Nairobi Attractions for 1 Day

Most visitors to Kenya come for safaris and wildlife. However, most flights land in the capital city, Nairobi, so I recommend spending at least one full day here. We stayed for three nights in Nairobi, but trust me, a full day is enough.

Admittedly, Nairobi is quite dirty, chaotic, bustling, and yet worth seeing-like all cities in East Africa. However, you should take some time to visit the sights of this metropolis of 4.4 million inhabitants to understand the extreme contrasts between the townships and the financial district. Whether Nairobi is beautiful is a moot point. Not beautiful, but worth seeing. More than one day in Nairobi can overwhelm many.

Do you want to feed giraffes, get up close to baby elephants being fed, or take a tour of downtown Nairobi with former street children? Then read on. Because even a short stopover in Nairobi is worth it. Here are our tips and highlights for 1 to 2 days in Nairobi.

In Nairobi, you can actually do more than you initially think. We visited these notable places and activities (in our eyes, must-sees).

Further down, you will find additional attractions in the city that we didn't find as exciting or places we didn't visit, like the Nairobi National Park, since we spent two full weeks in the Masai Mara after our stay in Nairobi. It's hard to beat the wildlife experience in Kenya.

An unforgettable experience is feeding giraffes and feeling their rough tongues. You can get so close to these animals only here, as they often run away in the savanna when they encounter people on foot or in vehicles.

The Giraffe Center is an important facility for the breeding of the endangered Rothschild giraffes in Kenya. There are only about 900 of these left in the wild. Here you can see the differences among the giraffes. In the Masai Mara, for example, we only saw Maasai giraffes:

This facility and the associated reserves are supported by us visitors and guests at the nearby Giraffe Manor Hotel.

The Giraffe Center opens at 9 AM. It's best to be there right when it opens, as it's still very empty then.

Entry Fee: Tourists 1500 KES and locals 200 KES

A night at the Giraffe Center Hotel costs about 400 Euros.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (also known as Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage) is a great place that will surely touch your heart. It is an elephant orphanage located in Nairobi National Park. Traumatized, orphaned, and injured baby elephants are brought here to be raised and trained for later release.

Baby elephants from all over Kenya are rescued to provide them with a loving sanctuary at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Entry is strictly limited to a certain number of people for one hour each day. You have the chance to learn the story of each elephant. They are fed, given bottles, and you might even have the chance to pet them. Very traumatized elephants are not shown to the public and are gently cared for.

Currently, rhinos and giraffes are being raised here and later reintroduced into the wild.

Important note about the tour:

Book your ticket ONLY directly on the website or with a reputable provider (safari provider from your accommodation), and NOT on GetYourGuide or Viator. These providers frequently overbook their tours, so your chances are like a lottery and stand at 50:50 that you will get in. We had one booking too few and a lot of trouble and frustration.

Tours take place only from 11 AM to 12 PM once a day.

You can later adopt an elephant for $50 for one year and thus support the facility.

Sometimes (almost never) you might see a small rhino as well.

Book tours only on the official website, at least 3 months in advance.

Note: To support the organization, you can also adopt elephants and rhinos via their website. For 50 Euros a year, you will receive regular updates about your orphan. If you're in Kenya, you'll also get a guided tour in the evening as a sponsor. I directly adopted a baby elephant named Taabu on site. Thus, I support the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for three years.

If you want to know more about the life of David Sheldrick and the organization he founded, you can watch the film "Return to the Wild" (currently only available on Apple TV) or read the books: An African Love Story: My Life Among Elephants and Unsung Heroes (both books were published after his death by his wife).

On this tour conducted by former street children, you can get to know the 'real Nairobi.'

From Uptown you head to Downtown (not a slum). Where there are no trash cans, and waste is literally everywhere on the streets. Where many people have no home or job, and you shouldn't venture without locals.

The Kenyan capital is not called 'Nairobbery' for nothing. We don't walk long before Kismet (one of the tour founders) points to two boys and says 'Those are pickpockets.'

During the tour, Tsunami and Kismet (everyone gets a companion) share their personal stories, often involving dropping out of elementary school, poverty, imprisonment, drugs, until they found a job with the Storytelling Experience.

Downtown Nairobi is not a slum, but a place where no white person should wander. In three hours, including lunch at a local kibanda (restaurant) and a visit to a hidden market where only locals mingle, we get the chance to look into the lives of the locals.

