Where is the best place to go on safari in Kenya? Where is the weather best and where are Africa's "Big 5" guaranteed to be found? Here you will find the most beautiful and worth seeing national parks in Kenya with all highlights and attractions!
If you are on vacation in Kenya, of course you have to plan a safari! For most travelers to Kenya, this is even the only reason to visit the country under the red sun. It is no coincidence that our list of the top 10 sights of Kenya consists almost entirely of national parks.
Kenya is pure Africa and has wonderful national parks and nature reserves to offer, where countless wild animals can be observed in their natural habitat. Africa's "Big 5" lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo are definitely on the trail in Kenya's 10 most beautiful national parks!
Tip: To make the safari a success, you should be clear in advance about the best time to travel, necessary equipment and prescribed rules of conduct. Which animals can be seen in which national parks can also be helpful for planning.
Table of contents
Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti National Park stretches from southern Kenya to northern Tanzania, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most wildlife-rich regions in the world. Between December and July, millions of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, elephants, giraffes and antelopes, accompanied by countless predators, make their way to new waterholes and grazing grounds.
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Photo gallery: Serengeti National Park
Safaris & Tours: Serengeti National Park
Masai Mara Game Reserve
The Masai Mara in Kenya's south is not a national park, but it must be mentioned here. The huge savannah is the destination of the kilometer-long hoofed animal migrations from the Serengeti. The largest herds of wildebeest, antelope and zebra in the world guarantee unforgettable safari adventures from July to October.
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Safaris & Tours: Masai Mara Game Reserve
Lake Nakuru National Park
After the Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru National Park is the most visited nature reserve in Kenya. Especially giraffes, monkeys, buffalos and rhinos can be found around Lake Nakuru - and millions of flamingos, which find a perfect habitat here as one of the 450 bird species of Lake Nakuru.
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Safaris & Tours: Lake Nakuru National Park
Mount Kenya National Park
Mount Kenya National Park stretches around the majestic Mount Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya and second highest mountain in Africa. Besides discovering the wildlife in the savannahs and forests, climbing the mighty Mount Kenya is certainly a highlight of Mount Kenya National Park.
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Safaris & Tours: Mount Kenya National Park
Samburu National Park
Samburu National Park is located in the comparatively dry north of Kenya, but also has an amazing diversity of wildlife - and, most importantly, fewer visitors. Here, rhinos, elephants, and buffalo are most common. With lion and leopard, they form Africa's "Big 5." Zebras, giraffes, kudus, ostriches, cheetahs and Nile crocodiles make the safari experience in Samburu National Park perfect.
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Safaris & Tours: Samburu National Park
Tsavo East National Park
Tsavo East National Park is Kenya's largest national park. In the sparsely treed thornbush savannah, wildlife is particularly easy to spot. Africa's Big 5 are all represented here, especially the number of elephants and lions is remarkably high.
At the end of the dry season, the animals gather at Mudanda Rock and Aruba Dam. Other attractions in Tsavo East National Park are the foaming Lugard Falls and the longest lava field in the world.
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Safaris & Tours: Tsavo East National Park
Tsavo West National Park
Tsavo West National Park was formerly one with Tsavo East National Park and is now the smaller of the two. Despite its convenient location between Mombasa and Nairobi, the number of safari tourists is surprisingly low.
In Tsavo West National Park, thanks to more water holes, there are also more animals, but they are more difficult to spot in the lush vegetation. On the other hand, the landscape is greener and more varied.
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Safaris & Tours: Tsavo West National Park
Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park is located just 7km from Kenya's capital, making it the world's only national park located so close to a major city. Kenya's first national park thus allows for unique safari photos of giraffes and skyscrapers. The only thing missing from Africa's "Big 5" in Nairobi National Park are the elephants. Above all, the highly endangered black rhinos can be seen here.
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Safaris & Tours: Nairobi National Park
Amboseli National Park
Hardly any trees, Maasai villages, endless dry savannah and no poachers - in Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya, the animal world could develop completely undisturbed. The family groups of elephants, which are intensively studied in Amboseli National Park, benefited most from this. Amboseli National Park offers sensational views of the mighty Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.
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Safaris & Tours: Amboseli National Park
Bogoria Lake
The largest concentration of geysers in Africa can be found at the nature reserve in the heart of Kenya. Together with other saline lakes in the East African Rift Valley, Lake Bogoria is also home to the world's largest flamingo colony. With no dangerous predators, this green paradise can even be explored on foot - though temperatures here can reach 40°C all year round.
Safaris & Tours: Lake Bogoria National Park
Best time to go on safari in Kenya
It is almost never cold in Kenya, the whole year round the temperatures settle between pleasant 20 ° C and hot 40 ° C. As for bathing vacations, the dry season is best suited for safari vacations. This is in Kenya from mid-December to early March and from June to October. If you want to see the "Great Migration" of the wildebeest in the Masai Mara, July to October is the right time and in April and May the flamingos are breeding.
Kenya National Parks Safari Card
In certain Kenyan national parks, the electronic Safari Card (formerly Smart Card) has been introduced because cash has often mysteriously disappeared once it has left the hands of tourists. The Safari Card is usually available at the main gate in certain national parks and is valid (if not personalized) for 24 hours during which the national park can be visited.
Tip: Some travel guides write that you can't get into any national park without a safari card. This is not quite true. Often you are not allowed to pass the side gates without Safari Card, but you have to drive to the main gate. In some national parks you are not asked for a Safari Card, or you can pay the entrance fee in cash and get a paper ticket.
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