If you are coming to Kenya with kids, you will be coming through Nairobi. And if you are coming as a family to visit Kenya, you probably have a few questions you want to know about first. We will address some of the main questions in this post. These were the questions that we asked ourselves before we visited Nairobi, and I am sure they are the questions that you will have also! Questions such as what does Nairobi have to offer a family, is Nairobi safe to visit with kids, and how can I get around Nairobi, and most importantly do I have to travel far to see animals.
Nairobi is the capital and is the largest city in Kenya. Nairobi is home to just over 5 million residents, and it is a cultural and economic hub of the nation. Taking time to visit and explore what Nairobi has to offer is a must if you want to understand and experience Kenya!
Is Nairobi Safe to Visit with Children?
The short answer is no and yes. No, Nairobi is not safe to travel in the same way you would travel in European and Asian destinations. In order to be safe in Nairobi you will need to follow some basic principles of self-awareness and add extra precautions. But if you are able to travel wisely and follow the basic extra precautions, then yes, Nairobi is plenty safe to travel around in.
So, what are the basic rules of safety when it comes to visiting Nairobi with kids?
Basic Rules of Safety in Nairobi
Do be extra watchful and aware of your surrounding
Do use an Uber or a trusted hired driver to get around
Do keep your valuables and children close
Do not carry a lot of cash
Do not pull out your phone unless you need to
Do not be out walking around after dark
Do not wear expensive jewelry and clothes
(These are basic safety rules a family should use regardless of where you travel to, but in Nairobi you should be extra vigilant)
The Kenyans are very nice and wonderful people and being able to experience their culture and city is a wonderful experience. However, the distribution of wealth in Kenya is extreme, with the rich being very rich and the poor being very poor. Showing excessive wealth will only attract unwanted attention, so it is best and advisable to not show it.
How to Get Around Nairobi with Kids
When it comes to getting around Nairobi with kids, we would recommend using Uber. Uber drivers are plentiful in Nairobi, and we hardly ever had to wait long for a ride. You can select the size vehicle you want with Uber, so we were always able to fit.
You can select a van which will bring a 7-seater car. Also, there are no child seating laws that you need to worry about, so you do not need to carry booster seats and car seats.
A short ride with Uber usually cost us in the range of $3-5USD, and going across town would be in the range of $10USD or so.
What are Some Great Things to See in Nairobi with Kids?
As a large city, Nairobi offers a number of great things to do with kids. We are going to list off a few of our favorite activities from our time in Nairobi. These things to do in Nairobi with kids range from seeing animals, educational, and fun places to eat. They are not listed in any specific order.
United Nations Headquarters
The United Nations (UN) established a headquarters in Nairobi in 1996. It is the only UN headquarters in Africa. It is also the only UN headquarters in the southern hemisphere. There are representatives from 166 nations working or conferencing in the UN headquarters in Nairobi. It truly is a place worth visiting when you come to visit Nairobi.
This is a great place for slightly older children, or families who have a sense of global responsibility. It was fascinating to learn all about the programs and agendas of the United Nations. Our daughter found the UN was her favorite place to visit in Nairobi!
In order to visit the United Nations, you must book a tour. You cannot walk in without a tour.
United Nations Tour Cost
Foreign
Adult - $15 USD
Student 5–17 - $10 USD
Foreign Resident of Kenya
Adult - $12 USD
Student 5-17 - $6 USD
East African Citizen
Adult - $3.60 USD
Student 5-17 - $3 USD
(Prices are less if you are an East African Citizen, or a foreign resident of Kenya)
You can check their website for a complete breakdown of prices.
United Nations Visiting Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Tours begin 9:30am
Last tour begins 4:00pm.
Nairobi National Park 1 Day Safari
Chances are one of the top things on your list of things to do in Nairobi with kids is to see the animals. Animals and Kenya are like chips and salsa: they just belong together. Even though Nairobi is a large city, you are in luck! There are some wonderful opportunities to see the spectacular wildlife within the city!
The first place we highly recommend taking your kids to see is the Nairobi National Park. Nairobi National Park is located along the southern edge of Nairobi. Quite literally, there is a highway that separates the wild animals from the city! It is a remarkable feeling to be driving down the edge of the city and being able to see giraffes (wild giraffes) off amongst the wilds of the other side.
