27 Best Sights in Kenya

This 20-km (12-mile) stretch of picture-postcard-perfect white sand backed by coconut palms is 30 km (19 miles) south of Mombasa. It is the most developed part of the southern coast and where most holidaymakers head. Apart from the gorgeous location and climate, one reason that it's so popular is that the coral reef filters out the seaweed, so the beach is truly pristine, and it protects the swimming areas from offshore swells. There are numerous resorts, but fortunately most have been built sensitively in traditional style with low buildings and thatched roofs and are hidden in clumps of coastal forest. Much of this forest is home to vervet monkeys, troops of baboons, and endangered Angolan black-and-white colobus monkeys, as well as butterflies and birds. Diani Beach Road runs behind the beach and is dotted with good restaurants and shops, and if you stay in one of the private cottages, local fishermen will take your order and deliver lobsters and other delicacies of the deep to your door. All along Diani is a busy lineup of water sports on offer, such as windsurfing, parasailing, snorkeling, and scuba diving for some fun in the sun, or you could simply kick back with your feet in the sand at one of the beach bars. Best for: snorkeling, sunrise, walking, windsurfing. Amenities: food and drink, water sports.

Established by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), this unique giraffe sanctuary is a wonderful excursion for children and adults alike. Located in Nairobi's western suburb of Langata, it has greatly contributed to boosting Kenya's population of rare Rothschild's giraffes—after being born and raised at this center, many have been relocated to the game parks and reserves. The original house of the founders is now the very impressive Giraffe Manor hotel. You can climb a giraffe-height tower for an eye-to-eye view and it's not unheard of for a giraffe to give a friendly and grateful lick as you feed them—great for photos. There's a café and a short nature trail where you might also spot warthogs, as well as a souvenir shop.

Take the morning excursion at 11 am, which you can book through your tour guide or hotel concierge, to this amazing elephant rescue center and orphanage on the edge of Nairobi National Park. It was set up by Dame Daphne Sheldrick after the death of her husband, David, who was famous for his anti-poaching activities in Tsavo East National Park. You'll be able to watch baby elephants at play or having a bath, knowing that one day when they're old enough they will be successfully reintroduced into the wild. It's an absolutely unmissable and heartwarming experience. Make a donation, however small, or go for gold and adopt your own baby elephant.

The center is only open from 11 am–noon. If you miss the 11 am tour, you won't be able to visit until the following day.

To get a good insight into the daily life of downtown Mombasa, head to narrow, cluttered Biashara (Swahili for "business") Street, which is just off Mombasa Road. Here, you'll find all sorts of small shops that have been around for generations—selling everything from leather to textiles, live chickens, and food. People are friendly and hospitable but, as in most poor backstreet areas, watch your belongings. While you're here, take a wander through the vegetable and spice market, near where Biashara Street meets Mombasa Road.

An array of well-priced jewelry made from recycled materials such as brass and soda cans, wood carvings, colorful fabrics, leather and canvas handbags, and more, all made by people with various physical disabilities, fill the shelves. The organization was set up to offer them employment in a society where they were traditionally stigmatized. Stop by to shop, watch the artisans work, tour the cultural center with traditional homesteads which provide great insight into the history and culture of the indigenous communities in this region, watch traditional dances, and more. Getting here shouldn't be a problem as most taxi and tuk tuk drivers will know the place.

Designed in 1930 as an aircraft hangar, this vast space between Muindi Mbingu Street and Koinange Street is a jumble of color, noise, and activity. It has dozens of stalls selling wooden and soapstone carvings, drums, shields, and Maasai jewelry and there are also fruit, vegetable, and flower sellers and butchers. Look for kikois and kangas, traditional fabrics worn by Kenyan women, which are good for wearing over a bathing suit or throwing over a picnic table; they are half the price here than in the hotel shops.

The only way to get here is by boat, past kingfishers and pelicans, from one of the lakeshore hotels to Crescent Island Game Sanctuary, where you can see (and walk with) giraffe, zebra, and other plains herbivores; there are no predators so it's quite safe. On the way to the crater keep your eyes open for hippos as you are on the outer rim of a volcanic crater, which is also the deepest part of the lake.

Donkeys are the main transport in Lamu. The sanctuary was started in 1987 by Elisabeth Svendsen, a British doctor who founded The Donkey Sanctuary in the UK. Its main function is to protect and look after the working donkeys, and it's managed by the Kenyan branch of the charity. There's a treatment clinic where locals can get their donkeys wormed, a training center, and a resting place for a few of the old animals that can no longer work. The staff will show you around in the mornings, otherwise you can eyeball a few donkeys over the low wall in front of the yard. An annual prize is given to the Lamu donkey in the best physical condition.

