Nairobi is a thriving, cosmopolitan hub of government offices, embassies, businesses, banks, churches, mosques, temples, shops, restaurants and markets. Attractions include the National Museum, Railway Museum, National Archives, Karen Blixen Museum and Bomas of Kenya. Nairobi is the world’s only capital city to boast a national park within its boundaries.
Overview
Nairobi is derived from the Maasai word Ewaso Naiberi, meaning place of cool water. The town grew up around the railhead, during the building of the railway from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in the late 1890s. Nairobi was the centre of the British Colonial Administration, and since independence in 1963 has been the seat of the Kenyan Government.
The Central Business District, CBD, is the pulsating heart of the city. Upper Hill is home to businesses and administrative offices. Gigiri is the site of the huge United Nations Regional Headquarters and a number of embassies. Muthaiga, with its legendary colonial Country Club, is a prime residential area. Westlands is a vibrant hub of shopping centres, cinemas, galleries, restaurants and nightlife. Karen, named for Karen Blixen, borders Nairobi National Park.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, named for Kenya’s first president, lies southeast of the city centre. Wilson Airport, Africa’s largest light aircraft airport, is on Langata Road. Nairobi Railway Station is in the city centre. Public transport is by minibuses, known locally as matatus. Taxis are available throughout the city, and can be booked privately or called by any hotel reception.
The National Museum of Kenya was established in 1910 in a single room. It was relocated to its current site on Museum Hill in 1930, and completely refurbished between 2005 and 2007. There are excellent exhibitions on archaeological excavations, hominid fossils, ethnography, rock art, wildlife and birdlife. The Railway Museum details the building of the railway. Built between 1896 and 1901, the railway claimed the lives of nearly 2,500 labourers, earning it the nickname the Lunatic Express. Exhibits include a display on the notorious Man Eaters of Tsavo. The National Archives of Kenya houses historical documents dating back to Britain’s colonisation of Kenya and the Mau Mau fight for independence. Contemporary art, historical photos and cultural artefacts are on display.
Karen Blixen, who farmed coffee in Kenya from 1913 to 1931, was most famous for her iconic memoirs Out of Africa. Her farmhouse and garden are now a well-preserved historical museum. Bomas of Kenya introduces visitors to Kenyan traditions and culture. Dancers and artists perform traditional dances and songs belonging to the various tribal groups. Nairobi National Park was gazetted in 1946, and has grass plains, highland dry forest and a permanent river with riverine forest. Wildlife includes black rhino, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and wildebeest; over 400 species of birds have been recorded. Park gates are Main Gate, Langata, Cheetah and Maasai; picnic sites are at Mokoyiet, Kingfisher and Impala.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, on the edge of Nairobi National Park, raises orphaned elephants and black rhinos. Visitors are welcome daily at the 11am feeding time; the site has an information centre and gift shop. The Giraffe Centre, in nearby Langata, is a breeding centre for endangered Rothschild giraffes. Giraffes can be fed by hand from a raised wooden structure.
Itineraries
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Listings In The Nairobi Region
Kitengela Hot Glass is renowned in Kenya for its innovative and colourful hand-blown glass. Founded in the early 1990s by Anselm Croze, the place is a wonderland of lustrous statues, chandeliers, tableware, and jewellery. The factory with its flaming furnaces, and adjoining shop and café, have long been a favourite ...
Swiss hotelier Ueli Prager founded the first Movenpick restaurant in Zurich in 1948, and expanded into wine shops, fine food outlets and more restaurants. The first 2 hotels opened in Zurich in 1973; the group now has 84 properties in 24 countries. Movenpick opened in Nairobi’s Westlands district in 2018. The 276 rooms are made up ...
SAS Royal Hotel, the world’s first designer hotel, opened in Denmark in 1960. Rebranded as Radisson Blu, the group now operates 380 properties around the world. Overlooking Nairobi’s lovely arboretum, Radisson Blu was established in 2019. The 122 en-suite rooms are made up of superior rooms, junior suites, 1-bedroom apartments, 2-bedroom apartments, ...
On the edge of Nairobi’s giraffe sanctuary, Eden Nairobi is an artistic residence in 4 acres of lush gardens. Originally the home of Tonio and Anna Trzebinski, the house is now a living museum filled with the family’s own paintings, sculptures and ceramics, as well as their extensive private ...
