First time in Nairobi? What to know before you go

Nairobi works best as a half-day or one-day city stop bolted onto a safari. The classic first-timer set sits in the west and south-west: the Giraffe Centre in Langata, the Karen Blixen Museum nearby, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage on the edge of Nairobi National Park, and the national park itself, where you can see rhino and lion with the skyline behind them.

Book the elephant orphanage in advance; public visits run once daily at a fixed hour and sell out, so confirm the current time and price on the operator's site. The Giraffe Centre and Karen Blixen Museum are easy to pair in one morning. Nairobi National Museum suits a rainy half-day. If you have a full day, add the park or a Karen neighbourhood lunch.

Prices below are 2026 estimates in Kenyan shillings; confirm on the operator's site before you go.

Nairobi spreads wide, and traffic is the main cost of any plan. The centre (CBD) holds the railway station, the museum is on Museum Hill just west of it, and the first-timer sights cluster in Langata and Karen to the south-west, roughly 30–45 minutes by road from the CBD outside rush hour.

JKIA sits south-east of the centre; Wilson Airport, used for safari flights, is closer in on the south side. Plan one area per half-day rather than criss-crossing the city.

File the Kenya eTA at least a week before you fly; the parent Kenya guide carries the same rule. Carry a printed or offline copy of your accommodation address for the arrival desk.

Money: the shilling is the local currency. Cards work in malls, hotels and larger restaurants; carry cash for markets, small cafés and matatus. ATMs are common in malls but not everywhere in the centre.

Health: Nairobi sits at about 1,795 m, so the air is thinner and the sun stronger than the altitude suggests. Drink bottled or filtered water, use mosquito repellent in the evening, and check current vaccination advice with a travel clinic before you go.

Safety: read the city safety page before you book a walking plan. Keep valuables out of sight, avoid unlit streets after dark, and use a taxi rather than walking between areas at night.

Getting around: traffic is heavy at morning and evening peaks. Build 30–60 minutes of slack into any airport or Wilson transfer. Matatus are cheap but crowded; ride-hail and hotel taxis are the easy first-timer option.

Nairobi is a year-round city; the parent Kenya guide lists it as best all year. The long rains fall roughly March to May and the short rains around November, when afternoon showers can interrupt a park drive but rarely a museum or market visit.

The dry seasons, June to October and January to February, are the easiest for Nairobi National Park and for connecting to the Mara, Amboseli or the coast. July to October is also the Mara migration window, so safari flights and lodges book out early; reserve those months well ahead.

For a first trip, aim for the dry seasons and treat Nairobi as the arrival and departure buffer rather than the main event.

Most first-timers arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), south-east of the centre. A taxi or ride-hail to a central or west-side hotel takes roughly 30–60 minutes depending on traffic; allow more at peak hours. Some hotels run airport shuttles.

Domestic safari flights leave from Wilson Airport, closer to the city and the Langata sights. If you are flying to the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu or Lamu, check which airport your operator uses, because the two are on opposite sides of the city.

The SGR train to Mombasa leaves from Nairobi Terminus; the parent Kenya guide uses it for the coast leg. For Naivasha and Hell's Gate, most visitors drive or join a day tour.