Nairobi City Tour | Things To See & Do
Kenya is where modern-day African safari originated and at the heart of this legendary destination lies Nairobi, its capital city. Nairobi is the gateway to Kenya and, because most safaris to Masai Mara and beyond start or end here, a short stop in the Green City in the Sun is almost unavoidable.
If you can’t travel straight away to your next safari destination after landing, don’t worry, there are many exciting things to see and do in Nairobi. In fact, we suggest that you allow at least a one or two day Nairobi city tour to absorb the best of this vibrant, culturally-rich capital as you get yourself ready for those pre-dawn safari wake-up calls!
Nairobi city has pace and heart, and is a place where skyscrapers jostle with traditional vendors, where Maasai shukas rub up against business suits.
A little about Nairobi City, Kenya
Nairobi city began in 1899 as a rail depot and trading centre for Kenya’s coffee, tea and sisal industries. It later grew to become the administrative capital of Kenya as well as the main portal for East African Safari holidays.
Situated along Nairobi River, Nairobi got it’s from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nairobi, meaning ‘Place of Cool Waters’ – in reference to the river. Enkare Nairobi was contracted to Nairobi and today this huge metropolis is also fondly called, ‘The Green City in the Sun’. It is the largest city between Johannesburg in South Africa and Cairo in Egypt.
It is also the only one in the world that has its own game park – Nairobi National Park. English and Swahili are widely spoken, and Tulambule will ensure that you are met at the airport and that all your transfers, activities and accommodation are taken care of.
Best Nairobi City Tour Activities - Things to Do in Nairobi
Nairobi is a big city with plenty to of things to see and do. However, the heavy traffic means planning your time carefully. This is also one of the reasons we recommend up to two days in Nairobi. The heavy traffic here can make you take a long time to travel from one side of the city to the other. And this may have an impact on how many places you can see or things you can do in a day.
1. Visit Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi is truly one of the most unique animal care centers in the whole world.
Where else can you see many baby elephants being fed from giant milk bottles right in front of you? And then after the feeding, watch these elephant babies roll around in the mud, playing, frolicking like little children everywhere.
This world-famous sanctuary rescues orphaned elephants from all around and hand raises them with love and expertise. The Sheldrick Family has been taking in and caring for these baby elephants for more than 40 years.
More than 200 have now been rescued and you can experience up close the expressions of compassion and caring in this very special place. As you plan your Nairobi city tour, please note that this center open to the public for feeding time between 11am and 12pm; try to get there a little earlier to avoid the queues.
2. Tour Nairobi Giraffe Centre
Touring the Giraffe Centre on the Nairobi city tour is a perfect activity for the whole family. Here, you can climb up the feeding tower and hand feed a food pellet to an inquisitive giraffe. Some fortunate visitors have been known to get a giraffe kiss!
This nonprofit conservation centre has been a refuge for the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe since the 1979. It is one of the few places on African continent where it is possible to get so well-acquainted with the world’s tallest animal.
The ticket sales contribute to the breeding programme and also toward offering free conservation education to school children.
3. Safari in Nairobi National Park
Other cities feature zoos, but Nairobi has its very own national park. Proclaimed in 1946, Nairobi National Park stretches 113km²/70miles² across plains, cliffs and forest.
The park is the only place in the world where you can admire thoroughly wild black rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and lions with city skyscrapers as a backdrop!
In Nairobi National Park, you can also see gazelles, warthogs, ostriches, buffaloes, hippos, and over 400 bird species. If you are really lucky, you might see cheetahs and leopards. And all of this before your Kenya safari has even begun.
You can have a guided game drive in the national park or explore the many walking trails and picnic sites. You can also book a night at one of the nearby safari lodges or Nairobi Tented Camp to stay close to the action.
4. Karen Blixen’s House and Museum
A visit to Karen Blixen’s House and Museum is high on the list for many travellers when considering things to do on a Nairobi City tour.
Made famous by the hit movie “Out of Africa” starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, this gorgeous colonial home is where that story began.
Visit the farmhouse that featured prominently in the 1937 memoir, which focused on Blixen setting up home in the country and finding love.
Set below the Ngong Hills, in the smart, leafy district named after her, it is now a museum filled with memorabilia.
Visit the rooms where she lived and worked. On display are relics from her life as well as props from the legendary movie. Also learn more about Kenya’s colonial history.
