What to do in Nairobi before or after a safari

First, work out how much time you really have

Nairobi traffic decides what is possible, so plan around travel time rather than distance. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is on the south-east side of the city, Wilson Airport, where many safari flights leave from, is to the south, and the countryside of Tigoni and Limuru is about 30 km north-west of the centre.

• Half a day (4–5 hours): one activity close to where you are staying, or a countryside activity with an early start.
• A full day: two activities, or a relaxed half-day in Tigoni with lunch.
• Evening flight out: plan to be back on the airport side of the city by mid-afternoon, and allow at least two hours from Tigoni to JKIA, more on weekday evenings.

If you want more wildlife: Nairobi's southern side

Nairobi National Park sits right on the edge of the city, and a few hours on a game drive there can still turn up rhino, giraffe and lions with the city skyline behind them. Nearby, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust runs a short public visit to its orphaned elephants in the late morning, and the Giraffe Centre in Lang'ata lets you see Rothschild's giraffes up close. The Karen Blixen Museum is a short drive away in Karen.

These all sit on the south and west of the city, close to Wilson Airport and the main safari lodges in Karen and Lang'ata, so they are the easiest choice if your time is short. Book the elephant visit ahead online, as places are limited.

If you have seen enough animals: a half-day in tea country

After days in the dust of the Mara or Amboseli, many visitors want something different: cool air, green hills and a bit of exercise. Tigoni, in the Limuru highlands, is the closest real countryside to Nairobi. The hills are covered in tea, the air is noticeably cooler than in the city, and the farm roads are quiet.

The drive takes about 45 minutes on a clear morning and up to an hour and a half at peak times. That makes a morning activity in Tigoni easy to fit around a late-afternoon or evening flight, or a gentle way to spend your first day while you get over the journey.

Three ways to spend the half-day

All our tours are guided, in small groups, and start from a meeting point in Tigoni that we send on WhatsApp.

• E-bike tour: two hours on electric bikes along red-earth farm roads through the tea. The motor does the work on the climbs, so you only need to be able to ride a bicycle. Start times are 9:00, 12:00 and 15:00, and the non-resident rate is KSh 5,500.
• Tea farm walk: a slower walk between the rows of a working tea farm, learning how Kenyan tea is grown, picked and processed. Good for all ages, at KSh 4,500 per person for everyone.
• Guided hike: farm tracks and forest paths, with the distance matched to your group. A good way to stretch your legs after long days in a safari vehicle; the non-resident rate is KSh 5,000.

Sample plans

• Arrival day, landing in the morning: rest at your hotel, then ride the 15:00 e-bike tour and have an early dinner.
• Departure day, evening flight: leave Nairobi by 8:00, ride the 9:00 e-bike tour or do a tea walk, have lunch in Tigoni, and head to the airport by early afternoon.
• Spare full day: a morning tea walk, lunch at a farm restaurant, and the afternoon e-bike tour, or add the Rift Valley viewpoint on the way back.

Practical tips

• Bring a warm layer. At over 2,000 metres, Tigoni is cooler than Nairobi, especially in the morning and from June to August.
• Closed shoes are best for every activity, and a rain jacket in the rainy seasons (March to May and October to December).
• Keep your luggage at your hotel or with your driver; the tours start from a farm meeting point, not a building with lockers.
• Your safari company or hotel can usually arrange a driver for the day. Ride-hailing cars are easy to get from Nairobi but slower to find in Tigoni itself, so agree the return trip before you set off.

Frequently asked questions