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Two southern white rhinos graze green grass, one caked in mud with a long horn, the other light gray and seen head-on

Ol Pejeta Conservancy

KenyaNorthern KenyaPrivate reserve

At Ol Pejeta, you get close to the last two northern white rhinos, Najin and Fatu, guarded day and night in their enclosure, while more than 165 black rhinos, the largest group in East Africa, roam the tracks. The private reserve covers 360 km² of plateau on the equator, facing Mount Kenya.

Why go to Ol Pejeta?

  • Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos on the planet, visible every day from the Morani center
  • More than 165 black rhinos, grown from 20 animals in 1993, and 44 southern white rhinos
  • The full Big Five on 360 km², plus Grévy's zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the African wild dog
  • The 43 chimpanzees of the Sweetwaters sanctuary, the only ones in Kenya, taken in since 1993
  • Lion tracking at dawn, night drives and outings with the anti-poaching unit's tracker dogs

The park on the map

Base: Nanyuki, 19 km as the crow flies.

See nearby parks on the map

Ol Pejeta in pictures

A northern white rhino with a sawn-off horn grazes in tall golden grass, a ranger in a green uniform at the edge of the frame
Head-on portrait of a black rhino with a long horn, a pointed lip and fringed ears, its right eye closed
Close-up of an old gray-bearded chimpanzee, his hand resting on his forehead in front of his eyes, dry grass behind him
A tight herd of female impalas with reddish and white coats, standing or with heads down on the dry ground
A pale dirt track crosses a plain of dry grass under a big blue sky heavy with clouds, a few antelopes in the distance and hills on the horizon

Which animals can you see in Ol Pejeta?

Ol Pejeta protects three kinds of rhino. More than 165 black rhinos make it the largest sanctuary for the species in East Africa, and 44 southern white rhinos graze the plains. The last two northern white rhinos, Najin and her daughter Fatu, live in an enclosure guarded day and night. You meet these two up close, with their keepers, and you come across the black rhinos on the tracks early in the morning.

The other big animals are here too. Lions, leopards, elephants and buffalo complete the Big Five, cheetahs hunt on the plains and wild dogs pass through from the rest of Laikipia. Grévy's zebras graze beside their plains cousins, along with reticulated giraffes and Jackson's hartebeest. The Ewaso Ng'iro, which runs through the reserve, is home to hippos. The Sweetwaters sanctuary houses 43 chimpanzees rescued outside Kenya, the only ones in the country, behind a fence and a river.

Sighting calendar
SpeciesJFMAMJJASONDNote
Black rhinocerospeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonmore than 165 animals, on the tracks early in the morning
White rhinocerospeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonNajin and Fatu in their enclosure, 44 southern white rhinos in the reserve
Lionpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonplains, tracked at dawn with the rangers
Leopardpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossibleriverine woodland, mostly at night
Elephantpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonacacia woodland and swamps
Buffalopeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonthroughout the reserve
Cheetahpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossibleopen plains
Plains zebrapeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonthroughout the reserve
Grévy's zebrapossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblea few animals, mixed in with the plains zebras
Reticulated giraffepeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonacacias, throughout the reserve
Spotted hyenapossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossibleon night drives
African wild dogpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepacks passing through from the rest of Laikipia
HippopotamuspossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossibleEwaso Ng'iro hide
Chimpanzee (sanctuary)peak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonpeak seasonSweetwaters sanctuary, morning and afternoon
Jackson's hartebeestpossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblepossiblenorthern plains

peak seasonpossiblerare

What is a safari like in Ol Pejeta?

You spend the day in a 4x4 on a network of signposted tracks, through plains, acacia woodland and swamps, with Mount Kenya to the east when the sky is clear. You stop at the Morani center for Najin and Fatu, at the chimpanzee sanctuary in the morning or afternoon, and at the river hide for the hippos.

Day visitors often come from Nanyuki in their own vehicle, since Rongai and Serat gates are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Guests who stay overnight, in a camp or a lodge, add lion tracking at 6:30 a.m. and the night drive from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The outing with the anti-poaching unit's tracker dogs is also booked online, at least the day before.

When to go to Ol Pejeta?

idealgoodnot recommended

Ol Pejeta sits at about 1,800 m on the Laikipia Plateau, with cool nights and mild days in every season. The dry seasons, from June to September and from December to March, bring easy tracks and a Mount Kenya often clear at dawn. The animals then gather near the river and the waterholes.

