Nairobi 3-day itinerary

Begin with an early morning game drive in Nairobi National Park — the only national park in the world set within a capital city. Enter through the main gate at 6am when the animals are most active. Lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, and over 400 bird species roam across 117 square kilometres of open grassland, with Nairobi's skyline rising behind them. The juxtaposition of a black rhino grazing with glass skyscrapers in the background is one of Africa's most surreal sights. The park's ivory burning site — where Kenya torched 105 tonnes of confiscated ivory in 2016 — is a powerful monument to conservation.

Exit the park and head to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, located just outside the park boundary. The public visiting hour runs from 11am to 12pm, during which orphaned baby elephants are brought out for mud baths and bottle feeding. The keepers share each elephant's rescue story — many were found beside their poached mothers or stranded during droughts. The trust has successfully raised and reintroduced over 300 elephants back to the wild. After Sheldrick, have lunch at the nearby Tamambo Karen Blixen restaurant for excellent Kenyan-Mediterranean fusion food in a garden setting.

Visit the Kazuri Beads factory in Karen, founded in 1977 to provide employment for single mothers. Watch artisans hand-roll and paint ceramic beads — each one unique — before browsing the shop for jewellery and pottery. The beads make excellent gifts and directly support local women. Afterwards, head to a local restaurant in Karen or Langata for your first taste of nyama choma — Kenyan grilled meat served with ugali and sukuma wiki (braised collard greens). Try Mama Oliech's on Marcus Garvey Road for legendary fried tilapia.

Spend the morning at the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife's Giraffe Centre in Langata. The centre was established to protect the Rothschild's giraffe — one of the most endangered giraffe subspecies with fewer than 2,500 remaining in the wild. From the raised wooden platform, you can hand-feed the giraffes specially prepared pellets and even receive a "giraffe kiss" by holding a pellet between your lips. The centre also has a nature trail through a patch of indigenous forest where you might spot warthogs, dik-dik antelopes, and over 180 bird species.

Walk or drive 5 minutes to the Karen Blixen Museum — the preserved farmhouse where the Danish author lived during her years in Kenya. The museum captures colonial-era East Africa with original furniture, photographs, and farm equipment. After Karen Blixen, drive 30 minutes north to Karura Forest — 1,000 hectares of indigenous forest in the heart of Nairobi. The forest has well-marked trails for walking, running, and cycling through stands of croton and Cape chestnut trees. The forest hides caves, a waterfall, and a river — it feels impossibly wild for a forest surrounded by a city of 5 million people.

Head to Nairobi's Westlands district for the city's best dining and nightlife. The neighbourhood has exploded with restaurants, craft cocktail bars, and rooftop lounges in recent years. Try Mama Oliech's for legendary fried tilapia and ugali, or Brew Bistro for craft beer brewed on-site with views over the city. For a more upscale evening, The Alchemist compound hosts food trucks, live music, and art installations in an industrial-chic setting popular with Nairobi's young creative class. Nairobi's nightlife runs late — most venues don't fill up until after 10pm.

Visit the Bomas of Kenya in Langata, a cultural centre showcasing the traditional homesteads and dances of Kenya's 42+ ethnic groups. The open-air museum features reconstructed villages — Maasai manyattas, Kikuyu huts, Luo fishing communities, and Swahili stone houses — each built using authentic techniques and materials. The highlight is the daily traditional dance performance in the large open-air arena, where performers from different communities demonstrate their distinct musical styles, from the Maasai jumping dance (adumu) to the Luo ohangla drum rhythms. It is the best single introduction to Kenya's extraordinary cultural diversity.

Head to the Maasai Market — a rotating open-air market that moves between different locations on different days of the week (check locally for the current schedule). The market sells Maasai beadwork, soapstone carvings, batik fabrics, sisal baskets, and recycled metal sculptures. Bargaining is expected and part of the experience — start at 40-50% of the asking price and negotiate from there. Afterwards, walk through the city centre to see the Kenya National Archives, Kenyatta International Convention Centre (ride the lift to the rooftop helipad for 360-degree city views), and the August 7th Memorial Park commemorating the 1998 US Embassy bombing.

End your Nairobi stay with a meal at Carnivore — the city's most famous restaurant and a rite of passage for visitors. The concept is simple: an enormous open-pit charcoal grill in the centre of the restaurant roasts different meats on Maasai swords, and waiters circulate the room offering slices of beef, lamb, pork sausage, chicken, and sometimes game meats like ostrich and crocodile. You eat until you physically surrender by lowering a small paper flag on your table. It is theatrical, delicious, and quintessentially Nairobi. Pair it with Tusker Malt lager or a Kenyan Dawa cocktail (vodka, honey, and lime).