Map of Kenya: Where Every Park, Reserve and Beach Actually Sits
We build every Plain Safaris trip around distances, not guesswork, so this map of Kenya shows the real outline of each park and reserve, not a pin dropped near it. Zoom in, switch to satellite or tilt into 3D terrain, and tap any shape for its size, the drive time from Nairobi, and what it is actually known for. It is the same map we use when we plan your route.
The interactive map could not load on this connection.
You can still use the region guide and distance tables below, or open Kenya’s parks on Google Maps.
Kenya in six blocks
We plan almost every trip as a combination of two or three of these blocks. Pick a pace, not just a park list.
Southwest: the Maasai Mara
Roughly 270 km out of Nairobi, five to six hours by road or a 45-minute hop from Wilson Airport. The reserve, the Mara Triangle and the private conservancies along its northern edge are drawn as separate shapes here on purpose: they are not the same experience, and picking the right one matters more than picking the right lodge.
South: Amboseli, Tsavo and the Chyulu Hills
Amboseli sits 240 km away with Kilimanjaro filling the skyline. Tsavo East and West together run past 22,000 square km, Kenya’s biggest protected block, strung along the Nairobi-Mombasa road, which is exactly why we like pairing this leg with a beach finish.
Rift Valley: Nakuru, Naivasha, Hell’s Gate and Bogoria
The easiest full day out of the city. Nakuru is 163 km away with its rhino sanctuary, Hell’s Gate is the one park where you get out and cycle, and Bogoria’s hot springs now draw the region’s biggest flamingo flocks.
Central and Laikipia: Aberdare, Mount Kenya, Ol Pejeta and Lewa
Highland forest and Kenya’s strongest rhino conservation story. Ol Pejeta, 217 km up good tarmac, is the last home on earth of the northern white rhino.
North: Samburu, Buffalo Springs, Shaba and Meru
Drier, quieter, and worth the extra hours. Samburu’s Special Five (Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, beisa oryx) do not show up on southern circuits at all.
Coast: Shimba Hills, Watamu, Malindi and Diani
Reef, sable antelope and 17 km of white sand at Diani. Most of our clients land here after Tsavo, or after flying straight in from the Mara.
Kenya parks and reserves: sizes, distances and best months
| Park / Reserve | Region | Size (km²) | From Nairobi | Drive | Signature wildlife | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maasai Mara National Reserve | Southwest | 1,510 | 270 km | 5-6 hr | Big Five, wildebeest migration | Jul-Oct |
| Amboseli National Park | South | 392 | 240 km | 4 hr | Elephant, Kilimanjaro views | Jun-Oct, Jan-Feb |
| Tsavo East National Park | South | 13,747 | 325 km | 6-8 hr | Red-dust elephant, lion | Jun-Oct |
| Tsavo West National Park | South | 9,065 | 232 km | 4-6 hr | Black rhino, Mzima Springs | Jun-Aug |
| Lake Nakuru National Park | Rift Valley | 188 | 163 km | 2.5 hr | Rhino, flamingo, lion | Year-round |
| Lake Naivasha | Rift Valley | 150 (lake) | 90 km | 1.5-2 hr | Hippo, Crescent Island walks | Year-round |
| Hell’s Gate National Park | Rift Valley | 68 | 100 km | 2 hr | Gorge walks, cycling | Year-round |
| Lake Bogoria National Reserve | Rift Valley | 34 (lake) | 250 km | 5 hr | Flamingo, hot springs | Year-round |
| Aberdare National Park | Central | 767 | 100 km | 2.5 hr | Elephant, bongo, tree lodges | Jun-Oct, Jan-Feb |
| Mount Kenya National Park | Central | 715 | 180 km | 3.5-4 hr | Trekking, montane forest | Jan-Feb, Aug-Sep |
| Nairobi National Park | Central | 117 | 7 km | 30 min | Rhino, lion, city skyline | Year-round |
| Ol Pejeta Conservancy | Laikipia | 364 | 217 km | 4 hr | Last northern white rhinos, chimps | Year-round |
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy | Laikipia | 250 | 250 km | 4 hr | Rhino, Grevy’s zebra | Year-round |
| Samburu National Reserve | North | 165 | 320 km | 6-7 hr | Special Five, elephant | Jun-Oct, Feb |
| Buffalo Springs National Reserve | North | 131 | 320 km | 6-7 hr | Grevy’s zebra, gerenuk | Jun-Oct |
| Shaba National Reserve | North | 239 | 325 km | 6-7 hr | Crocodile, oryx | Jun-Oct |
| Meru National Park | North | 870 | 350 km | 5-6 hr | Rhino sanctuary, Born Free country | Jun-Sep |
| Shimba Hills National Reserve | Coast | 193 | 33 km (Mombasa) | 1 hr | Sable antelope, Sheldrick Falls | Year-round |
| Watamu Marine National Park | Coast | ~10 | 140 km (Mombasa) | 2 hr | Coral reef, turtles | Oct-Apr |
| Diani Beach | Coast | 17 km coastline | 30 km (Mombasa) | 1 hr | White sand, reef diving | Year-round |
Across the border: parks worth combining with Kenya
The green shapes south and west of the border are not filler. A good number of our clients tack on a few days in northern Tanzania or Uganda, and this map shows exactly how close those parks really sit.
