The 22 Best Things to See and Do in Kenya

Kenya is a vast country with many places to take a safari. You can visit the beautiful national parks and conservancies and discover what makes each one unique. Some activities include watching the wildebeest migration in Masai Mara and visiting the last remaining northern white rhino in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. You can also witness the big five and other incredible animals. If you love camping, pick one or two camping spots out of the countless options.

The Kenyan coast is diverse, and it’s ideal for trying out water sports. Go fishing surfing, snorkeling, paddle boarding, kitesurfing and even skydiving at Diani Beach. You’re guaranteed to have lots of fun, and you’ll get to experience the beauty that is the Kenyan coast. Ensure that you stay in a Swahili-themed beach house and also try some Swahili food.

Run and hike in the best hiking trails in the country, and be rewarded with views of some of the most beautiful rolling hills of the countryside. You can also climb mountains, like Mt. Longonot and Mt. Elgon. Ensure that you visit Timau and the beautiful tea farms in Kericho. If you are into biking, book a local tour for a chance to interact with other bikers.

Watch the humpback whales in Watamu Protected Area on the Kenyan coast. Visitors get to see the whales jumping out of the water with their calves, while you can also watch other species of whale and dolphin. Watching these majestic mammals really is a must-do activity if you are on the Kenyan coast.

Immerse yourself in city life in Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nairobi. Each city in Kenya is unique and offers a different experience. Nairobi is the capital city, which is fast-paced but riddled with exciting experiences and spots to discover. Kisumu also has fantastic hotels to stay in and places to check out, including some of the islands, like Rusinga and Takawiri Island. Also, visit Lake Victoria and eat some delicious food while you are there. Explore and learn more about Mombasa, a city with historical and cultural significance, and, while you are there, fall in love with Swahili cuisine. Also, there are fabulous beaches and places to visit along the Kenyan coast, including Lamu Archipelago and Diani Beach.

Kenya boasts the highest quality of tea and coffee, and this explains why Kenyan coffee is used as a blend for many other coffees from around the world, as it is rich in taste. The soil, climate, and topography all contribute to this. An example of a must-visit coffee farm is the Fairview Coffee Estate. The trip is a sensory experience in itself, complete with a farm tour, factory tour, and coffee-tasting session conducted by a skilled barista. After this, you get to enjoy a great cup of your favorite blend in the lush gardens, surrounded by waterfalls, birds, and unique flowers.

The Chalbi Desert is in Marsabit County, east of Lake Turkana, and is not talked or written about nearly enough. Traverse the bleached soils and walk on coarse sand and rocks. The name ‘Chalbi’ means bare and salty in the Gabbra language, and this desert lives up to that name. The place is so salty that animals use it as a naturally occurring salt lick. There is an oasis in this desert called Kalacha, where travelers, animals, and pastoralists go to quench their thirst under the palm and acacia trees.

Kerio Valley is an enormous valley at the edge of the Kerio Valley Escarpment in the Great Rift Valley overlooking the Tugen Hills. In the valley, there is Lake Kamnarok in Rimoi Game Reserve. Paragliding in this spot is a popular activity with adrenaline junkies. Stay in the beautiful Kerio Valley Hotel and enjoy dinner accompanied by beautiful views.

Lake Victoria might be the largest lake in Kenya, but it is shared by Uganda and Tanzania. Lesser-known Lake Turkana – also known as the Jade Sea thanks to its beautiful blue and turquoise color – is the largest alkaline lake in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is part of what they call The Cradle of Mankind, as the Leakey family discovered the first hominid remains here. A truly unique place, now there are only a few livestock keepers and fishermen who live here.

Climbing Mt Kenya is an activity for seasoned mountain climbers. The mountain is approximately 200 meters from Nairobi city and there are many routes to get to the top, including the Naromoru route in Naromoru, and the Sirimon route in Nanyuki. Another route is the Chogoria route from Chogoria town. The best times to climb the mountain are the dry seasons of January to February, and August to September. There are incredible views and some alpine vegetation to feast your eyes on as well. There are also animals, like antelopes, lions and leopards among other wildlife, and vegetation includes bamboo, grasslands, forests, heath and moorland.

