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Lake Nakuru Safari - Compare 1,714 Tours

4.0/5  –  312 Lake Nakuru Safari Reviews

Lake Nakuru National Park is a fabulous holiday destination, and easily ranks among Kenya’s top five parks. Apart from its amazing wildlife, Lake Nakuru is one of the easiest parks to reach and to get around in. It’s next to the city of Nakuru and is easily accessed off the country’s main north–south road. For a relatively small park, it also has a fantastic spread of landscapes, from a towering escarpment (very long, steep cliff) to acacia forests and a beautiful Rift Valley lake that sometimes turns blush-pink with flamingos. Throw in excellent accommodations and nostalgia evoked by the film ‘Out of Africa’, part of which was filmed here, and there really is so much to experience on a Lake Nakuru safari.

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6 Questions About Lake Nakuru Safaris

1. How many days are recommended for a Lake Nakuru safari?
2. Can I see all Big Five animals on a Lake Nakuru safari?
3. What accommodations can I expect in Lake Nakuru National Park?
4. What is the best time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park?
5. What is the difference between Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha for wildlife and scenery?
6. What is the cost of a Lake Nakuru safari?
 
 

6 Questions About Lake Nakuru Safaris

Answered by Anthony Ham

How many days are recommended for a Lake Nakuru safari?

“Lake Nakuru is one of the smallest of Kenya’s major safari parks, which means you can get a taste for what the park has to offer in just a couple of game drives on a 2-day safari. This would be a minimum amount of time for visiting the park. But considering the number of unique wildlife prizes that Lake Nakuru has to offer, you really should consider staying longer if you can. On a 3-day safari, you will get a full day to explore the park, in addition to any time left over after you transfer to and from the park. With the extra day that you spend here, you’ll increase your chances of seeing the park’s animals. You’ll also get to know the park in a much deeper, richer way, because you’ll be able to return to your favorite corners of the park and go back for a second look to see if those really were lions up in the trees.”

1

Can I see all Big Five animals on a Lake Nakuru safari?

“No, it is not possible to see all of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) on a safari in Lake Nakuru National Park because there are no elephants at Lake Nakuru. On the plus side, I’ve seen multiple lions on each of my visits to the park and also leopards more than once. This is also one of the best parks in Kenya to see white and black rhino. Buffalo is also commonly seen. Oh yes, and Lake Nakuru is one of the few places in Africa where the lions climb trees and spend lots of time up in them. Given how easy it is to see elephants in so many other Kenyan parks, there’s a good chance you can see the Big Five on the same trip if you combine Lake Nakuru with other parks and reserves. Other wildlife prizes at Lake Nakuru include Rothschild’s giraffe, zebra and a range of primate species, including vervet monkey, olive baboon and black-and-white colobus.”

2

What accommodations can I expect in Lake Nakuru National Park?

“There is something for every budget at Lake Nakuru, although it doesn’t have the same quantity of accommodations as other parks. Inside the park you’ll find a handful of upmarket lodges, a mid-range tented camp, and simple park bungalows and campsites. All of these fall within the many Lake Nakuru tours and packages on offer. There are enough places to provide you with decent choices, but never too many to make the park feel crowded. Very close to the park entrance, the city of Nakuru has lots of accommodations to choose from. Most of these fall into the budget or mid-range price categories, and some of them can be noisy. But they’re often cheaper than staying inside the park and you can be at the park entrance in minutes.”

3

What is the best time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park?

“The best months to visit Lake Nakuru are generally June through to February. This includes the high season (July to February) when prices and visitor numbers are at their highest, but avoids the two wettest months of the year, which are April and May. You might encounter some rainfall at other times of the year, but this will rarely be more than an afternoon shower or short thunderstorm, and will rarely have any negative impact on your safari experience. If you’re a birder, remember that migratory species (birds that undertake a seasonal migration every year) arrive in Lake Nakuru – and the wider Rift Valley and beyond in East Africa – in November, and they usually remain until April. When you combine this with the weather conditions, it means that November through to February can be a brilliant time to visit for both birds and animals.”

4

What is the difference between Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha for wildlife and scenery?

“There are significant differences between the two. Lake Nakuru is much better for wildlife, although both are scenically beautiful. Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya’s best wildlife parks. This is a top place to see both black and white rhinos, and many of them will be very close to your vehicle, especially around the western and southern ends of the lake in the morning. Tree-climbing lions are also seen around Lake Nakuru, and flamingos, hippo, zebra and Rothschild’s giraffe are all highlights. Leopards are hard to see but possible. The scenery here is superb, too, with sweeping views of the lake and Great Rift Valley from high on the escarpment. You’ll feel like you’re in the film ‘Out of Africa’ (the flying scene was filmed here). Lake Naivasha is another pretty Rift Valley lake that has always been popular with visitors from around the country. In the lake’s waters there’s a good chance you’ll see hippos. Boating excursions are also possible here, and the quieter northern lakeshore is especially scenic because it is less built up with hotels and camps.”

5

What is the cost of a Lake Nakuru safari?

“Prices for budget Lake Nakuru tours usually start at around US$150 per person per day. If this sounds expensive, remember that it should include the cost of expensive park fees, which for Lake Nakuru National Park are US$60/35 per adult/child per day. Also included in most quoted safari packages (but always ask) are all accommodation (including campsites and camping equipment), transfers, a guide, driver, vehicle, food, water, and two game drives on most days that you’re in the park. For the cheapest safari, you might need to help with some of the jobs around camp, such as putting up and taking down tents, cooking, and washing up after meals. At the other end of the price scale, you could expect prices for a luxury Lake Nakuru safari to start at US$350. This could, however, rise to US$800 or even more if you take a private safari in high season, include air transfers, and choose Lake Nakuru’s best accommodation.”

6

Lake Nakuru Safari Reviews

4.0/5 312 Reviews
Expert
Ariadne van Zandbergen  –  
South Africa ZA

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

Flamingos, Rhinos and Big Cats
4/5

Lake Nakuru National Park is mostly associated with big flocks of flamingos. Depending on your expectations, this can easily lead to disappointment. You’ll always find some flamingos here, but the numbers vary greatly depending on the...

Full Review

Expert
Philip Briggs  –  
South Africa ZA

Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.

Lake of Birds and Land of Rhinos
4/5

This smallish park, one of the few in Kenya that’s fenced in its entirety, may be a little lacking in wilderness character, but it has traditionally been included on a high proportion of safari itineraries for two main reasons: flamingos...

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Margaret  –  
United States US
Reviewed: May 8, 2026
5/5

Lake Nakuru National Park was beautiful. It was amazing how different the landscape here is than other national parks. We did see the flamingos but could not get very close to them. That would have been the only thing that would have...

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Lazar Bazlyankov  –  
Bulgaria BG
Reviewed: Mar 6, 2026
5/5

The scenery is magnificent, we were able to see white rhinos from small distance, lions, and all the other animals were literally within a hand reach. Birds are endless, spectacular. The area close to this national park is very clean and...

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Annamaria Kiss  –  
Hungary HU
Reviewed: Feb 8, 2026
5/5

His beautiful Rift Valley lake offers voluminous birdlife and sometimes even pink flamingoes. But the protected sanctuary here will also bring you opportunities to see one of Kenya’s largest population of endangered black rhinos.

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Alessandra e Simone  –  
Italy IT
Reviewed: Aug 16, 2025
5/5

Beautiful park, different from others thanks to the lake scenario and the enormous amounts of different birds, we encountered also a full family of rhinos which we can observe without crowd for almost 30 min.

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All 312 Lake Nakuru Safari Reviews