2 days in Nairobi

Day by day

1. Day 1: Nairobi National Park and Giraffe Centre

   Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Nairobi Safari Walk and Bomas of Kenya, then Westlands in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Nairobi National Park

      It has one of the country's most reliable populations of black rhinos, plus lions, cheetahs, giraffes, zebras, buffalo and hippos, but no elephants. Game drives start from the main gate on Langata Road, and the skyline view behind grazing animals is the park's signature photo.

   2. Late morning

      Giraffe Centre

      Across the road a short nature trail leads through a forest sanctuary. It is next door to Giraffe Manor, the hotel where giraffes put their heads through the breakfast-room windows.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Nyama choma

      Roadside grills and garden bars across the city; Carnivore in Langata serves it carved at the table from Maasai swords.

   4. Afternoon

      Nairobi Safari Walk

      It is a gentle introduction to Kenyan wildlife for young children or for anyone without time for a full game drive.

   5. Late afternoon

      Bomas of Kenya

      It gives a quick overview of the country's cultural diversity before a safari.

   6. Evening

      Westlands

      The main bar and club district, with lounges and clubs around Woodvale Grove and rooftop bars on nearby hotels and malls.

2. Day 2: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage and Karen Blixen Museum

   Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage, Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi National Museum and Karura Forest, then Kilimani in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage

      During the single public visiting hour the keepers bring the young elephants out for milk feeds and a mud bath while explaining each orphan's story. Visitors can foster an elephant and arrange a separate evening visit to see it bedded down.

   2. Late morning

      Karen Blixen Museum

      The house, run by the National Museums of Kenya, keeps period furniture and some of her belongings, and the gardens include farm machinery and views towards the hills she wrote about. Guided tours are short and included in the ticket.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ugali

      Any local eatery (often called a hotel or kibanda), served with stew, greens or nyama choma.

   4. Afternoon

      Nairobi National Museum

      The same complex includes a snake park and botanic gardens, and the shop and café make it an easy half-day in the city. It sits on Museum Hill just north of the CBD, close to Westlands.

   5. Late afternoon

      Karura Forest

      Marked trails lead to a waterfall on the Karura River and to caves used by Mau Mau fighters, and bicycles can be hired at the main gate on Limuru Road.

   6. Evening

      Kilimani

      Lounges, restaurants with DJs and live-music bars along Argwings Kodhek Road and around the Yaya Centre.

Before you go

• Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage: Visits must be booked online in advance through the trust's website, and slots fill up in the safari high season.

If it rains

• Swap in Nairobi Railway Museum (Central Business District): Spend most of your time in the outdoor yard, where you can walk among and inside the old locomotives.
• Swap in Nairobi Gallery (Central Business District): Combine it with the KICC rooftop and the City Market, all within a short walk in daylight.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–17 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 12 hours in June to 12.2 hours in January.

Getting between stops: Ride-hailing. Uber, Bolt and local apps are widely used and usually cheaper than hotel taxis; they are the easiest way to cross the city, including at night.

More or fewer days

• One day in Nairobi
• 3 days in Nairobi

Questions travellers ask