5. Kazuri Beads and Pottery Centre
Kazuri Beads and Pottery Centre is a testament to self-determination, creativity and the Kenyan spirit. Kazuri means “small and beautiful” in Swahili and the various beads and other ornamentation produced here are truly very beautiful.
This handiwork is the creation of hundreds of skilled and determined women who craft these ceramic beads, making artistic jewelry that is seen and sold all over the world.
The center begun in 1975 with just two single mothers and it has quickly grown as an enterprise for disadvantaged women where they could better themselves and their life opportunities. Here, you can visit the gift shop for souvenirs to support this very special business. The highlight of your visit is likely to be the chance to sit down with the women and watch them work
6. Tour Nairobi National Museum
There are so many points of interest in downtown Nairobi. But easily the most fascinating is the Kenya National Museum.
Here, you could spend an entire morning or afternoon, contemplating the extraordinarily rich human and natural history of Kenya.
You begin with some of the earliest human fossils and end with exhibits dedicated to the country’s diverse human cultures. Detour to mammal and bird displays along the way.
Hominid skulls found near Lake Turkana are displayed in glass cabinets, along with the skeleton of beloved tusker Ahmed the Elephant, which the president famously placed under 24-hour surveillance by 5 armed rangers at the height of the 1980s Kenyan poaching crisis. Nature trails wind through the surrounding botanical gardens.
There is also a snake park.
7. Kenyatta International Conference Centre
Climbing to the top of one of the city’s tallest buildings has to be high – literally! – on any list of things to do on a Nairobi city tour.
The view from the 27th floor, high above the frenzied city streets, is fantastic and just as a marabou stork sees it. If you are lucky, these iconic birds might be circling nearby.
8. Dine at Carnivore – Nairobi Food Tour
Kenyans love their nyama choma (barbecued meat). They dream about it when they cannot have it. And they debate endlessly over which place does it best.
A legend for safari visitors to Nairobi Since 1980, The Carnivore is a world-famous Nairobi restaurant that offers a unique African dining experience.
There is no menu or buffet table here – instead, your party is treated to a ‘Beast of a Feast’ that includes almost every cut of barbequed meat from crocodile and rack of lamb, beef spare ribs, sausage, ostrich and spicy chicken.
The meat is roasted on traditional Maasai swords over a central charcoal pit and is carved at your table onto a sizzling cast-iron plate.
This movable feast continues until you raise ‘a white flag of surrender’, at which point a selection of desserts and Kenyan coffee are served.
A Sample of Nairobi City Tour Itineraries - Nairobi Day Tours
1. Full Day Nairobi City Tour Itinerary
- 8 am: Pick up from your Nairobi hotel and visit Karen Blixen Museum
- 11am: Tour David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and have hunch at the Karen Blixen coffee house restaurant (Tamambo)
- 30 am: Visit the nearby Giraffe centre to view up close and feed the Rothschild giraffe
2. Nairobi National Park & Nairobi City tour
- 30hrs: Pick up from your Nairobi hotel and visit to Nairobi national park. Stop at the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage.
- Lunch at the Karen Blixen coffee garden (Tamambo restaurant)
- Afternoon tour of the Karen Blixen Museum, Giraffe centre and Kazuri Beads Centre
- Tour finishes at 1830hrs when we drop you off at your Nairobi hotel
3. Nairobi City Tour - Half Day
- 8am: You are picked up from your Nairobi hotel for a drive to the Giraffe Centre.
- At 11 am, proceed to the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage.
- Later transfer back to your Nairobi hotel
4. Nairobi National Park Tour - Half Day
- Pick up from your Nairobi hotel and proceed to the Nairobi National Park on an average 5 hour day tour.
- You will follow the wildlife tracks of the park in search of Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Giraffe, Ostrich, Hippo, White and Black Rhino, Buffalo and other game.
- We will also visit other attractions including the Ivory burning site monument and guided walking at the hippo pool trails.
- Later depart for your hotel or airport at end of the tour.
Where to Stay In Nairobi, Kenya?
Choosing where to stay in Nairobi depends on the itinerary you create with your Tulambule Safari Expert. The city has accommodation to suit all travelers, from modern airport hotels and historic grand dames to tented camps that give you your first taste of safari. Most of Nairobi’s upscale hotels are in the ambassadorial enclave known as Karen, which has plenty of restaurants and other ‘must-see’ hotspots nearby
1. Giraffe Manor
The Giraffe Manor is sophisticated and luxurious hotel where you can also share your crumpets with a giraffe at breakfast!
