Kenya · Local picks
100+ Places to Visit in Kenya
From Nairobi's rooftop bars to hippos at Lake Naivasha, these are the places we would send a friend. Each one is a local pick, grouped by where it is and what it is good for, with a link to see it for yourself.
Places to Visit in Nairobi
Restaurants
- Cultiva (Karen)
Farm-to-table food eaten among the vegetable beds. - Jiko, Tribe Hotel (Gigiri)
Kenyan heritage ingredients cooked as fine dining. - Taste of Capetown (Nairobi)
New Cape Malay and South African wine restaurant, first in East Africa. - Upepo, Kwetu Nairobi (Westlands)
Pan-Asian menu refresh at a new Hilton Curio hotel. - Ezo (Westlands)
Neo-Japanese spot from a Michelin-starred chef.
Cafés
- River Cafe, Karura (Karura Forest)
Post-walk brunch spot inside the forest, a classic resident weekend.
Bars and Nightlife
- Glam Hotel rooftop (Westlands (General Mathenge Rd))
New 10th-floor rooftop with skyline views and cocktails.
Things to Do
- Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage (Nairobi National Park edge)
Late-morning baby elephant feeding hour, worth booking ahead. - City County CBD walking tour (CBD (Kenyatta Ave, KICC))
Public walking tours of downtown streets and KICC. - Gatura Greens tea farm (Gatura, Murang'a road)
Small tea farm day trip where you see leaf to cup, cited as a hidden gem by a local guide. - Brown's Cheese farm (Limuru)
Cheese-making tour and tasting lunch in the cool Limuru highlands, an easy afternoon escape. - Brackenhurst weekend (Limuru)
Highland forest retreat for a quiet one-night escape from the city. - Ngong Racecourse race days (Ngong Road)
Sunday horse racing with a relaxed local crowd and cheap entry. - Skills workshops (pottery, sip and paint) (Various)
Weekend classes from pottery to mixology are how many young Nairobians socialise now.
Events
- Blankets and Wine (Rotating venues)
Long-running picnic festival showcasing Kenyan and African musicians. - Nairobi Festival (Nairobi)
Jamhuri weekend in December of food, art, music and matatu culture. - Nairobi International Trade Fair (Nairobi Show) (Jamhuri Park)
Early-autumn agricultural show, a classic Kenyan family day out. - WRC Safari Rally Kasarani stage (Kasarani)
City spectator stage at the start of rally week.
Nature and Outdoors
- Karura Forest (Muthaiga/Gigiri)
Huge urban forest with trails, a waterfall and caves, a residents' weekend ritual on foot or bike. - Nairobi Arboretum (Kilimani (State House Rd))
Century-old tree park in the middle of town, cheap and good for a picnic or birding. - Oloolua Nature Trail (Karen)
Quiet indigenous forest walk with small waterfalls and a cave, far calmer than the big parks. - Ngong Hills (Kompass) (Ngong)
Ridge hike with big Rift views, plus low-cost zip-lining and archery at the base. - Paradise Lost (Kiambu Road)
Coffee-farm park with caves, a waterfall and boating, popular with local families on a budget.
Shopping and Markets
- The Links at Langata (Langata)
Cluster of local boutiques for artisan gifts away from the mall crowds. - Maasai Market (Law Courts parking) (CBD)
The busiest rotating Maasai market for beadwork and crafts; bargain politely. - K1 Flea Market (Parklands)
Sunday brunch, live music and vendors of fashion and crafts. - Karen Organic Farmers Market (Marula Lane, Karen)
Saturday-morning produce market with live music and family picnics.
Arts and Culture
- Circle Art Gallery (Lavington)
Leading East African contemporary gallery, home of the yearly art auction. - Nairobi National Museum (Museum Hill)
Kenya's heritage and early-human fossils in one stop. - Kuona Artists Collective (Kilimani)
Working studios where you can meet artists and buy straight from them. - Nairobi Gallery (CBD (Kenyatta Ave))
Small museum in a 1913 building with African art, an easy CBD stop. - Mukuru Art Collective (Mukuru)
Community art space where visits support young artists from the settlement. - Banana Hill Art Gallery (Banana Hill, Kiambu)
Artist-run gallery outside the city showing dozens of Kenyan painters. - Kitengela Glass (Kitengela, next to Nairobi NP)
Hillside glass studio with mosaic cottages and a wobbly rope bridge. - The GoDown Arts Centre (Industrial Area)
Revamped arts hub hosting shows, gigs and creative events.