Other places include the railway station, Kariakor Market, OTC, River Side, just to name a few attractions. You can't explore Nairobi more authentically than this.

We booked the tour through GetYourGuide. The 3-hour tour cost us 35 Euros per person. You should reserve your ticket in advance here, as spaces are limited.

We asked locals which attractions they would recommend. Here are their responses for places we didn't manage to visit (or places we visited but didn't find as noteworthy as some guidebooks make you believe). This isn't worry because we will surely return someday.

Nairobi is also famous for the Nairobi National Park, where you can observe giraffes, zebras, and even lions right in the city.

In addition to the highlights mentioned above, Nairobi is famous for the Nairobi National Park. You can go on a game drive right from the city center and marvel at lions, elephants, zebras, and giraffes. If you have time and absolutely want a photo of a lion with the skyline, you should visit the adjacent national park that shares the city's name.

The park covers 117 km² and gives you the chance to see the Big Five. The gates open as early as 6 AM. This is the best time for a game drive. We briefly considered it but passed, as we were headed to the Masai Mara for two weeks afterward. Make sure to watch out when driving along the highway, as you may often see animals from the car. We saw giraffes, zebras, and buffaloes.

You can also book your visit in combination with a game drive from 6 to 10:30 AM and a trip to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust with many providers.

Are you a fan of the novel Out of Africa? Danish author Karen Blixen married her cousin and in 1913 established a coffee farm near Nairobi with him. She became famous due to the film adaptation of her novel of the same name, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.

The house was purchased by the Kenyan state in 1986 and today is open for public viewing as a museum. Some original furniture and film props are still present. For fans of the book or the movie, visiting the Karen Blixen Museum is a must.

Entry Fee Adults: 1,200 KES, Children under 16 years: 600 KES

Website of the National Museums of Kenya

Book a tour with transfer via Get Your Guide.

The US Embassy was located on Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi until 1998. On August 7, the terrorist attack by al-Qaeda destroyed the embassy in Nairobi and simultaneously in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), killing a total of 224 people. In the park, there is a memorial plaque with all the names reported dead after the attack. You can also watch a film explaining and showing the events. There are many stories and images and nice spots to reflect.

Entry costs 100 KES.

If you want a great view of Nairobi and the national park (on clear days, even Mount Kenya), you must visit the KICC.

Would you like to learn more about Kenya's history and the landscape's characteristics (including flora and fauna)? Then you should visit the National Museum. There is a snake farm in the adjoining botanical garden.

If you've never been to a tea farm, you can visit this farm as part of a tour and learn how tea is made. Since I've previously visited tea farms in Uganda and Sri Lanka, this was not a must for me.

Here I've compiled some tips and useful information for Nairobi, the largest city in Kenya.

There are direct flights from Germany to Nairobi to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) with Lufthansa. The outbound flight is during the day, and the return flight is in the late evening.

You could also book flights with a stopover. For climate protection reasons, I prefer to avoid that. We always search for flights on Skyscanner.

Note: It is forbidden to import plastic bags into Kenya.

Do you want to book a hotel in the bustling center or prefer to book outside? We stayed at the Wildebeest Eco Lodge outside. We indulged in the Deluxe tent. Unfortunately, the tents are a bit dark in July because we always kept the openings closed due to the cold. The accommodation outside is quieter, with better air and more authentic feels in traditional or glamping tents.

Traffic chaos is almost always present in Nairobi. Sometimes it's only during rush hours in the morning and evening, but sometimes all day until nightfall.

There is almost always traffic in Nairobi. Since our accommodation wasn't in the center (the advantage: peace and the sounds of hyenas and lions from Nairobi National Park at night), we relied on popular taxi apps like UBER and Bolt.

If you're looking for adventure, you can book a Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi). They're as common in East Africa as the white minibuses known as 'Matatus.' The prices for both modes of transport are very cheap. However, a Matatu only starts when it's full. And when I say full, it means overloaded in Africa.

The main attractions like the Giraffe Center, Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, and the museums are safe to visit without concern. However, I wouldn't recommend visiting the downtown area without a local guide. The bustling crowds and chaos can overwhelm many. Additionally, there are certain rules (see the next point) that you should adhere to. The Foreign Office advises against visiting areas like Eastleigh, Pangani, and slum areas, as they are dangerous. Incidents of fake police demanding money are increasing. When traveling with locals, they know the tricks and can advise you on how to avoid these encounters.

