Check out our list of 20 of the best things to do in Kenya:
1. Summit Mt Kenya
High altitude hotspot: Mt. Kenya
Kenya Tourism Board
Rising to just over 17,000 feet (3,800 meters), Mt Kenya is the continent’s second highest peak. But the summit trails are far less crowded than its snowy counterpart (Kilimanjaro) across the border in Tanzania.
2. Watch the Great Migration in Masai Mara
On the move: The Great Migration
Kenya Tourism Board
Arriving from the neighboring Serengeti Plains, millions of wildebeest, antelope and zebra — and the predators that follow them — thunder through Masai Mara National Reserve between July and October during the Great Migration.
The spectacle can be viewed on game drives, airplane or hot-air balloon flights, walking or horseback safaris.
3. Soak up sea, sun & sand at Diani
Sand, sunset, serenity: Diani beach.
Kenya Tourism Board
Stretching 11 miles (17 kilometers) along the south Kenya coast, Diani renders the best beach-going experience in all of East Africa.
4. Foster orphaned elephants (or a blind rhino)
Tiny tusks: The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust looks after baby elephants.
Courtesy Joe Yogerst
Baby elephant encounters — and a chance to foster them — offered daily.
5. Ride the new Nairobi-Mombassa train
The Nairobi-Mombasa railway has been upgraded.
Courtesy KRC
Dubbed the “Lunatic Express” when it first opened in 1901 — because it seemed like such a crazy idea to build a railroad through the African bush — the legendary line was totally modernized in 2017 with completion of a US$2.3-billion dollar upgrade of both the tracks and passengers trains.
The Madaraka Express makes the journey in 4.5 hours with daily 9 a.m. departures from both Nairobi and Mombasa.
6. Explore Elsa’s home turf
One of Elsa’s successors at the Meru National Park.
Courtesy Shannon Yogerst
Kenya’s famous feline was immortalized by Joy Adamson’s 1960 book Born Free and the blockbuster movie that followed.
7. Sail the Lamu Archipelago by dhow
Lamu is one of the last outposts of traditional Dhows.
Kenya Tourism Board
A throwback to the golden age of Swahili culture, Lamu island on the north Kenya coast is one of the last great outposts of traditional dhows — lateen-rigged sailing vessels that were once the main form of transport between East Africa, India and the Middle East.
8. See Tsavo from the air
Kenya is even better from the air.
Courtesy Universal Pictures
Denys Finch Hatton (the Robert Redford character in “Out of Africa”) pioneered the African aerial safari with his wildlife-viewing biplane flights in the 1920s.
9. Dance the night away in Nairobi
Venues like the Alchemist add to Nairobi’s thriving nightlife scene.
Courtesy the Alchemist
The capital city’s staid colonial club scene has segued into a thriving modern nightlife world equal to any on the continent.
The Westlands neighborhood and nearby Waiyaki Way in the city’s northwest offer numerous bars, clubs and cocktail lounges where a heady blend of locals, expats and visitors quaff (and dance) the night away.
10. Commune with crocodiles in Lake Turkana
Central Island National Park: Volcanoes and crocodiles.
Courtesy Kenya Wildlife Service
One of Kenya’s strangest places, Central Island National Park in the middle of far-away Lake Turkana hosts the world’s largest colony of Nile crocodiles.
11. Roam with rhinos at Lewa
Rhino poaching is virtually eliminated in Kenya.
Courtesy Shannon Yogerst
Through a combination of armed patrols, fencing, technology, intelligence and interaction with local communities, Lewa has virtually eliminated rhino poaching.
12. Channel the spirit of Karen Blixen
Karen Blixen and Thomas Dinesen were immortalized in the movie “Out of Africa.”
Photo Courtesy Royal Danish Library
And for those who know the story, it does boast a view of her beloved Ngong Hills.
13. Scuba or snorkel the Indian Ocean
Kenya’s marnine parks are a safe haven for aquatic life.
Kenya Tourism Board
Scuba and snorkel trips are available from Diani, Tiwi and Shimoni. Best between August and March when the sea is smoother.
14. Watch nature’s version of “Pretty in Pink”
Flocks of up to two million flamingos frequent Lake Nakuru.
Kenya Tourism Board
Rhino and lion are among the other denizens of the national park that surrounds the lake. Eight campsites and upscale Lake Nakuru Lodge provides luxury accommodation along the waterfront.
15. Get licked by a hungry giraffe
Being licked by a giraffe is part of the adventure.
Courtesy Joe Yogerst
16. Train for a marathon in Iten
Iten training camp
Courtesy the Kenya Experience
Perched in the highlands near Eldoret, the town of Iten is renowned for its long distance runners — multiple Olympic gold medalists and world-record holders.
17. Get over your fear of snakes (or not)
Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
Courtesy Bio-Ken Snake Farm
The farm also offers three-night snake safaris to track, catch and release serpents in the bush.
18. Time trip in Mombasa’s Old Town
Fort Jesus looms over Mombasa Old Town.
Kenya Tourism Board
Founded in the 14th century by Swahili sultans, Kenya’s big port was later a Portuguese and British colonial bastion.
19. Cycle through the Gates of Hell
Hell’s Gate is located in an African national park where it’s safe to cycle.
Kenya Tourism Board
Lacking dangerous animals, it’s also that rare African national park where it’s safe to cycle. Bikes are available for rental inside the park and from vendors outside the main gate.
20. Sleep Beneath the Stars
Lie back and stare into the infinite.
The Elewana Collection
