15 BEST PLACES TO VISIT WHILE IN NAIROBI

Some of the things to do in Nairobi are some of the most unique things that you can do in the world.  Most of the tourist attractions listed below are a bit outside the city core excluding the Masai market.  Being the financial hub and largest city in all of Eastern Africa, Nairobi is very unique in that it blends the vast wildlife with the various cultures in the region.  You can get a great taste of nature since most of the tourist attractions include getting up close and personal with animals.

 

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 1.  Nairobi National Park

In spite of Nairobi's increasing expansion and population, this is still a place where, with a bit of luck, you can see a fair sample of Kenya's wildlife. This is a park in the middle of the capital city of Kenya.

At the Nairobi National Park you will find all your safari needs. While on safari then you can see all of The Big 5 (excluding the elephant) at the park. You can picnic at the park and for those that are adventurous you can even camp there as well.  There are plenty of opportunities to see a variety of animals throughout the park.

In the park there are some attractions visible. This are the Animal orphanage and the Nairobi safari walk.

Safari Walk

Safari Walk is located at the main entrance of Nairobi National Park and is a great place where you can learn about Kenya’s parks and reserves as well as seeing a variety of animals.

Nairobi Animal Orphanage

The animal orphanage is also at the main entrance of the national park and is a great place to get up close and personal with all kinds of animals.  At the orphanage you will have the opportunity to play with a cheetah.

 

       2. The Giraffe Center

Located right next to the popular Giraffe Manor (hotel that features giraffes), you can stand on a platform and touch and feed the giraffes.  It’s a great way to get up close and personal with giraffes and take great pictures as well.

3.David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

For the conservationists, and those who love elephants, this is a MUST SEE.    It is not far outside Nairobi City Center the elephant orphanage is inside the Nairobi National Park.  To see the orphan elephants you must go between 11am and 12pm (daily). You can also sponsor the orphans if you would like. Take Shillings to buy souvenirs’ including T-Shirts, Bags, Soap stone carvings and other memorabilia in support of the elephants.

 

4.     Karen Blixen Museum

Karen Blixen Museum was once the centre piece of a farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills owned by Danish Author Karen and her Swedish Husband, Baron Bror von Blixen Fincke. Located 10km from the city centre, the Museum belongs to a different time period in the history of Kenya. By visiting the museum you will get to know much about the location of Out of Africa and hearing the stories about this woman who did so much. Well-maintained, informative guide and worth the quick trip over.

  

5. Karura Forest Reserve

Karura Forest Reserve is located in the northern part of Nairobi city. At 1,041 hectares, it is one of the largest urban gazetted forests in the world.  The forest contains nearly all the 605 species of wildlife found in Nairobi. This is a perfect place to recollect and relax looking at the plantations such as the Eucalyptus saligna, indigenous trees such as Croton megalocarpus locally known as ‘leleshwa’ and also some shrubs such as Solanum incanum locally known as (Mutongu) and listening to the music from the birds. Other attractions include: Mau Mau caves,Scenic waterfalls and rivers, Picnic sites, Marked walking trails, Small wetlands that are habitats for birds, The incinerator formerly used by Central Bank of Kenya to burn old currency notes and The area about which the late Professor Wangari Maathai carried out a campaign against illegal acquisition of forest land. Karura is good for Forest walks,  Forest drives, Bird watching, Butterfly watching, Cycling,  Running, picnicking retreat, prayers etc and more so nature lovers its take you there.

   6.  Nairobi National Museum 

The Nairobi National Museum is the flagship brand for the National Museums of Kenya. Located on Museum Hill, the museum showcases Kenya's rich Heritage with four distinct themes representing Kenya's Culture, Nature, History and Contemporary Art. Other attractions within the compound include the Snake Park and Botanical Gardens as well as a State of the Art Auditorium that occasionally hosts concerts, film shows and other events. Dining and shopping facilities await you after your tour with us in our commercial wing. Enjoy your visit with us at the National Museum.

Nairobi Snake Park

The Snake Park is an exciting place to visit, whether you have stopped in Nairobi and are looking for something to do or you have some free time on your hands.

Located at the Nairobi National Museum grounds, the snake park is what scientist or museum experts, would call a 'live exhibition'. And you can understand why, the "exhibits" are truly alive, unlike the ones in the museum itself.

Here you will find more than just snakes, let the name not fool you. The main attraction is the snakes of course but there's also plant life that you could learn from, an aquarium with all sorts of fish (like catfish, tilapia), crocodiles, alligators, birds, lizards, monitor lizards, turtles and tortoises. Plan to spend no less than an hour as you go through the park.

    7. Bomas of Kenya

Bomas of Kenya is a tourist village in Langata, Nairobi. Bomas (homesteads) displays traditional villages belonging to the several Kenyan tribes. Each boma (homestead) in this cultural village was built using traditional specifications of myriad Kenyan tribes; through architecture, crafts, music and dance this village serves to preserve Kenyan culture.

8. Nairobi Railway Museum

Kenya Railways represents the historical growth of this country and Nairobi Railway Museum narrates the tale of this country’s evolvement; indeed it is the rail that developed Kenya to the country it is now! The Nairobi Railway Museum provides answers to many unanswered questions concerning the early history of the railway and Kenya’s development.

9. Kenya National Archives

The Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service was officially established by an Act of Parliament in 1965.This centrally located collection contains historic photographs, Kenyan crafts and paintings. 

 

10. Nairobi Gallery  Built in 1913, this Old PC's office building was fondly referred to as 'Hatches, Matches and Dispatches' because of the births, marriages and deaths that were recorded here.  The Nairobi gallery is located right in the heart of Nairobi City next to Nyayo House. Today, the museum holds temporary exhibitions all year round giving visitors something new to look forward to.  Currently they are displaying an amazing exhibit of photographs from the 2007-2008 election crises entitled Kenya On Fire. These amazing and tragic photos are not to be missed.

   11. Kibera 

Kibera is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya, and neighborhood of the city of Nairobi, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. This is a place worth visiting as one gets to see how people in the slums dwell.

 

12. Maasai (Masai) Market

The Maasai Market is the destination where you want to buy all of your tourist souvenirs.  You can find the market in Nairobi on weekends where you will find a massive collection of all kinds of things to buy.  You can find anything from clothes to wooden and brass carvings. 

   13.  The Matatu Experience

After you ride a Matatu your experience with local transportation will never be the same.  Blaring sound systems and giant flat screen TVs are part of the ride.  At night you will find neon lights both inside and outside the vehicles.  These type of Matatus are typically unique to Kenya.

Friendly tip: Make sure you ask how much the ride is before you get on.

    14. Ngong Hills

The Ngong Hills are peaks in a ridge along the Great Rift Valley, located southwest near Nairobi, in southern Kenya. This is a beautiful area for a day trip or afternoon drive - made famous in Out Of Africa as Karen Blixen loved them. Mostly people a hike and it’s a best place for relaxation

      15. African Heritage House 

The African Heritage House overlooking the Nairobi National Park is described by the Architectural Digest as "an architecture arising from the sere Kenyan plain like an outcropping of earth, a vision of usefulness informed by the African genius for decoration" .Inside one journeys through a spectrum of African textiles, masks, art, artifacts, crafts, books and photographs. Designed by American Alan Donovan, co-founder of the African Heritage, Africa's first Pan African Gallery, the house is a combination of the mud architecture from across Africa.