Nairobi in a Day: National Park, Elephants & Giraffes

A one-day Nairobi itinerary covering Nairobi National Park, the Sheldrick elephant orphanage, the Giraffe Centre and Kazuri Beads.

Nairobi is usually treated as a place to pass through, but it packs an unlikely amount into a single day. This tour starts at dawn in Nairobi National Park, the only game reserve bordering a capital city, where you can find lion, rhino and giraffe with the city skyline in the background. From there it’s a short drive to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for the mid-morning feeding of orphaned elephant calves, followed by the Giraffe Centre, where Rothschild’s giraffes will happily take a pellet from your hand at eye level.

The afternoon slows down at Kazuri Beads, a workshop on the edge of Karen where handmade ceramic jewellery is produced largely by women supporting their families — a good stop for gifts and a look at a different side of Nairobi. It’s an easy day to fit around a flight, whether you’re breaking up a longer Kenya itinerary or have a single free day between connections.