Kenya
Nairobi
The only capital city with lions, rhinos and giraffes grazing in sight of its skyscrapers.
Kenya's capital grew from a railway depot into East Africa's biggest city, and it is where most safaris start and end. Its defining oddity is Nairobi National Park, where lions, rhinos and giraffes graze within sight of the skyline. Beyond the park sit an elephant orphanage, a giraffe sanctuary, Karen Blixen's farmhouse under the Ngong Hills, a serious national museum and a restless, entrepreneurial city of matatus, markets and nyama choma.
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Language
Swahili, English
Currency
KES
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Nairobi
The park Nairobi National Park puts lions, rhinos and buffalo on open plains a short drive from downtown
The orphans rescued baby elephants and hand-fed giraffes in the leafy southern suburbs
The gateway the hub for safaris to the Mara, Amboseli and the Rift Valley lakes
The energy a fast, inventive city of mobile money, matatu art, markets and roadside grills
Best time to visit
Jun-Oct, Dec-Mar
24-28° days
1.289° S, 36.817° E
UTC+3 · Africa/Nairobi
whenywhere contains ads and partner links that we think are helpful and that earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Weather & when to go to Nairobi
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Jun-Oct, Dec-Mar
Safari prime Jul-Oct, Jan-Feb
Activity seasons none fair good prime
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Nairobi
No month is graded to avoid. April and May bring the long rains and November the short rains, with heavy afternoon storms, muddy park tracks and even worse traffic. The dry June-August stretch is the coolest time, with grey mornings at this altitude, so pack a warm layer.
Top things to do in Nairobi
-
Nairobi National Park - game drive below the skyline
nature wildlife safari 👍 PopularKenya's first national park runs from the city's southern edge into open plains and acacia. Black and white rhino, lion, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and hippo are all here, and an early-morning drive regularly finds big game with office towers on the horizon. There are no elephants.
-
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - the elephant orphanage
nature wildlife ⭐ Highly recommendedOn the park's western edge, the trust raises orphaned baby elephants and rhinos for release back into the wild. The daily public visit is a single late-morning hour when keepers bring the calves in for their milk bottles and a mud bath, with talks on each orphan's story.
-
Giraffe Centre - eye to eye with Rothschild's giraffes
nature wildlife 👍 PopularA breeding sanctuary in Langata for the endangered Rothschild's giraffe, with a raised feeding platform where you hand pellets to giraffes at head height. A short nature trail through the adjoining forest sanctuary makes it a good pairing with the elephant orphanage.
-
Karen Blixen Museum - the Out of Africa farmhouse
history culture artsThe Danish author's colonial farmhouse at the foot of the Ngong Hills, where she ran a coffee farm in the 1910s and 1920s. Guided tours walk through her furnished rooms and gardens; the suburb of Karen is named after her.
-
Nairobi National Museum - Kenya from fossils to independence
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedOn Museum Hill, the country's flagship museum covers early human fossils from the Leakey excavations, a vast bird collection, Kenyan art and the story of the colonial era and independence. Botanic gardens and a snake park sit in the same grounds.
-
Karura Forest - trails, waterfall and caves in the city
nature wildlifeA large protected forest in the northern suburbs with shaded walking, running and cycling trails, a waterfall and caves once used by Mau Mau fighters. A calm counterweight to the traffic, and one of the city's favourite weekend outings.
-
Bomas of Kenya - homesteads and traditional dance
culture artsA cultural centre near the national park with reconstructed homesteads from Kenya's many communities and a large theatre for afternoon performances of traditional song and dance from across the country.
-
Maasai Market - beadwork, kikoys and soapstone
shopping culture artsA roving open-air craft market that moves between sites around the city on different days, selling beaded jewellery, kikoys, baskets, carvings and soapstone. Bargaining is expected and part of the fun.
-
Nyama choma - Kenya's grilled-meat ritual
foodSlow-grilled goat or beef, served by weight on a wooden board with kachumbari salad and ugali, is the city's social meal. Find it at roadside joints and big garden grills alike, with a cold Tusker; Carnivore near Langata is the famous all-you-can-eat version.
Best areas to stay in Nairobi
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Karen
Safari stopovers $$$Leafy, green suburb under the Ngong Hills
Explore hotels in Karen →
Westlands
First-time visitors $$Busy hub of malls, restaurants and bars
Explore hotels in Westlands →
Kilimani
Longer stays $$Residential, cafe-lined and well connected
Explore hotels in Kilimani →
Gigiri
Business travellers $$$Diplomatic quarter beside the UN
Explore hotels in Gigiri →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Nairobi
Getting to & around Nairobi
Getting there
Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International, then drive into the city by taxi or ride-hail
Flight
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
The airport is about 18 km southeast of the centre. Taxis and ride-hail cars take 30 minutes to well over an hour depending on traffic, and the elevated expressway cuts the journey to Westlands and the centre.
