If you have a free day in Nairobi, there is plenty within reach. Here are the options we suggest most often, from a few hours in town to a longer day out.
Inside the city
- Nairobi National Park: Kenya’s first national park, opened in 1946. It covers about 117 square kilometres and lies roughly 7 kilometres from the city centre. It is known for black rhino and lions. See our park guide.
- The elephant orphanage: the David Sheldrick Trust runs a sanctuary that hand-rears orphaned elephant and rhino calves near the park’s main entrance.
- Giraffe Centre: see our visitor guide.
- Karura Forest: a green escape for walking and cycling. See Karura Forest.
- Culture and history: Bomas of Kenya, the Karen Blixen Museum and the National Museum.
Further out
- Hell’s Gate National Park: roughly 90 kilometres from Nairobi, covering about 68 square kilometres. Walking and cycling are allowed, and the red-cliffed gorge and Fischer’s Tower are the highlights. Lake Naivasha is nearby, a freshwater lake at about 1,884 metres with a sizeable hippo population and over 400 bird species. See Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate.
- Mount Longonot: a hike for fit travellers. See our hiking guide.
- Coffee and tea country: see coffee and tea farm visits.
Choosing
With a morning, pick Nairobi National Park. With a full day, Hell’s Gate is the best of the longer trips. Tell us your flight times and who is travelling and we will plan around them. Our Nairobi stopover guide and things to do in Nairobi have more.
More about the places
- Nairobi National Park: managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service. It has been a Lion Conservation Unit since 2005, and the park is also home to giraffe and one of Kenya’s most successful rhino sanctuaries. The Kenya Wildlife Service created a Safari Walk there to showcase Kenya’s plants and animals. The Sheldrick elephant orphanage opened in 1963 near the main entrance.
- Hell’s Gate: the park was established in 1984 and is one of the places in Kenya where you can walk or cycle among wildlife. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebra, buffalo, hyenas and baboons live there, and five geothermal power stations operate at Olkaria on the area’s hot springs.
- Lake Naivasha: floriculture is the main industry around the lake, so it is a working landscape as well as a birding site.
Timing your day
Start early for the longer trips and tell us your flight times so the day fits around them.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Nairobi National Park from the city centre?
About 7 kilometres.
How far is Hell’s Gate from Nairobi?
Roughly 90 kilometres.
Can I cycle in Hell’s Gate?
Yes. Walking and cycling are allowed in the park.
What is the best day trip with only a morning free?
Nairobi National Park, which is close to the city.
Can I walk or cycle in Hell’s Gate?
Yes. Walking and cycling are allowed in the park.
Is there a rhino sanctuary near Nairobi?
Yes. Nairobi National Park is known as one of Kenya’s most successful rhino sanctuaries.
Want help planning? Talk to our team and tell us your dates, who is travelling and what you would like to see.
Facts checked on 5 November 2026 from Wikipedia’s entries for Nairobi National Park, Hell’s Gate National Park and Lake Naivasha (secondary sources). Distances are approximate.
