Lake Nakuru National Park
About
National park with a large soda lake, hundreds of bird species, game drives & camping facilities.
A compact park that mixes savanna, forest, and a soda lake in one drive — smaller than the big reserves but packed with birdlife and game. Hire a guide at the gate for KES 2,000 to navigate the sometimes-flooded roads and spot the wildlife.
Highlights
- Takeout
- Serves wine
- Wheelchair accessible
Google reviews
- Katya N.Google review · 26 Jan 2026
It was wonderful to experience this park. It is among the smaller of parks in Kenya but amazing to explore as it is a mix of savannah and a foresty feel. With the lake, you get the best of both worlds, land and water and get to explore various wildlife and bird life and the flamingos and pelicans in the swan like movements. A graceful experience. This park doesn't have elephants but has hippo, rhinos, lots of buffalo, zebra, giraffe, impala, gazelle, eland, lions, leopard (though as usual not easy to sight) and a couple of other creatures, scenic views, splendid sunrises and sunsets. Worth it.
Read moreShow less
- DureskaGoogle review · 25 Jan 2026
We started bright and early and were the first at the gate. The guides were not out so we waited for a guide to come. I read a lot of reviews commenting on self-driving. Considering the guides are 2000ksh/4 hrs and 4000/full day, I think it's money well spent. The park is not accessible to drive around any more sure to flooding and lot of roads are closed. There are by Lanek and. Gates are areas with most wildlife. It is all concentrated in the lowlands around Lanek and the green area in SE of the park. We spent all day in the park and had a great lunch break at Sopa Lodge on Western side. Western side doesn't really have wildlife but had amazing view points and a waterfall. So we had a game drive in the East and then made our way to the west. Had lunch with a view at Sopa (very tasty and quite affordable) and then made our way back to the eastern shore for evening wildlife viewing. We saw a lion chilling by the creek (visually amazing with the greenery), black and white rhinos up close, massive Rotschilds giraffes and beautiful flamingos, colony of pelicans by the Lake. The reason I have 4 stars is that we found this park"overpriced" in a sense that the roads are narrow and it is hard to get a visual once 8 Landcruisers pile up. The rhinos sightings are precious but if one considers that Maasai Mara is $100, there is no comparison. The lake is beautiful but most of the flamingoes have moved on due to flooding. We are glad we went but we have all the time in the world on this trip. If I had to prioritize I would probably leave this one out and go to El Pejeta for rhinos instead. Or Nairobi NP. Solely due to the cost consideration
Read moreShow less
- Carmen G.Google review · 8 Jan 2026
Entrance fee for foreigners is 90 USD. It takes a whole day to drive around the lake and the forest. The flamingoes were not many when we visited, but there were other wild animals just next to the road. You can come with your own car. Try to bring a good camera. Warmly recommended!
Read moreShow less
- Andrea M.Google review · 27 Dec 2025
This park is difficult to navigate for self drive. 90 USD for foreigners. They offer a map for 2000 KES - which we thought was expensive.. but you probably need it because many of the roads are flooded. We intended to drive around the lake but this is not possible anymore because of the floods. Road signs are therefore not accurate anymore. The landscape is beautiful and the animals seem somewhat used to cars passing. You come close to buffalos, zebras and many antilopes. We saw Rhinos right at the enterance gates. As we did a day trip and we couldn't navigate the roads we did not manage to reach all the way to the other side of the lake where all the lions etc are. Furthermore the lakeshore is very dirty due to pollution. All in all - we were of course amazed by the environment, but it wasnt worth the prime charge. Rangers at the gate should inform people of the roads and a map should be offered for free as long as road signs have not been maintained.
Read moreShow less
- Maik A.Google review · 22 Dec 2025
Yesterday we went to Lake Nakuru Park with the family. The tour was really lovely, the tour guide told us lots of things and answered our questions in detail. The weather was absolutely fantastic, the landscape and animals were wonderful.
Location
Nakuru Town
Explore guides
Hell's Gate National Park: Fees, Hours, Cycling & Gorge Walk
One of the few national parks in Kenya where you can cycle and walk among wildlife. Hell's Gate delivers dramatic gorges, geothermal steam, and buffalo sightings — all 90 minutes from Nairobi.
Read guide →Safari & WildlifeLake Nakuru National Park: Rhino Sanctuary & Flamingo Lake
Kenya's most compact Big Five park offers guaranteed rhino sightings, occasional flamingo spectacles, and dramatic Rift Valley scenery — all within 2.5 hours of Nairobi.
Read guide →Safari & WildlifeKenya Safari Packing List: The Only Guide You Need (2026)
Pack smart, not heavy. The definitive Kenya safari packing list with exactly what you need, what to skip, and what the lodges won't tell you about laundry.
Read guide →Frequently Asked Questions
More attractions near Nakuru Town
Museums · Nakuru TownHyrax Hill Museum
4.1(778 Google)
Family Friendly · Nakuru TownLord Egerton Castle
4.3(1,119 Google)
Family Friendly · Nakuru TownMenengai Crater View Point
4.4(824 Google)- Family Friendly · Nakuru Town
Lake Nakuru Lanet Gate
4.4(832 Google)
Museums · Nakuru TownKariandusi Museum
4.3(137 Google)
Family Friendly · Nakuru TownRhino Point
4.8(29 Google)
More in Nakuru Town
RestaurantsJadid Restaurant
5.0(6 Google)
Nightlife & LeisureBagenifit Studio GYM
5.0(131 Google)
Top Pick 2026Top Picks have a Google rating of 4.5 or higher from 200+ reviews and are still open. They are never paid for.Shopping𝐏𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐋𝐎 𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 & 𝐉𝐄𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐒 𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐘𝐀 (𝐄.𝐀.)
5.0(334 Google)
Top Pick 2026Top Picks have a Google rating of 4.5 or higher from 200+ reviews and are still open. They are never paid for.RestaurantsKFC Hyrax
4.9(1,653 Google)
ShoppingMalaika Gifts & Interiors
4.9(34 Google)
RestaurantsRib Racks BBQ Nakuru
4.8(14 Google)