10 Best Things to Do in Kenya

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Kenya is globally famous for safaris, authentic tribes, and turquoise white-sand beaches. This list of the best places to visit in Kenya goes beyond those and covers beautiful mountains, vibrant cities, and the everyday lifestyle. We’ll explore the surroundings of each location, for day trip opportunities, as well as the money-saving strategies.

Special note to budget travellers: The entrance fees to the Kenyan sites are pretty high for non-residents. Obviously, visiting a great Safari Park is an experience of a lifetime, so every budget traveller should find a way to visit at least one of them. However, expect to pay a $5-20 entry fee for any nature trail, or a smaller park. Check out my post on How to save money when visiting countries like Kenya.

Set your Base & Go Offbeat!

1. Nairobi

If you are arriving in Kenya on a long-distance flight, you’ll most likely fly into Nairobi first. Some travellers would suggest heading straight to the coast, or to safaris. I would strongly argue against it. This city’s got a lot to offer, so you may wanna stick around for at least a few days.

Nairobi is famous across Africa for its in-town buses and matatus (minibusses). Most of them are creatively painted from the outside and decorated from the inside as well. Some of them got big plasma TV and a very powerful sound system. So while on the bus, you may feel like you’re in a nightclub or a movie theater. It gets even better…

If you look through the window, you’ll have an opportunity to enjoy the incredible chaos! Horrible traffic and mostly poor infrastructure make the city challenging to live in. However, when visiting, it can only contribute to an exciting experience. Street stalls, and street vendors, also loud music, and people dancing can be found pretty much anywhere! Also thanks to Nairobi, Kenya is rated No. 8 at Best Countries for Street Food.

If you ever need a break from “Real Africa”, you don’t need to be worried at all. Nairobi is a major business and finance center in East Africa. Hence, there’s a modern, western-style Business district, with more skyscrapers than most of the large European cities! There you can find plenty of Western-style restaurants and shopping malls.

This is one of the most popular Game Reserves in Africa. It’s named after the Maasai (also Masai) people, who live in that region and graze their cows here, as they have done for centuries. The Park is the northern extension of Serengeti Reserve in Tanzania, which is also the homeland of Masai. The size of the Park is 1,510 km2, and the dominant landscape is yellow-colored meadows.

The park is famous for Great Migration (July through October), when thousands of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle travel to and from the Serengeti. For visitors, it is the greatest experience to watch them crossing the Mara River, which is full of hippos, and crocodiles. The reserve contains all of the “African Big Five” animals: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo (although rhinos are pretty scarce).

The park entrance fee for 24h is $80. Then, the tours, guides, night guards, camping, and the vehicle are charged separately. Here is the complete list of the park fees.

How to experience Masai Mara?

1. Book a tour from Nairobi

This is the most common way to visit the big, popular safaris like this one. Considering the individual fees, booking a packaged tour to Masai Mara can be done at a quite reasonable rate. The most important thing is:

Do not book a tour online, or from an agency in your home country! It’s a rip-off. If you find out their prices, you’ll end up giving up from visiting Kenya completely. Whether you are looking for a luxury package, or a budget one, you’ll be able to find significantly better deals by inquiring while in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, or Naivasha. Visit the agencies on the streets, and ask at the front desks of the hotels. Cheaper hostels and guesthouses are used to selling bookings at a discount.

If you do that, you’ll easily be able to get a 2-night booking for Masai Mara, which includes the ride from Nairobi, a guided tour in the park, and 3 meals, for as low as $300!

2. Self driving trip

You can enter the park on your own, or with a rented vehicle. Any road you take to the Park will be unpaved, bumpy, and extremely dusty or muddy, depending on the weather. That said, If you are planning to rent a car, make sure you get a safari vehicle from a tour agency, instead of an ordinary car from the airport. The prices of getting one of those 4×4 high clearance vehicles are pretty high, so in that case, self-driving may not necessarily be an affordable option.

3. Like a “backpacker”

Visit Masai village

On your journey to the Reserve, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the Masai villages and get familiar with their lifestyle and customs. They charge this about $15.

