Before we share the best places to visit in Nairobi, let’s give you a little overview of the city. Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and the largest city in Kenya. Its name means “cold water”. Nairobi came into existence in 1899 when it was founded by the British as a railway depot. It quickly became the top tea and coffee destination. Today, Nairobi is the 12th largest city in Africa and the largest city in East Africa. It has some of the best tourist spots in Kenya and East Africa with plenty of attractions to keep business people and visitors happy. If you are a visitor you may need to take an organized tour provided by a guide to be on the safe side.
Best Tourist Spots in Nairobi: Amazing Destinations to Visit
These are some of the most beautiful places to visit in Nairobi. They all offer different attractions and with a good guide you can enjoy your visit to Nairobi.
1. Dame Sheldrick’s Elephant and Rhino Orphanage
Working in a Tsavo National Park since the 1950s, Dame Sheldrick has been raising orphan elephants. In late 1970 she opened a nursery for rhinos and elephants which is part of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. The orphanage is located in Nairobi National Park. You can visit the orphanage for one hour every day at 11am. If you are interested in adopting elephants, you should stop by at 5:00 p.m. every day. At this point, the baby elephants are fed and given a mud bath.
2. National Museum of Nairobi
Established in 1920, this museum was established in 1929 at its current location on Museum Hill and is approximately 10 minutes drive from Nairobi city center. It is accessible by both public and private transport. Visitors have the opportunity to learn more about Kenya’s history, paleontology, art and culture. It contains anthropological discoveries by the Leakey family and a huge collection of stuffed birds. This place has two restaurants and a botanical garden. It is open all year round and visiting hours are from 8.30am to 5.30pm every day. Visit this museum if you love history and want to discover the roots of “Kenya”.
See also: 10 Most Popular Kenyan Cities to Live In
3. Kibera Slum Tour
It is a place where a million Kenyan tribesmen live. They all live in an area of about 2.5 km². The tour in this region benefits the local community by providing a better life for Kiberans. The local guides are the Kiberans giving an insight into their daily life. If you are on a Kibera tour you have to walk and explore the place. If you want to take photos, you should ask their permission first.
4. Karen Blixen Museum
It is located in Danish author Karen Blixen’s farmhouse at the foot of the Ngong Hills, built in 1912. This museum sells handicrafts and African souvenirs. The opening times are daily from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
5. Giraffe Center
It is a center where the rare Rothschild giraffes are live bred. This center was established in the 1970s. The office hour is from 9am to 5.30pm if you would like to take a tour. You can also spend a night or two at Giraffe Manor.
6. Kazuri Bead Factory and Ceramic Center
It’s a good place for those who like local handicrafts. Pottery, beads and leather goods made by the local women. The factory now has more than 300 women. You can walk around the factory and see pots and beads being glazed and fired. The opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 8.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
7. Shops in Nairobi
There are many gift shops in the Nairobi malls and upscale hotels. If you like bargaining, you should try the Maasai market. It is located in various locations around the city and is open on alternate days.
8. Nairobi National Park
This park was established in 1946. It is located 7 km from the city center. It is home to cheetah, giraffe, hyena, buffalo, eland and many other animals and birds.
9. Uhuru Gardens
Uhuru Gardens is the largest memorial park in Kenya. It is located on Lang’ata Road in Nairobi. It commemorates notable events in Kenya including President Jomo Kenyatta’s inauguration ceremony; Kenya’s first President, executed there on December 12, 1963 after Kenya’s independence. Among the attractions in this park is a 24-meter-tall monument depicting Kenya’s struggle for independence. On one side is the statue of freedom fighters raising the flag of Kenya. You will also see the monuments of the fountain.
10. Bomas of Kenya
Bomas of Kenya was established by the Kenyan government in 1971 to serve as a thumbnail of Kenya. It is 10 km from Nairobi city center and approximately 1 km from the main entrance of the game-rich Nairobi National Park. The sole purpose of its existence is to preserve, preserve and promote the rich and diverse cultural values of Kenya’s diverse ethnic groups so that visitors can see much of Kenya’s diverse cultures in their purest form. The items on display include various aspects of Kenyan culture including lifestyle, handicrafts, art, music and dance. The traditional and acrobatic dances are just some of the special features that you can see on weekdays from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on weekends and public holidays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Other interesting places to visit in Nairobi
Lake Naivasha
Lake Naivasha is one of the freshwater lakes located a few hours from Naivasha. It is spectacular for viewing game and wildlife in their natural habitat and offers one of the most amazing tourist attractions in Kenya. The lake is a natural habitat for a wide variety of wildlife, including more than 400 different species of birds. You can also get up close and interact with large Kenyan animals such as the rhino, leopard and lion to name a few (with extreme caution of course).
Mamba village
Would you expect to find a lot of mamba snakes here? Maybe, but this pleasant park is home to many ostriches and crocodiles. If you’re busy, you can interact directly with more than 70 Nile crocodiles and even hold a baby crocodile with the help of an experienced guide if you’d like.
US Embassy Memorial (Central District)
The site of the former US Embassy has a memorial that can be visited. This comes after a terrorist attack in 1998, when a bomb attack rocked the city of Nairobi, in close proximity to the US embassy, reducing 212 people, including employees and bystanders, to rubble.