In short
Nairobi has a distinction few capitals can claim: a national park begins seven kilometres from the business district. Rhinos and lions are photographed there with the city's towers behind them.
The city sits at about 1,795 metres, which gives it a temperate climate all year despite the equator. The CBD is the business centre; Westlands and Kilimani hold the restaurants and offices; Karen, to the south-west, is residential and leafy.
Arriving and getting around
Jomo Kenyatta international airport is East Africa's main hub.
Traffic is the real subject: crossing the city can take two hours at peak times. The matatus, spectacularly decorated private minibuses, are the popular transport; ride-hailing apps are the usual solution for visitors.
The standard gauge railway links Nairobi to Mombasa in about six hours — a comfortable alternative to the road.
What it really costs
Nairobi is more expensive than its regional neighbours, particularly for higher-end accommodation.
Mobile payment is everywhere: the M-Pesa system allows tiny sums to be settled by phone, small traders included. Cash remains useful, cards less so than expected.
When to come
January–February and June–September are the dry seasons, the best for safaris.
The long rains fall from March to May, the short ones in November.
What nobody tells you
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant orphanage, opens to the public for one hour a day only and booking is required. The Giraffe Centre, nearby, is more flexible.
Nairobi is a safari base more than a destination: the Masai Mara is five or six hours away by road, or under an hour by light aircraft.
Safety conditions vary from one district to another. Local advice concerns specific habits — not walking at night, avoiding displaying a phone or jewellery, using vehicles with drivers. Consult your own ministry's travel advice before departure.
The Karen Blixen Museum, in the former farm of the author of Out of Africa, is visited at the foot of the Ngong Hills.