Nairobi
Nairobi, is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country.
As of 2026, it has a population of 5.6 million and a metropolitan population of 15.95 million, making it the 8th most populous city in Africa and the 4th most populous metropolitan area. The city goes beyond its borders and has expanded into neighbouring counties, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in Africa.
Getting to Nairobi
For general information about visas and vaccinations, etc., see the Kenya article.
- 01JKIA Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- 02Wilson Airport
11 km (7 mi) south from the city's centre, handles mainly domestic flights (and international flights to nearby destinations including Entebbe, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar) and general aviation.
- 03Nairobi Terminus
- 04Nairobi
Central railway station and hub for Nairobi commuter trains services.
Worth seeing
Nairobi is known as the safari capital of Africa; however, the city has still managed to keep up with modernization. Unlike other cities, Nairobi is surrounded by 113 km² (70 mi²) of plains, cliffs and forest that makes up the city’s Nairobi National Park. The city is filled with many things to do during the day and the night.
Things to do
- 01Go-Down Arts Centre
- 02Kazuri Beads
Started in 1977 the workshop of beads is adjacent to Karen Blixen's Museum.
- 03Village Market
Nairobi has a great variety of international food.
- 04Oloo’s Children Center
Lend a hand at the volunteer-operated school, take a tour of Kibera, and have a cup of tea with the OCC Founder.
Where to eat
Nairobi has a wide range of Indian restaurants that speaks to the significant South Asian community in Kenya. The city also offers other restaurants specializing in different European and Asian cuisine. Restaurants serving international cuisines can be found in downtown and in the areas of Westlands, Hurlingham, Kilimiani, and Lavington.
- 01Hot
Spacious with ample seating, reasonably clean.
- 02KK Restaurant
Koinange Street and Standard Street (in CBD of Nairobi),.
- 03Roast House
In the city centre facing the matatu station on Tom Mboya Rd.
- 04Habesha
Near Yaya centre- great Ethiopian food for around USD5-6, although they serve Nescafé coffee rather than the traditional Ethiopian freshly-roasted beans.
- 05Red Sea
An authentic Eritrean restaurant located on the top floor of China Centre on Ngong Road near the Chinese embassy.
Getting around Nairobi the local way
- Get inMatatus (11- to 18-seater minibuses) and shuttles (6-seater cars) are convenient, inexpensive (and often the only) modes of public transport for connecting Nairobi with towns and tourist destinations in the Rift Valley and Central Highlands such as Naivasha, Nyeri, Nanyuki, Isiolo, and Thika.
- Get inMatatus can be obtained from the River Road area.
- Get inExtreme caution should be exercised in this area because petty theft is a major concern; avoid showing valuables such as mobile phones, even while in the matatu (see safety section below).
- Get inThe best method of connecting to a matatu is to arrange for a taxi to drop you off and pick you up directly at the location of the matatu that you are boarding or alighting from.
- Get inIf you're boarding a matatu from Nairobi, tell the taxi driver your destination and they will drop you off at the correct location.
- Get inIf you are being picked up, then tell the taxi driver the location you're coming from as well as the matatu company that you are using (your ticket should have the operator's name).
- Get aroundThe driver and fuel are charged separately with some companies requiring that you hire a driver if you are taking a large 4X4/4WD (e.g.
- Get aroundHere are some reliable car hire companies in Kenya: Nairobi Car Hire offer good services for 4x4 and other categories of cars.
From Wikivoyage: Nairobi, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Antony Trivet (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
