15 best things to do in Nairobi: our top picks

Most people flying into Kenya land in Nairobi but head straight out to the coast or the game parks. If you stick around for a bit, though, you’ll start to see a different side of the country. Nairobi moves fast, has great food, and there’s plenty to do before you leave the city behind. Here are a few of the best things to do in Nairobi.

1. Get the context in Kibera

Around 60% of Nairobi’s population lives in informal settlements, which only cover about 2.3 square miles (6% of the city’s land). Kibera is the largest, and while it can be confronting at first, a tour with someone who lives there can shift your perspective. 

Guided tours led by local residents provide respectful insight into daily life, showcasing innovative solutions like vertical gardens, community schools, and thriving small businesses. Visitors witness incredible entrepreneurship, from metalwork cooperatives to women's groups creating beautiful beadwork. The experience challenges preconceptions while highlighting the dignity, hope, and determination of Kibera's residents.

Be sure to take a tour with a trusted operator (Kibera Tours or Explore Kibera both run reliable and responsible excursions) or a local NGO worker.

2. The Nairobi National Museum

By far the biggest and best museum in the country, and a good introduction to Kenyan culture and natural history, visiting Nairobi National Museum is one of the best things to do in Nairobi. The Great Hall of Mammals has some impressive displays: giraffes, elephants, zebras and okapi all feature in a few excellent dioramas, and the majority of the country’s mammals are on display along the walls.

But the most interesting part is probably the fossil section. Some of the oldest human remains ever found are here, including pieces connected to the Leakey family’s digs.

The ethnography galleries showcase Kenya's 42 tribes through traditional artifacts, ceremonial objects, and contemporary art. The museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions featuring contemporary African artists and cultural themes. 

3. Shopping

If you’re looking for handmade goods, start with the Maasai Market. It moves to a different location each day, so it’s worth checking ahead, but you’ll find everything from beadwork and kangas to carved animals and bowls.

For something more low-key, the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden has locally made products like soap, home goods, and coffee, plus a café in the garden. If you want a more typical retail setup, Westgate and Sarit Centre have both international chains and shops with contemporary Kenyan design. 

The Kazuri Bead Centre runs short factory tours where you can see how the ceramic jewelry is made—it’s all done by hand and supports single mothers. Utamaduni Craft Centre brings together work from across the region, including textiles, paintings, and carvings. It's an easy way to support local makers and pick up something you won’t see elsewhere.

4. See big cats just outside the city

You don’t have to travel far from Nairobi to see lions, rhinos, or even a leopard—Nairobi National Park is just 4 miles (7 km) from downtown. It covers around 45 square miles (117 sq km) and has over 400 species of animals, including buffalo, lions, rhinos, and leopards. Elephants don’t live in the park year-round, but they sometimes pass through during seasonal migrations.

The best time to go is right after sunrise. That’s when animals are most active, and the light is good for seeing them clearly. When you arrive, ask a ranger what's been seen recently—they usually have good updates. If you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a leopard. Black rhinos live here too, and calving season is a good time to see young animals with their mothers.

5. Bomas of Kenya

 Bomas of Kenya is a cultural center where you can walk through different traditional homesteads from across the country. The name "bomas" means homesteads, and the site includes replicas of villages from communities like the Kikuyu, Maasai, Luhya, Kamba, and Luo. Each one shows how people used to (and sometimes still) build homes, cook, and make crafts.

There are daily performances with traditional music, dancing, and storytelling, often using handmade drums, horns, and string instruments. You’ll likely see performers in ceremonial dress. Around the grounds, artisans demonstrate pottery, weaving, and other skills. You can also try local food.

It’s one of the best things to do in Nairobi to learn more about how people live in different parts of Kenya—and it supports those who are keeping these traditions going.

6. Visit baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Just outside Nairobi, this elephant nursery takes care of calves that have lost their herds to poaching, drought, or human-wildlife conflict. The trust was founded by Daphne Sheldrick and has raised more than 250 elephants over the years. Most are eventually released into the wild in Tsavo National Park.

There’s one public hour each day when you can visit. The keepers bring out the elephants, feed them with big milk bottles, and let them play in the mud. 

Some will come right up to the edge of the viewing area. The staff tell each elephant’s story—how they were found, what kind of care they needed, and how they’re doing now. The keepers live with the elephants around the clock, helping them heal and slowly get ready for life in the wild.

7. See the beginnings of man at the Olorgesailie Prehistoric Site

About an hour outside Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley, Olorgesailie is where you can actually stand in the same place early humans once lived. 

It’s a key archaeological site, with tools and fossils dating back around 1.2 million years. You’ll come across hand axes and cleavers made by Homo erectus, along with fossilized bones from animals like ancient baboons and hippos. 

The museum on site gives helpful background, and newer discoveries show early humans using pigment and possibly trading across long distances. The landscape itself is worth a look too—layers of exposed earth show how the environment has changed over time.
If you take a guided tour, it's usually led by someone who knows the excavation history well and can walk you through the latest findings.