There is a fence that separates the park from the city, so you do not have to worry about the animals crossing over.
Nairobi National Park is a great option for a family safari. They have options available even for short one day safari’s which are perfect for a family. Especially a family with smaller kids who would find a longer multi-day safari too intense. To book a safari you can either go through an agent online, like Viator, or you can connect directly with a local driver. Read more details on how to book your 1 Day Safari in Kenya. We highly recommend it.
Nairobi National Park Entrance Fee
Foreign
Adult - $43 USD
Child - $22 USD
Foreign Resident of Kenya
Adult - 430 Kenyan Shilling
Child - 215 Kenyan Shilling
Kenya Citizen
Adult - 430 Kenyan Shilling
Child - 215 Kenyan Shilling
You can check their website for a complete breakdown of prices.
Hours of Nairobi National Park
Daily
6:00am - 6:00pm
Nairobi National Park Safari Walk
Another option at the Nairobi National Park is to go and do the safari walk. The Safari Walk is in conjunction with the national park.
This means that the admission is different. If you pay to go into the National Park, it will not get you into the Safari Walk. Expect to see some actual wildlife on the safari walk but know that many animals there are orphaned or rescued. This is great way to see the animals in a more hybrid zoo but still have that wild safari feel.
Safari Walk Entrance Fee
Foreign
Adult - $22 USD
Child - $13 USD
Foreign Resident of Kenya
Adult - 430 Kenyan Shilling
Child - 215 Kenyan Shilling
Kenya Citizen
Adult - 430 Kenyan Shilling
Child - 215 Kenyan Shilling
You can check their website for a complete breakdown of prices.
Hours of Safari Walk
Daily
8:30am - 5:30pm
Giraffe Center
Another great option for seeing animals in Nairobi is to head over to the Giraffe Center. The Giraffe Center is a great option for kids as you have the ability to learn a great deal about the different kinds of giraffes. You are also given the option to feed the giraffes. This can be lots of fun if you don’t mind getting a little giraffe spit on you. They have long tongues so watch out!
Feeding the giraffes is the main thing to do at the Giraffe Center. They have built up high walkways so you can walk around and be at the height of the giraffes. This makes feeding them easy.
The giraffes they have on hand at the center are mostly either rescued animals or bred at the center. They have a list of all the giraffes’ names and ages. It was fun to see giraffes of different ages ranging from a few months old up to adults. On our safaris, we were only able to see adult giraffes. So that was enjoyable.
Besides giraffes, there are also warthogs running around the ground below. We enjoyed dropping food down to them also. There are also a few stations with puzzles for small kids to enjoy.
Giraffe Center Entrance Fee
Foreign
Adult - 1500 Kenya Shilling
Child - 750 Kenya Shilling
Resident (Proof of being a Resident required)
Adult Resident - 400 Kenya Shilling
Child Resident - 200 Kenya Shilling
Check website for up-to-date prices.
Child is 3-12 years of age.
Hours of Giraffe Center
Monday - Sunday
9:00am - 5:00pm
Across the road from the Giraffe Center is a nature walk you can enjoy. You will find a large fence to the left of the souvenir stalls. This is the entrance to the nature walk. It is labeled and not very difficult to find.
The nature walk is officially part of the Giraffe Center but does not cost money to go into. There are a number of trails you can walk around once you get inside. The trails are in good conditions and pretty well marked. If you would like a guide to take you along the trails that is available and can be requested from within the Giraffe Center. The guide will cost extra and is not required.
They have many signs about not touching the giraffes and that you should stay at least 15 meters away from any giraffes you see. We did not see any giraffes when we hiked around, but they were there. Somewhere. We could see evidence of them scattered around the paths. We tried to avoid the evidence, poop.
Cost of Nature Trail
Free
Hours of Nature Trail
Daily
8:00am - 5:00pm
Karura Forest
If you are into going on walks and enjoying nature, then we cannot recommend the Karura Forest more. Located right in the middle of Nairobi, Karura Forest is a testament to the struggle to preserve the forest of Kenya.
In the 1990’s there was plants to make the area into more housing. These plans were thwarted by conservationist Wangari Maathai. She later won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. We highly recommend reading up about Wangari Maathai before going to the park to gain more appreciation for the efforts taken to conserve the trees.
