Nairobi is a leading city destination in Africa, with a vibrant culture, historic landmarks, and bustling city life. Recently, it was ranked the best city to visit in 2024 by Lonely Planet.
In a few months’ time, it will be December, the most anticipated month of the year, usually filled with festivities and merrymaking to mark special occasions like Christmas. Since Nairobi is known for its festive cheer, holiday lights, and cultural celebrations as the safari capital of the world and the only capital city with a national park within its boundaries, many people have started booking their trips to Nairobi National Park in advance to secure a campsite and book any necessary permits or reservations. That is to fully immerse themselves in the joyful bustle of the season beforehand, avoid the last-minute rush, and take advantage of any discounts.
I agree. An escape to nature might mean a lovely little wander through Nairobi National Park, but you mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger. Wherever you are in this city, you’re never far away from other breathtakingly beautiful game parks and game reserves;
> A Guide to Nairobi National Park in 2024
Kenya contains 23 designated full national parks, 28 terrestrial national reserves, four marine national parks, six marine national reserves, and four national sanctuaries hosting life of all kinds, from creepy crawlies to wild cats and primates.
Of all those wildlife parks found in Kenya, we are going to look at the top six best-of-the-best around Nairobi, which have been selected by an expert panel from Andersky Tours & Travel — an award-winning provider of unforgettable tours and safaris in Kenya — and voted by tourists as the best in the country on TripAdvisor.
Andersky Tours & Travel at a glance
For travellers seeking an adventure-packed vacation, Andersky Tours & Travel is a leading choice. It was featured in our review of the best travel companies in Kenya in 2024.
The company specializes in creating bespoke travel experiences, offering high-end accommodations and exclusive access to events and experiences for small group tours, safaris, and expeditions to over 100 destinations in the country. It focuses on responsible and sustainable travel, according to its owner, Alex Wambuku.
They offer budget-friendly tour packages with all travel essentials and options to tailor your trip. You can contact them at +254 721 924000 or [email protected] for quotes.
From user reviews on TripAdvisor—a travel research platform that helps users plan and enjoy their trips—all its tours and safaris include everything from visiting iconic sites and national parks to breaking bread with locals, guided by expert travel personnel. This ensures their travellers enjoy 24/7 travel expertise and dedicated service throughout the trips.
With a commitment to supporting local communities, Andersky provides authentic, immersive experiences that allow travellers to connect with local cultures and environments, their website says.
Here is the list of the best national parks to visit this December around Nairobi, aside from Nairobi National Park, as guided by Andersky’s travel experts:
List of the best national parks within driving distance of Nairobi City
Included below are the six best and most beautiful wildlife parks located around Nairobi:
1. Aberdare National Park
Aberdare National Park is unquestionably among the best national parks in Kenya. Covering an area of more than 767 sq km, it stretches across the higher areas of the Aberdare Mountain ranges, 260 kilometres (162 miles) from Nairobi.
It’s world-renowned for its conservation programs and is brimming with incredible wildlife, waterfalls, forests, and mountains. Some of the animals you can spot at Aberdare include black rhinos, lions, baboons, bongos, Sykes monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys, golden cats, and leopards.
However, the park is most famous as the place where Princess Elizabeth learned of her father’s death and that she had become Queen during her stay at the Treetops Hotel in 1952. Since then, the lodge has been a popular stop for tourists on safari in Kenya.
2. Hell’s Gate National Park
Located in Naivasha, in Nakuru County, this park is known for its dramatic scenery, including volcanic outcrops covered by ashes from the Longonot eruption that occurred 100 years ago, sandstone cliffs, and a steep-sided valley with plumes of geothermal steam. The park, named after a narrow break in the cliffs that once fed a prehistoric lake, is about 100 kilometres (62 miles) northwest of Nairobi, a roughly two-hour drive.
Hell’s Gate is a haven for wildlife, with its grassland dominated by red oat grass and acacia bushes. Animals here include zebras, elands, giraffes, buffaloes, serval cats, hartebeests, Thomson’s gazelles, klipspringers, leopards, and over 103 bird species.
The park also hosts the Ol Karia Geothermal Station and the Geothermal Spa, which are rich in minerals like sulphur and silica, believed to have healing properties for skin ailments.
3. Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya’s most scenic parks, located 155 km from Nairobi, approximately a 2-hour, 35-minute drive. The park features towering rocky outcrops, shimmering semi-alkaline waters of Lake Nakuru, and rolling grasslands.
It is famous for its millions of beautiful pink flamingos, as well as other migratory birds like pelicans, fish eagles, secretary birds, herons, egrets, and hammerkops. The park also hosts a wide range of wildlife, including hyenas, serval cats, giraffes, zebras, and buffaloes.
Established as Kenya’s first rhino sanctuary in 1987, the park has one of the largest black rhino populations in the country. Substantial numbers of white rhinos have also been introduced.
4. Amboseli National Park
In the far south of Kenya, in Loitoktok, Kajiado County, within the Great Rift Valley, lies Amboseli National Park, offering exquisite scenery, spectacular trails, and rare wildlife.
Amboseli National Park, located 161 km from Nairobi, derives its name “Amboseli” from a Maasai word meaning “salty dust.” It is one of the best places in Africa to view large herds of elephants up close.
Open to the public since 1948, the park’s key mission is to protect and grow populations of indigenous, exotic, endangered and threatened wildlife species.
Alongside the elephants, the other animals you can spot in Amboseli include lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, wildebeests, and hyenas, among many others.
5. Chyulu Hills National Park
Tucked away in southeastern Kenya, with the South and North Units 100 kilometres apart between Tsavo West National Park and Amboseli National Park, this isolated park offers wind-scoured, multicoloured badlands; hundreds of species of wildflowers, and an unexpected abundance of wildlife, including buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, leopards, and zebras for tourists to see.
Chyulu Hills National Park is a leader in ecotourism, offering sustainable experiences such as guided walks, wildlife-watching on horseback, and cultural tours.
It is protected by the government and managed for conservation, providing a crucial habitat for many threatened and endangered species.
6. Maasai Mara
Maasai Mara National Reserve is located in southwest Kenya and is one of the world’s most famous wildlife reserves. If you’re looking for a great safari experience for your bucket list, Maasai Mara might be the perfect place to visit. It is about 270 km from Nairobi.
Maasai Mara is known for its large herds of wildebeests, zebras, and gazelles, as well as its predators, including lions, leopards, and cheetahs. If you’re lucky, you might just check off all of the Big Five.
It’s best to visit this national reserve in time for the Great Migration, between July and October, when over 1.5 million wildebeests migrate from Serengeti National Park across the Mara River in search of food and water.
Maasai Mara National Reserve is a must-visit destination for those interested in wildlife and nature.
The above has been the list of the best national parks, aside from Nairobi National Park, that you can visit if you’re residing in the capital city. Feel free to share your recommendations in the comments section below.
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