Museums · Nairobi · Kenya
4 best museums in Nairobi
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Stephenwanjau, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi National Museum and Nairobi Railway Museum. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 5–6 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 5–6 hours
- Areas
- Karen, Museum Hill and Central Business District
Museums in Nairobi
Museum · Karen
1.Karen Blixen Museum
The Danish author of Out of Africa lived in this farmhouse below the Ngong Hills from 1917 to 1931 while running a coffee farm.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Couples
- Outdoors
Museum · Museum Hill
2.Nairobi National Museum
Kenya's flagship museum covers human origins, with fossil casts from the Turkana basin, alongside galleries on Kenyan history, cultures, birds and mammals.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Museum · Central Business District
3.Nairobi Railway Museum
Next to the old railway station, the museum tells the story of the Uganda Railway around which Nairobi grew from 1899.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Gallery · Central Business District
4.Nairobi Gallery
Housed in the 1913 Old PC's Office at the junction of Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway, this small National Museums of Kenya gallery shows African art and artefacts, including pieces from the collection of Joseph Murumbi, Kenya's second vice-president.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Karen | Karen Blixen Museum | 1 hour |
| Museum Hill | Nairobi National Museum | 2–3 hours |
| Central Business District | Nairobi Railway Museum and Nairobi Gallery | 1–1.5 hours + 45 minutes |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 4 low cost. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Nairobi National Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 2 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Karen and Museum Hill): Karen Blixen Museum → Nairobi National Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Central Business District): Nairobi Railway Museum → Nairobi Gallery, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- May: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 11 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Long rains continue but ease towards the end of the month; the countryside is very green and quiet.
- April: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 14 rainy days, very quiet crowds. The wettest month, with heavy downpours, muddy park tracks and some seasonal safari camps closed; lodge prices are at their lowest.
- November: highs of 23°C (73°F), about 14 rainy days, quiet crowds. Short rains bring afternoon and evening showers, but mornings are often clear; a lower-priced month for lodges.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Karen — Leafy suburb of large gardens at the foot of the Ngong Hills
- Central Business District — Colonial-era avenues, the KICC tower and the City Market
More of Nairobi
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Nairobi?
Karen Blixen Museum. The Danish author of Out of Africa lived in this farmhouse below the Ngong Hills from 1917 to 1931 while running a coffee farm.