Kenya is known for many things, but it is mostly known for its animals. It is the amazing wildlife that draws so many people to go to Kenya. And what better way to see the wildlife than on a safari! But as a family with kids, is going on a safari right for you? Is that really the best option out there?
When we first looked into going to Kenya, we were overwhelmed with the idea of going on a safari. Is paying for 6 people on a safari even within our budget? Our family tends to stay away from tours; will we still have fun with a safari? And do we really have to book one ahead of time? Are our kids too young to get the most out of a safari? These were the questions we had. We are here to talk into and answer some of those questions. Why you can and why you should do a 1 day safari in Kenya with kids!
Where Can I Do a One Day Safari / What Parks Are Available?
Kenya has many national parks that offer Safaris. A few of the most popular safari National Parks are Nairobi National Park, Amboseli National Park, Masai Mara National Park, Lake Naruku National Park, Tsavo East National Park. The list can go on as there are a dozen or so parks to choose from.
If you are wanting a one day Safari your biggest factor will be transportation to the park. The reason to go on safari is to see animals. While animal viewing is amazing all day long in Kenya, the best time to see the action is first thing in the morning. This means you will need to be at the park as the sun comes up.
The easiest park to do this in is Nairobi National Park. Nairobi National Park is in the capital city of Nairobi. You can even see the city from parts of the National Park. It is very interesting to view animals such as giraffes and zebras with a view of the city in the distance. A blend of nature and civilization. This may not sound idyllic, but the park is rugged, and you lose the city for most of it.
You can do a One day safari at the other National Parks also, but you will have to already have made your way to the area. Most package tours will be multi-day tours and it will be difficult to find a one day package. There are plenty of one day packages available from Nairobi to Nairobi National Park. More on how to book your safari later. Best of all we will explain how we got amazing safari deals and how you can get them too!
What Animals Can I Expect to See?
When you go to Nairobi National Park you can expect to see a lot of animals. It is an amazing place to see rhino’s. They have both black and white rhinos. Our guide was able to explain the difference to us, because they are both actually gray. Go figure! They have lions, which are the most popular animals and all the vehicles are on the hunt for them.
Other cats that you can see in the park are leopards and cheetahs. You will be able to spot many giraffes and zebra, and an assortment of antelope species. More antelope species than we could keep track of, but our guide was happy to tell us all about them all! Hippos and buffalo are also able to be spotted at the park.
Kenya is known for having a list of the big five. It is the goal to see all of the big five on your safari. The big five list originates from the era of hunting African animals. Hunters came up with the list of the top 5 most dangerous and difficult to hunt on foot. The big five are: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and the African buffalo. Nairobi National Park has four of the big five. It does not have the African elephant.
What is often left out of the animal list are the birds. Nairobi National Park is also a prime place to birdwatch. A moving safari vehicle is not ideal for a bird watcher, but there are many birds to be seen even during the safari. One of our family’s favorite birds in Nairobi National Park was the guinea fowl. They were very fun and cute to watch running around the ground in their small flocks. We lost count of how many we saw! Some of us were even able to spot the national bird of Kenya!
A highlight for our children was being able to see a cheetah eating a recently caught meal. We unfortunately did not see the catch. What surprised us the most was how many rhinos we saw. It was incredible. We were greeted by one almost immediately upon entering the National Park.
Our children said the entire safari was like a real treasure hunt.
When is a Good Time to Go on Safari
We would like to say that anytime is a good time to go on a one-day safari in Kenya. Although Kenya is in the tropics, there are weather patterns. These weather patterns have an impact on the wildlife.
For example there are two dry seasons. These are January-March and July-October. During these months there is less water, so animals will be more likely to congregate near water sources. This makes animal sightings easier and more predictable. As in the safari drivers will have a better idea of where to go to see the animals.
It just also happens to be that these two dry seasons coincide with many school breaks. This means that the safaris are more busy as more people are available to go on them. We did our 1 day safari in Nairobi National Park in July. We expected it to be crowded as it is high season and close to Nairobi. We did not feel overcrowded in any way. There was some jostling for position between drivers when there was a rumored lion sighting. For the most part we felt like we had the park to ourselves.
During the months of July through October there is what is called the Great Migration. This is when a huge quantity of animals in the area migrates from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya. The effects of the Great Migration are not seen much in Nairobi National Park. To a small degree the effects can be seen around Nairobi, but if you want to see it you will need to safari in Maasai Mara National Park.
It is good to note that during the other months are also good times to go. The animals will still be there and doing their thing. So you can get to Kenya and safari anytime!
How Young is Too Young?
If you are looking to do a 1 day safari in Kenya, you may be wondering if there are age limits for your children. There are no age limits for going on safari. A 1 day safari does make for a very long day. Smaller children and babies may find it difficult to stay interested for the entire time, and napping during the safari will prove to be very difficult. Too many bumps to take a nap.
