Where to stay · Nairobi · Kenya
Where to stay in Nairobi
6 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: SteveRwanda, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Westlands. Restaurants, malls and the city's main bar district north-west of the CBD. Best alternatives — families: Karen; budget: Kilimani and Kileleshwa.
Key facts
- First visit
- Westlands
- Families
- Karen
- Budget
- Kilimani and Kileleshwa
- Nightlife
- Westlands
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Westlands | Restaurants, malls and the city's main bar district north-west of the CBD |
| Families | Karen | Leafy suburb of large gardens at the foot of the Ngong Hills |
| Couples | Karen | Leafy suburb of large gardens at the foot of the Ngong Hills |
| Budget | Kilimani and Kileleshwa | Residential apartment districts west of the centre with good-value serviced flats |
| Luxury | Karen | Leafy suburb of large gardens at the foot of the Ngong Hills |
| Nightlife | Westlands | Restaurants, malls and the city's main bar district north-west of the CBD |
| Food lovers | Westlands | Restaurants, malls and the city's main bar district north-west of the CBD |
| Solo travellers | Westlands | Restaurants, malls and the city's main bar district north-west of the CBD |
| Shopping | Gigiri | Diplomatic quarter around the United Nations complex and Village Market |
| Quiet stays | Karen | Leafy suburb of large gardens at the foot of the Ngong Hills |
Nairobi neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, food lovers and solo travellers
Westlands
Westlands is where many mid-range and business hotels cluster, around the Sarit Centre, Westgate and the Nairobi Expressway's western end at James Gichuru Road. It has the densest choice of restaurants, rooftop bars and clubs in the city, and the Expressway makes the run to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport faster than from most other areas outside peak hours.
- Good
- Widest choice of restaurants and bars; Quick Expressway link to JKIA; Good-value business hotels
- Watch out
- Heavy traffic at rush hour; A long drive to Karen and Langata sights
- Nearby
- Sarit Centre, Karura Forest, Nairobi Expressway
$$$$ · Best for families, couples, quiet stays and luxury
Karen
Named after Karen Blixen, whose coffee farm once covered the area, Karen is a green, low-density suburb of boutique hotels, garden restaurants and craft workshops such as Kazuri Beads. It is the most convenient base for the Giraffe Centre, the Karen Blixen Museum and the Sheldrick orphanage, and many safari travellers spend their first and last nights here.
- Good
- Close to the wildlife sights; Quiet garden hotels; Short drive to Wilson Airport
- Watch out
- Little to walk to; you need a driver or ride-hailing; Expensive boutique stays
- Nearby
- Karen Blixen Museum, Giraffe Centre, Kazuri Beads, Ngong Hills
$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays and first-timers
Langata
Langata runs along the national park's northern fence and Langata Road leads to the park's main gate, the Nairobi Safari Walk and the Carnivore restaurant. Accommodation ranges from tented camps inside the park to guesthouses and mid-range hotels, and it is the easiest base for a dawn game drive.
- Good
- Minutes from the park's main gate; Close to Wilson Airport for safari flights; Calm evenings
- Watch out
- Few restaurants within walking distance; Langata Road traffic at peak times
- Nearby
- Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Bomas of Kenya, Wilson Airport
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and food lovers
Kilimani and Kileleshwa
These middle-class districts between Ngong Road and Westlands are full of serviced apartments, small hotels and cafés around the Yaya Centre and Argwings Kodhek Road. They suit longer stays and travellers who want a kitchen, with Westlands nightlife and Karen both reachable by ride-hailing.
- Good
- Good-value apartments; Plenty of cafés and supermarkets; Central between Westlands and Karen
- Watch out
- Few sights of its own; Construction noise in fast-changing streets
- Nearby
- Yaya Centre, Ngong Road, Westlands
$$$$ · Best for families, quiet stays, shopping and luxury
Gigiri
Gigiri in the north of the city holds the UN Office at Nairobi, embassies and the open-air Village Market mall, which hosts a weekly Maasai Market. It is calm, green and well guarded, and close to Karura Forest and the large Two Rivers Mall, but far from the southern wildlife sights.
- Good
- Quiet and green; Good shopping and restaurants at Village Market; Close to Karura Forest
- Watch out
- A long drive to the national park and Karen; Upmarket prices
- Nearby
- Village Market, Karura Forest, Two Rivers Mall
$$ · Best for budget and culture
Central Business District
The CBD around Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue and City Hall Way has the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, the City Market, the Railway Museum and the Nairobi Gallery. Budget hotels are plentiful and close to the railway station and matatu stages, but the area empties after office hours and is best explored by day.
- Good
- Many low-cost hotels; Walkable to several museums by day; Matatu and bus links everywhere
- Watch out
- Street crime and phone snatching are a concern after dark; Congested and noisy
- Nearby
- Kenyatta International Convention Centre, City Market, Nairobi Railway Museum, Nairobi Gallery
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Westlands | $$$ | Sarit Centre, Karura Forest, Nairobi Expressway |
| Karen | $$$$ | Karen Blixen Museum, Giraffe Centre, Kazuri Beads, Ngong Hills |
| Langata | $$$ | Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Bomas of Kenya, Wilson Airport |
| Kilimani and Kileleshwa | $$ | Yaya Centre, Ngong Road, Westlands |
| Gigiri | $$$$ | Village Market, Karura Forest, Two Rivers Mall |
| Central Business District | $$ | Kenyatta International Convention Centre, City Market, Nairobi Railway Museum, Nairobi Gallery |
Getting to your hotel
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is about 18 km south-east of the CBD; taxis and ride-hailing cars take 30–60 minutes, and the Nairobi Expressway can cut the run to Westlands to about 20 minutes outside peak hours. Wilson Airport (WIL), about 5 km south of the centre on Langata Road, handles light-aircraft flights to the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and other safari airstrips.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Nairobi for first-time visitors?
Westlands. Westlands is where many mid-range and business hotels cluster, around the Sarit Centre, Westgate and the Nairobi Expressway's western end at James Gichuru Road.
+Where should families stay in Nairobi?
Karen: Close to the wildlife sights.
+Which area of Nairobi is best for a budget stay?
Kilimani and Kileleshwa ($$): Residential apartment districts west of the centre with good-value serviced flats.