In general, avoid carrying valuables openly. I didn't carry a camera in the city, only my phone.

1. Do not take photos in Uptown Nairobi

2. Always carry your passport (or at least a copy)

3. It's best to always have 100 Kenyan Shilling handy to pay people if threatened

4. Smoking is only allowed in certain places (not clear to us)

These were the first and most important rules that were impressed upon us. Why no photos in Uptown? People do not like to be photographed and Al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda are still present in Nairobi and fear being discovered.

The passport serves to demonstrate that during a police check, no one can claim you are in the country illegally. Locals claim this happens quite often. Policemen then want money, so it's better to have your original passport.

You don't need to have the 100 KES if you are with locals during the Storytelling Experience like we were.

We didn't understand why the smoking ban was in place. Since we're non-smokers, it didn't matter to us.

The most commonly spoken languages in Nairobi and Kenya are Kiswahili (Swahili) and English. Kiswahili is the most widely spoken Bantu language in the world.

The most commonly spoken languages are. Particularly in the slums, the youth language Sheng is prevalent. There are about 70 other languages spoken by various tribes. You will generally do well with English.

Payments are made either with Kenyan Shillings or US dollars. For the latter, you should ensure to carry only new and somewhat intact bills. ATMs are scarce, especially in rural areas, so be sure to pack a little extra cash.

The currency in Kenya is Kenyan Shilling (KES), currently the exchange rate is about 1 Kenyan Shilling = 0.0080 Euro.

Currently, the best free credit cards for travel are the DKB Bank Debit Card, GenialCard (Hanseatic Bank), and the Mastercard Gold from TF Bank. With a setup of at least two of these cards, you can almost always withdraw cash at ATMs abroad or pay on-site without incurring foreign transaction fees!-> Here you can find all my tips and experience for the best travel credit cards compared.

In Kenya, it is customary to tip drivers, guides, service personnel in restaurants or hotels at least 10%.

It's best to carry minimal cash. If you need something, then really just a minimal amount. In Kenya, everyone uses mobile money network Mpesa (a type of better PayPal). I recommend buying a Safaricom SIM card (available directly at the airport), so you can download the app, link it to your phone number, and use it.

In Kenya, G sockets with a voltage of 240 V are used. In many (but not all) accommodations, my plugs also fit without an adapter. Nevertheless, I brought an adapter for Kenya along. I own this adapter with 2 additional USB ports.

You can actually visit Nairobi all year round. However, it depends on what else you want to experience in Kenya. For the great animal migration of wildebeests, the best months are July - September. However, it is winter then, with temperatures around 19 to 24 degrees. At night, temperatures can drop to 10 degrees. In non-insulated accommodations, it can get quite chilly. July is the coldest and driest month.

Kenya lies on the equator, and thus has an equatorial climate. There are two dry seasons (December - February and June - August), which define the main travel time. The coldest month is July (daytime temperature around 19 - 24°C). Be sure to always wear a head covering because the sun burns intensely at the equator. It is often underestimated.

In European winter, it is summer here. It's hot and nights are often pleasantly warm. I was here in July.

What was your highlight? If you have additional tips, I'd love to hear them in the comments section at the end of this article. If you are currently planning your trip and have questions, feel free to leave them here as a comment! I hope my favorite highlights in Nairobi have also made you eager to visit the capital city of Kenya.

Do you want to receive the best travel and insider tips? Then follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Threads or subscribe to my newsletter for regular updates and exclusive tips.

♥ Do you like my tips? Say thank you with a coffee ☕️ My articles are the result of extensive research, personal experiences, and honest recommendations - completely without AI. I write them to help you plan your travels stress-free with real, tested tips. If you enjoy my work and just want to say thank you, I appreciate a small donation to my virtual travel fund. Every contribution helps me continue creating high-quality content for you with independence and passion. Thank you!

Trust is important: In some of my articles, you will find referral links (affiliate links). If you book or purchase something through one of these links, it won't cost you extra - but I receive a small commission. This way, you can support me without extra effort and help me keep this blog alive. Thank you for being part of my community and sharing my passion for authentic travel!