3. Lake Naivasha & Hell’s Gate National Park

This is a popular weekend gateway for the Nairobi locals. It takes 3 hours to get to Naivasha town by matatu (minibus) from the Kenyan capital. The Lake lies at the highest point of the Great Rift Valley. One of the best ways to view the wildlife, as well as the birdlife is by boat. Here visitors can spot Hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, and monkeys. The lake is rich with fish, so make sure you get some in the local restaurants.

Because of the presence of hippos, and crocodiles, swimming in the lake is not recommended. However, I’ve seen kids diving and playing in it.

Explore the lake from:

1. Kasarani – The town on the north side is known for Kingoni Game Ranch and the Hippo Point
2. Crescent Island Game Sanctuary
3. Kamere – Fisherman’s camp, a beach, and fun local bars along the shore
4. Kangoni – Plenty of camping sites along the Oloidien lake. Further out is the popular Crater lake sanctuary

Other places in the area:

Hell’s Gate National Park

This small safari park can be explored on foot. You can also rent a bicycle at the gate. Hell’s Gate and Nairobi National Park are the only options in Kenya to see a wide variety of wildlife for an affordable fee ($15). In the 2nd part of the Park is located Njorowa Gorge canyon, with interesting rock formation.

Longonot National Park

This is an epic trail around the dormant volcano with views of the lake. Major wildlife attractions include buffaloes, elands, lions, leopards, bushbucks, common zebra, giraffes, and Grant’s gazelles.

The distance to the rim is just over 3km. Then the trail loops around the crater for 6km, at the altitude of 2700 m above sea level. The entrance fee is $20

4. Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru National Park, in central Kenya, is famous for its huge flocks of pink flamingos. You can also spot in the area leopards, warthogs, waterbucks, pythons, buffalos, and white rhinos. The sweeping grasslands are bordering the lake with rocky cliffs and lush forests.

Other places in the area:

• Lake Elementaita is a smaller lake located on the way to Nakuru from Nairobi. It’s also known for flamingos and the wildlife, but it’s easier to get around and quicker to get here.
• Makalia Falls – A cute waterfalls trail, south of Lake Nakuru, and east of Elementaita town.
• Nakuru town – For those interested in experiencing the”Real Africa”, the 4th largest city in Kenya’s got a lot to offer. Here you can find affordable accommodation to set your base and explore the area.
• Nyahururu Falls – A dramatic 74m waterfall located in the cute Nyahururu town, 65km north of Nakuru.
• Menengai crater – Hiking trail to this dormant volcano crater starts 10 km north of Nakuru town. It’s a 4-hour hike, with the highest point of 2,280m

5. Mount Kenya National Park

This UNESCO World Heritage Site provides the rare spectacle of equatorial snow. This is known to be an easier and much more affordable alternative to hiking Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It can also be considered more adventurous since it’s got fewer visitors, than the highest mountain in Africa. Mt. Kenya is formed by a series of volcanic eruptions.

The spectacular scenery includes glaciers, lakes, mineral springs, alpine, and bamboo forests. Among the wildlife, here visitors may spot black and white colobus monkeys, buffalo, elephants, tree hyrax, leopard, and hyena.

Getting here

From Nairobi, it takes 3 hours to Naro Moro, or Nanyuki depending on your hiking route. Nanyuki is a bigger town and from there it’s easier to arrange everything.

Hiking Mt. Kenya

The mountain is actually comprised of three glacier-cloaked peaks:

1. Batian, 5199 m – the highest, and appropriate for advanced mountaineers (climbing gear is required)
2. Nelion, 5188 m – the toughest, therefore climbing gear is also required
3. Lenana, 4985 m – the easiest climb, and the most popular. Although unpredictable weather can cause challenges. There are 5 different trails to hike it: Sirimon, Burguret, Naro Moru, Chogoria and Timau

How much does it cost?

Just like visiting the largest safaris, if you are looking for a guided tour online, the first pages that will pop up will be the ones from the fanciest tour agencies. They charge $2000-4000 for a 4-day trip which includes a private ride from Nairobi airport.

Alternatively, you can travel to Naro Moro, or Nanyuki independently, with matatu. If you take your time to ask around and negotiate, you could easily get yourself a 3-day tour with food and accommodation for as low as $400.

If you are adventurous and want to save even more money, the good news is, you can hike Mt Kenya without a guide! You’ll still have to pay $170 to enter the park (for 3 days) and a $20 camping fee. Here you can find more details on how to conquer this mountain on the budget.

