Best Things To Do in Kenya – Our Expert’s Choice

21-30 of 50 Best Things To Do in Kenya

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    21. Hike and Cycle Past Wildlife in Hell’s Gate NP

    This scenic park is dominated by a central valley framed by tall red cliffs

    If you’ve spent time in Kenya’s main safari destinations, it’s both strange and rather liberating to discover that you can walk or cycle unguided into Hell’s Gate National Park. At first, it feels like you’re doing

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    something wonderfully naughty. But the near absence of predators in this small park near Lake Naivasha means that walking and cycling are not only permitted but actively encouraged – and even if you arrive by vehicle, you can step outside as you please.Hell’s Gate protects a rugged volcanic landscape studded with ancient lava plugs, bubbling hot springs, glass-like obsidian boulders, and sheer cliffs that glow red at sunrise and sunset. It’s a real thrill to be able to walk or cycle here, often within view of giraffe, buffalo, zebra and other wildlife. For the more adventurous, guides and equipment are available for climbing Fischer’s Tower, a striking volcanic plug that guards the main valley’s entrance.

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    Hell’s Gate Safaris More About Hell’s Gate

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    22. Watch Dry-country Wildlife in Samburu NR

    The semi-arid plains north of Mt Kenya host a wealth of local specials

    Samburu National Reserve is different. Together with neighboring Buffalo Springs and Shaba National Reserves, it protects a sun-drenched landscape of thorny acacia scrub and bare rocky escarpments bounded by the palm-fringed Ewaso Nyiro River. Separated from

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    East Africa’s other main safari destinations by the highlands around Mt Kenya, these semi-arid plains support plenty of unusual wildlife, including the narrow-striped Grevy’s zebra, geometrically marked reticulated giraffe, regal Beisa oryx and timid lesser kudu.Samburu is the best place to see the bizarre gerenuk, whose long neck is alluded to in its Kiswahili name ‘swala twiga’ (antelope giraffe). In addition, four of the Big Five are present, with the exception being rhino. Birders can look out for a number of northern specials, including the blue-legged Somali ostrich, cobalt-chested vulturine guineafowl and Somali bee-eater. The surrounding area is home to the Samburu people, who speak the same language as the Maasai and share many similar customs.

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    Samburu Safaris More About Samburu

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    23. Visit the Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi

    This period museum explores the life of the celebrated ‘Out of Africa’ writer

    A Danish settler who moved to Kenya in 1914, Karen Blixen was a prominent figure in colonial-era Nairobi. Later, under the pen name Isak Dinesen, she wrote the classic memoir ‘Out of Africa’, which vividly captures

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    the landscapes and people of early-20th-century Kenya. In 1985, Blixen was played by Meryl Streep in an Oscar-winning film named after that memoir.Blixen lived on an expansive coffee plantation in what is now the forested suburb of Karen. Her charming homestead – complete with wraparound verandas, red-tiled roof and tree-shaded gardens – has been restored as a museum that offers a fascinating glimpse into a complex period of Kenyan history. Period furnishings and personal effects help bring Blixen’s story to life. And if you’ve seen the film, much of which was shot here, you wouldn’t be the first visitor to expect Meryl Streep to appear around the corner at any moment.

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    Trips to Karen Blixen Museum

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    24. Enjoy an Active Beach Holiday in Sleepy Watamu

    Watamu’s wonderful beaches are complemented by a range of engaging day trips

    Watamu is a great all-around seaside destination. Its main swimming beach is arguably the most spectacular in Kenya, a gorgeous stretch of white sand overlooked by a series of striking mushroom-like coral outcrops. At Watamu, you

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    can swim or kitesurf in calm water, go snorkeling in coral gardens directly from the beach, or wander out to secluded sandy coves at the mouth of Mida Creek.Watamu is a great base for travelers who like to break up beach time with other experiences. Highlights include exploring the fascinating jungle-bound Gedi Ruins, guided hikes in search of rare wildlife in Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve, a community-run mangrove boardwalk and bird hide at Mida Creek, and snorkeling or diving excursions deep into Malindi Marine National Park. Yet despite increased tourist development in recent years, Watamu retains a small-town charm that distinguishes it from the more built-up likes of Diani Beach, Malindi or Kilifi.

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    Watamu Beach Packages

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    25. Investigate Layers of Human Prehistory

    Kenya boasts a wealth of prehistoric sites linked to our ancient ancestors

    The crown jewel of Kenya’s prehistoric sites is remote Koobi Fora, which forms part of a Unesco World Heritage Site on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana. Thousands of vertebrate fossils unearthed here include roughly 350

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    specimens illuminating key stages of hominin evolution over the past 2.6 million years. Koobi Fora’s scientific importance is unequaled, but visits require careful planning and a 4x4 vehicle.More accessible is Olorgesailie, 70km/43mi from Nairobi, where excavations have uncovered stone tools attributed to the early human species Homo erectus and fossils of extinct giant elephant and hippo species. The Nakuru region boasts two notable sites: Kariandusi preserves a 700,000-year-old obsidian tool-making village, while Hyrax Hill hosts an Iron Age burial site and rock-carved bao board game. Farther west, Kakapel National Monument is a trio of caves decorated with prehistoric rock art, while the drystone ruins at Thimlich Ohinga date to the 14th century.

