Day Trips From Nairobi - Compare 156 Tours

4.6/5 – 1,655 Kenya Reviews

Nairobi has been Africa’s most important safari gateway for more than a century, and it’s a fascinating city in its own right. Apart from being an East African cultural powerhouse with fantastic museums, markets and restaurants, not to mention its very own national park, Nairobi is also surrounded by fantastic places to explore on a day trip from the capital. Some of these can be reached by road as part of an organized trip, while others connect to parks and reserves around Kenya by plane from Wilson Airport.

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5 Questions About Day Trips From Nairobi

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Answered by

Anthony Ham

Anthony has written numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, including ‘Kenya’ and ‘East Africa’. He writes about Kenya and the wider region for magazines and newspapers worldwide. He is also the author of ‘The Last Lions of Africa’, part of which is set in Nairobi and elsewhere in Kenya.
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What parks can you visit on a day trip from Nairobi?

“Nairobi National Park is far and away the best national park to visit if you only have 1 day. This park is compact, has excellent trails that can be driven in a 2WD vehicle more accustomed to city roads, and, best of all, it has some incredible wildlife within its boundaries. Lions are frequently seen here, and there’s a really good chance that you might see zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, buffalo, hippo, crocodile and black and white rhino; the only big-ticket species that isn’t present here is elephant. There are, of course, other possible day tours and day trips from Nairobi that take in a national park. These might include the Masai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, or Amboseli National Park. Remember, however, that it would take three to four hours one-way to reach these parks by road from Nairobi, and the same to return. This means that you would spend more time driving to and from the parks and reserves than you would spend actually looking for animals. A quicker alternative might be flying to/from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, with one-way flight times rarely being more than an hour.”

How do I find a reliable operator for a day trip from Nairobi?

“When searching for a reliable operator that offers day trips from Nairobi, SafariBookings.com should be where you begin. There you can find out everything there is to know about Nairobi National Park, and check which tours (and which tour operators) are possible from the city. Best of all, you’ll find online reviews by other travelers outlining their experiences, and rating the tour operators according to their performance. It’s a great, all-purpose resource for planning your day. There are so many different tours and packages from operators willing and ready to take you out on a day trip at a moment’s notice. The choices can be bewildering, and not all offer the kind of service, professionalism and value for money that you deserve. That’s why SafariBookings.com is such an important resource.”

Is there enough to see on a Nairobi city tour?

“There is so much to see on a Nairobi city tour that you may even need an extra day. Obviously one possibility is to visit Nairobi National Park, but the park deserves the best part of a day on its own. Other attractions that are definitely worth visiting include the National Museum, with its fascinating storytelling about the city’s human and natural history. There’s a snake park right next door. The city’s markets are an opportunity to immerse yourself in local life. Beyond the city center, leading attractions include the Karen Blixen House and Museum, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Giraffe Centre; all of these are in the western neighborhood of Karen. A tour of Kibera, Africa’s second-largest shanty town, led by a local resident is another wonderful option.”

Can I visit multiple attractions in 1 day on a day trip from Nairobi?

“Yes, it is certainly possible to visit more than one attraction on your day trip from Nairobi. For example, the best time to visit Nairobi National Park is early to mid morning, and again in the late afternoon. That’s because few animals will be active during the hottest part of the day, which makes them more difficult to see. In between national park visits, you could visit, for example, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to meet the orphaned elephants when they are introduced to visitors at 11am each morning; reservations for these sessions must be made online well in advance of your visit. Another possibility among many might be to take a tour to Kiambethu Tea Farm in the morning, and visit Nairobi National Park in the afternoon.”

What are the chances of seeing the Big Five on a day trip from Nairobi?

“It is theoretically possible but extremely difficult to see the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) on a day trip from Nairobi. The only place where it’s possible to see all five in a single place is Masai Mara National Reserve, but you’d probably have to fly from Nairobi and then fly back again, and even then you would have to be extremely lucky to see them all in 1 day. Black rhino, for example, is only present in the Mara Triangle area of the park, and rarely seen outside of the early morning or late afternoon hours. Nairobi National Park has four of the Big Five, but only three – lion, rhino and buffalo – are regularly seen. Even these cannot be guaranteed. The same applies to Lake Nakuru National Park, where there is a reasonable chance of seeing lion, leopard and rhino, but there are no elephants. Leopard and elephant are most commonly seen in the Masai Mara National Reserve, while Amboseli has lots of elephant, but no rhino.”