Kawamwaki, meaning the hill that has fire, is a sacred space for the Kikuyu who have for generations walked long distances to come here for wood. This lush tea plantation in Tigoni, just outside Nairobi, has a charming farmhouse set in spacious grounds offering horse riding and total immersion in ...
On Maanzoni Conservancy, Amazing Kenya offers peace, tranquillity and wildlife not far from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The conservancy has savannah grasslands, plains game like zebra, giraffe and significant birdlife. The rondavels, dotted around the spacious gardens, have clay walls and thatched roofs, and are furnished with double bed, chairs, ...
Established in 2012, Eka Hotel is conveniently located near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and a short drive from Nairobi National Park and Wilson Airport. The 167 en-suite rooms are made up of 158 superior, 2 for guests with special needs, 4 junior suites and 3 executive suites. All rooms have satellite TV, Wifi hotspots, minibar, safe, ...
In 1933 Harvard classmates Ernest Henderson and Robert Moore bought the Continental Hotel in Cambridge Massachusetts. That was the start of Sheraton Hotels and Resorts which became a huge international hotel chain. Now owned by Marriott International based near Washington DC, a leading hotel company with more than 6,000 hotels in 122 countries ...
California Corporation was founded in 1993 by Claus Sendlinger and J Peter Schweitzer. The company, rebranded in 2001 as Design Hotels AG with 23 member hotels, now provides hospitality services to 315 handpicked hotels around the world. Its HQ is in Berlin, and offices are in London, Barcelona, New York and Singapore. Marriott International ...
Originally founded near Ngong Road, Wildebeest Ecocamp relocated to a lovely green space in Langata in 2014. The safari tents, cottage rooms, garden tents and dorms are set in spacious gardens. The 3 en-suite delux cottage rooms have double beds, safe, clothes rack and mosquito nets, and lounge area with fridge and ...
On a cliff overlooking Nairobi National Park, this family-owned lodge is welcoming and attractive. The family lives on site and hosts personally, along with a dedicated team of staff. The lodge is attached to the national park and has spectacular views across the plains. The 10 en-suite rooms have luxurious beds, ...
Overlooking Nairobi National Park, African Heritage House has been described as rising from the parched plains of Nairobi’s outskirts like an architectural mirage. Owned by African art collector Alan Donovan, the house is inspired by the mud mosque tradition of Nigeria and Mali, the architecture of coastal Kenya and ...
The boutique hotel, House of Waine, is in Karen, the leafy suburb of Nairobi that takes its name from Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame, who lived here from 1913 to 1931. A large colonial mansion set in sculptured gardens, House of Waine is less that 2km from Karen Blixen’s ...
The Hilton hotel chain was established by Conrad Hilton in 1919, and now has a multitude of brands including Hilton Hotels and Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, Tru by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn. Established in 2016, this hotel is located conveniently close to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. ...
The Hilton hotel chain was established by Conrad Hilton in 1919, and now has a multitude of brands including Hilton Hotels and Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts, and Tru by Hilton. Established in 2016 as Amber Hotel, this city hotel became a member of the DoubleTree by Hilton ...
The name Hob was chosen because it means love in Arabic and infers the centre of the home in English. The welcoming house has quirky handmade furniture, books on the wall, comfortable sofas and plenty of alcoves and secluded spaces, while the spacious garden is filled with colourful flowers and ...
Nairobi Serena is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World group. The hotel offers a selection of dining, conferencing and recreational facilities. There are 183 en-suite rooms, made up of standard, superior and deluxe rooms, and a selection of suites. Interconnecting rooms, suitable for families, are available. All rooms ...
Named in honour of the Pan African movement, Sarova Panafric was inaugurated in 1965 by the first president of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta and truly represents Neo Africa. Throughout the 1960s, the Panafric was a centre for liberalism and hosted many of Africa’s nationalists and future statesmen. The Sarova Panafric has 153 ...
The Tamarind Group founded its iconic restaurant in Mombasa in 1972. To this day, the restaurant retains its quality standards and exquisite seafood. Since then, the group has opened a number of restaurants and hotels around Kenya. In 2017, the group opened Tamarind Tree, near their popular Carnivore Restaurant known for the ...
The Crowne Plaza group of hotels was established in the UK in 1983. It caters to business and holiday travellers in 410 locations around the world. This international hotel group serves travellers around the world with quality and expertise. The 162 en-suite rooms are made up of 99 king bed doubles, 48 doubles, 2 rooms with ...
