Times
Nairobi National Park opening hours
The park is open every day of the year, including public holidays. Plan around the gate times below — they are enforced strictly.
Daily gate times
- Gates open: 06:00
- Last entry: 18:00 (arrive well before this for any useful game viewing)
- All visitors must be out of the park by: 19:00
- Open seven days a week, including weekends and public holidays
The best hours to be inside
Predators and rhino are most active in the first two hours after opening and the last two before dusk. A 06:00 entry consistently produces better sightings than a mid-morning one, and the light for photography is far kinder.
Between roughly 11:00 and 15:00 most game rests in shade. If that is the only window you have, focus on the Athi Basin dams, Hippo Pools and the forest edge rather than the open plains.
Night drives and after-hours access
Night game drives are not permitted inside Nairobi National Park. Guests staying at lodges on the boundary can arrange sundowners and guided walks on private land outside the park fence instead.
Nairobi Safari Walk and Animal Orphanage
Both sit at the Main Gate and keep shorter hours than the park, typically 08:30 to 17:30 daily. They are ticketed separately from the park entry fee.
More on planning your visit
- Visitor guideEverything a first-time visitor needs in one place.
- WeatherTemperatures, rainfall and what altitude means for packing.
- Park gatesEvery gate, where it leads and which one to use.
- Park mapOrientation map of gates, lodges and the main circuits.
See all guides on Plan your visit, or check park fees and the best time to visit.
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