Kenya Reviews

4.6/5 1,655 Reviews

Expert

Nana Luckham –

Nana is a travel writer and author of multiple guidebooks, including the Lonely Planet guides to Africa, Zambia & Malawi and South Africa.

From Game-Packed Hot Spots to Little-Known Wilderness

5/5

Kenya’s stunning landscapes include rainforest, beaches, deserts and mountains, but it’s the first-class wildlife watching that keeps so many visitors flocking back. Not only is it one of the best places in Africa to see the Big Five,...

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Expert

Mark Eveleigh –

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

Containing ‘The Greatest Wildlife Real Estate on Earth’

5/5

The Masai Mara has been called ‘the greatest wildlife real estate on Earth’ and for the sheer density of its wildlife it probably has no competition anywhere in the world. For a first-time safari these days you probably still can’t...

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Henry K. –

Reviewed: Dec 10, 2025

Experience African life

4/5

Kenia offers the possiblity to experience African (wild) life in many aspects. The different nature reserves present different landscapes and a variety of wild life. While travelling from one park to the other you get an impression of the...

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Jeffrey Layton –

Reviewed: Dec 2, 2025

A once in a lifetime experience

5/5

For those looking to check off another item off their bucket list and to see a Safari as it is meant to be, I highly recommend going to Kenya. From the first camp to the last, it’s like walking onto a movie set. The picturesque views and...

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Grace Okongo –

Reviewed: Dec 1, 2025

Marvellous

5/5

I visited Kenya after ten good years must say Kenya is a developed and developing country..the people are so welcoming smiles ..the ease of living is top tier .the weather was good food was excellent i mean just loved everything

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Anita Bräuhofer –

Reviewed: Nov 26, 2025

Wildlife on safari top - nationalparc fees flop !!

5/5

Our safari in Kenya was very varied and fantastic. The safari company African Hartebeest booked according to our wishes and delivered what it promised. I can definitely recommend this small company. The website safaribookings is very...

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Day Trips From Nairobi - Compare 156 Tours

½-Day Nairobi National Park Private Safari

1-Day Masai Mara Fly in Safari - Daily Departure

1-Day Lake Nakuru Park Safari

½-Day Nairobi National Park Tour in Kenya

½-Day Nairobi Safari Adventure

½-Day Nairobi National Park Safari

1-Day Lake Nakuru National Park Small Group Tour

1-Day Nairobi National Park Adventure Safari

1-Day City Safari in Nairobi NP and Giraffe Centre

1-Day Day Trip to Masai Mara National Reserve

½-Day Nairobi National Park -Wildlife Capital Safari

1-Day Lake Nakuru National Park Private Day Tour

1-Day Northern White Rhinos Olpejeta Safari

½-Day Shedrick Elephant Orphange & Nairobi NP Safari

1-Day Lake Nakuru National Park Private Tour

1-Day Trip to Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru Safari

½-Day Nairobi National Park Adventure

1-Day Nairobi Excursion

1-Day L Naivasha & Hell's Gate Safari from Nairobi

1-Day Lake Naivasha and Hells Gate National Park

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5 Questions About Day Trips From Nairobi

Answered by

Anthony Ham

5 Questions About Day Trips From Nairobi

What parks can you visit on a day trip from Nairobi?

How do I find a reliable operator for a day trip from Nairobi?

Is there enough to see on a Nairobi city tour?

Can I visit multiple attractions in 1 day on a day trip from Nairobi?

What are the chances of seeing the Big Five on a day trip from Nairobi?

Kenya Reviews

From Game-Packed Hot Spots to Little-Known Wilderness

Containing ‘The Greatest Wildlife Real Estate on Earth’

Experience African life

A once in a lifetime experience

Marvellous

Wildlife on safari top - nationalparc fees flop !!