Places to Visit in Mombasa
Restaurants
- Forodhani Restaurant (Old Town seafront)
Swahili plates on a deck over Tudor Creek and the Old Port, at fair prices. - Tamarind Mombasa (Nyali, Tudor Creek)
Long-running seafood institution looking across the water to Old Town. - Old Town street food (mahamri, viazi karai, mishkaki) (Old Town)
Evening snack crawl for Swahili street classics for a few hundred shillings. - Barka Restaurant (Old Town, near Central police station)
Old-school Swahili kitchen for biryani, pilau and harder-to-find dishes like matobosha and muhogo wa nazi.
Cafés
- Cafesserie (City Mall, Nyali)
Everything made from scratch, from juices to ice cream, and priced fairly. - Kahawa chungu sellers at Old Town (Old Town (around Fort Jesus))
Join elders for a tiny cup of bitter spiced coffee poured from brass kettles, a daily ritual.
Bars and Nightlife
- Bamburi club strip (Bamburi)
Where Mombasa nightlife moved: a cluster of clubs within a short walk, reggae to trap. - Mtwapa nights (Gasaro, Lambada) (Mtwapa, Kilifi County)
The coast town that never sleeps, about 30 minutes north of Mombasa.
Things to Do
- Old Town walk (Old Town)
Narrow Swahili lanes, carved doors and markets best seen on foot with a local guide. - Mama Ngina Waterfront (Mama Ngina Drive)
Free promenade with sea breeze, cassava crisps and madafu, where Mombasa locals hang out at dusk. - Hire a local Old Town guide (Old Town)
Local guides charge a few hundred shillings and bring the alleys and history to life. - Masjid Mandhry (outside view) (Old Town, Sir Mbarak Rd)
Said to be the oldest mosque in Kenya, older than Fort Jesus; view respectfully from outside. - Wild Waters (Nyali)
Family water park with many slides and rides. - Mamba Village (Nyali)
Big crocodile farm showing every life stage, an easy kids outing.
Events
- Lamu Cultural Festival (side trip) (Lamu, north coast)
Late-November dhow and donkey races, bao and henna; fly or bus up from Mombasa. - Beneath the Baobabs (Kilifi, about 1 hour north of Mombasa)
New Year's festival in Kilifi, north of Mombasa; many Nairobians drive down and pair it with a coast stay.
Nature and Outdoors
- Mombasa Marine Park snorkelling (Nyali to Mtwapa reefs)
Shallow coral gardens close to shore by glass-bottom boat or snorkel. - Nyali Beach (Nyali)
Close-in beach for walks and swims without leaving town. - Haller Park (Bamburi)
Rehabilitated quarry turned nature park with giraffe feeding and tortoises.
Shopping and Markets
- Bombolulu Workshops (Bombolulu)
Crafts made by artisans with disabilities, a long-standing social enterprise stop.
Arts and Culture
- Fort Jesus Museum (Old Town)
16th-century Portuguese fort and museum tying the coast's history together.
Places to Visit in Diani Beach
Restaurants
- Sails Beach Bar & Restaurant (Almanara, Diani)
Simple, flavour-packed seafood under canvas sails by the beach. - Ali Barbour's Cave Restaurant (Diani Beach Rd)
Seafood dinner in a cave open to the night sky.
Cafés
- Pallet Café (Diani beachfront)
Hammocks and makuti shade on the sand; trains and employs deaf staff.
Bars and Nightlife
- Nomad Beach Bar (Diani Beach Rd)
Kitenge-shaded beach bar; Sunday sessions and sunset parties. - Manyatta Club (Diani Beach Rd)
Local-crowd club for music and nyama choma.
Things to Do
- Wasini Island dhow trip and Kisite-Mpunguti (Shimoni)
Dhow day out with snorkelling and frequent dolphins, then a seafood lunch. - Kongo River sunset canoe (Galu/Kongo)
Paddle the mangrove river mouth by an old mosque at sunset. - Kitesurfing lessons (Galu Beach)
Steady monsoon winds make Diani one of the region's kite spots.
Events
- Summer Tides Festival (Diani)
Big July beach festival that pulls young Kenyans from across the country.