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    Safari & Prehistoric Sites Packages

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    26. Marvel at Immense Pink-hued Flamingo Flocks

    Around 2 million lesser and greater flamingos feed on Kenya’s soda lakes

    East Africa’s estimated 4 million flamingos represent well over half the global population of these iconic birds. Roughly 50% of these birds are usually present in Kenya, where nomadic flocks – often numbering hundreds of thousands

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    – move between suitable lakes. Their movements are unpredictable, and are influenced by fluctuations in water level and alkalinity, as well as the abundance of algae, shrimp and other tiny organisms on which they feed.Historically, Lake Nakuru was Kenya’s top flamingo hot spot, its shallows sometimes tinged pink by over a million birds. Since the 1990s, however, Lake Bogoria and Lake Elementaita, also nestled on the Rift Valley floor, have typically offered more reliable viewing. In recent years, large flocks have been regularly recorded in Amboseli National Park, creating stunning pink displays beneath snowcapped Kilimanjaro. Kenya’s newest flamingo haunt is little-visited Lake Logipi, where almost a million birds were counted in a 2024 aerial survey.

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    Safari & Flamingo Lakes Packages More About Lake Nakuru Birds

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    27. Look for Lions, Chimps and Rhinos in Ol Pejeta

    Take your pick of wildlife encounters on the Laikipia Plateau

    Located high on the Laikipia Plateau, Ol Pejeta is a large private conservancy that has substantial numbers of all the Big Five. Rhinos are something of a specialty. In addition to hosting one of Africa’s highest

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    densities of both black rhino and white rhino, the conservancy provides refuge to a closely guarded pair of female northern white rhinos – the last two surviving individuals of a subspecies regarded as extinct in the wild.Ol Pejeta is also an important stronghold for the localized reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and Beisa oryx, while carnivores include cheetah, striped hyena and African wild dog. In addition to guided game drives, the conservancy offers several wildlife experiences unavailable in most national parks. This includes night drives, the opportunity to track collared lions with a team of researchers, and visits to Kenya’s only chimpanzees (rescued animals brought from Burundi) at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

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    Ol Pejeta Safaris More About Ol Pejeta

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    28. Climb the Sheer Slopes of Mt Longonot

    This dormant volcano rises from the Rift Valley floor to a spectacular crater

    Volcanoes, extinct and dormant, rise like a dragon’s backbone from the floor of Kenya’s Rift Valley. Most can realistically only be admired from a distance. However, Mt Longonot – protected in a national park since 1983

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    – is rare because it is straightforward to climb to the crater rim, with or without a local guide. The return hike takes roughly three hours, and giraffe, zebra and antelope are often seen on the way.The views from the crater rim are stunning. Ahead, 500m-/1,640ft-tall cliffs plummet into a densely forested lost world dotted with marshes and steam vents. There are also superb views toward Lake Naivasha and Mt Suswa over the rumpled contours of the Rift Valley. After pausing at the rim, some hikers return directly back to the lower slopes, while others follow a 6km/4mi footpath around the full circumference of the crater rim via Longonot’s 2,776m/9,108ft peak.

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    Mt Longonot Day Trips

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    29. Chill on the Calm and Historic Island of Lamu

    The Old Town of Lamu is the hub of the laid-back archipelago of the same name

    Lamu is a magical place. Reminiscent of Zanzibar, but without the tourist crowds, this time-warped Swahili seaport offers a fascinating mix of history, culture, natural beauty and unhurried island living. Donkeys rather than cars weave through

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    the whitewashed alleys of the atmospheric Old Town, while notable landmarks include an old Omani fort, the waterfront Lamu Museum and several ancient mosques.Lamu Town lies within walking distance of Shela Beach, an idyllic strip of white sand that runs for 10km/6mi along the island’s south coast. But a visit to Lamu is about more than just a beach. Whether you’re drifting in a traditional wooden dhow, snorkeling a pristine coral reef, visiting medieval Swahili ruins, or spending time with locals learning about Swahili traditions, Lamu possesses a timeless and unhurried vibe that makes it arguably Kenya’s most enchanting coastal destination.

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    Lamu Packages

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    30. Explore a Chain of Gem-like Lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley

    Each of these scenic Rift Valley lakes has its own character and wildlife

    Kenya’s Rift Valley is dotted with lakes that vary dramatically in size, salinity and scenery. The readily accessible Lakes Nakuru and Naivasha are popular fixtures on tour itineraries, while northerly Turkana, the world’s largest desert lake,

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    is one of the country’s most remote. Several lesser-known lakes are also quite easily visited. Closest to Nairobi is Lake Magadi, a starkly beautiful expanse of blinding-white sodium carbonate that has been mined for soda ash since 1911 and makes few concessions to tourism.Situated between Naivasha and Nakuru, alkaline Lake Elementaita boasts a primeval setting below the evocative volcanic formation known as the Sleeping Warrior. North of Nakuru, spectacular Lake Bogoria is famed for the flamingos that flock to its shallows and the geysers on its shore. Nearby Lake Baringo is an unprotected freshwater body that supports plenty of hippos and crocodiles, and is renowned for the diversity of aquatic and northern specials on its checklist of more than 500 bird species.

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    Safari & Rift Valley Lakes Packages