The 15 Best National Park Day Trips in Kenya

1.Nairobi National Park Half-Day Tour; Free Wi-Fi connection

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 878 reviews · from $45Our pick

See Nairobi’s wild side on a 5.5-hour tour with hotel pickup, an open-roof vehicle, and a 4 to 5-hour game drive. Guides such as Edwin, Peter, and Lawrence are praised for spotting rhinos, lions, giraffes, and birds. Park entry costs extra, and vehicle and timing standards can vary.

“Seeing the animals on the wilderness was amazing, our guide/driver was excellent, he was totally into help is to see the lions . totally recommended”

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2.1 Day trip to Hells Gate and Lake Naivasha From Nairobi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 332 reviews · from $110

Leave Nairobi at 7am with a private driver such as Joash, Harrison, or Patrick, then cycle past zebra, giraffe, gazelle, and warthog at Hell’s Gate. A guided gorge walk follows, with an optional $25 Lake Naivasha boat ride for hippos and birds.

“Patrick and David were extremely knowledgeable and flexible. We had one day before heading out for safari. I can’t think of any better way to spend it! We saw tons of animals. There are no big cats so Hell’s Gate is the only national park you can ride in. Such an amazing experience!”

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3.Day Tour to Amboseli National Park & Maasai Village

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 310 reviews · 12 hours · from $75

Leave Nairobi before sunrise for Amboseli in a 4x4 safari vehicle. A guide such as Charles, Harrison, Jack, or another experienced driver leads the game drive, with elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, and birds in view. Finish with a Maasai village visit, dance, beadwork, and a late return.

“great adventure, we have seen a lot of animals, this was my favourite national park with the elephants and Kilimanjaro”

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4.Day Trip: Hell’s Gate Bike Ride & Lake Naivasha Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 251 reviews · 9 - 10 hours · from $34Best value

Travel from Nairobi with an English-speaking driver and local guides such as Ruth, Isaiah, or Erick. Cycle 16 km beside zebras and giraffes at Hell’s Gate, walk through its gorge, then take a boat on Lake Naivasha to see hippos and birds. Budget extra for park fees, lunch, and the boat.

“It was amazing. Filled with joy, adeventure , amazing landscapes , animals and birds ! It has so much to offer ,”

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5.Nairobi National Park Full or Half-Day Tour with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 217 reviews · 5 - 8 hours · from $185

Choose a morning or afternoon game drive in Nairobi National Park with hotel pickup, a driver-guide, and time to spot rhinos, lions, giraffes, zebras, and birds. Full-day options add the Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, lunch, or an evening dinner and dance show.

“Very good. We got really close to the animals, but it felt like the driver managed to not annoy them. Best part was when we came a few meters from 3 rhinos going for a walk.. What an experience”

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6.Day Trip: Amboseli National Park & Maasai Village – Nairobi

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 69 reviews · 12 hours · from $100

Leave Nairobi early for Amboseli in a 4x4 safari vehicle, with about five hours for game viewing and a two-hour Maasai village visit. Guides such as Charles, James, Harrison, and Dennis have helped guests spot elephants, lions, cheetahs, and more. Park fees, lunch, and village fees cost extra.

“The guide and the driver were both amazing people they knew their way around the park. The sightings were magical. The elephants the lions. If you are coming from Nairobi it’s far and I wasn’t prepared for that. However the drive was worth it.”

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7.DAY TRIP AMBOSELI NATIONAL PARK FROM NAIROBI BUDGET SAFARI.

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 52 reviews · 12 hours · from $170

Leave Nairobi early for a full-day Amboseli safari with guide Alex or another English-speaking driver-guide. Expect a pop-up-roof 4WD van, elephant sightings, Kilimanjaro views, binoculars, a picnic break, and a 1.5-hour Maasai village visit. Park entry, lunch, and the $30 village fee cost extra.

“The driver (Alex) was amazing. He communicated very well and adjusted the itinerary to suit our needs rather than his own. He showed as many animals as he could and showed the kilimanjaro spots for pics. Highly recommend as not all drivers are good like him.”

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8.Day Trip to Maasai Mara Reserve & Maasai village

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 49 reviews · 13 hours · from $180

Leave Nairobi at 4:30 AM for a full safari day in Maasai Mara, with guides such as Ernest, Patrick, and James leading wildlife drives. Expect a long road journey, picnic lunch at your expense, several hours in the reserve, and an optional Maasai village stop with an extra fee.

