Nairobi

Nairobi grew from a railway depot founded in 1899 into one of Africa's most dynamic cities, a regional hub for business, technology, diplomacy and the arts. For travelers, it's also the gateway to Kenya's safaris, and it deserves more than a night between flights.

Wildlife on the doorstep

Few capitals can match Nairobi's wildlife credentials. Nairobi National Park, just south of the city center, protects open plains where lions, rhinos, giraffes and buffalo graze against a backdrop of skyscrapers, one of the most surreal sights in Africa.

Within the park, a well-known elephant orphanage lets you watch keepers feed and care for rescued baby elephants during a daily visiting hour. In nearby Lang'ata, a giraffe center run by a conservation charity lets you meet endangered Rothschild's giraffes eye to eye.

Culture and history

The Nairobi National Museum offers an excellent introduction to Kenya's history, cultures and natural heritage. The Karen Blixen Museum preserves the farmhouse of the Danish author of Out of Africa in leafy grounds near the Ngong Hills. Contemporary Nairobi shines in its art galleries and creative spaces, and in open-air craft markets that move around the city through the week.

A city of neighborhoods

Karen and Lang'ata, on the southwestern side of the city, are green and relaxed, with gardens, boutique hotels and restaurants close to the national park. Westlands is the center of Nairobi's dining and nightlife, and Gigiri, home to the United Nations offices, is leafy and residential.

How we plan Nairobi

We usually recommend a night or two on arrival, staying in Karen or near the national park rather than the busy center. That gives you time to rest after your flight and visit the elephants and giraffes before flying out to the Mara, Amboseli or Laikipia from Wilson Airport. Our Kenya Safari Adventure begins here.