Nairobi Travelers Recommend

In a country known for wilderness and wildlife, Nairobi is the cosmopolitan heart. With one day in Nairobi you can see key highlights, from museums to colonial-era architecture, then find pockets of wildness just beyond the city. Whether you’re all about animals or interested in local history, use these tips to plan one day in Nairobi. 

Morning: Discover Downtown

Follow the morning rush of local workers into the city center, where skyscrapers jostle for space with historic landmarks. It can be overwhelming for anyone who doesn’t live here, so join a guide who can lead the way between key destinations, which include Uhuru Park, the National Parliament, and the Kenya National Archives. For an entirely different look at life in Nairobi, head to the outskirts and visit Kibera Slums—a guide is essential here—where you can see how residents of this impoverished community live and work.

Afternoon: Celebrate Conservation

Some rescued elephants and other wildlife find their way to orphanages in Nairobi, where conservationists nurse them back to health. Visiting the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Giraffe Centre gives you a glimpse of the work that Kenyans are doing to keep wildlife vibrant; lucky visitors get the added bonus of seeing workers bottle-feed baby animals. Some tours of the two conservation destinations add an additional stop at the Karen Blixen Museum, set on the former estate of the Danish author of Out of Africa. With gorgeous view across the Ngong Hills and a preserved 1912 bungalow, it’s a worthwhile destination even if you haven’t read Blixen’s work.

Evening: Urban Game Drives—and a Carnivorous Adventure

Just beyond the urban sprawl lies Nairobi National Park, where free-roaming giraffes, lions, and black rhinos live on grassy plains with the city skyline for a backdrop. It’s a year-round game-drive destination that you can slip in between lunch and cocktail hour, and early evening is the perfect time to see the park at its most beautiful. Following the trip, wrap up your day in Nairobi with the flamboyant show at Carnivore Restaurant; book a table in advance for the fixed-price meal, which is served by sword-wielding waiters in costume.  

With three days in Nairobi, you can sample urban style and encounter traditional cultures, with time left over for a day trip to one of Kenya’s headlining national parks. Get an early start and you can be spotting lions, hiking through the bush, and snapping photos of giraffes by lunchtime. Here’s how to spend three days in Nairobi.

Day 1: Cityscape Safari and Conservation

Even in Kenya’s biggest city, wildlife isn’t far away, so spend your first morning on a safari through Nairobi National Park. With the added bonus of cool air and good light for photography, you’ll see the animals—cheetahs, rhinos, and lions live here—when they’re most active. If you’re not ready for an early morning wake-up, opt for an early evening safari instead.

Following your safari, head back to the city—this would be a good time for some of Kenya’s locally grown coffee or tea—to see conservation work within city limits. Watch animal caretakers bottle-feed baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and visit the nearby Giraffe Centre. Since the two destinations are in the same area, choosing a tour that features both is convenient and time saving.

Day 2: Local Culture and Cuisine

Start the day with a cultural encounter at Bomas of Kenya, which brings together people from the country’s diverse communities in the grasslands, mountains, and coast. It’s an opportunity to get a first-hand look at traditional life, with re-created village houses, dance shows, musical performances, and demonstrations of traditional crafts.

Alternatively, join a tour that’s focused on cultures closer to Nairobi, whether you’re learning about women-focused community development, visiting an impoverished neighborhood, or learning about the lives of Nairobi’s street children. In the evening, book ahead to experience a night of classic Nairobi entertainment: a dinner show with Kenyan dancers or a table at Carnivore Restaurant, where a meat-lovers’ feast is served at the tip of a sword.

Day 3: Safari Experience

Spend your last day exploring one of the country’s remarkable game reserves. For views of hippos and more than 400 bird species, including flamingos, head to Lake Nakuru National Park, in the Great Rift Valley. For endangered black rhinos, head to Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where Africa’s “Big Five” wildlife gather around watering holes.

Other options include joining a ranger for a cycling or walking safari of Hell’s Gate National Park, which is home to everything from African buffalo to gazelle, or trekking to the summit of Mt. Longonot, a forested volcano with sweeping views across the Great Rift Valley.

With two days in Nairobi, you can take in the essential city sights and still have time for a deeper dive into wildlife, culture, and cuisine. Whether you’re watching a traditional dance performance or spotting giraffes at the edge of the city, this is where Kenya’s magnificent nature meets urban culture. Here’s how to spend two days in Nairobi.

Day 1: Urban Exploring and Conservation

**Morning:**Start the day in the center of the action; downtown Nairobi is home to historic sites, Kenya’s parliament, and plenty of landmarks. It’s an exciting place, but Kenya’s colorful history is what makes the area so interesting, so join a guided tour to get the whole story.

**Afternoon:**Nairobi might feel a world away from Kenya’s vast national parks, but important conservation work happens right here. Visit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to see an elephant orphanage, then head to the nearby Giraffe Centre to crane your neck at endangered Rothschild’s Giraffes.

**Night:**Meat is on the menu at the Carnivore Restaurant, where waiters serve your grilled meal on the tip of a sword. Since the sale of wild-game meat is banned here, don’t worry about finding a zebra on your plate, though you can dine on crocodile, ostrich, and camel.

Day 2: From Wildlife to Traditional Culture

**Morning:**Wake up early for a game drive through Nairobi National Park, taking advantage of the morning hours when the animals are most active; lions, cheetahs, rhinos, and buffalo all live here. Bring a camera, as images of free-ranging wildlife with a backdrop of the Nairobi city skyline are shots you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

**Afternoon:**Then explore Kenyan culture at Bomas of Kenya, which brings together some of the diverse cultures from across the country. From village homes to dance performances, it’s an all-ages attraction, but with the chance to meet and interact with Kenyans face-to-face it’s especially popular with kids. Alternatively, spend the afternoon touring communities in Nairobi committed to empowering local women.

**Night:**With one last night in Nairobi, make it count with tickets to a local show. To save the trouble of looking for taxis at night, consider booking tickets that include transport from your hotel.

Like most urban African centers, Nairobi caters to Western travelers with continental fare and European cuisine, but the best food on offer is traditional, cheap, and, of course, delicious. Here are some of our favorite must-try dishes and experiences in the Kenyan capital.

Must-Try Dishes

Local peppers, onions, and tomatoes make up the base for most sauces and many dishes, including the spicy salad kachumbari. Indian flavors permeate many traditional Kenyan dishes, including hot cups of early morning masala tea. Sit-down spots offer hearty meat stews poured over steaming plates of ugali, a stiff porridge made of maize and boiled water.

Street food is easy to find in Nairobi, and while travelers are frequently warned about the risks of eating items sold informally, some of the best eating happens right next to the road. Roasted chicken and fried fish are skewered for easy consumption on the go. Fried nsenene, or bush crickets, make for a quick and crispy snack. Vegetarians should seek out githeri, a hearty dish made from beans and corn, while less adventurous eaters may want to start with small fried donuts called mandazi, which are a popular treat for local children.

Must-Do Experiences

• Head into the countryside to tour the country’s oldest tea plantation.

• Sit down for a traditional Kenyan lunch during a walking tour of the city.

• Feast on exotic meats—camel, ostrich, and crocodile—roasted on a Maasai sword over a charcoal pit at Nairobi’s famous Carnivore restaurant.

• Enjoy the ultimate night out with a dinner and Safari Cats Dancers show at the Safari Park Hotel.

• Sample African beer at a local bar and savor the flavors of East Africa during a night tour of Nairobi.