Train
Nairobi Terminus (Syokimau)
The Madaraka Express standard-gauge railway runs from Mombasa on the coast, passing the edge of Tsavo
Coach
Long-distance buses and shuttles connect from Mombasa, Kampala and Arusha in Tanzania
Flight
Wilson Airport
Light-aircraft safari and domestic flights from the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Lamu and other airstrips land at this smaller airport near the national park
Getting around
Ride-hail
The easiest and safest way around for visitors, day and night; apps are widely used
TBC
Taxi
Hotel and airport taxis are plentiful; agree the fare before you set off
TBC
Matatu
Brightly painted minibuses on fixed routes, loud, crowded and the way most residents travel
TBC
Boda boda
Motorbike taxis that slice through traffic jams; insist on a helmet
TBC
Day trips from Nairobi
Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate
Full dayRift Valley lake and gorge
Drop into the Great Rift Valley for a boat ride among hippos and fish eagles on Lake Naivasha, then cycle or walk through Hell's Gate, a park of cliffs and gorges where you can move among zebra and giraffe on foot.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2 hours by car or tour
Ngong Hills
Half dayRidge hike
The knuckled ridge Karen Blixen wrote about, with a walk along its grassy crest and views down into the Rift Valley on one side and back over the city on the other.
Getting there
car
About 1 hour by car
Mount Longonot
Full dayCrater rim hike
A steep climb up a dormant volcano above the Rift Valley floor, with the option to circle the forested crater rim. A tough, rewarding day out from the city.
Getting there
car
About 1.5 hours by car
Lake Nakuru
Full dayRhino sanctuary park
A fenced Rift Valley park known for black and white rhino, tree-climbing lions on a good day and flamingos when the lake conditions suit them. A long day from Nairobi, better as an overnight.
Getting there
car | tour
About 3 hours by car or tour
A little history of Nairobi
Nairobi was born in 1899 as a supply depot on the Uganda Railway, built on a swampy plain the Maasai called Enkare Nairobi, the place of cool waters. Within a few years it had replaced Mombasa as the capital of British East Africa, and grew into a colonial town of settlers, Indian traders and African workers.
The Mau Mau uprising of the 1950s shook colonial rule, and in 1963 Nairobi became the capital of independent Kenya. Since then it has become East Africa's commercial and diplomatic hub, home to United Nations headquarters and a pioneer of mobile money.
A railway depot is founded on the Uganda Railway
Nairobi replaces Mombasa as capital of the British East Africa Protectorate
Nairobi National Park is gazetted as Kenya's first national park
A state of emergency is declared over the Mau Mau uprising
Kenya gains independence, with Nairobi as its capital
The United Nations Environment Programme is headquartered in the city
Daphne Sheldrick founds the trust that runs the elephant orphanage
Kenya burns its ivory stockpile in Nairobi National Park
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Everywhere
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type G
240 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+254
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Kenya eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Nairobi
▸ When is the best time to visit Nairobi?
June to October and December to March are the best months. June to August is dry and cool, with chilly mornings at this altitude, and lines up with the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara. April and May bring the long rains and November the short rains, which turn park tracks muddy and traffic worse.
▸ Can you really see big game in Nairobi National Park?
Yes. Rhino, lion, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and many antelope live in the park, and it is one of the best places in Kenya to see black rhino. Early morning is best. The one big absence is elephants, which you will see at the orphanage instead.
▸ How many days do I need in Nairobi?
Two days covers the national park, the elephant orphanage, the Giraffe Centre and the Blixen museum. Add a third for the National Museum, Karura Forest or a day trip into the Rift Valley. Many visitors simply bookend a safari with a night at each end.
▸ Is Nairobi safe for visitors?
Most visits pass without trouble, but petty theft and snatching happen. Use ride-hail or a hotel taxi after dark rather than walking, keep phones out of sight on busy downtown streets, and do not carry valuables. Check your own government's current advice before travelling.
▸ How do I get from Nairobi to the Masai Mara?
By road it is a long drive of around five to six hours through the Rift Valley, usually as part of a safari package. The faster option is a light-aircraft flight from Wilson Airport, which lands at airstrips inside the reserve in under an hour.
▸ Is Nairobi expensive?
It ranges widely. Local food, matatus and markets are cheap, while international hotels, safari-style lodges in Karen and park visits for foreigners are expensive. The big cost is usually the safari you start from here rather than the city itself.
More in Kenya
Masai Mara (Narok)
The Serengeti's northern third under a Kenyan name: the Mara River crossings in season, and some of the finest big-cat viewing in Africa the rest of the year.
✓ best Feb, Jun-Oct, DecMombasa
Fort Jesus, a Swahili Old Town and reef-sheltered beaches, all within half an hour of each other.
✓ best Mar, Jun-Sep, Dec-JanMount Kenya (Nanyuki)
Africa's second summit, rockier and far quieter than Kilimanjaro, with a trekking peak fit walkers can reach and two true summits only climbers can.
✓ best Jun-Jul, Jan-Feb