| Park | Country | Size (km²) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serengeti National Park | Tanzania | 14,763 | Same migration ecosystem as the Mara, year-round plains game |
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area | Tanzania | 8,292 | The crater caldera, dense Big Five viewing |
| Kilimanjaro National Park | Tanzania | 1,688 | Africa’s highest peak, the backdrop to Amboseli |
| Tarangire National Park | Tanzania | 2,850 | Elephant herds and baobabs |
| Lake Manyara National Park | Tanzania | 330 | Tree-climbing lions, flamingos |
| Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Uganda | 331 | Mountain gorilla trekking |
| Queen Elizabeth National Park | Uganda | 1,978 | Tree-climbing lions, Kazinga Channel boat safaris |
| Murchison Falls National Park | Uganda | 3,840 | The Nile squeezing through a 7 m gorge, big game |
Distances from Nairobi at a glance
| Destination | Distance | By road | By air (Wilson) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi National Park | 7 km | 30 min | n/a |
| Lake Naivasha | 90 km | 1.5-2 hr | 20 min |
| Hell’s Gate National Park | 100 km | 2 hr | 20 min |
| Aberdare National Park | 100 km | 2.5 hr | 30 min |
| Lake Nakuru National Park | 163 km | 2.5 hr | 25 min |
| Mount Kenya National Park | 180 km | 3.5-4 hr | 40 min |
| Ol Pejeta Conservancy | 217 km | 4 hr | 45 min |
| Tsavo West National Park | 232 km | 4-6 hr | 50 min |
| Amboseli National Park | 240 km | 4 hr | 45 min |
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy | 250 km | 4 hr | 45-60 min |
| Maasai Mara National Reserve | 270 km | 5-6 hr | 40-45 min |
| Samburu National Reserve | 320 km | 6-7 hr | 90 min |
| Tsavo East National Park (Voi gate) | 325 km | 6-8 hr | 60 min |
| Meru National Park | 350 km | 5-6 hr | 60 min |
Zoom into one park or route
The map above answers “where is everything.” These pages go deeper on a single park or a single drive, each with its own interactive map.
- Map of the Maasai MaraReserve, Mara Triangle, conservancies, gates and airstrips
- Wildebeest Migration MapThe full loop, animated month by month
- Map of AmboseliPark boundary, both airstrips and the road in
- Map of TsavoEast and West, gates on the highway, airstrips
- Kenya National Parks MapEvery park, reserve and conservancy worth knowing
- Map of SamburuThree reserves on one river in the dry north
- Rift Valley Lakes MapNakuru, Naivasha, Bogoria and Hell’s Gate
- Nairobi to Maasai MaraThe drive leg by leg, and the case for flying
- Nairobi to AmboseliBoth driving routes and the flight option
- Where Is the Maasai Mara?Location, distances and how to actually get there
- Where Is Kenya?Kenya on the map of Africa, and flight times in
- Best Time to Visit KenyaThe seasons, mapped park by park
Questions we get about this map
How many national parks does Kenya have?
23 terrestrial national parks, plus national reserves, marine parks and private conservancies on top of that. This map covers the two dozen or so that actually come up when we plan a trip.
Which park is closest to Nairobi?
Nairobi National Park, starting 7 km from the city center, about 30 minutes from most hotels. It is the only capital in the world where lion, rhino and giraffe live wild against a skyline of office towers.
How far is the Maasai Mara from Nairobi?
About 270 km, 5 to 6 hours by road depending on the Narok stretch and where your camp sits, or 40 to 45 minutes by air from Wilson, landing on a strip inside the reserve.
Can I combine Kenya with Tanzania or Uganda?
Yes, and we build these routes often. The Serengeti sits right across the border from the Mara, reachable via Isebania or a short flight through Kilimanjaro; Uganda’s gorilla trekking pairs onto a 12 to 14 day trip. The neighbour layer on this map shows exactly how close they sit.
When is the best time to visit Kenya?
July to October for the migration and dry, easy game viewing. January and February are our quiet favourite: still dry, still green, far fewer vehicles. Best months per park are in the table above; a handful, like Nakuru and Ol Pejeta, are good any time of year.
Turn this map into a trip
Tell us which shapes caught your eye and how many days you have to work with. We are a small, Kenya-based team, we build fewer stops with longer stays, and we will tell you honestly what fits.
Start Planning Your SafariPark and reserve boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under ODbL. Boundaries for Lake Nakuru, Aberdare, Nairobi NP, Hell’s Gate, Lake Bogoria, Shaba, Chyulu Hills, Meru, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Kibale from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2026), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK. Available at protectedplanet.net. Basemap © OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Satellite imagery © Esri. Terrain tiles by Mapzen and AWS Open Data.