Written by the Paramount Gorilla Expeditions team, based in Uganda, comparing the best parks for rhino tracking in East Africa.
Rhino are the hardest of the Big Five to guarantee on open savanna, because populations are small and closely protected. The best odds come from parks and conservancies built around rhino security, not from general wildlife density.
Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
Lake Nakuru is fenced specifically to protect black and white rhino, and sightings are among the most reliable in the region. See the Lake Nakuru National Park guide.
Private conservancies, Kenya
Conservancies near the Masai Mara and in Laikipia run intensive rhino protection and offer excellent guide-to-guest ratios. They are worth building into a Kenya itinerary. See the Laikipia conservancy guide.
Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania
The crater holds a small black rhino population, visible from the crater floor. Sightings take patience and are never guaranteed on one visit. See the Ngorongoro Crater guide.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda
Uganda's wild rhino were lost decades ago. Today's rhino live at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you track them on foot with an armed ranger. It is a different and memorable experience, and a good stop between Entebbe and the national parks of the north.
Our trips that include rhino tracking in East Africa
- Classic Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater Safari (7 days): a full day in Ngorongoro Crater, home to its black rhino.
- Kenya & Tanzania Great Migration Grand Safari (12 days): the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.
- Samburu & Laikipia Wilderness Safari (9 days): Laikipia's private conservancies.
For Ziwa, ask us to add a stop on the way north from Entebbe to Murchison Falls.
Which park to choose for rhino tracking in East Africa?
- Best odds in a vehicle: Lake Nakuru or a Kenyan rhino conservancy.
- On foot: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Uganda.
- Alongside a Serengeti trip: Ngorongoro Crater.
See where to see the Big Five and Big Five vs Big Nine.
Plan rhino tracking in East Africa
Official park fees are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Kenya Wildlife Service, TANAPA and the Rwanda Development Board. We confirm the current fees for your dates in every quote.
For the history of the rhino return and what to expect on a visit, see our Akagera National Park guide.
To meet the last two northern white rhinos, read our Ol Pejeta guide.
For where rhinos live in Tanzania, see our Tanzania Big Five guide.