Tourist attractions in Kenya
Kenya is the birthplace of the classic African safari. From the vast plains of the Maasai Mara to the elephant herds of Amboseli beneath Mount Kilimanjaro, the country offers some of the finest wildlife viewing on the continent. Kenya also has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley and Mount Kenya.
The word "safari" itself comes from Swahili, meaning "journey", and Kenya has welcomed wildlife travellers for more than a century. Straddling the equator, the country packs remarkable diversity into its borders: snow-capped Mount Kenya, at 5,199 metres Africa's second-highest peak; the soda lakes and volcanoes of the Rift Valley; the semi-desert north; and a tropical Indian Ocean coast with Swahili towns such as Lamu and Mombasa, whose Old Town and Fort Jesus are also UNESCO-listed.
Why visit Kenya?
Few places can match Kenya for the sheer variety of experiences: the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebras, flamingo-fringed Rift Valley lakes, the volcanic landscapes of Tsavo, rhino conservancies in Laikipia and coral reefs on the Indian Ocean coast. Add the rich cultures of the Maasai and Samburu peoples, and Kenya makes an unforgettable journey.
Kenya is also a pioneer of community conservation. Around the national parks, conservancies leased from Maasai and Samburu landowners limit vehicle numbers, allow walking safaris and night drives, and channel tourism income directly to local families. Combined with a well-developed tourism industry, good flight connections and English widely spoken, this makes Kenya one of the easiest places in Africa to plan a first safari.
Getting there and around
Most visitors arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, with further international flights to Mombasa. Light aircraft link Nairobi's Wilson Airport with airstrips in the main parks, while road safaris in 4x4 vehicles and the modern Madaraka Express train between Nairobi and Mombasa make overland travel easy.
Most visitors need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA), applied for online before travel. Road safaris typically use pop-up-roof minivans or 4x4 Land Cruisers with a driver-guide; journeys can be long and bumpy, so combining road and air is popular on longer trips. The local currency is the Kenyan shilling, but US dollars are widely accepted for park fees and lodges, and mobile money is used almost everywhere.
Highlights not to miss
- Maasai Mara: Big cats and the dramatic Mara River crossings of the Great Migration.
- Amboseli National Park: Elephants with Mount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop.
- Lake Nakuru: Flamingos, rhinos and Rothschild's giraffes in the Rift Valley.
- Tsavo East: The famous red elephants of Kenya's largest wilderness.
- Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park: Dolphins, turtles and coral gardens on the south coast, often visited on a Wasini Island day trip with seafood lunch.
Planning a route
The classic first-time circuit links Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and the Mara, as on the 6-day Kenya safari. With longer, the north adds Samburu and the Aberdares – the 8-day Amboseli, Samburu, Aberdares, Lake Nakuru and Masai Mara safari covers the lot. Heading for the beach? The 4-day Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboseli safari works well before or after the coast.
Plan at least three nights in the Mara, where game viewing is at its richest, and two nights in each of the other parks. Nairobi's own sights – the Giraffe Centre, the Sheldrick elephant orphanage and Nairobi National Park – fit neatly into an arrival or departure day. Many travellers finish with a few days on Diani Beach or in the old town of Lamu.
Best time to visit
The best time for a safari in Kenya is the long dry season from late June to October, when wildlife gathers at water sources and the Great Migration reaches the Maasai Mara. January and February are also dry and excellent for game viewing. The long rains fall from March to May.
The short rains in November and early December usually come as afternoon showers and rarely disrupt a safari, while the landscape turns green and lodges offer lower rates. The coast is hot and humid year-round, with the calmest seas from October to March. High in the central highlands, evenings can be surprisingly cool, so pack layers whatever the season.
Select a tourist attraction below to see its description, images & location. It also shows suggestions of our tours to Kenya which include the selected attraction.
You can also use the map of Kenya below to see where the country's highlights lie.
