What are the popular national parks in Kenya?

If you are planning a safari to Kenya the best way to experience the wilderness is by visiting the rich and diverse national parks and reserves in the country. There are over 10 best national parks in Kenya which are a must visit and popular to tourists for a wildlife viewing exercise in Kenya. The most popular one is the Masai Mara Nature Reserve which is home to the wildebeest migration and the big five and below is a list of the popular national parks and reserves in Kenya.

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Masai Mara National Reserve:

Masai Mara Nature Reserve is the top tourist attraction destination in Kenya, best known for the annual wildebeest migration that has millions of wildebeests migrating from Serengeti to Masai Mara and then back to Serengeti and the cycle continues. Located along the border of Kenya and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Masai Mara covers over 1,510 square kilometers and is part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, which is home to a variety of wildlife, including the big five.

Besides the wildebeest migration, it is home to other animals, including lions, antelopes, buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, zebras, hippos, hyenas, civets, wild dogs, leopards, aardvarks and crocodiles, among others. The national reserve is also home to over 450 bird species, including migratory and endemic bird species best seen during the wet season. Some of the activities that can be carried out in Masai Mara National Reserve include watching the wildebeest, game drives, hot air balloon rides, cultural trips to the Masai communities, horseback riding and bird watching, among others.

The spots that you shouldn’t miss when visiting Masai Mara include the Mara Triangle, which is located along the Mara River and offers excellent wildlife viewing. it is also known for its high concentration of lions, crocodiles in the Mara River and grazers, among others. The Mara Triangle is also a good place to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Mara landscapes. Other spots that you shouldn’t miss out on are the Musiara swamp, which provides water and pasture for grazing the wildlife and is also a good place for bird watching, the Oloololo escarpment, the Talek River and Olare Motorogi Conservancy.

Getting to Masai Mara is easy and you can get there by either driving or using chartered flights to the Masai Mara. Driving is the most commonly used as you are rewarded with beautiful scenery along the way, but you can also fly, especially if you have limited time on your safari. Accommodation at the national reserve is always in high demand, and some of the facilities you can use include Ol Seki Hemingway’s Mara, Governor’s Camp, Naibor Camp and Mara Plains, among others.

The best time to visit Masai Mara is during the dry season from June to October, but note that it is an all-year-round safari destination.

Amboseli National Park:

Amboseli National Park is one of the most famous national parks in Kenya and the second most visited in the country after Masai Mara. It is famous for mainly two things; the glorious majestic big tusk elephants and the great views of Mount Kilimanjaro. The game drives in the national park take you around the southern part, where you will be able to see the Longinye swamp, Oltukai, and observation hill, which offers a 360-degree view of the park and Sine Delta and Lake Kioko. Some of the animals that can be spotted in Amboseli include elephants, zebras, lions, antelopes, wildebeests, gazelles, crocodiles, cheetahs, leopards, hippos and buffaloes among others. The park is also home to over 400 migratory and endemic bird species. Activities carried out in Amboseli National Park include game drives, bird watching and guided nature walks among others.

Amboseli National Park is an all-year-round safari destination and has two seasons, which include the dry and wet seasons. The dry season, which is from June to October and December to February, is the best time to visit Amboseli National Park. The rainy season, which is from March to May and October to November, is a good time for tourists who wish to avoid the large crowds experienced in the dry season and travel on a limited budget. Note that April is the wettest month, and if possible, avoid it at all costs.

Getting to Amboseli National Park is quite easy, and you can either drive or fly to the national park. You can drive from Nairobi using the highway, and this will take about 3 hours, or you can drive using the Nairobi-Mombasa highway,y, and this is the best route as it is faster. Driving is the preferred mode of transport, although you can still fly from Wilson Airport or Kilimanjaro Airport to Amboseli Airstrip and transfer using a safari vehicle to the national park or your accommodation facility.

Hell’s Gate National Park:

This is a uniquely breathtaking National park that is located approximately 90 km northwest of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. Covering about 68.25 square kilometers, Hell’s Gate is found south of Lake Naivasha and is home to diverse wildlife species, some of which include zebra, giraffes, antelopes, buffaloes, and lions, among others. It is also a birder’s paradise with over 350 recorded bird species, some of which are migratory, whereas others are endemic species.

The features that you should look out for on your safari to Hell’s Gate National Park are the deep gorges, the unique landscape with towering cliffs and the volcanic formations. This is the only national park in the country where tourists are allowed to explore its entirety on foot and use bicycles with the guidance of an experienced guide.

Activities that are carried out in Hell’s Gate include game drives, guided nature walks, bird watching, cycling, hiking, enjoying the natural spa at the Hell’s Gate Gorge and camping among others. The main attractions in Hell’s Gate National Park include the Olkaria Geothermal station which is used to harness the geothermal energy in the area and tourists have a chance to learn how the power generation occurs, there is also the Fischer’s Tower a known volcanic pug where rock climbers get to have fun with great views of the National Park when they get to the summit.

A visit to Hell’s Gate National Park is incomplete without a trip to Lake Naivasha, which is a good place to relax and unwind after days of game driving. Lake Naivasha is surrounded by yellow-backed acacia trees and forests filled with a variety of bird species.

You can drive to Hell’s Gate National Park, and the journey, which is about 120 kilometers, takes 2 to 3 hours from Nairobi. Other factors like traffic remain constant. The best time to visit Hell’s Gate National Park is during the dry season experienced from June to October.