Berthold Kempinski, of Poland, established the Kempinski Group in Geneva in 1897; the group now has a collection of 76 5-star hotels in 31 countries. Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group is known for establishing hotels in historic buildings and with avant-garde architecture. Bringing a European touch to Africa, they established the Kempinski ...
On an escarpment with sweeping views across Nairobi National Park, this lodge started life as a Kenyan homestead. Joined to the park by a hanging bridge, the lodge offers superb views, an expansive garden and game drives in the park. The 12 en-suite rooms comprise 2 spacious honeymoon suites in the main ...
A graceful whitewashed building, the InterContinental has for many years been a prominent hotel in Nairobi. The hotel combines classic style with modern facilities. It is centrally located, and is within walking distance of the parliament buildings and the Kenyatta International Conference Centre. There are 376 en-suite rooms, including 16 suites. All ...
Nairobi is the only city in the world with a game park within its precincts. Ole Sereni epitomises this juxtaposition, offering the comforts and services of a city hotel and the atmosphere of a safari lodge. Meaning place of tranquility in Maasai, Ole Sereni is the name given to this ...
Brackenhurst Conference Centre, set amongst the green tea fields of Limuru, is part of the African Encounter group of companies. The hotel started life in 1914 as a farm called Three Tree Farm because of the 3 tall muna trees that stood on the ridge. It became a hotel in 1927 and was ...
On the original estate of the Swedo African Coffee Company, the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden is a lush, manicured garden with a history stretching back to the early days of last century. The Swedo House, built in about 1908, was the farm manager’s house for the Blixen Coffee Plantation, owned ...
Famous for its resident herd of Rothschild giraffe, Giraffe Manor is the only place in the world where guests can enjoy the experience of feeding and photographing giraffes over the breakfast table and at the front door. An elegant, personally hosted hotel, Giraffe Manor is situated in the Nairobi suburb ...
Established in November 2010, Nairobi Tented Camp is the first and only safari camp in Nairobi National Park. Deep in a riverine forest, in the speckled shade of an olive grove, this authentic tented camp offers a true wilderness experience on the doorstep of Nairobi. There are 8 en-suite tents, made up ...
A boutique hotel conveniently located near the centre of Nairobi, Palacina Suites combines understated elegance with warm hospitality. There are 14 luxury suites, including 2 penthouses, each with its own living room and private furnished balcony. The suites are decorated in natural shades, with teak wood, crisp cottons and African crafts. Their ...
Established in September 2010, Sankara became a franchise of Marriott Hotel Group’s esteemedAutograph Collection in 2019. A sleek, contemporary hotel, Sankara stands in the heart of Westlands, Nairobi’s commercial and entertainment centre. There are 156 en-suite rooms on 7 floors, made up of 82 superior, 65 deluxe, 7 junior suites and 2 executive suites. All rooms ...
The signature hotel of Nairobi, Fairmont The Norfolk has a long, rich history dating back to the very first days of colonial settlement. Centred on a courtyard garden adorned with vintage cars and carriages, the Norfolk is a sweeping Tudor-style building. Corridors decorated with period photos of Nairobi and a ...
The Sarova Stanley has been making history since the day it opened its doors in 1902, and has hosted a long line of legendary personalities such as Edward, Prince of Wales, Ernest Hemingway and Ava Gardner. The Exchange Bar, overlooking Kenyatta Avenue Boulevard, was the home of the Kenya Stock Exchange ...
In the heart of Nairobi’s Central Business District stands the circular tower of the Hilton Hotel, a landmark in the centre of Nairobi. There are 287 en-suite rooms, made up of doubles, twins, suites and deluxe executive rooms. All rooms are equipped with aircon, satellite TV with movie channel, clock ...
Tribe has been designed to meld New York Chic with the warmth of Africa. It blends rich earth colours with stainless steel and gleaming glass, rustic metal with natural stone and handmade wooden furniture. The hotel has 20 standard rooms, 80 delux rooms, 14 delux spa rooms, more spacious than deluxe, and 5 superior ...
Set around a lovely 18-hole golf course, the Windsor Golf and Country Club is an attractive country house hotel. The hotel combines Victorian style buildings with modern amenities and facilities. There are 130 en-suite rooms, made up of 80 deluxe, 20 studio suites and 15 2-bedroom cottages. All rooms have satellite TV, safe and ...
Kentmere Club opened its doors in the 1920s, when it was particularly popular with the members who used the nearby shooting range. Since then the club has changed management several times; the current team took over in 1986. The club is set in extensive, manicured gardens, filled with trees, plants and ...