8. Meeting Rothschild Giraffes at Langata Giraffe Centre

Roughly 30 minutes from downtown Nairobi, the Giraffe Centre focuses on helping the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe. Thanks to its breeding program, giraffes from here now live in protected areas like Lake Nakuru and Soysambu, and visiting here is by far one of the best things to do in Nairobi.

When you visit, you can feed them pellets from a raised platform—their 20-inch (50 cm) tongues are part of the experience. Kids especially tend to love it.

There’s also a short walking trail through a patch of nearby forest and sometimes conservation talks or short films in the auditorium. It’s a good place to stop, especially if you’re traveling to Kenya with kids.

9. The Nairobi Arboretum

Just outside the center of town, the Nairobi Arboretum covers about 74 acres (30 hectares) and makes a quiet break from the traffic and is one of the best things to do in Nairobi. It was originally planted in 1907 as a test ground for different tree species, and now has over 350 varieties from across the world. 

You’ll walk through stands of eucalyptus, jacarandas, and old fig trees, and you’ll probably hear or see a few of the 100-plus bird species that live here—like weavers, sunbirds, and turacos. 

Many come here to jog or walk in the mornings and evenings, and families bring picnics on the weekends. There’s also a small lake that attracts water birds.

10. Oloolua Nature Trail

If you want to get into nature without going too far from Nairobi, Oloolua is an easy option. It's tucked away in the Karen area, about 7 miles (11 km) from the city center, and gives you a quiet walk through indigenous forest. 

The trail runs through tall trees, a small gorge, and past a waterfall that’s nice to cool off near after walking in the heat. There’s a cave along the path—formed by old volcanic activity—that’s usually empty except for a few bats or hikers ducking out of a rainstorm. 

You might see colobus monkeys or bushbucks, and if you’re interested in birds, keep an eye out for the Hartlaub’s turaco. It’s a good way to spend a couple of hours outdoors without committing to a full day trip.

11. Kenyatta International Convention Centre

The KICC stands out in the Nairobi skyline with its round tower and rooftop helipad. When it opened in 1973, it was the tallest building in the city at 340 feet (105 meters). It held that title until Times Tower went up in the early 2000s at 455 feet (140 meters). 

You can buy a ticket in the lobby and take the elevator to the top for a clear view across the city—on good days you can see as far as the Ngong Hills. The building itself has a bit of a retro feel, with a round amphitheater on top and a cylindrical base that makes it easy to pick out from just about anywhere downtown.

12. Nairobi Snake Park

Right next to the National Museum, the Snake Park is a small, straightforward place to learn about snakes and reptiles in East Africa. There are over 200 animals here, from black mambas and cobras to large pythons and smaller species you may not know. 

The enclosures are well maintained, and staff often hang around to answer questions or do feeding demos. You’ll also see crocodiles, tortoises, and lizards.

There's a section about how to treat snakebites and clear up some of the local myths. Behind the scenes, the park helps with venom extraction for antivenom research. And if you're comfortable, you can handle one of the calmer snakes under supervision.

13. The Ngong Hills

Just outside Nairobi to the west, the Ngong Hills stretch across the skyline like a row of knuckles—and that’s actually what the name means in Maasai. The range includes seven peaks, and if you’re up for a bit of a workout, it makes a great day hike. 

The ridgeline can be steep and windy, but the views are worth it. You’ll see the Great Rift Valley below, and on clear days, you might even catch a glimpse of Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance. Wind turbines now line the ridge, adding a modern layer to the landscape. 

Parts of the trail pass through indigenous forest, where you might see colobus monkeys or hear birds calling. The open grasslands sometimes have gazelles or zebras.

It’s a place with cultural meaning for local Maasai communities—some guides from the area lead hikes that include stories and traditional knowledge. Due to past safety concerns, Kenya Wildlife Service rangers typically walk with hikers now.

14. Enjoy Nairobi cuisine and trying Kenyan coffee

Eating your way through Nairobi is part of the experience. You’ll find no-frills places serving ugali (a cornmeal dough), nyama choma (grilled meat), and sukuma wiki (braised greens), usually seasoned simply but well. 

Street vendors are everywhere, selling fried snacks like mandazi or samosas, alongside fresh fruit—mango, pineapple, passionfruit—all cut to go. 

If you’re curious about the high-end side of things, some restaurants play with Kenyan ingredients in more experimental ways, mixing local staples with international styles. 

And if you’re interested in coffee, going to a tasting is one of the best things to do in Nairobi. Grown in high-altitude volcanic soil, Kenyan beans are known for their bright, citrusy character. You can book a tour at a nearby coffee farm to see the process from harvest to roasting.

15. Visit Uhuru Gardens Memorial Park

Uhuru Gardens is a public park with a strong historical focus. It marks the site where Kenya declared independence in 1963. The central feature is a 79-foot (24-meter) monument representing the country’s journey to self-rule. 

Around the park you’ll find other sculptures, plaques, and historical displays, along with a small artificial lake, a fountain, and walking paths. There’s also a playground area, so it draws both families and visitors who want to learn a bit more about Kenya’s past. It’s a quiet place to walk around and take a break.