Kenya Rift Valley safari destinations are among the most iconic Kenya natural wonders. The backbone of Kenya safaris is nature and the Kenya Rift Valley safari destinations offer you the best of nature.
A Rift Valley is a depression or lowland area formed when tectonic actions pull the earth’s plates apart. The Great Rift Valley is one of the planet’s prominent natural formations. It covers a distance of over 7,000 kilometers from Syria to Mozambique.
It is believed to have been formed about 35 million years ago and it is a center of Volcanic action till the present day. The East African Rift Valley has two arms the Western and Eastern Arm. It is the Eastern arm of the Great Rift Valley that goes through Kenya. Here you find several features from Lakes, Rivers, and Volcanic mountains among others.
The Kenya Rift Valley safari destinations are attractions themselves but also home to several wildlife species. Below are some of our top five and most recommended for the ultimate Kenya safari adventure.
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is the most prominent Kenya Rift Valley safari destination. It is located on the floor of the Great Rift Valley and stands at an elevation of 1,754 meters above sea level. The lake is surrounded by bushy savanna grasslands and wooden vegetation along the slopes of the valley.
Lake Nakuru was initially home for flamingos but that changed because of the increase in water levels. Flamingos have since migrated to Lake Bogoria another Rift Valley Lake in Kenya. There are still flamingos you can spot while on the Lake but they are not as many as they used to be.
Lake Nakuru was gazetted into a national park in 1961 to mainly protect the lake and wildlife species around it. The Lake itself is the primary attraction but the savannas are home to rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, and zebras among others. Lake Nakuru National Park is the only National Park in Kenya with the endangered Masai Giraffe. It is still an incredible Kenya birding Safari destination with over 400 bird species. Great White Pelicans, grey-crowned cranes, and pallid harrier are some of the birds you can spot here.
While visiting this Kenya Rift Valley safari destination you can engage in several safari adventures. They include game drives, birding safaris, and hiking among others. Our 4-day Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara feature a visit to the Lake for game drives and birding excursions.
Lake Baringo
Lake Baringo is another outstanding Kenya Rift Valley Lake and safari destination. It covers a land area of 130 square kilometers at 970 meters above sea level.
The Lake has three major tributaries that include River Ol Arabel, River Molo, and River Perkerra. There is no known Lake Baringo distributary and it is assumed that the water is instead drained down the volcanic cracks in the Lake.
Lake Baringo is a freshwater Lake and is also home to several other bird species. It is home to over 470 bird species. This makes the Lake a birders paradise and one of the best birding destinations in East Africa. The local community depends on the Lake for food (Tilapia) and a source of water for Livestock.
When visiting the Kenya Rift Valley safari destinations ensure to add Lake Bogoria to the list. That visit makes more sense as you spot the major bird species and other wildlife including hippos and crocodiles.
Lake Naivasha
Lake Naivasha is the second and last freshwater Rift Valley Lake. It makes it to our list of Kenya Rift Valley safari destinations because of its nature and wildlife. It has the highest elevation of all Kenyan Rift Valley Lake standing at 1,884 meters above sea level.
The lake covers a surface area of 198 square kilometers having increased from 139 because of rising water levels. Just like other Great Rift Valley Lakes, Lake Naivasha has a vibrant bird life. The Lakes ecosystem has several wildlife species including hippos.
Lake Naivasha has a crescent island that you can visit using a boat. It is among the few Kenya safari destinations where you can have a boat cruise adventure. The Lake acts as a major stopover area from or to Masai Mara. This enables one to reduce the drive distance but also be able to explore the lake and its other attractions.
Do not miss a mix of an epic boat ride on Lake Naivasha and a wildebeest migration safari in Masai Mara.
Hell’s Gate National Park
Hell’s Gate National Park is one Kenya Rift Valley safari destination with a lot of Volcanic action evidence. The park has ridges and Volcanic bedrock with some of the most impressive Volcanic features.
It covers a land area of 68 square kilometers and is one of the smallest National Parks in Kenya. Despite its small size, Hell’s Gate National Park offers some of the best hiking adventures. It can be explored on foot on hikes and guided nature walks, drives to see the wildlife, or on cycling adventures.
Some of the notable wildlife species you can see here include zebras, giraffes, and buffaloes. Of all the big cats, Leopards and cheetahs are present but rarely seen. You can however compensate for that with a birding Discovery Journey as the park is home to over 100 bird species.
Hell’s Gate National Park is close to Lake Naivasha and you can combine a visit to the two Kenya Rift Valley safari destinations.
Menengai Crater
Menengai Crater is our final and unique Kenya Rift Valley safari destination. It is believed to have been formed a hundred thousand years ago when an eruption happened. Menengai Crater is Kenya’s largest Volcanic Caldera and the second largest on the continent.
The crater has a cultural and spiritual significance in the Masai community. Some people still visit the crater area for prayer and meditation. The key attraction here includes the crater itself with viewpoints for scenic tours. There are caves and several trails you can follow to explore the crater area.
While visiting the Menengai Crater you can engage in activities like birding, nature walks, biking, and photography tours among others. Kenya is a true birthplace of safari and many of these destinations including the Great Rift Valley make it exceptional.
Our safari calendar is open and you can plan your journeys of discovery to any of the above destinations. We offer safari options beyond Kenya to the neighboring Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. In Uganda, you can always have a trek to the mountain gorillas or chimpanzees.
English
Afrikaans
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Armenian
Azerbaijani
Basque
Belarusian
Bengali
Bosnian
Bulgarian
Catalan
Cebuano
Chichewa
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Corsican
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Dutch
Esperanto
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
French
Frisian
Galician
Georgian
German
Greek
Gujarati
Haitian Creole
Hausa
Hawaiian
Hebrew
Hindi
Hmong
Hungarian
Icelandic
Igbo
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Javanese
Kannada
Kazakh
Khmer
Korean
Kurdish (Kurmanji)
Kyrgyz
Lao
Latin
Latvian
Lithuanian
Luxembourgish
Macedonian
Malagasy
Malay
Malayalam
Maltese
Maori
Marathi
Mongolian
Myanmar (Burmese)
Nepali
Norwegian
Pashto
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi
Romanian
Russian
Samoan
Scottish Gaelic
Serbian
Sesotho
Shona
Sindhi
Sinhala
Slovak
Slovenian
Somali
Spanish
Sudanese
Swahili
Swedish
Tajik
Tamil
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukrainian
Urdu
Uzbek
Vietnamese
Welsh
Xhosa
Yiddish
Yoruba
Zulu