The best things to do in Nairobi

Most visitors treat Nairobi as a stopover between the airport and the safari. That is a mistake: there are rhinos ten minutes from the city centre, giraffes at breakfast and some of the best food in East Africa.

Here are the experiences worth building a day or two around. Most are in the leafy south-west of the city, around Lang'ata and Karen, so they group together nicely.

1. Nairobi National Park

A real safari on the edge of a capital city, with lions, buffalo, giraffes and one of Kenya's best populations of black rhinos, all with skyscrapers on the horizon. Go at 6 am when the gates open. See our Nairobi National Park guide.

2. The baby elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Every day from 11 am to noon, the orphaned baby elephants come out for their milk and a mud bath while keepers explain each one's story. Visits must be booked in advance on the Trust's own website.

3. The Giraffe Centre

Feed endangered Rothschild's giraffes from a raised platform, eye to eye. It is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm and takes about an hour. Go early or late to avoid the midday queue.

4. Karen Blixen Museum

The farmhouse of the Danish author of Out of Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills, with her furniture, a guided tour and gardens that look out to the hills. A peaceful hour in the suburb that carries her name.

5. Bomas of Kenya

Traditional homesteads from Kenya's communities and a lively afternoon show of music and dance from across the country. It is close to the national park's main gate in Lang'ata.

6. Nairobi National Museum

On Museum Hill near the city centre, with galleries on Kenya's history, culture and wildlife, and fossils of our early human ancestors from northern Kenya. Allow two hours.

7. Karura Forest

A large forest inside the city, with marked trails for walking, running and cycling, a waterfall and caves once used by Mau Mau fighters. A cool, green escape for a morning.

8. The KICC rooftop

The helipad on top of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre gives a 360-degree view of the city, Uhuru Park and, on a clear day, the Ngong Hills. Bring your passport to enter the building. Late afternoon is best.

9. The Maasai Market

An open-air craft market for beadwork, kikoys, carvings and paintings. It moves around the city on different days of the week, so ask your hotel where it is during your stay. Haggling is expected and friendly.

10. Ngong Hills

A ridge of green hills on the south-west edge of the city, with a walk along the top and views over the Rift Valley on one side and Nairobi on the other. Go with a local guide and start early.

11. Westlands and Kilimani after dark

Nairobi's restaurants are one of its best surprises: Ethiopian, Indian, Swahili, nyama choma (grilled meat) and modern Kenyan cooking. Westlands and Kilimani have the liveliest bars and rooftop terraces.

12. A day trip out of the city

Lake Naivasha and Hell's Gate are under two hours away, close enough for a day of hippos and cycling past zebras. See our Rift Valley road trip.

Nairobi in one day

Start at Nairobi National Park at 6 am. Visit the Sheldrick baby elephants at 11, have lunch in Karen, then feed the giraffes at the Giraffe Centre and finish at the Karen Blixen Museum. End with dinner in Westlands.

Things to do in Nairobi with kids

The Giraffe Centre and the baby elephants are the big hits. Add the Nairobi Safari Walk at the national park's main gate, a raised boardwalk past rhinos, bongo antelopes and other Kenyan animals, and an easy morning on the family trail in Karura Forest.