Nature and Outdoors
- Colobus Conservation (Diani Beach Rd)
Local primate charity with guided forest walks among rare Angolan colobus. - Galu Beach moonrise (Galu, south Diani)
Quieter southern stretch where locals watch the moon rise out of the ocean. - Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest (Kinondo)
Mijikenda sacred forest walk led by community guides. - Shimba Hills and Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary (Kwale)
Coastal forest reserve with sable antelope and a community-run elephant sanctuary. - Diani Marine Reserve snorkelling and dolphins (Diani reef)
Boat trips to the reef for turtles, dolphins and seasonal whale sharks.
Places to Visit in Maasai Mara
Things to Do
- Sunrise hot-air balloon flight (Mara Reserve / conservancies)
Dawn float over the plains ending in a bush breakfast; book early in migration season. - Boma visit with elders and herding (Conservancy villages)
Spend time with a host family, learn herding and medicinal plants. - Night game drive in a conservancy (Mara conservancies)
Night drives are allowed in conservancies but not in the reserve. - Guided bush walk in a conservancy (Mara conservancies)
Tracking on foot, only allowed outside the main reserve.
Nature and Outdoors
- Olare Motorogi Conservancy (North-east of the reserve)
Land leased by hundreds of Maasai families; few vehicles and dense wildlife. - Naboisho Conservancy (Naboisho)
Community conservancy with low vehicle numbers and walking safaris. - Great Migration river crossings (Mara River)
Roughly July to October herds cross the Mara River, the reserve at its busiest.
Arts and Culture
- Nashulai Conservancy Cultural Training Centre (Nashulai)
Maasai-led conservancy with real cultural programmes rather than staged visits.
Places to Visit in Lake Naivasha
Restaurants
- Under the Swahili Tree (Lakeside, Naivasha)
Lake tilapia with ugali or snapper curry on a deck with fish eagles calling. - Fried lake tilapia with ugali (Naivasha town / lakeside)
The local order; KMFRI has certified lake fish as safe to eat.
Things to Do
- Lake boat ride for hippos and fish eagles (Lakeshore)
Cheap community boat trips with excellent birding. - Olkaria Geothermal Spa (Olkaria)
Natural hot-water pools heated by the geothermal field. - Explore the far side of the lake (North and west shores)
Drive past the resort strip to quieter shores and villages.
Events
- WRC Safari Rally (Naivasha stages (Soysambu etc.))
Hundreds of thousands line the Naivasha stages each March; Soysambu has a big spectator area.
Nature and Outdoors
- Hell's Gate cycling (Hell's Gate NP)
One of the few parks you can ride through, past zebra and red cliffs. - Mount Longonot (Longonot)
Steep volcano hike with a crater-rim loop and Rift Valley views; go early. - Malewa Wildlife Lodge (Malewa River)
Riverside eco-lodge with guided walks and bush meals. - Ol Njorowa Gorge (Hell's Gate NP)
Hike down the gorge with a guide; skip it when rain threatens flash floods. - Crater Lake Game Sanctuary (West shore, near Kongoni)
Green crater lake with a rim trail, giraffe and colobus, far quieter than the main lake. - Crescent Island walking safari (Crescent Island)
Walk among giraffe and zebra, no vehicle needed. - Kayaking with hippos at Camp Carnellys (Moi South Lake Rd)
Paddle the shallows to watch hippos and birds, then camp under fever trees.
Places to Visit in Nanyuki and Mount Kenya
Restaurants
- The Trout Tree (South of Nanyuki)
Eat farmed trout in a platform built into a huge fig tree. - Le Rustique (Nanyuki)
Mediterranean menu in a warm Moroccan-Swahili room, cheaper than it looks. - Barney's (Nanyuki Airstrip)
Breakfast or burgers while light aircraft come and go.
Cafés
- The Coffee Bench (Nanyuki-Rumuruti Rd)
Farm-sourced food and fair prices, open from breakfast to late.
Bars and Nightlife
- Downtown Club (Nanyuki town)
Long-running town nightspot with an older local crowd.
Things to Do
- Horseback ride on the ranchlands (Laikipia ranches)
Ride alongside zebra and gazelle with a trained guide. - Equator crossing and town market (Nanyuki town)
Browse the market and shops with the mountain in view. - Wine tasting and bookshops in town (Nanyuki)
Town is growing a small wine-tasting and book-lover scene. - Chaka Ranch (Near Nanyuki)
Quad bikes, go-karts and paintball for family groups.