The rains of April and May, then of October and November, make the black cotton soil tracks slippery and scatter the grazers. The rhinos, though, can be seen in every season, and the rates do not change.

How to get to Ol Pejeta?

Ol Pejeta lies west of Nanyuki, on the equator, about 200 km from Nairobi on the A2, a drive of three and a half to four hours. Rongai Gate, the main one, is about twenty minutes from town on a dirt track. Nanyuki has hotels, gas stations and 4x4 rental agencies for those visiting without a guide.

Safarilink and AirKenya fly from Wilson Airport to the Nanyuki airstrip twice a day, in 60 to 90 minutes. The reserve's lodges arrange the transfer. The same flights continue to Samburu and Lewa, so you can link up the north by air.

Stay in Nanyuki

Where to find a guide in Ol Pejeta?

Guided tours you can book online, ranked by number of reviews. These are affiliate links: if you book, you support us at no extra cost.

Viator

Day trip to Ol Pejeta conservancy from Nairobi

13 h, from €218

4.7 (24 reviews)View and book
Viator

Ol Pejeta Conservancy Day Tour from Nairobi

1 day, from €345

4.7 (18 reviews)View and book
Viator

Day Tour to Ol Pejeta Conservancy

11 h, from €373

5.0 (18 reviews)View and book
Viator

Day Tour to OL Pejeta Conservancy

11 h, from €339

4.6 (8 reviews)View and book

Where to stay near Ol Pejeta?

Hotels, apartments and rooms around Nanyuki, with current prices.

Which hotels to choose near Ol Pejeta?

Who are Najin and Fatu, the last northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta?

Four northern white rhinos arrived at Ol Pejeta in 2009 from Dvur Kralove Zoo, in the Czech Republic, in the hope that an African climate would get them breeding again. Suni, a male, died in 2014. Sudan, the last male of the subspecies, was euthanized on March 19, 2018, at 45, worn out by age and infections.

That leaves Najin and her daughter Fatu, who can no longer carry a calf. Eggs taken from Fatu and fertilized in the lab with sperm from dead males produce embryos, which southern white rhino females are meant to carry. The visit takes place in their enclosure, with the keepers who live alongside them.

How did Ol Pejeta go from cattle ranch to reserve?

Ol Pejeta was a cattle ranch for most of the 20th century. Fauna and Flora International bought it in 2004, with $15 million from the Arcus Foundation, to turn it into a reserve. The first black rhinos, 20 animals, had already arrived in 1993 in a fenced sanctuary, and the population passed 100 in 2013.

The cattle stayed. A herd of Boran cattle still grazes here, moved every day by herders, and the reserve shows how cows and rhinos share the same grass. Part of the revenue goes to schools and clinics in the neighboring villages.

Frequently asked questions about Ol Pejeta

When is the best time to visit Ol Pejeta?

Any season for the rhinos, which stay put. June to September and December to March for dry tracks and Mount Kenya clear at dawn. April and May are the wettest months.

How much is the Ol Pejeta entry fee?

US$110 per adult per day, US$55 for ages 3 to 11, US$32 for a student, booked online. A vehicle with up to six seats pays KSh 1,000. Each activity, the northern white rhino encounter, the night drive or lion tracking, costs US$70 per adult.

Can you see the last northern white rhinos at Ol Pejeta?

Yes, Najin and Fatu receive visitors four times a day from the Morani center, for US$70 per adult. The slots are at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. You meet them with their keepers, in the enclosure where they have lived since 2009.

How do you get from Nairobi to Ol Pejeta?

By the A2 to Nanyuki, about 200 km and three and a half to four hours, then the track to Rongai Gate. By air, Safarilink and AirKenya land at Nanyuki from Wilson in 60 to 90 minutes.

How much time do you need at Ol Pejeta?

A full day is enough for the rhinos, the chimpanzees and a loop of the plains. A night on site adds the night drive and lion tracking at dawn, the two outings day visitors miss.

Is Ol Pejeta a zoo?

No, it is a 360 km² reserve where the animals roam free, fenced like most Laikipia conservancies. Only the two northern white rhinos and the chimpanzees, which are not Kenyan animals, live in enclosures.

Our tip

Book your entry and activities online the day before: the gates do not take cash, and the slots with Najin and Fatu are limited. Stay inside the reserve if you want the night drive and lion tracking at 6:30 a.m., before the gates open to day visitors.

Other parks nearby

Stay in Nanyuki

Image credits

Photos under free licenses, credited to their author; the link leads to the source.