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History and Culture, Nairobi
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NairobiTravel Guide

Kenya5 stories

Kenya's high-altitude capital is the only major city on earth with a national park on its doorstep — a green, fast-moving metropolis where safari country begins at the city limits.

Is Nairobi right for you?

When to come

Dry season, June to October

Around 28°C by day in March, 24°C in July — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

No hour-by-hour route here yet — the guides below cover it by subject instead.

Nairobi is inWarm in January
When to go
January: around 27 degrees by day, 14 at night, 58 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 27 degrees by day, 14 at night, 36 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 28 degrees by day, 15 at night, 75 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 26 degrees by day, 15 at night, 130 millimetres of rain, wet.
May: around 25 degrees by day, 15 at night, 109 millimetres of rain, wet.
June: around 24 degrees by day, 13 at night, 29 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
July: around 24 degrees by day, 12 at night, 11 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
August: around 24 degrees by day, 13 at night, 19 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
September: around 26 degrees by day, 13 at night, 17 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
October: around 27 degrees by day, 14 at night, 50 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
November: around 25 degrees by day, 15 at night, 131 millimetres of rain, wet.
December: around 26 degrees by day, 15 at night, 85 millimetres of rain, wet.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Dry season, June to October

Average daily highs, recorded at Nairobi (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport), 1615 m, 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Deutscher Wetterdienst; Starlings Roost Weather (via Wikipedia 'Nairobi')

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
Plan itWhere to stay in Nairobiad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Nairobi

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Nairobi

A giraffe walking past an acacia tree at sunset on the Kenyan savanna, the sky glowing orange
01
Destinations

Nairobi for First-Timers: The Complete Guide

Lions with a skyline backdrop, orphaned elephants at breakfast, and Kenya's best nyama choma — how to make sense of East Africa's most compelling capital.

Kenya · 2 min
The mushroom-topped cylinder of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and the twisting blue Britam Tower rising above Nairobi's downtown rooftops under a wide sky of white cumulus cloud
02
The List

The Most Photogenic Corners of Nairobi, Ranked

Nairobi's best pictures come from collisions - wildlife against a skyline, colonial verandas against traffic, indigenous forest a short drive from a mall - and these are the corners that repay the effort, ranked, costed and ordered so the traffic does not eat your week.

Kenya · 13 min
The great hall of mammals inside the Nairobi National Museum, mounted elephant, giraffe, buffalo and antelope grouped on red earth inside a brass rail beneath arched windows.
03
Itineraries

A Rainy Day in Nairobi: The All-Indoor Route

When the rains arrive, Nairobi’s parks turn to mud and its traffic doubles. A full day of museums, galleries, workshops and markets that never needs a clear sky.

Kenya · 2 min
Nairobi after dark, lit apartment and office towers standing over a wide carpet of amber city lights under a deep violet sky
04
Stays

Where to Base Yourself in Nairobi: A First-Timer’s Guide

In a city defined by traffic, the neighbourhood you sleep in shapes every day of the trip. A first-timer’s briefing on Nairobi’s five bases and the stays that define them.

Kenya · 2 min
In pictures

Nairobi, framed

A giraffe standing among acacia scrub on the grassland of Nairobi National Park, with the towers of Nairobi's downtown skyline rising pale on the horizon behind.
Photo: Grace Nandi / Unsplash
Three giraffes standing apart on the bleached grass plains of Nairobi National Park, the towers of the Nairobi skyline rising small and pale on the horizon behind them.
Photo: Murad Swaleh / Unsplash
Wildlife You Came For, Nairobi
Photo: Murad Swaleh / Unsplash
Neighbourhoods to Know, Nairobi
Photo: imsogabriel stock / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Nairobi

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for Kenya

Money

Kenyan shilling (KES)

Language

Swahili and English are both official languages, and English is used throughout business, government and tourism.

Power

Type G, 240V 50Hz

Getting around

Nairobi runs on privately owned matatu minibuses that carry most commuters and take cash or M-Pesa, but visitors almost always use taxis or the Uber and Bolt apps.

Tipping

Around 10% is usual in restaurants unless a service charge has already been added, and safari guides are tipped separately at a daily rate.

Tap water

Treat tap water as unsafe for visitors and drink bottled, boiled or filtered water; hotels and camps supply purified water.

Driving

Left-hand side; a valid foreign licence in English is accepted for up to 90 days, otherwise an International Driving Permit or official translation is required.

Emergency

999 or 112

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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