Besides the history of the park which is fascinating, taking a trip to the park itself is a great activity to do in Nairobi with kids. Firstly, it gets you away from the busy and often polluted streets of the city. There are many kilometers of well maintained trails that you can explore.
Renting bicycles is an option that you can do at the park also. We chose not to rent bikes as we did not find any bikes available that were small enough for our smaller 8-year-old child.
Karura Forest Bike Rental Cost
Bicycle for 2 hours - 580 Kenyan Shillings
In the park there are some animals you can see. We were able to see monkeys and a small deer called a suni. It was the side of a medium sized dog. There are a few other deer varieties, civets, porcupines, squirrels, pigs, and hares. There is also an abundant variety of birds in the park.
Karura Forest Cost
Foreign
Adult - 600 Kenyan Shilling
Child - 300 Kenyan Shilling (under 13)
Resident
Adult - 200 Kenyan Shilling
Child - 100 Kenyan Shilling (under 13)
Citizen
Adult - 100 Kenyan Shilling
Child - 50 Kenyan Shilling (under 13)
Check website for complete and up-to-date prices.
Child is under 13 years of age
Karura Forest Hours
Daily
6:00am - 7:00pm
(last entry allowed at 5:45pm)
There is also a really cool waterfall within the park. It was very cool to be able to visit a sizable waterfall and realize that it is actually in the middle of the city. Once you are in the forest and hiking around it is easy to forget you are in the heart of Nairobi. It is peaceful and calm.
Maasai Market
Another great option of things to do with kids in Nairobi is take an adventure to the Maasai Market. The Maasai Market is a market that moves around Nairobi depending on the day. This is a great cultural experience for kids. The vendors are either Maasai or sell Maasai handcrafts. The experience can be overwhelming as a shopper as vendors are very aggressive and pushy. We recommend knowing what price you are willing to pay for an item before beginning negotiations.
The market prices are all up for negotiations, and you have to be willing to give your best price. Sellers of course will try to get as much from you as they can, so know your limits and be willing to walk away. Many vendors sell identical items, so if you do walk away you will most likely see the same item elsewhere.
Our kids really enjoyed being given a few hundred Kenyan Shillings and being told to see what they can get with the money. Having the cash in hand and no other available aided them in their haggling abilities.
Maasai Market Locations
Tuesday: Westgate Shopping Mall
Wednesday: Capital Centre on Mombasa Road
Thursday: Junction Shopping Mall
Friday: Village Market in Gigiri
Saturday: The High Court parking in city center (close to Hilton)
Sunday: Yaya Center Mall
Hours
The Maasai Market typically runs from 8:00am until 6:00pm, but hours are flexible and opening and closing hours may vary.
Malls
Nairobi is the heart and soul of Kenya. It is the political and economic hub of the nation if not all of eastern Africa. The influences from Nairobi are extensive and getting a good feel of the city is a wonderful way to learn about the culture and its people. We feel one of the great ways to do this is my experiencing the malls. Some of the malls in Nairobi are large and worth exploring and checking out.
Kenya has a few great malls that are particularly good to visit with kids. We will highlight a few options that are especially good for families.
Two Rivers Mall
Two Rivers Mall is a great one to visit with kids. It offers a load of entertainment options. Outside the mall you will find a mini amusement park. The amusement park even has a Ferris Wheel. Outside they also offer go karting for the older kids. There are a lot of dining options inside.
Another draw that our family enjoyed about Two Rivers Mall is that it has a Carrefour supermarket inside. We will go into a bit more about supermarkets later on in the post, but grocery stores are oddly a must go to place while travelling with kids.
The Hub
The Hub in Nairobi is an entertainment venue. It offers the normal shopping and dining options, but it has a large indoor entertainment center. Think trampoline park, playground, ropes courses. Here you can buy tickets for how many attractions you want to go on. 4, 7, or you can buy an all day pass. An all day pass can cost around $45USD, so it is not cheap.
Village Market
This mall is a good option for kids because it has the fun and unique option to go glow in the dark mini golf. With 18 holes of neon and glowing putting, and it just spices up the fun. A lot of the obstacles are made with recycled materials, so it is an opportunity to see a creative use to repurposed items.
