The Lake Nakuru National Park Day Trip is a private one-day safari from Nairobi. You drive about 3 hours each way, with a stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint. In the park, you look for black and white rhinos, Rothschild's giraffes, lions and flamingos. Lunch is at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, inside the park. A professional driver-guide leads the trip in a 4x4 safari vehicle.
Safari Overview: What Is the Lake Nakuru National Park Day Trip?
The Lake Nakuru National Park day trip proves you do not need a week for a great safari. Just three hours from Nairobi, the park packs rhinos, big cats and birdlife around one shimmering lake. First, you cross the Great Rift Valley escarpment. Then you spend the day game driving between the shore, acacia woodland and clifftop viewpoints. It suits short-stay visitors, families, birdwatchers and business travellers with a free day.
Tour at a Glance
- Duration: 1 day (about 11 to 12 hours, door to door)
- Start and end: Nairobi, with pickup from your hotel or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- Park: Lake Nakuru National Park, Great Rift Valley
- Vehicle: Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Guide: Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Lunch: Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, or a picnic in the park
- Best time: June to October and December to March (dry seasons)
- Ideal for: Short-stay visitors, families, birdwatchers and first-time safari-goers
Destinations: Inside Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park (188 km²) lies about 160 km north-west of Nairobi. Kenya gazetted it as a national park in 1968. Then, in 1987, it became the country's first government rhino sanctuary. Today, both black and white rhinos live here, along with endangered Rothschild's giraffes. The alkaline lake is also a Ramsar wetland, with over 400 bird species recorded. However, rising water has grown the lake from about 40 to 68 km² since 2010. As a result, flamingo numbers now change from season to season.
Lunch Stop: Where Will You Eat on This Day Trip?
Because this is a day trip, there is no overnight stay. Instead, you break the day with a relaxed lunch inside the park.
- Lunch: Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge. Set on Lion Hill, its restaurant and terrace look straight over the lake. Afterwards, you go back out for the afternoon game drive.
Prefer to stay out longer? Ask for a picnic lunch at one of the park's scenic sites instead.
Best Time for a Lake Nakuru National Park Day Trip
The best time for a Lake Nakuru National Park day trip is the dry season. This runs from June to October and December to March. During these months, roads stay firm and animals are easier to spot. Even so, the park rewards visitors all year.
- June to October: peak game viewing and cool, clear mornings.
- November: short rains, green scenery and arriving migrant birds.
- December to March: warm, dry days and excellent birdwatching.
- April to May: long rains, lush landscapes and fewer vehicles.
Tour Highlights: What Will You See?
- Pause at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint, with Mount Longonot on the horizon.
- Track black and white rhinos in Kenya's first government rhino sanctuary.
- Spot endangered Rothschild's giraffes browsing the acacia woodland.
- Look for lions and leopards, which often rest in the yellow fever trees.
- Watch flamingos and pelicans feeding along the shore.
- Take in the whole lake from Baboon Cliff.
- Visit Makalia Falls in the park's quiet southern corner.