Fort Jesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mombasa's top tourist attractions. This massive edifice was built in the late 16th century by the Portuguese, who were keen to control trade in the region. When the Omanis captured the fort at the end of the 17th century, they made some adjustments. The walls were raised to account for the improved trajectory of cannons mounted aboard attacking ships. By the end of the 18th century, turrets were erected. For water, the garrison relied on a pit cistern, which was used for bathing when the fort was a prison, between 1895 and 1958. The captain's house retains some traces of the Portuguese—note the outline of the old colonnade. The exhibits at the museum include an important display on ceramics of the coast and the remains of a Portuguese gunner, San Antonio de Tanna, which sank outside the fort at the end of the 17th century. Objects from the ship—shoes, glass bottles, a powder shovel, and cannon with its muzzle blown away—bring the period to life. There are also exhibits of finds from archaeological excavations at Gedi, Manda, Ungwana, and other sites.

Out of Africa author Karen Blixen, who wrote under the pen name Isak Dinesen, lived at this estate from 1913 to 1931. This is where she threw a grand dinner party for the Prince of Wales and where she carried on a torrid relationship with aviator Denys Finch Hatton. The museum contains a few of her belongings and furniture, and outside is some of the farm machinery she used to cultivate the land for coffee and tea; guides will take you on a tour. There is a magnificent view of the Ngong Hills from her lawn, which is dominated by euphorbia, the many-armed plant widely known as the candelabra cactus. On the way to the museum you may notice a signpost reading "ndege." On this road, whose Swahili name means "bird," Finch Hatton once landed his plane for his visits with Blixen. After his plane crashed in Voi, he was buried nearby in the Ngong Hills.

If you're in the Diani Beach area, be sure to spend an hour or two exploring the Kaya Kinondo Forest. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has been sacred territory for the Digo people for centuries. You'll need to walk with a guide, who will tell you about the beliefs and ceremonies held here, as well as the medicinal and culinary uses of the plants growing in the forest which, although only 75 acres, is said to boast 187 species of trees. You'll also see black-and-white colobus and Sykes monkeys, as well as baboons. A walk here is highly recommended. If you have time, ask your guide to show you around the local Digo village, or even to introduce you to the spiritual healer.

Located on the south coast off Shimoni, and south of Wasini Island, this marine reserve is known for its beautiful coral gardens. More than 250 species of fish can be spotted feeding around the reef including barracuda, groupers, emperors, angelfish, parrotfish, lionfish, moray eels, and stingrays. Green and hawksbill turtles and humpback, bottlenose and spinner dolphins are a common sight. The shallow water can be easily reached by boat arranged from the jetty at Shimoni. However the easiest way to visit is on the popular Wasini Island day trip that can be organized at any of the south coast resorts—from US$135 including park fees. The day typically includes a transfer to Shimoni where you board a dhow to explore Kisite Mpunguti and go snorkeling. This is followed by a seafood lunch at one of the restaurants on the tiny Wasini Island with time to explore before the return dhow trip. Near Wasini village you'll find the ruins of 18th- and 19th-century houses and a Muslim pillar tomb inset with Chinese porcelain.

This strip of sand known as Kiwayu Island is 50 km (31 miles) northeast of Lamu. Its main attraction is its proximity to Kiunga Marine National Reserve, a marine park encompassing Kiwayu Bay. The confluence of two major ocean currents creates unique ecological conditions that nurture three marine habitats—mangroves, sea-grass beds, and coral reefs. Here you have a chance of catching a glimpse of the most endangered mammal in Kenya, the manatee; because of its tasty flesh, this gentle giant has been hunted to near extinction all along Africa's eastern coast.

Your lodge or hotel can arrange a trip for you; it's 90 minutes by speedboat and about $100. Stop by the laid-back, charming, owner-run Mike's Camp Kiwayu for a delicious lunch and even better cocktails. Ask Mike for the best spot to harvest and shuck rock oysters, or to find mud crabs in the mangrove.

This imposing edifice, which was completed in 1821, is set one street away from the seafront. It was used as a prison from 1910 to 1984, when it became part of the country's museum system. Today, it is a central part of the town as it hosts conferences, exhibitions, and theater productions. If you have a few moments during your walking tour, climb up to the battlements for some great views of Lamu, and pop into the vegetable and meat markets, which are just to the left of the fort. If you see a man pressing sugarcane, limes, and ginger to make juice, buy a glass—it's delicious. The entrance fee is a package and includes entry to Takwa, Pate, and Siyu Ruins, as well as Lamu Museum, Swahili House and the German Post Office. The latter was established in 1888 by the Germans and is now also a small museum on local history and is just across the street from the fort.

You enter this delightful museum through a brass-studded door that was imported from Zanzibar. Inside there are archaeological displays showing the Takwa Ruins excavations, some wonderful photos of Lamu taken by a French photographer from 1846 to 1849 (you'll be amazed at how little has changed in Lamu), some intricately carved Lamu headboards and throne chairs, and a library. In the Balcony Room upstairs is a fascinating display of musical instruments including the famed Siwa Horn, which is made of brass and resembles elephant tusks; the Pate Siwa horn, made of ivory, is now in the Nairobi National Museum. Dating from the 17th century, they're reputed to be the oldest surviving musical instruments in sub-Saharan Africa.