Make a stop at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and adopt an elephant, meet orphaned animals and learn more about conservation. The conservancy in Nairobi National Park is open to the public for one hour every day, from 11am to noon. During this time, you can watch the orphans arrive for their midday mud bath and be fed.

The Aberdare Range, north of Nairobi, soars to heights of 4,000m (13,120ft) and drops into verdant V-shaped valleys. On the gentle eastern slopes, rainforest gives way to bamboo groves and moorland, and the landscape is teeming with wildlife, from elephants and black rhinos to leopards and the rare African golden cat. Aberdare National Park is also home to the highest waterfall in Kenya, Karuru, which drops 273m (896ft).

Visit the oldest and best-preserved place in Swahili culture and discover distinctive architecture and labyrinthine streets that have been inhabited for more than 700 years. This Unesco World Heritage site is built with coral stone and mangrove wood and was once an important port, historically associated with the slave trade and exports of ivory. Take a ride on a dhow (a traditional wooden sailing boat); try halwa (a jelly-like sweet dessert); and visit the Lamu Fort.

The Giraffe Centre sanctuary near Nairobi offers the chance to visit and feed the tallest mammal in the world; but just next door, at the boutique hotel Giraffe Manor, you can share breakfast with them. A friendly herd of Rothschild’s giraffes makes a daily appearance at mealtimes in the hopes of a treat, popping their long necks into the open windows.

Although flamingo numbers have declined here in recent years, Lake Nakuru remains an exceptional location to see thousands of these pink birds as they feed on algae from the soda lake. The decline in population is down to rising water levels, which caused a migration to the nearby lakes of Bogoria and Baringo.

The indigenous Ngare Ndare Forest lies in the foothills of Mount Kenya. Here, 200-year-old trees expand into the canopy, and you can take a walk through the treetops – across a 450m (1,476ft) long suspension bridge 10m (33ft) above the ground – or camp, hike, dive, or swim in the chilly natural pools.

This massive shield volcano lies in the Great Rift Valley and is one of the largest calderas in the world. Make your way to the viewpoint (the highest point on the caldera rim) and you can see Lake Nakuru shimmering on the horizon. You can then take a hiking trail down to the caldera floor.

See the magic that is the Great Rift Valley. This ridge system, bordered by steep escarpments to east and west, runs the length of Kenya and contains active volcanoes, a series of lakes and national parks. Soak in the views from the Rift Valley Viewpoint, an hour outside Nairobi, and make sure to explore the many natural points of interest here.

Lake Victoria, the largest tropical lake in the world and the largest lake on the continent, is shared between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with 3,219km (2,000mi) of coastline. This freshwater lake expands to the horizon, and is known in Kenya as Nam Lolwe (body of endless water). It’s home to more than 200 fish species; try a fresh catch with ugali – a polenta-like dish commonly made with maize flour.

On Museum Hill near the centre of the capital, the Nairobi National Museum displays the rich heritage of Kenya. It houses exhibitions covering cultural anthropology, natural history and artisanal crafts, as well as a zoology department that celebrates the 1,300 species of East African birds and the greatest mammals of the nation.

Known for its geothermal activity, Hell’s Gate National Park in the Great Rift Valley is the perfect place to spot wildlife, rock climb or cycle. There are also three campsites that provide a chance to sleep under the stars. The park also includes the Maasai Cultural Centre, which promotes an understanding of Maasai traditions.

This archaeological site near the Indian Ocean lies two hours north of Mombasa. The ruins, which include a palace, mosque and fortified wall, are of a town that prospered from the 11th century until it was abandoned in the 17th century. Lying within a 18ha (45-acre) site in the primeval Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Gedi is an unmissable insight into Kenyan history.