Nairobi National Park map

How the park is laid out

The park is roughly triangular. The north-western corner sits against Langata and the city, the eastern side runs along the airport road, and the southern boundary follows the Mbagathi River before opening onto the Athi–Kapiti plains.

Highland forest lies near the Main Gate, open grassland fills the centre, and the Athi Basin dams and Hippo Pools sit toward the south and east.

The main circuits

• Forest circuit — shaded tracks near the Main Gate, good for buffalo, bushbuck and forest birds.
• Central plains — open grassland where lion, rhino, giraffe and eland are most reliably seen.
• Athi Basin dams — waterbirds, hippo and predators drinking early and late.
• Hippo Pools — the only place you may leave the vehicle, with a ranger escort.
• Southern boundary — quieter tracks with long views toward the Kitengela plains.

Navigating inside the park

Junctions are numbered rather than named and signage is sparse, so download an offline map before you go. Mobile coverage is good throughout, but do not rely on live data at the far southern end.