Things to do in Nairobi

Nairobi sits at around 1,800m. Nairobi National Park borders the city on one side, rhinos and lions with the skyline as backdrop. Few capitals share that fence line.

A capital with a national park inside it

• Nairobi National Park. Rhino, lion and giraffe a twenty-minute drive from the CBD.
• Karen and Langata. The Giraffe Centre, the Sheldrick elephant nursery and Bomas' cultural dance shows.
• The CBD. Kenyatta Avenue and the city's business core, best visited by day.
• Nairobi National Museum area. Snake park and museum together, an easy half-day.

Day trips that fill the rest of a stay

Lake Nakuru is the classic add-on, flamingos on the shore and rhino inland, at around three hours each way. Hell's Gate and Lake Naivasha make a shorter, more active day, walking or cycling among zebra rather than driving past them. Amboseli and the Mara need more than a day.

Most stays pick one or two of these day trips rather than all three at once, given the drive times involved.

Practical

• Weather. Mild year-round thanks to altitude (17-27C), with long rains March-May and short rains October-December; June-September is the driest, coolest stretch.
• Getting around. Uber and Bolt cover the city reliably; matatus (shared minivans) are cheap but confusing on a first visit, and traffic can turn a short hop into an hour.
• Airport. Jomo Kenyatta International sits about 15km from the centre, thirty to forty-five minutes outside rush hour.
• Tipping. Ten percent in restaurants; round up for ride-hailing rather than tipping by percentage.
• After dark. Uber or Bolt rather than a street taxi or a matatu once the sun is down, standard local practice.