Samburu National Park:

Samburu National Park is one of the best National Parks to visit on a safari to Kenya and although it is not home to a large number of wildlife, the landscape and hot springs bring out the best wilderness vibe. Samburu National Park is located in the northeastern part of Kenya, covering about 165 square kilometers along the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River. Named after the Samburu people the local ethnic group of people inhabiting the area around the National Park and known for rugged terrains, open grasslands, rocky outcrops and acacia woodlands.

Samburu National Park, approximately located in 350 kilometers from Nairobi, is the best place to spot the unique Samburu five, which include the Somali ostrich, Beisa Oryx, Grevy’s Zebra, Gerenuk, and Reticulated giraffes. These five are unique to the Samburu region and are rarely spotted in any other National Parks in the country. Other wildlife animals in the National Park include buffaloes, hippos, leopards, lions, elephants and cheetahs, among others. Samburu is also home to about 350 recorded bird species.

One of the frequently asked questions is how one can get to Samburu National Park, the best way is by driving from Nairobi, which is at a distance of 322 kilometres, and it will take you approximately 7 hours to drive from Nairobi to Samburu. You can still drive from Nakuru to Samburu at a distance of 323 kilometers, and this takes about 6 hours. Transport to the National Park can easily be arranged, and you can also go on self-drive.

Some of the activities that are carried out in Samburu National Park include game drives, bird watching, rock climbing, a visit to the Samburu communities and camping. Camping in Samburu can be done in two campsites and these are the Buffalo Springs and Shaba, the Shaba campsite is strategically located near a watering hole which makes it easy to spot the animals during the dry season, the Buffalo Springs campsite is positioned along the River and the good thing about the campsites is that they do not require prior booking and are more flexible.

Samburu National Park is an all-year-round safari destination, but the best time is from June to October during the dry season.

Tsavo National Parks:

There are two Tsavo National Parks and these are Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park. They are one of the largest protected areas in the country, covering over 22681 square kilometers. Located in southeastern Kenya, The two national parks are home to a variety of wildlife, some of which include buffaloes, lions, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, elephants, antelopes, crocodiles, cheetahs, hyenas and leopards, among others.

Tsavo East National Park is the largest of the two National Parks and is best known for its expanse of savannah grasslands, Galana River and open plains. Some of the attractions found in Tsavo East National Park include the Lugard Falls, which majestically fall into the Galana River, and the Yatta Plateau, which is the longest lava flow in the world.

Tsavo West National Park is the smallest of the two and is characterized by rugged hills, a diverse ecosystem and volcanic landscapes. The park is home to features like the clear pools, which are home to the hippos, which are known as the Mzima springs, the rich birdlife species and crocodiles. Tsavo West is also home to the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, an area that was dedicated to conserving the endangered black rhinos, and the Shetani Lava Flow, which is a black lava plain where you have great views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

The best time to visit both Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park is from June to October (the dry season), and some of the activities that are carried out include game drives, bird watching, and guided walks, among others.

Nairobi National Park:

Nairobi National Park is the only park that is located within the city center of the world, right just outside of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The park covers over 117 square kilometers making it the largest national park located within a capital city. The park’s location makes it easy for both locals and international tourists to have access to the park which is home to a wide range of wildlife species.

Nairobi National Park was established in 1964, making it one of the oldest parks in the country and is home to over 100 mammal species, some of which include rhinos, giraffes, leopards, buffaloes, antelopes and lions, among others. It is also home to over 400 bird species and these are best seen during the wet/rainy season from March to May.

There are two ways in which tourists can spot the wildlife in Nairobi National Park, and these are through guided nature walks and by use of a raised platform, which is the best way to spot the wildlife. The best time to go for a safari to Nairobi National Park is during the dry season, from June to October and December to February.

Lake Nakuru National Park:

Lake Nakuru National Park offers some of the greatest wildlife views in Kenya with a wide range of animal species, including rhinos, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, different species of antelopes including gazelles, Oribis, waterbucks and bushbucks, lions, leopards and hyenas among others. Lake Nakuru National Park is also home to over 350 bird species.

Some of the activities that are carried out in Lake Nakuru National Park include game drives, bird watching and guided nature walks. The park offers pristine views of landscapes, rocky cliffs, savannah grasslands, and Lake Nakuru.

Aberdare National park:

Situated in the central highlands of Kenya, Aberdare National Park is located about 150 kilometers east of Nairobi and can easily be accessed by driving through the Naivasha Nyahururu road. It is a park that has a unique and diverse landscape ranging from bamboo forests, alpine meadows, moorlands to rainforests.

The National Park is home to several wildlife species, including olive baboons, leopards, leopards, hyenas, buffaloes, black and white colobus monkeys, and elephants, among others. Aberdare National Park is an all-year-round safari destination, and the best time to visit is from June to October during the dry season and December to February.

Mount Kenya National Park:

Mount Kenya National Park is surrounded by Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya, and covers an area of over 715 square kilometers northeast of Nairobi. The national park is best known for its alpine landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, and ecological zones, which range from lower slopes covered in dense forests and ice caps at the peak. Some of the animals that are found in Mount Kenya Park include buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, black and white colobus monkeys among others and over 130 bird species.

The main attraction in Mount Kenya National Park is Mountain Kenya itself, standing at 5199 meters above sea level, and offers hiking and climbing adventures to tourists who have booked in advance.  Some of the popular routes that are used to get to the peak are the Chogoria route and the Sirimon route. The best time to travel to Mount Kenya National Park is from June to October.

Contact us for more information about national parks in Kenya and let us help you plan your safari to Kenya.