Events
- Trek for the Bongo (Mount Kenya)
Yearly September charity climb raising funds to save the mountain bongo.
Nature and Outdoors
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy (Ol Pejeta)
Rhino tracking and a chimp sanctuary on a day trip from town. - Naro Moru route (Naro Moru)
Fastest route to Point Lenana, also a good base for shorter day hikes. - Ngare Ndare Forest canopy walk and pools (Ngare Ndare)
Treetop walkway and turquoise swimming pools in a community forest. - Lolldaiga Hills rock art (Lolldaiga Hills Ranch)
Cave paintings with views to Mount Kenya on a vast wildlife ranch. - Sirimon route to Old Moses (Mount Kenya NP)
Day or overnight hike for high-altitude views without a summit push.
More to Explore
We are still checking these with fresh sources, so confirm opening times before you go.
- The Perch, Kingfisher Nest Hotel (Westlands, Nairobi)
Reopened after a two-year renovation, a fresh spot for dinner. - Nairobi Street Kitchen (Westlands (Mpaka Rd), Nairobi)
Food-hall courtyard with many stalls, good for groups. - Women-led garden and rooftop socials (Kilimani/Lavington, Nairobi)
Calm, community-style evenings with music and storytelling replacing the club night. - Azura (Nyali Bridge area, Mombasa)
Ocean-facing bar and dining with a view of Nyali Bridge, kind on the wallet. - Jahazi Coffee House (Old Town, Ndia Kuu, Mombasa)
Heritage-styled café for ginger-spiced Swahili coffee and homemade snacks mid-walk. - Café Mocha (Nyali Cinemax complex, Mombasa)
Neighbourhood coffeehouse founded by a local master barista. - Tapas (Mombasa, Mombasa)
Cocktail-heavy bar with a big seafood menu. - Florida Night Club (Mama Ngina Drive, Mombasa)
Veteran club built partly over the ocean, a Mombasa landmark night out. - Mombasa Carnival (City centre, Mombasa)
Street procession celebrating coastal diversity, with food and local mnazi. - Mombasa International Cultural Festival (Mombasa, Mombasa)
Coast cultures showcase with music, dance and food. - Dinghy sailing at Mombasa Yacht Club (Tudor Creek, Mombasa)
Learn-to-sail sessions on the creek, a local pastime few visitors try. - Jumba la Mtwana ruins (Mtwapa, Mombasa)
Quiet 14th-century Swahili ruins by the sea, rarely crowded. - Aniello's Ristorante Pizzeria (Diani Beach Rd, Diani Beach)
Reliable pizza, handy for takeaway to the beach. - Leonardo's (Diani Beach Rd, Diani Beach)
Long-time local pick for Italian food. - Fins Beach Bar & Grill (Diani beachfront, Diani Beach)
Sunset cocktails right on the beach. - Full Moon Club (Diani Beach Rd, Diani Beach)
Beach Road hangout that comes alive on full-moon nights. - Forty Thieves Beach Bar (Diani beachfront, Diani Beach)
Classic barefoot beach bar known for parties and pizza. - Skydive Diani (Ukunda airstrip, Diani Beach)
Tandem jump over the reef and white sand. - Ol Kinyei Conservancy (Eastern Mara, Maasai Mara)
Smaller community conservancy, quieter than the reserve. - Maasai beadwork with conservancy women (Mara conservancies, Maasai Mara)
Buy beadwork straight from makers on a community visit, money stays local. - The Club House Cafe, Sanctuary Farm (Moi South Lake Rd, Lake Naivasha)
Farm café by the lake, a good stop on the South Lake Road loop. - Kariandusi prehistoric site (Near Gilgil, Lake Naivasha)
Stone-age hand-axe site with a small museum, almost always empty. - The Nook Cafe & Bar (Nanyuki, Nanyuki and Mount Kenya)
Ranch-style café-bar with a menu that changes weekly. - Mountain biking the lower slopes (Mount Kenya foothills, Nanyuki and Mount Kenya)
Singletrack and conservancy tracks for riders. - Burguret River caves and waterfall (Burguret, near Nanyuki, Nanyuki and Mount Kenya)
Short forest walk to Mau Mau-era hideout caves by a waterfall. - Equator curio market (Nanyuki main road, Nanyuki and Mount Kenya)
Small curio stalls right by the Equator sign.