Other places in the area:

1. Meru National Park – Here you can see all Big Five, as well as many other magnificent creatures.
2. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy – Former cattle ranch, surrounded by mountains, with more than 70 different animal species.
3. Pejeta Conservancy is a prime place for close-up wildlife encounters. It’s got a significant population of rhinos.

6. Mombasa

This is the most popular tourist city in Kenya. It’s got rich multicultural history, influenced by British, Portuguese, Arab, Indian, and Asian migrants. Mombasa is actually an island connected to the mainland by causeways, bridges, and ferries. The main attractions in the city are:

• The 16th-century Fort Jesus 
• Old Town with its narrow streets, and ancient Swahili dwellings
• The street markets, including the most popular Spice Market
• Shelly Beach on south
• Nyali Beach on north – The northern neighborhoods are pretty westernized, packed with hotels, resorts, and the expats’ residences. However, even in those neighborhoods, you can easily come across an “old-school” Masai dude wrapped in a red cloth, crossing the street with his herd of goats. I don’t think I’ve witnessed a greater cultural contrast anywhere else in the world!

Other places in the area:

• Tiwi Beach – A popular beach town, south of Mombasa
• Diani Beach – This one is more south and even more popular
• Wasini Island – Further south, close to the Tanzanian border, this island is good for snorkeling and scuba diving.
• Shimba Hills National Reserve – The closest safari from Mombasa is the only place in Kenya you can see Sable Antelope. It’s also known for its herds of elephants, and beautiful Sheldrick Falls.

7. Malindi & Watamu

Malindi is a beach town with similar characteristics to Mombasa. It’s a modern tourist spot, as well as a historic town with influences from different cultures. The only thing is, the city is much smaller. So if you like the Kenyan coast, but Mombasa is too busy for you, and Diani too quiet, then Malindi could be the right choice. The main attractions are:

• Old Town dates from the 12th century. Here, you can visit the Jami Mosque, Two Pillar Tombs, and the Church of St. Francis Xavier (one of East Africa’s oldest churches).
• Malindi Beach
• Vasco de Gama Cross – One of the oldest standing monuments in Africa.
• Falconry of Kenya – A rehabilitation center for sick and injured birds.

Other places in the area:

• Gede Ruins – It’s a historical and archaeological site of a walled stone town. Visitors can explore the ruins of mosques, a palace, and numerous houses, as well as a large open area with earth and thatch houses.
• Watamu Beach – Popular beach 25 km south of Malindi. It’s got Watamu Marine National Park, known for turtles, coral gardens, and bird watching.
• Kilifi Beach – Another popular Beach town, located 1 hour south of Malindi, and 2 hours north of Mombasa.
• Marafa Depression (also called Hell’s Kitchen) is a set of sandstone gorges sculpted by the wind and rain. It resembles a mini Grand Canyon.
• Arabuko Nature Reserve is the largest remaining tract of coastal forest in East Africa. The reserve is mainly a bird-watching destination. Also, several endemics can be found here. The forest is a magical place to spend a couple of hours and hide from the coastal heat.

8. Lamu

Lamu town is located on the same-named island. North of it, there are several other islands. All of them together make the Lamu archipelago.

Lamu town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s Kenya’s oldest continually inhabited settlement, with origins dating back to the 12th century. If you combine the town’s historical architecture with the laid-back vibe, you’ll get a feeling the place is locked in the past.

Cars are not allowed in Lamu or any of the islands of the archipelago. Boats and donkeys remain the only forms of transport around here. There are only two cars on the entire island: one belonging to the governor, for official occasions, and the other one is an ambulance. Therefore, it is not recommended to get here with your own vehicle, cause you’d have to leave it unattended in Mokowe. Instead, you can fly in from Nairobi or Mombasa, or take a minibus from Mombasa. Tawakal is the most reliable company.