“John was a great guide, sweet and courteous after picking us from the hotel to the reserve. He was very patient”

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9.Lakes Nakuru & Naivasha National Park Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 45 reviews · 10 - 12 hours · from $195

Leave Nairobi at 6:00 AM with a private driver-guide for Lake Nakuru’s rhinos, lions, birds, and possible flamingos, then continue to Lake Naivasha for an optional boat ride with hippos and eagle feeding. Guides such as Titus, Simon, John, and Martin have earned special praise.

“The guide was very good he put big efforts into the safari to make us enjoy the moments. We saw a lot of animals in Nakuru I recommend to go there. The boat tour in naivasha was also good to see eagles. Thank you to the guide 🙏🏼”

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10.Amboseli National Park: Guided Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 42 reviews · 12 hours · from $195

Spend 12 hours traveling from Nairobi to Amboseli in a customized tour van with an English-speaking guide. Look for elephants, lions, zebras, buffalo, birds, and views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Lunch, park entry, and a Maasai village visit cost extra unless you select those options.

“special thanks to our guide John who was fantastic he took us to the most beautiful places and closest to the animals in Amboseli park. he was very good and took us to eat in a fantastic place (even if a little expensive, but it's fair) we managed to see a lot of animals thanks to john! I recommend it 100% thanks again !!”

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11.Mombasa: Tsavo East National Park Day Trip with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 41 reviews · 8 hours · from $153

Spend about four hours on a Tsavo East game drive after a three-hour ride from Mombasa or Diani. Your English or German-speaking guide may include Stephen, Steven, or Francis. Expect red elephants, lions, giraffes, zebra, hippos, birds, and the Yatta Plateau, with lunch and hotel transfers included.

“Wycieczka super, głównie dzięki świetnemu kierowcy - przewodnikowi - Francis - wielkie dzięki ! Francis bardzo starał się, aby pokazać nam jak najwięcej atrakcji ! Dzięki niemu udało się nam zobaczyć lwice schowane w zaroślach - tak długo krążył wokół ich kryjówki, aż udało się je wywabić z ukrycia !”

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12.Lake Naivasha & Hell’s Gate National Park Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 37 reviews · 8 hours · from $36

Leave Nairobi for the Great Rift Valley, stopping at the viewpoint, Lake Naivasha, and Hell’s Gate National Park. You can boat past hippos, cycle beside zebras, walk through a geothermal gorge, or try Fischer’s Tower. Guides such as Ruth and drivers including Surfic and Douglas are noted for friendly help.

“Our driver was great but the guide in Hell Gate was busy with telephone calls and chats with the others. The tour itself was good but the arrangement was not smooth. We didn’t have lunch until 3:30pm.”

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13.Amboseli National Park: Full Day Tour From Nairobi

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 32 reviews · 1 - 3 days · from $140

Leave Nairobi early for a full safari day in Amboseli National Park. Your English-speaking guide, including guides such as Anthony, drives an open-roof 4x4 van through elephant country, with chances to see lions, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, and Kilimanjaro. Return to Nairobi in the evening.

“Anthony was great as a navigator , driver and guide. Very respectful of personal space and very friendly”

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14.Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate Park Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 27 reviews · 10 - 11 hours · from $280

This private 10 to 11-hour outing links the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, a two-hour Hell’s Gate bike safari, gorge walks or horseback riding, and an optional Lake Naivasha boat ride. Guides such as Stephen, Isaac, Festus, Kadhafi, and Viktor have earned praise for friendly service and useful help.

“It was an amazing experience. My daughters 9 and 11 had a wonderful time. The bike ride was a bit challenging due to the heat so bring plenty of water and cover up. ISAAC NG'ANG'A, and FESTUS KAZUNGU were absolutely amazing on the tour. They were super fun to be around and their energy was awesome. They were informative, took great pictures for us, and were super caring. They gave us the best experience! I would highly recommend requesting them for your tour.”

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15.Day tour Hells gate and lake Naivasha from Nairobi

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 26 reviews · 8 hours · from $130

Travel from Nairobi to Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate National Park with an English-speaking guide. You can take a boat ride, cycle about 16 kilometers, and hike among zebras and gazelles. Guides including Isaiah, Kevin, Ruth, and Sam have helped visitors handle payments and activity changes.

“Everything was good, just one quick question, I thought the bike is optional, so we didn’t take bike and wondering why I paid the vehicle fee for enter the park, this is not pre-agreed in description, just mentioned here”

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