If we have to give a recommended age, we would say 5 and older is ideal for a Kenya’s safari. Of course you know the abilities of your children best, and it is always great to give small children experiences.
Our 8-year-old was enthralled the entire time during our 1 day safari. We also had the opportunity to take a 2 day safari, and to be honest he was starting to lose interest by the end. We actually recommend a 1 day safari for younger children. One day is plenty for small children. One day was not enough for the adults and older kids though! The longer safaris are best for older ages who can handle multiple long days and hours upon hours in the vehicle.
Is an African Safari Safe to Go on with Kids?
A parents greatest fear is having their child eaten by a lion or squashed by an elephant. Well, maybe not the greatest fear, but it does beckon to be asked, “will my kids be safe on a safari”? After all, the animals are wild and the vehicle will have an open top!
To answer your question: yes it is safe to go on safari with kids. While the risk is never zero, there is never zero risk in anything you do in life! Incidents with animals are extremely uncommon. Going through the traffic in Nairobi to and from the park is probably more dangerous. The drivers and guides who go on safari are experienced and know what they are doing. They have the knowledge on how to act and behave around the different animals. They will let you know when it is important to be quiet and how to behave when you are close to the wild animals.
On one of our safaris, our vehicle broke down and we had to all get out and hang out away from the vehicle. Never once did we feel unsafe, and most of our family was able to get back into the car with all their arms and legs. No, the driver made sure everything was safe, and we had a wonderful time looking around and getting dusty while he got the vehicle in working order again.
Round out your trip to Kenya with all these things to do in Nairobi with kids.
How Can I Book a Safari?
There are two main ways you can book a safari. The first is to go through an online company, although most offer multi day packages. These platforms offer many options and can put your mind at ease, however they tend to be a bit more expensive. The reason is you are booking through a company who will take a cut, do the planning, and arrange a driver for you. You can head over to Viator or your favorite travel site to book packages.
The second is to book directly with a driver. This will usually get you a better rate. People in Nairobi have contacts. If you Uber a few times around Nairobi and ask your Uber driver, they will hook you up and you will find drivers. This is your best option to go on a budget safari. So if you are up for more spontaneity and can handle waiting, this is an option. We chose to do it this way and were very happy.
Keep reading as we will discuss more details on the cost of these different booking methods, and even give you a way to contact drivers directly.
How Much does a 1 Day Safari Cost?
How much to set aside for a 1 day safari in Kenya is a very great question. We were concerned about the cost as paying for a family of 6 can be costly.
When you book a tour through an online agency, you will oftentimes do better with more people, as some of the cost is the vehicle, then there is a cost per person. If you are looking at a family of 6, and are getting a personal 4×4 jeep or van. If you are looking to book ahead of time, you can expect to pay somewhere in the range of $430USD to $800USD.
It is important to note that if you book through an agent ahead of time, you will still have to pay the entrance fee to the national park when you get to the park.
Nairobi National Park Entrance Fee
Foreign
Adult - $43 USD
Child - $22 USD
Please note that most tours do not include the entrance fee, and this price will be on top of most of the tours you book online. A few do include this cost so check the fine print carefully.
You can head over to Viator and explore some options to book a one day safari there. Families should really consider getting a private 4×4 or van as it will be more comfortable than having to share with someone else. It is good for your comfort and for the comfort of those around you.
Another option is to not book ahead of time. If you have a personal connection with someone, or if you meet someone there who knows someone, this can potentially give you a better deal. After a few rides around Nairobi using Uber, you are sure to have made a few contacts with drivers who know somebody. I know this is an uncomfortable way to travel; not knowing ahead of time if you have something booked. Many Uber drivers know somebody. Being willing to ask and make conversation can lead to great things.
We were able to do our 1 day Safari in Nairobi National Park for just around $200. (We paid in local currency at 20,000 Kenyan shillings). This included the national park entrance fee. For our entire family of 6. As you can see, if you book from a local contact within the country, you could be saving substantially. Keep an eye out for contacts as you ride around Nairobi.
Of course, you might not have the time available to wait to book your safari when you get there. That is why online booking options are great. We recommended Viator already, but you can also check out Trip.com. Both are reputable online companies.
What is the Itinerary for a 1 Day Safari at Nairobi National Park
When you do a one day safari in Nairobi National Park you can expect to have an early start. The animals most people want to see are most active early in the morning. These are the lions, leopards, cheetahs and all the predators.
You can expect to be picked up from your hotel or accommodations in time to get to the park entrance around 6:00 in the morning. Depending on where you are staying in Nairobi your pickup time will be different. We were picked up at 5:45 am and arrived at the park at 6:20am. The vehicles can start going into the park at 6:00 am.
