How To Spend A Day In Nairobi-1 Day Cohesive Itinerary

Now of course there are so many other travel attractions but in this particular guide I am suggesting to you a cohesive itinerary on how to spend a day in Nairobi and I am breaking it down into Morning, Midday, afternoon and evening!

You should know that the city in the sun as we call it isn’t exactly cheap so I recommend planning to spend between ksh. 4,000 to ksh 5,000 per person for the day for this particular itinerary. That should cover your logistics, attractions, food and drink basically your day’s experience.

I also recommend getting a good night’s rest, as much as this itinerary isn’t actively physically involving, all the running around and changing of venues not to mention the sometimes hectic Nairobi traffic, might leave you feeling pretty exhausted.

MORNING; 8.30 AM-9.30 AM: NAIROBI SAFARI WALK

LOCATION: KENYA WILDLIFE HEADQUARTERS (LANG'ATA RD)

COST AS AT PUBLISHING DATE: KSH 215 (ADULT LOCALS), 22 USD ( FOREIGNERS), 125 KSH (CHILD) 13 USD (FOREIGNER CHILD)

Start your day by experiencing wilderness just seven kilometres away from the city center! Yes, when you hear it all the time that Nairobi is the only city with a park within the city , its not an exaggeration.

The Nairobi Safari walk is a Kenya Wildlife service Conservation and recreational project that informs visitors about Kenyan Wildlife and their habitats. Stroll around the different pathways and get lost in the alleys, the raised viewing decks offer the perfect views of a variety of the wildlife from close range.

MORNING; 9.30 am-10.30 pm: BREAKFAST

LOCATION: GALLERIA MALL, KAREN

COST ALLOW: BTWN KSH 1, 200 –KSH 2,000

Right next to each other you have a choice between Javahouse and Artcaffe Photo by Christabel Ododa

This itinerary starts early in the morning and I'm guessing you might have skipped breakfast and after all the walking around at Safari Walk, stopping by for breakfast at galleria mall is not such a lofty idea.

Right next to each other, you have a choice of either Artcaffe or Java both of, which honestly will offer you fantastic breakfast choices.

The reason I suggest Galleria Mall for breakfast is because the next stop and every other attraction for the day is around Karen/Lang'ata area, which is of close proximity to the mall, and this itinerary has to run like clockwork because of the attractions specific operation hours.

MIDDAY; 11 AM-12 PM: DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST

COST ALLOW: 500 KSH MINIMUM PER PERSON

LOCATION: KENYA WILDLIFE HEADQUARTERS (MAGADI RD ENTRANCE)

Photo Courtesy of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Speaking of clockwork, the orphanage opens to the public for exactly one hour from 11 am to midday so if you want to get to learn more about the trust’s work and the stories behind the orphaned elephants which is kind of the point of the trip then keep the timings in mind. Aside from learning about the trust's rescue program you'll get to pet and feed some elephants!

AFTERNOON; 1PM-2PM: MATBRONZE

COST ALLOW: 1,500 KSH MINIMUM PER PERSON

LOCATION: KAREN, NAIROBI

With some time to kill before the next attraction you can opt to do or not but should you decide to stop by, be ready to wet your appetite with a salad bar that will leave you spoilt for choice.

A laid back tranquil environment offering fantastic food not overpriced for the quality you get, and I’m not just saying that .It’s really good. If you are still good to go from the breakfast you can take some time and tour their artistic far from ordinary art exhibition.

Conveniently located in between the orphanage and the next attraction Matbronze cafe is a great choice for a lunch stop over as you are not gonna have to go out of your way.

AFTERNOON; 2 PM TO 2.30 PM :GIRAFFE CENTER

COST AS AT PUBLISHING DATE: 400 KSH (LOCALS) 1,500 (NON RESIDENTS)

TRAVEL TIP: YOU WILL NEED TO CARRY IDENTIFICATION PROOF & PAYMENT STRICTLY BY CARD OR MPESA

The best time to visit is on weekdays, that way you get to feed, pet and kiss the giraffes without much hustle

The best time to visit is on weekdays, that way you get to feed, pet and kiss the giraffes without much hustle

Now that you're well fed, and your energy levels are up, you should be pumped up to feed, pet , kiss and learn more about the Rothschild species at the Giraffe Centre.

The wildlife conservation park opens from 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Sunday, you can just pop in but big groups should book for a better experience. You will find a little shop selling cute souvenirs with a Kenyan touch.

EVENING: 3.30 PM-5.00 PM BOMAS OF KENYA

COST ALLOW: 100 KSH MINIMUM PER PERSON

LOCATION: BOMAS OF KENYA, OFF MAGADI ROAD-LANGATA WARD

TIP: The shows run from 3.30 on Saturdays but on weekdays that is Monday to Friday they are scheduled from 2.30 to 4 pm.

Bomas Of Kenya traditional dancers Photo Courtesy of Bomas Of Kenya

From some of the traditional housing units by different communities, for example Kalenjin homestead,the Luo homestead with the first wife and second wife’s houses, and granaries to mention a few to a spectacular performance of traditional dancers, a visit to this cultural centre will give you some insight into the unique blend of the rich and diverse Kenyan traditional culture.

You can also see some collectibles of preserved cultural artifacts from the various communities and you can sort of get a background of Kenya as a country in terms of our tribes and communities, which is pretty awesome.

Diverse enough to offer you variety and keep it interesting the whole itinerary is obviously just a few of the many options you can try. I tried this itinerary myself and this was a day well spent. Watch my experience.

#thingstodoinNairobi #cohesivenairobi1dayitinerary #howtospendadayinNairobi #giraffecentre #davidsheldrickorphange #wildlifeconservation #nairobisafariwalk #nairobitravelattractions