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Experiences

Things to do in Kenya

25 experiences people come to Kenya for — from river crossings and dawn balloon flights to coral reefs and a Swahili town lived in for over 700 years. Each one shows where to go, what our checked sources say, and how to fit it into a trip.

Wildlife encounters

Wildlife encounters
Watch the Great Migration river crossings
Herds of wildebeest and zebras plunging into the Mara River.
Where: Maasai Mara
Wildlife encounters
Go on safari within sight of a city skyline
Lions, rhinos and giraffes, a short drive from central Nairobi.
Where: Nairobi
Wildlife encounters
Meet orphaned baby elephants in Nairobi
Watch rescued orphans run out of the forest at the Sheldrick nursery.
Where: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nursery
Wildlife encounters
Get eye to eye with giraffes at the Giraffe Centre
Close encounters with the Rothschild giraffe in Lang'ata, Nairobi.
Where: Giraffe Centre
Wildlife encounters
Track down Kenya's black rhinos
Four places where checked sources record the endangered black rhino.
Where: Nairobi · Lake Nakuru · Aberdare National Park · Mount Kenya
Wildlife encounters
See the last two northern white rhinos on Earth
A rare chance at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia.
Where: Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Wildlife encounters
Photograph elephants beneath Kilimanjaro
Big herds against Africa's highest mountain in Amboseli.
Where: Amboseli
Wildlife encounters
See flamingos and steaming geysers on the Rift Valley lakes
Pink shorelines, hot springs and geysers at Bogoria and Nakuru.
Where: Lake Bogoria · Lake Nakuru
Wildlife encounters
Walk among wildlife on Crescent Island
A predator-free island sanctuary on Lake Naivasha.
Where: Crescent Island
Wildlife encounters
Find the red elephants of Tsavo
Dust-red herds in a park of almost 14,000 km².
Where: Tsavo East
Wildlife encounters
Spot northern Kenya's rare species in Samburu
Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe along the Ewaso Ngiro.
Where: Samburu

Adventure and the outdoors

Adventure and the outdoors
Float over the Mara in a hot air balloon
A dawn flight over the plains, ending with breakfast in the bush.
Where: Maasai Mara
Adventure and the outdoors
Cycle and hike through Hell's Gate gorge
Ride past zebras and buffalo, then walk the gorge — no vehicle needed.
Where: Naivasha
Adventure and the outdoors
Hike the crater rim of Mount Longonot
A volcano with a forest in its crater, about 90 km from Nairobi.
Where: Mount Longonot National Park
Adventure and the outdoors
Climb towards the glaciers of Mount Kenya
Africa's second-highest peak, from bamboo forest to alpine moorland.
Where: Mount Kenya
Adventure and the outdoors
Walk Kenya's last tropical rainforest
Monkeys, rare birds and a sunrise viewpoint in Kakamega Forest.
Where: Kakamega Forest
Adventure and the outdoors
Fish, camp and search for bongo in the Aberdares
Misty moorland, waterfalls, trout streams and rare forest animals.
Where: Aberdare National Park

Coast and sea

Coast and sea
Snorkel coral reefs with turtles and reef fish
Kenya's oldest marine parks at Watamu and Malindi.
Where: Watamu · Malindi · Diani Beach
Coast and sea
Unwind on the white sand of Diani Beach
Kwale County's white-sand beach, with direct flights from Nairobi.
Where: Diani Beach

Culture and history

Culture and history
Get lost in the lanes of Lamu Old Town
East Africa's best-preserved Swahili town, with no rush at all.
Where: Lamu
Culture and history
Explore Fort Jesus and Mombasa Old Town
A 16th-century Portuguese fort and the old town beside it.
Where: Mombasa
Culture and history
Wander the forest ruins of Gedi
A lost Swahili city of coral stone, swallowed by forest.
Where: Watamu · Malindi
Culture and history
Stand at Vasco da Gama's pillar in Malindi
A Portuguese explorer's landmark on the shore at Malindi.
Where: Malindi

Journeys

Journeys
Ride the Madaraka Express from Nairobi to the coast
The train from Nairobi to Mombasa, past Tsavo.
Where: Nairobi · Tsavo East · Mombasa
Journeys
Fly into the Mara on a light aircraft
From Nairobi's Wilson Airport to a bush airstrip in under an hour.
Where: Nairobi · Maasai Mara

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