The Manor is home to the endangered Rothschild’s sub-species of giraffe that are known to poke their heads through the windows and doors at breakfast time, looking for treats. Needless to say, this is a firm favourite with children and honeymooners.
Because it is housed in an old manor house, no two suites at The Giraffe Manor are alike. Set in 12 acres of gardens in 140 acres of forest in the Langata area of Nairobi, the giraffes share their home with plenty of birdlife
2. The Boma Hotel
The Boma Hotel is a modern establishment near both Jomo Kenyatta and Wilson airports, making it ideal for a short layover when you have no sightseeing planned. Here, you can unwind from a long flight in a Spa or solar-heated rooftop swimming pool, catch up with friends and family on the Wi-Fi, enjoy a good dinner at a hotel’s Restaurant.
3. Eka Hotel
Another establishment with easy access to both airports and a host of facilities is the Eka Hotel. Here, you can also expect up-to-date suites with air conditioning, satellite television and Internet access, two on-site eateries and a sparkling swimming pool surrounded by a sunny pool deck.
4. Nairobi Tented Camp
To get a true feel for Nairobi, consider staying beyond the city limits. Nairobi Tented Camp is located in Nairobi National Park in a beautiful riverine forest.
The comfortable, down-to-earth tented lodge offers a glimpse into Kenya’s untamed wilderness and is a great way to ease in or out of your East African safari. For first-timers, this is the perfect way to maximize your safari experience or go on a few ‘practice game drives’ before heading out for the real deal.
5. Hemingways Nairobi
Hemingways Nairobi is a sprawling grand hotel set in a beautiful garden estate in Karen, overlooking the Ngong Hills. The Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Manor are located nearby so you can be back after a morning’s excursion in time for high tea on the lawns (or your butler can arrange sundowners for you).
Hemingways’ architecture harks back to a classic era of exposed beams, clapboard walls and wide verandas that catch the cooling breeze.
Rooms are tastefully furnished with comfortable armchairs, 4-poster beds swathed in netting and private balconies. The en suite bathrooms have similar old-fashioned glamour: sink back into a petal-strewn tub as you unwind by candlelight
What to Pack for a Nairobi City Tour
Nairobi’s climate is relatively temperate and differences between seasons are fairly minimal. Winter evenings are chillier, especially in June and July when temperatures can drop to about 9°C/48°F. The mean maximum temperature for summer months from December to March is 24°C/75°F.
The annual rainy season is from about March to May, while intermittent drizzle falls from about November to January. Depending on when you are travelling, we recommend packing;
- Comfortable, closed walking shoes
- A hat or peaked cap
- A fleece or a warm or waterproof jacket
- Sun-protection lotion
If you are eating out at a fine-dining restaurant, pack one smart-casual outfit. Kenyans are modest so try to keep everything from your shoulders to your knees covered – long shorts and T-shirts are perfectly acceptable.
Safety on a Nairobi City Tour
Is Nairobi safe? Admittedly, Nairobi city does not have a great reputation when it comes to crime and safety. Many government travel advisories also warn travelers of the threat of terrorist attacks. However, there are steps every first-time visitor to Kenya’s capital city can take to avoid risk and remain safe while on the Nairobi city tour;
- When hiring a taxi, do so through your hotel concierge or a trusted tour guide.
- Do not, under any circumstance, accept rides from strangers.
- Do not walk the streets alone, especially at night; walk with a group if you can.
- When exchanging currency, do so at a reputable bank or hotel and not with strangers.
- Do not flaunt your money in public.
- Keep valuables such as cameras and wallets close to your person.
- Carry passport and credit cards separately from your wallet, preferably in a hidden money belt. If you do get mugged, do not resist.
- Prior to departure, get a prescription for malaria pills from your doctor if you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors.
- Purchase travel insurance.
- Do a news check for travel advisories from the government of the country in which you live before departure.
- Read up on recent articles on political climate and international relations from reliable news sources prior to your Kenya trip.
- Avoid dangerous neighborhoods like Kibera unless you are traveling with a trusted guide or on a reputable, guided Nairobi walking tour.
Want To Visit Nairobi?
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