13 Best Things to do in Nairobi, before & after your Kenya Safari

If you're travelling to Kenya on safari, there's a good chance you are flying into and out of its bustling capital, Nairobi. Here we list 13 of the top things to do in Nairobi, before and after your Kenya Safari.

1. Nairobi National Museum

Nairobi National Museum by Mike

Situated on Museum Hill, a ten-minute drive from Nairobi CBD, lies the Nairobi National Museum. It was opened on this site in 1930 and closed in 2005 to undergo major renovations, reopening in June 2008.

The museum and its surroundings link to the four pillars of Kenya’s national heritage – nature, culture, history and contemporary art. The museum precinct includes not only the actual museum but an art gallery, botanical gardens, snake park and shopping/eating facilities.

Snake Park in Nairobi by MikeLearn about the rich cultural heritage of Kenya and the archaeological origins of man, see the animals and birds of Africa in the galleries, appreciate contemporary Kenyan art, and then go for a stroll through the beautiful botanical gardens. If you’re brave, visit the snake park and get up close and personal with some of Africa’s favourite reptiles.

The museum is open 365 days a year, from 8:30 to 17:30.

2. Drink Kenyan Tea and Coffee in Nairobi

Coffee in Nairobi by eric forsberg

One of the best things to do in Nairobi - drink a cuppa. Kenya is known for both its coffee and tea plantations so where better could you be to sample them?

There are a number of branches of the Java House coffee shops across Nairobi. They specialise in coffee, tea and fresh, light meals. There’s nothing quite like reading the morning paper with a steaming hot cup of fresh coffee, grown locally.

If you’re looking for something to take home as a gift, Dormans offers a wide range of ethically sourced Kenyan and Tanzanian coffees. Visit one of their coffee houses and try them out. You’ll probably find yourself popping in at regular intervals, it’s so delicious.

Be sure to check out the Nairobi institution, Gibson's Coffee House, in the CBD. It's been a well-known brand for over 50 years. They serve fantastic coffee, lovely teas and good food.

3. Nairobi National Park

Nairobi Zebra by AnnaKika

You think just because you’re in the middle of a bustling city, you can only do city things? Think again. One of the best activities is visiting Nairobi National Park, a mere 7 km away from Nairobi’s centre. It boasts four of the Big Five – lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo – along with over a hundred other African mammals.

Besides the animals, the scenery is pretty spectacular, with varying vegetation, from open grass plains to highland dry forest and riverine forest. Dams have been made in the park and have added further habitats for the animals and over 400 species of bird that call the park home.

4. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi

Feeding Time in Nairobi by Valentina Buj

A must-see for animal lovers in Nairobi. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, located in the Nairobi National Park is most famously known for its elephant and rhino orphanage. The trust has done incredible work in the conservation of Africa’s wildlife, since 1977. They have successfully hand-raised over 150 orphan elephants!

Once the baby elephants ‘graduate’ from the nursery, at about two to three years’ old, they are reintegrated into the wild in Tsavo East National Park.

A visit to the wildlife centre is well worth it, not only to support their great work, but the cuteness factor of these li’l ellies is off the scale! Contact the centre before you go, to find out feeding times etc.

5. Go to the Masai Market

Maasai Market in Nairobi by khym54

The Masai Market is held each day (except Mondays) in a different place in Nairobi. See the 'About' section on their FB page for where it is on the day you want to go and check with your hotel reception. The market is a bustling, colourful, loud and busy experience and is the place to go for truly African pieces to take home for yourself, or as gifts. Buying gifts from locals helps support the local economy directly, so its a win-win situation.

Remember some basic rules, though:

• Do not express interest in an item, if you don’t really want it. Take time to walk through the market and see everything before deciding. You may find the same thing but made better, two stalls down.
• Do bargain. It is normal and expected. Often prices are inflated by more than double, so hold your ground.
• Avoid mass-produced goods. This is a market that has both commercial, factory-made stuff and handmade. Speak to the vendors, many of whom are the artists/crafters themselves. Who wants a mass-produced t-shirt when you can have a handmade beaded bracelet instead?
• Do take local currency, in small denominations, to make bargaining easier. Also, take only what you need, and keep it in a body wallet.
• Avoid the ‘guides’ who offer to show you around and take you to the ‘best stalls’. In general, they extort money from the vendors in return (and, despite what they say, you’re not getting a bargain!)
• Do give yourself sufficient time to take in the sights and sounds of a truly African market.

6. Karen Blixen Museum 

Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi by Don Heffernan

‘I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills.’

Who doesn’t remember that line, spoken by Meryl Streep in the opening scene of the Oscar-winning film, Out of Africa? No longer is the house part of a farm, Nairobi having spread since Karen Blixen’s times, but it has been turned into a museum.

Karen Blixen, a Danish author, moved from Denmark to Kenya with her husband and lived in the house from 1917 to 1931. Her husband insisted on trying to farm coffee. After they divorced, Karen continued fighting for the farm and the locals and fell in love with an Englishman.

The museum allows you to relive the romanticism of those years, and hardships endured by Karen Blixen. Tea in the beautiful, serene gardens, and a view of her beloved Ngong Hills, will make you feel like you’ve been transported back to those colonial days. A firm favourite on the list of things to do in the modern city of Nairobi.