Things to do on Lamu island:

• Lamu town’s main attractions are Lamu Museum, Donkey Sanctuary, and Lamu Fort.
• Shela is another historic town 2.5 km away from Lamu
• Kilometers of incredibly peaceful sandy beaches

The other islands:

• Takwa Ruins, Manda Island
• Siyu Fort, Pate Island
• Kiwaiyu, snorkeling at the southern tip

9. Amboseli Nature Reserve

Amboseli is one of the most popular parks in Kenya. Visitors have the opportunity to view large herds of elephants up close. Other wildlife commonly spotted in the park includes lions, leopards, buffalos cheetah, giraffes, impalas, eland, waterbuck, wildebeest, hyenas, gazelle, and more than 600 species of birds.

The 392 km2 includes the dried-up bed of Amboseli lake, wetlands with sulfur springs, Acacia woodland, and savannah. And probably the most spectacular part of the scenery is views on snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. Besides the standard Game drive viewing, the Park also offers guided nature walks, bird watching, boat tours, balloon safari, and visits to Masaai villages.

The park is located 4.5 hours from Nairobi, 8 hours from Mombasa, and 8 hours from the Tsavo parks. There are 4 entrance gates:

• Meshanani Gate – from Namanga
• Iremito Gate – from Emali
• Kimana Gate – from Tsavo
• Kitirua Gate (nobody uses that one)

The park entrance fee for 24h is $60 for adults and $35 for children. Then, the tours, activities, camping, guides, and vehicle is charged separately. Here is the complete list of the park fees.

How to experience Amboseli?

1. Book a tour from Nairobi or Mombasa

This is the most common way to visit the big, popular safaris like this one. Considering the individual fees, booking a packaged tour to Amboseli can be done at a quite reasonable rate. The most important thing is:

Do not book a tour online, or from an agency in your home country! It’s a rip-off. If you find out their prices, you’ll end up giving up from visiting Kenya completely. Whether you are looking for a luxury package, or a budget one, you’ll be able to find significantly better deals by inquiring while in Nairobi or Mombasa. Visit the agencies on the streets, and ask at the front desks of the hotels. Cheaper hostels and guesthouses are used to selling bookings at a discount.

If you do that, you’ll easily be able to get a 2-night booking in Amboseli, which includes the ride from Nairobi or Mombasa, a guided tour in the park, and 3 meals, for as low as $300. Also, many agencies combine Tsavo with Amboseli for 3-day bookings.

2. Self driving trip

You can enter the park on your own, or with a rented vehicle. Any road you take to the Park will be unpaved, bumpy, and extremely dusty or muddy, depending on the weather. That said, If you are planning to rent a car, make sure you get a safari vehicle from a tour agency, instead of an ordinary rental from the airport. The prices of getting one of those 4×4 high clearance vehicles are pretty high, so in that case, self-driving may not necessarily be an affordable option.

3. Like a “backpacker”

10. Mount Elgon National Park

The greenest part of Kenya is the western part, along the Ugandan border. Mount Elgon is generally off the tourist radar, cause it’s kinda far away from the major safaris, and even more so, from the epic Kenyan coast. However, it is a great stop if you love hiking and camping. Also, if you are proceeding to Uganda by land, checking out this park is highly recommended. The trail starts at 2,150 m altitude. The peak of the mountain is the second highest in Kenya – 4,155m.

Mount Elgon is split between Kenya and Uganda. The Ugandan side is also called Mount Elgon National Park. Keep that on your mind when you do your research, in order to avoid any confusion. Also, while hiking, make sure you carry your passport with you, just in case you end up on the other side:)

The vegetation includes highland evergreen forest, bamboo, podocarpus, dense scrub with exotic wildflowers, and marooned grasslands. From the wildlife, there’s abundance of different kinds of monkeys and antelopes.

The main attraction

The most popular attraction in the park is Kitum Cave. Herds of elephants, as well as bushbucks, duikers, and buffalos come here at night, in search of the salts that abound in the mineral-rich earth of the cave. There are several other caves in the park, but Kitum is the largest one. You can walk inside for 200 m.

• Getting here from Nairobi – Nakuru – Eldoret – Kitale – Chorlim Gate (which is the main entrance to the Park)
• Accommodation – You can pitch your tent in the park on several designated campsites. Alternatively, Kitale (25 km from the gate) and Endebess (10 km from the gate) have plenty of affordable guesthouses.
• Fees – $20 for adults and $15 for children

If you know any other Best places to visit in Kenya, feel free to share in the comments below...

Cover photo source – Flickr