close to the city, a visit can be timed around the weather on the day.

The park lies on Lang’ata Road, a short drive from Nairobi’s central business district past Nyayo National Stadium and the Lang’ata Army Barracks, and it is close to both Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport. That makes it the easiest national park in Kenya to visit at the start or end of a safari, or on a free day in the city, with no long drive needed to reach the plains.