Nairobi
Currency
KES
Language
Swahili, English
Timezone
Nairobi
Continent
Africa
Discover Nairobi
Nairobi is the only capital in the world bordered by a national park: Nairobi National Park begins seven kilometres from the business district, and rhinoceroses are photographed there with towers behind them. The Nairobi National Museum holds the East African prehistory collections, including the fossils assembled by the Leakey family. The Karen Blixen Museum occupies the farm of the author of Out of Africa, under the Ngong hills. The Giraffe Centre raises Rothschild's giraffes a few kilometres away, and Bomas of Kenya presents the traditional architecture of the country's peoples.
When to go
January to March and July to October, the two dry seasons. The long rains fall from April to June, the short ones in November and December — they do not stop you moving but they complicate the park's tracks. Seventeen hundred metres of altitude tempers everything: fifteen to twenty-six degrees all year, and cool evenings whatever the season.
Getting around
Matatus, privately run minibuses in spectacular liveries, carry most of the network but take some getting used to. Ride-hailing apps are reliable, cheap and widely used: the simplest way around. Traffic is dense and unpredictable, and distances out to the suburbs — Karen, Langata — run to hours at the wrong moment. Walking in the centre is a daytime activity.
Where to eat
Nyama choma, shared grilled meat, is the national institution. Ugali, a maize dough, goes with nearly everything, and sukuma wiki, sautéed greens, complete the plate. Indian influence is old and strong, inherited from the railway workers: samosas and chapatis are ordinary food here. Kenyan coffee is better drunk on the spot than exported. Four halal addresses are listed.
Good to know
The Kenyan shilling is the currency, but mobile payment is the norm here more than cards — M-Pesa covers everything from the taxi to the market. English and Swahili are both official and English is enough everywhere. Equatorial sun at seventeen hundred metres burns fast despite the mild temperature. And a drive through the national park is done early: the animals settle as the heat comes.
Where to Stay in Nairobi
Top Activities in Nairobi
parkNairobi National Park
Free
museumNairobi National Museum
landmarkHoly Family Basilica
landmarkBomas of Kenya
activityGiraffe Centre
museumNairobi Railway Museum
museumKaren Blixen Museum
parkDavid Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Free
museumNairobi Gallery
Kabooma Cultural Dancers
landmarkKhoja Mosque
landmarkNairobi Terminus
Kenya National Theatre
landmarkNairobi Central Railway Station
parkUhuru Park
Free
landmarkNairobi War Cemetery
museumKenya National Archives
Ngong Road Forest Gate - Lower Dam Recreation Area
Kwetu Home of Peace
landmarkAugust 7th Memorial Park
landmarkJamia Mosque
Nairobi Safari Walk
landmarkAll Saints Cathedral
parkUhuru Gardens
Free
Restaurants in Nairobi
