Nairobi, the capital and largest city of Kenya, is a popular starting point for trips across the continent. But, there is enough of fun to be had in this bustling city before you embark on your safari.
The exceptional museums in Nairobi bring the city’s history and ethnic culture to life. Many visitors to the Ngong Hills, where the museum is located, are fans of the Out of Africa book and film and want to see the coffee farm where the Danish novelist who shares her name worked.
Top 10 Places to Visit in Nairobi
Wildlife is nevertheless very popular in such a busy metropolis. Nairobi is one of the few urban areas in the world that contain a safari park. Nairobi National Park provides a classic African animal experience while still being only a 15-minute drive from the city’s skyscrapers.
The savanna is home to lions, cheetahs, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, rhinoceroses, and buffalo; visitors can also interact with young elephants and giraffes at nearby sanctuaries.
For more than a century, visitors seeking adventure have been drawn to Kenya’s safari parks, and Nairobi serves as their entry. Find out what to see and do in this modern city by reading our guide to Nairobi’s best attractions.
1. Nairobi National Park
Nairobi National Park, Kenya’s first national park, is conveniently located just seven kilometres from the city’s high-rises. The park is a safe haven for animals, and more than 50 endangered rhinos call this place their home.
In addition to rhinos, the wetlands are home to lions, gazelles, buffaloes, warthogs, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, and ostriches, and they play host to more than 400 kinds of birds.
Ivory is traditionally burned at Nairobi National Park. To improve his country’s conservation reputation, President Moi of Kenya burned 12 tonnes of elephant tusks and rhino horns here in 1989. A memorial now stands in its place.
Trails wind through the Hippo Pools area, making the Nairobi Safari Walk a popular destination for those interested in seeing wildlife up close.
2. Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
This orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation programme is a highlight for visitors to Nairobi National Park. Daphne Sheldrick, whose late husband David was a warden at Tsavo East National Park, started the project in his honour in 1977.
The centre helps prepare young orphaned elephants and rhinos for return to the wild. You may get near to these cute animals as they play in the dirt and guzzle water from enormous baby bottles. The best part is that your entry money goes towards protecting the environment.
Adopting an orphaned elephant, rhino, or giraffe is a great way to continue making a difference long after you’ve left the park.
3. Giraffe Centre
Visitors can get up up and personal with endangered Rothschild’s giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, located on the outskirts of Nairobi National Park. The Giraffe Manor Conservation Education Center is a non-profit organisation whose major goal is to teach kids about wildlife preservation.
Visitors may learn all about the elegant creatures on display and feed them pellets at eye level from a high platform at the centre of the exhibit.
The photos of wet, grey giraffe tongues licking young faces are priceless, and this is one of the most unusual things to do in Nairobi, especially with children.
After sharing some time with these eye-catching creatures, take a 1.5-kilometer walk into the woodland at the adjacent nature reserve.
4. Karura Forest Reserve
Need some peace and quiet on the outskirts of town? You’ve struck it rich. Only a short distance from the hustle and bustle of the city is the magnificent Karura Forest.
One of the world’s largest urban woods, this verdant area is home to a wide variety of attractions. Go to a 15-meter waterfall with several levels. The gardens are perfect for a picnic. Sit quietly near Lily Lake and observe the monkeys as they swing through the trees. Bike riding is also common on the red clay paths that are clearly signposted.
The local wildlife is also thriving. You may also observe duiker (a tiny antelope), butterflies, and a wide variety of birds, in addition to the monkeys. Stop by the riverside café for a bite and a drink after a day of exploring the woodland.
5. Karen Blixen Museum
The Karen Blixen Museum, located in the author’s former house at the base of the Ngong Hills, is one of Nairobi’s most popular tourist destinations. Isak Dinesen, as Karen Blixen, maintained a coffee plantation out of this house between the years 1917 and 1931.
The colonial farmhouse has been meticulously kept, and it now serves as a college for agriculture. Other buildings on the property include a kitchen and a coffee drying plant in the woods.
Photographs and literature belonging by Karen Blixen and her lover, Denys Finch Hatton, are on exhibit, along with furniture that belonged to Karen and her husband. Guides who are clearly passionate about Karen Blixen and colonial Kenya help make the history come to life.
6. Nairobi National Museum
When in Nairobi, stop by the National Museum for an informative and entertaining way to pass a few hours. More than 900 stuffed birds and mammals, fossils from Lake Turkana, ethnic displays from several Kenyan tribal groups, and exhibits of local art are just some of the many cultural and natural history exhibits on display at the museum.
The Geology Gallery houses an extensive collection of rocks and minerals, as well as information on tectonic plates and the volcanic life cycle. The fossil of an extinct elephant is among the many ancient remains stored in the Hominid Vault.
Admission to the nearby Snake Park, showcasing some of Kenya’s most prevalent reptiles in the wild, can be purchased as part of a package deal at the museum. Take some time after your visit to the bustling city of Nairobi to relax in the quiet botanical gardens.
7. Bomas of Kenya
Bomas of Kenya, located about 10 kilometres from Nairobi, is a living museum showcasing the vibrant cultures of Kenya’s many different tribes. Discover the traditions, customs, and ways of life of several indigenous groups at this museum.
The complex is built around a replica of a traditional village, complete with bomas (traditional dwellings) decorated in the style of many prominent ethnic groups. A group plays folk music and dances in the evenings at the main theatre. The performances are always more fun when the audience gets involved.
8. Kazuri Beads Factory Tour
Trying to find some one-of-a-kind presents for your loved ones back home? Shopping at the Kazuri Beads Factory is a fantastic experience. The best part is that you’ll be assisting underprivileged local women in the process.
Kazuri, which means “little and beautiful” in Swahili, perfectly describes these dazzling, multicoloured beads. See how local women (including many single mothers) produce beads and other clay items from scratch by signing up for a free tour of the factory.
After your tour, you’ll have the option to buy some to take home with you, secure in the knowledge that they are produced by a member of the Global Fair Trade Organization. The costs are manageable for the most part.
The factory is conveniently located close to the Karen Blixen Museum, making the two an ideal day trip. It’s also one of the best free things to do in Nairobi, though you probably won’t want to leave without picking up a few strands of the colourful beads sold here.
9. Kenyatta International Conference Centre
The Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC), named after Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, features a rooftop observation deck with a 360-degree panorama. The facility has gained worldwide recognition as a premier location for conventions, trade shows, and other large-scale events.
It’s not the highest structure in Kenya, but its 28-story tower overlooking a massive amphitheatre certainly makes an impression. The central plenary hall is reminiscent of the ancient Roman Senate, while the building’s pale terra cotta exterior is reminiscent of traditional African huts.
You can take images of the expansive city below from the rooftop viewing platform and then eat at one of the eateries.
10. Ngong Hills
These gorgeous green peaks got their Maasai name from the word for “knuckles,” and the term is apt because they seem like the back of a fist raised to the sky. They are a popular destination for those looking to escape the heat of Nairobi.
Many early colonial white immigrants made their homes and farms in the Ngong Hills, a ridge overlooking the Great Rift Valley. Despite being in Africa, the remaining half-timbered cottages and floral gardens look more at home in southern England.
The hills are laced with walking paths that lead to breathtaking vistas of the lowlands below. There is also much wildlife to be seen. Animals including buffalo, gazelles, giraffes, bushbuck, the rare klipspringer, and baboon troops can frequently be seen grazing by the side of the road.
