Things to do in Nairobi

Nature · South of the centre

The only national park inside a capital city — lions, rhinos and giraffe with the skyline visible behind them.

Local tip: Go at dawn on a weekday. Being a genuine wildlife park twenty minutes from downtown offices is a fact about Nairobi nowhere else can match.

Nature · Near the national park

The elephant orphanage, open to visitors for one hour a day while the calves are fed.

Local tip: Book well ahead — the visiting window is short and slots go. Fostering a calf gets you access to a quieter evening visit.

Culture · South-west suburbs

The farmhouse from 'Out of Africa', set in leafy Karen with the Ngong Hills behind it.

Local tip: Combine it with the Giraffe Centre and lunch in Karen. It's a half-day and the most pleasant way to see the colonial-era side of the city.

Nightlife · North-west of the centre

The city's restaurant and nightlife district — rooftop bars, live music and the widest range of food in Nairobi.

Local tip: Where the city actually goes out. Take a ride-hailing car both ways rather than walking between venues after dark.

Culture · Rotates by day across the city

An open-air craft market that moves to a different location each day of the week.

Local tip: Check which day it's where before setting out. Bargaining is expected and enthusiastic — start well below the opening price and stay good-humoured.

Culture · Near the central station

The rolling stock of the Uganda Railway rusting quietly in a yard, including the carriage from the Tsavo man-eating lions story.

Local tip: Almost nobody goes, which is why it's worth it. You can climb on most of the locomotives and the caretaker will tell you the stories properly.