The wildlife-on-the-doorstep things first, then the city itself.
Nairobi National Park
Lion, rhino, giraffe and buffalo on open plains with the city skyline behind — nowhere else on Earth does this.
Sheldrick elephant orphanage
The famous Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery, where orphaned elephants are raised — a moving morning visit.
Giraffe Centre
Eye-to-eye with endangered Rothschild's giraffe — a Nairobi classic, especially with kids.
Museums & Karen
The Nairobi National Museum and the Karen Blixen house, in the leafy Karen suburb — the city's culture and colonial history.
The safari hub
Wilson Airport's light aircraft fan out to every park — Nairobi is the launchpad for the whole country.
A Nairobi note
Give Nairobi a day, not a week. The traffic is heavy and the city is big, so we cluster the good things sensibly — park and orphanage in one morning, museums and food in an afternoon — rather than crossing town all day. Common-sense city caution applies, as in any capital.