Supermarkets
We know what you might be thinking. Why would I want to take my kids to supermarkets in Nairobi? If your goal when you travel is to see the world and experience the culture of a place, the supermarket is the place to do it. To be honest, we prefer grocery shopping in our normal life without the kids. But when we travel, the supermarket is one of the first places we like going!
The supermarket is a great place to go in Nairobi with kids because it can provide you with the best deals on local snacks and drinks. Snacks and drinks can make or break a trip. We always try to find some new snack from each place we go that we can all try. Our kids are always looking at new and unique drinks they can try. The number of different Fanta flavors available is amazing!
We don’t feel like one supermarket is better than another for finding local snacks and drinks. Our favorite place to hit in Nairobi was Carrefour. Carrefour’s are located in many of the larger malls. It offers some of the best prices around and is a clean environment. It is also nice that the prices are set and you know you will not be taken advantage of.
If you are slightly more adventurous, then you can go to the local ‘wet markets’. These places are cheaper, and you will need to haggle for prices. This is best for meats, fruits, and veggies.
Another good supermarket you found in Nairobi is Chandarana Foodplus. There are also many of them around the city and are area great supermarket to check out.
Mama Oliech Restaurant
Mama Oliech Restaurant is one of those local favorite spots. It is known for its fish dishes. It has attracted many famous people into the restaurant. Most notably Barrak Obama and Mark Zuckerberg. This has helped generate a large volume of customers. Although it is very famous and popular, the restaurant has not lost its down-to-earth feel. With more rustic tables and outdoor seating, you can easily forget you are at one of the go-to restaurants in Nairobi. The portions are large and are therefore a great option to share with a family.
One of the Many Choma Restaurants
A major highlight for our family when in Nairobi is going to eat at a ‘choma’ restaurant. Basically a choma restaurant is a no frills barbecue restaurant. There are gobs of choma restaurants to choose from and it is hard to recommend one over the other. One of our favorites was the Roadhouse Grill. This restaurant starts off like you are at a butcher’s shop. You can point to different hunks of meat hanging on hooks and choose your weight. Then the butcher chops your meat and weighs it out to your specifications. Then the meat is skewered, numbered, and tossed on the charcoal.
There are no frills, just good hunks of meat slowly cooked over charcoal. You can choose from a few sides and drinks once seated. When we were there, the food did take a very long time to come out which was a drawback with kids. However, the overall experience was amazing. Even our picky eater who normally does not like meat enjoyed himself and ate some of it.
Street Performers
Another fun thing to do with kids is to keep an eye out for the street performers. This is not a destination, but something you can enjoy as you go from place to place. Street performances is one of the cultural things that has emerged in Nairobi as locals have figured out how to earn a living. Instead of simply begging for money, local men have banded together and learn a trick or two. You will see many different performances at intersections throughout the city. You can spot jugglers, standing on tires, building human towers, and much much more. Simply wait at an intersection and see what the local performers have come up with.
When they are finished, and before the light changes to green, they will ask for a small donation of money for their show. We enjoyed a good number of these traffic light shows and always wondered what the next one would hold.
Accommodations
Giraffe Manor
For those looking for a remarkable and first-class experience, then go no further than the Giraffe Manor. The Giraffe Manor is adjacent to the Giraffe Center and is an amazing place to see giraffes. Giraffes come up to the lawn on the hotel, and you can see them sticking their head into the windows of the hotel. A total go to place for the giraffe enthusiast. This hotel is not cheap and it does fill up quickly, so book ahead of time to secure a place. Visit their website.
The Giraffe Manor is in a great location as it is close to the Giraffe Center and the Nairobi National Park.
Broadwalk Residency
The Broadwalk Residence is nice as it offers some two-bedroom apartments to stay in. This is perfect for families with kids. It gives everyone a little bit of space. It is a great hotel for those who want to stay closer to the downtown area.
This hotel is only around a 15 minute Uber ride from the United Nations Complex. It is also rather close to Karura Forest.
Somerset Westview Nairobi
This hotel offers a family suite which is a great option. The Somerset Westview Nairobi family suite even has a small kitchenette with stove and oven for eating meals in the hotel. This can end up saving money for families when traveling as restaurants can be costly.
The Somerset Westview Nairobi, while not super close to anything, is in a good strategic location. Being in the center of most things, it is a like staying in the center of the triangle with all points equidistant from it. It is also about a 10 minute Uber drive to the business downtown of the city.