There was a restroom stop around 10:00 am at a small building in the park. Besides that stop to go to the bathroom, there is not a place to go. Plan accordingly for limited bathroom stops.
The driver will make their way back to the entrance to leave a little after 12:00 pm.
Just before leaving the park, we ran into a cheetah sighting. Seeing a cheetah was the top on our boys list of things to see in Kenya. Our driver knew that the boys wanted to see the cheetah above all else, and so we ended up staying at the cheetah a long time. In the end we stayed in the park around 45 minutes longer than intended. We were happy to have that time to watch the cheetah casually eating an impala!
After leaving the park, the driver will then take you to a restaurant to eat lunch. Of course, the meals are not included in the cost of the safari. The driver will wait for you to finish eating, then will return you to your hotel. If you are on a private tour, then you can always ask the driver to take you directly back to your accommodations if you choose to skip lunch.
When Nairobi National Park offers one day safaris, they actually end up being about half the day. This is because they also operate midafternoon safaris. These start after lunch. So while the first batch of drivers are leaving, the next batch of drivers make their way in. It is to limit how many vehicles are in the park at one time.
We were disappointed that our one day safari was actually a half day at first. In the end; however, it was a good amount of time, and we were able to see more than we could have expected.
Where is Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park actually touches the city of Nairobi. The national park runs alongside the southern portion of the city. So close that there is only a road and fence that separates the park from the city. Actually we were able to see some animals inside the park while simply driving along this road that separates the two. Giraffes are the easiest to spot as they are tall!
The park is so close that it is only around a 15–20-minute drive from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Packing for Safari / What do I Need to Bring?
Ok, now we are down to the nitty and gritty stuff. What should you pack for a one day safari in Kenya? There are a few essential items that you will want to have:
Packing List for Safari
Binoculars
Camera (if you are a photo enthusiast)
Camera (if you are not a photo enthusiast, you will somehow become one when you get there)
Water
Snacks
Layers (to Stay Warm)
Some drivers will provide you with water to drink, but we advise you to bring your own water as you might not have enough. Snacks are a life saver. There is no stopping at a mini mart during your safari to pick up a snack to eat. Well fed kids are happy kids. We picked up some fun snacks at the grocery store the night before our one day safari. Our kids managed to find safari themed cheese puffs. Those were a hit as they fit the theme of the day.
Binoculars are totally worth investing in. We went back and forth about bringing binoculars. As we were backpacking and only had carry on luggage it was a debate if we should include them. We were so happy we put them in. Of course the better binoculars you have the better. We only had small low power ones from Decathlon. They were kid’s binoculars, and they allowed the children to see the animals better. Our little one tried a more powerful pair, and it proved too difficult to manage spotting the animals and focusing the binoculars at the same time. Binoculars TOP our list of things to bring.
Well, binoculars almost tops our list.
If you are going to safari during the summer months, June – August, it is noteworthy that this is their winter. Nairobi is high elevation at 1795 meters (5,800 feet) and because of this the weather is cold. We say cold, but some deem it as chilly.
During the night and early morning, the temperature can get to 13 degrees C (55 degrees F) and will get up to 23 degrees C (75 degrees F). You are driving with the vehicle’s roof opened and the wind whipping you. This is COLD! We recommend bringing layers to wear. Jacket, long pants, blanket.
What Will the Safari Vehicle be Like?
For a safari in Kenya you will typically get a driver with a Toyota 4×4 Landcruiser. This is by far the most common safari vehicle. It has large wheels, great suspension, best of all the roof lifts up so you can see out the roof. The engine is powerful and it can get you anywhere. The second type of vehicle is a modified Safari Van. This stock van has been adapted for the safari. It has been given larger wheels, the suspension is improved, and it is also given a removable roof. The engine, however, is not as powerful.
In the end the Toyota 4×4 is overall a better vehicle for a safari. The opening at the top is bigger and that makes it more comfortable to look out from. The ride will be a bit smoother with the 4×4. However, if you do end up with a safari van, know that it will still get the job done. You will still be able to look out from the top still.
Actually, as the safari van being smaller can be beneficial. It can jostle for position better if there happens to be a crowd around a specific animal sighting. We have gone on safari with both vehicle types, and we recommend both.
Drivers often own their vehicle, and you will get the vehicle they own when you book with them.
Is a 1 Day Safari in Kenya Worth Doing
When it comes to doing a safari in Kenya with kids, it is our belief that a one day safari is totally worth it! And Nairobi National Park is an amazing place to go on a safari with kids. The animals are almost all there. Having a shorter time commitment is wonderful for children who can lose interest quickly. A 1 day safari is plenty of time to see LOTS of animals and is a perfect way to do and African safari with kids!
As you will be spending time in Nairobi during your trip to Kenya, head on over and read our post about all the things you can do in Nairobi with kids.