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What to see and do in Nairobi
Verified places maintained by our editors — with opening hours, prices and accessibility details.
46 places
Wildlife · Lang'ata
David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Watch orphaned baby elephants take their mud bath and milk bottles at the daily public hour.
Hotels & Lodges · Karen
Hemingways Nairobi
Colonial-style luxury hotel in Karen with views over Ngong Hills and a spa.
Culture & History · Karen
Karen Blixen Museum
The farmhouse of the author of Out of Africa, set among coffee gardens in the Ngong foothills.
Parks & Nature · Gigiri
Karura Forest
A 1,000-hectare urban forest with waterfalls, caves, cycling trails and a river cafe.
Wildlife · Lang'ata
Nairobi National Park
The world's only wild safari park inside a capital city, with lions, rhinos and giraffes against the skyline.
Restaurants · Lang'ata
Carnivore Restaurant
Nairobi's legendary nyama choma experience: meats roasted on Maasai swords over a giant charcoal pit.
Wildlife · Lang'ata
Giraffe Centre
Feed endangered Rothschild's giraffes from a raised platform, nose to nose.
Markets & Crafts · Kilimani
Maasai Market
Rotating open-air craft market for beadwork, shukas, soapstone carvings and kiondo baskets.
Culture & History · Nairobi CBD
Nairobi National Museum
Kenya's story from the Turkana Boy fossils to contemporary art, with botanical gardens and a snake park.
Hotels & Lodges · Lang'ata
The Emakoko
Safari lodge on the edge of Nairobi National Park, overlooking the Mbagathi River.
Culture & History · Lang'ata
Bomas of Kenya
Daily traditional dance performances and replica homesteads of Kenya's ethnic communities.
Culture & History · Lavington
Circle Art Gallery
Contemporary East African art in one of Nairobi's most respected galleries.
Restaurants · Kilimani
Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant
Injera platters, spicy doro wat and Ethiopian coffee ceremony in Kilimani.
Markets & Crafts · Karen
Kazuri Beads & Pottery
Watch local women craft hand-painted ceramic beads and jewellery in a fair-trade workshop.
Bars & Nightlife · Westlands
Sankara Nairobi Rooftop
Cocktails with a skyline view above Westlands, ideal at sunset.
Coffee & Cafes · Westlands
Connect Coffee Roasters (Riverside)
A Kenyan specialty roaster with a calm Riverside cafe, good for pour-overs and laptop work.
Hotels & Lodges · Nairobi CBD
Fairmont The Norfolk
Nairobi's grand 1904 hotel with gardens, a heritage bar and Ngong Hills views.
Day Trips
Fourteen Falls
A wide, 27-metre cascade on the Athi River near Thika, good for a half-day escape and picnic.
Hotels & Lodges · Lang'ata
Giraffe Manor
A 1930s manor house where endangered Rothschild giraffes poke their heads through the dining-room windows.
Culture & History
GoDown Arts Centre
A converted warehouse in Industrial Area that hosts galleries, studios, theatre and live music.
Day Trips
Hell's Gate National Park
Cycle or walk between red cliffs and geysers, then hike the Ol Njorowa Gorge. One of the few Kenyan parks you can explore on foot or by bike.
Coffee & Cafes · Nairobi CBD
Java House (Kimathi Street)
Nairobi's favourite coffee chain: Kenyan beans, hearty breakfasts and reliable wifi.
Coffee & Cafes · Karen
Karen Blixen Coffee Garden
A relaxed garden cafe in Karen serving Kenyan coffee, cakes and long lunches under the trees.
Culture & History · Nairobi CBD
Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC)
The 28-storey landmark with a helipad rooftop and the best 360° view of the city.
Day Trips
Kiambethu Tea Farm
A historic family tea farm in Limuru offering guided walks, tea tasting and a farm lunch.
Markets & Crafts
Kitengela Hot Glass
A recycled-glass studio where you can watch glassblowers shape bottles into colourful art.
Day Trips
Lake Magadi
A pink-hued soda lake in the southern Rift with flamingos, hot springs and wide desert-like horizons.
Day Trips
Lake Naivasha
A freshwater lake in the Rift Valley with hippos, birdlife and boat trips to Crescent Island.
Day Trips
Lake Nakuru National Park
A compact park famous for rhino, Rothschild giraffe, leopard and, in some seasons, flamingos.
Day Trips
Mount Longonot
Hike to the rim of a dormant volcano for views of the Rift Valley, or around the crater.
Parks & Nature · Kilimani
Nairobi Arboretum
A quiet 30-hectare park of over 300 tree species, popular with walkers, birders and picnickers.
Markets & Crafts · Nairobi CBD
Nairobi City Market
Century-old covered market with fresh fish, flowers, curios and tailors.
Culture & History · Nairobi CBD
Nairobi Gallery
A restored 1913 colonial building showing Kenyan art, maps and the Murumbi collection.
Culture & History · Nairobi CBD
Nairobi Railway Museum
Steam locomotives, the Lunatic Express story and the coach from the man-eaters of Tsavo era.
Wildlife · Lang'ata
Nairobi Safari Walk
An elevated boardwalk at the Nairobi National Park gate with lions, rhinos and cheetahs in natural enclosures.
Wildlife · Nairobi CBD
Nairobi Snake Park & Aquarium
Reptile house with Kenya's snakes, tortoises and crocodiles next to the National Museum.
Parks & Nature · Karen
Ngong Hills
Windswept ridge hike with views over the Great Rift Valley and Nairobi skyline.
Parks & Nature · Karen
Oloolua Nature Trail
A shaded forest trail in Karen with caves, a waterfall and monkeys, a short drive from the city.
Hotels & Lodges · Nairobi CBD
Sarova Stanley
Historic 1902 hotel on Kimathi Street, home of the Thorn Tree Cafe and a short walk from most CBD sights.
Coffee & Cafes · Westlands
Spring Valley Coffee (Westgate)
A Nairobi favourite for Kenyan coffee and breakfast, with a convenient Westgate Mall branch.
Bars & Nightlife · Westlands
The Alchemist Bar
Open-air bar and live-music garden with food trucks, DJs and a crowd that spans all ages.
Hotels & Lodges · Gigiri
Tribe Hotel
Design-led boutique hotel in Gigiri with an infinity pool, spa and a calm, art-filled interior.
Culture & History · Lang'ata
Uhuru Gardens Memorial Park
The site where Kenya's flag was first raised in 1963, now a memorial park with a monument and open lawns.
Parks & Nature · Nairobi CBD
Uhuru Park
The city's central green lung with a lake, rowing boats and weekend picnics, next to Central Park.
Hotels & Lodges · Westlands
Villa Rosa Kempinski
Five-star tower in Westlands with a rooftop pool, several restaurants and easy access to the city.
Markets & Crafts · Gigiri
Village Market
Open-air mall in Gigiri with boutiques, a Friday Maasai Market and family restaurants.