Home to an impressive variety of colorful coral, you'll find two main reefs here that are separated by a deep sandy-bottom channel. There's very little commercial fishing in the area, which means the kingfish found here are trophy size. The water ranges from 25°C (77°F) to 29°C (84°F), making this a particularly pleasant place to snorkel or scuba dive, although visibility is not very good from January to March. If you want to stay dry, try one of the glass-bottom boats, which can be arranged from most hotels and resorts.

Delve into some of Malindi's fascinating history at this museum, which was once the home of a 19th-century trader. It has exhibits on the town's Portuguese legacy and there are some archaeological findings dug up from around the coast. You'll find it on the seafront near the Malindi jetty and the fish market. It has temporary exhibitions and also serves as a visitor information center.

Named after Kenya's very first First Lady, this popular ocean front stretch of road popularly known as 'Mama Ngina Drive' was renovated and reopened in October 2019 to reveal landscaped grounds, paved and palm tree-lined walkways, a jetty, amphitheater, and a cultural center. Drive, jog, skate, stroll, or simply find a spot to relax and watch ships sail by. You can buy souvenirs and street snacks such as deep-fried cassava crisps, or viazi karai (battered and fried potatoes). There's also a nightclub and a restaurant nearby.

Explore Africa's largest crocodile farm; if you're lucky you might get to hold a baby. Stop by around 5 pm particularly on Friday when the crocs get fed to watch them chow down and marvel at how powerful their jaws are. The oldest, called Big Daddy because of its massive size, is well over 100 years old. A guide will show you around and share more about their farming and conservation efforts. At the snake farm, you can hold or wear a python around your neck like a scarf, if you so dare. Horse riding and nature walks are also available, then, after having worked up an appetite, stop by the on-site restaurant where crocodile meat is listed on the menu.

Just across the channel from Shela, the mostly uninhabited Manda Island once held one of the area's largest cities. The once-thriving community of Takwa was abandoned in the 17th century, and archaeologists have yet to discover why. The ruins can be explored and the Friday Mosque with a large pillar on top is among the most notable features. Reached by taking a dhow up a baobab tree-lined creek, this is a popular day trip from Lamu and Shela, perhaps with a picnic.

On Museum Hill just to the north of downtown Nairobi, this interesting museum has good reproduction rock art displays and excellent prehistory exhibits of the archaeological discoveries of Richard and Mary Leakey. When working near Lake Turkana in the 1960s, the Leakeys discovered the skull and bones of Homo habilis, believed to be the ancestor of early humankind. Their findings established the Rift Valley as the possible Cradle of Humankind, although both South Africa's Sterkfontein Caves and Ethiopia's Hadar region claim the same distinction. There are also excellent paintings by Joy Adamson, better known as the author of Born Free, and a good collection of Kenya's birds and butterflies. There are some good craft shops and a museum shop, and it's worthwhile wandering around the gardens to see the sculptures and perhaps visiting the small snake park.  Nature Kenya runs guided bird walks every Wednesday morning at 8:45 from the museum (KSh200).

Established to preserve relics and records of East African railways and harbors, this museum is enormous fun for rail enthusiasts and children of all ages. You can see the rhino catcher that Teddy Roosevelt rode during his 1908 safari and climb into the carriage where Charles Ryall, a British railroad builder, was dragged out a window by a hungry lion. There are great photos and posters, plus silver service from the more elegant days of the overnight train to Mombasa. You can clamber over the British-built locomotives in the old rail yard.

The elaborate facade and soaring minaret of this beautiful mosque overlook the Old Harbor. Built in 1902, it's the third mosque to occupy this site.

Eight giraffes were first translocated here in 2004, and the population now stands at 20, and some are a cross of the Rothschild and Masai giraffe species. You can come as close as two meters away at the enclosure where the handler does the feeding.You will also find elands and tortoises, and once a haven for ostriches, the numbers have since dwindled. The giraffe enclosure is about 1.5km (about a mile) from the gate, and your taxi or tuk tuk is allowed to drop you there without an extra car charge, or you can walk. The road leading to the gate is really rough, and almost impassable when it rains. You can also hike or hire a bike and cycle through the woodlands and wetlands of what was once an uninhabitable wasteland, and spot up to 250 species of birds.

Set in the eastern branch of the Great Rift Valley, Olorgesailie is one of Kenya's best-known archaeological sites. Discovered in 1919 by geologist J. W. Gregory, the area was excavated by Louis and Mary Leakey in the 1940s. They discovered tools thought to have been made by residents of the region more than a half million years ago. A small museum shows some of the axes and other tools found nearby. The journey here is unforgettable. As you drive south on Magadi Road, you'll find that past the town of Kiserian the route climbs over the southern end of the Ngong Hills, affording fine views of the entire valley. Volcanic hills rise out of the plains as the road drops into dry country where the Maasai people graze their herds. There's a campsite should you wish to spend the night, and this area boasts the largest population of migratory birds in the country.

This beautifully restored 18th-century Swahili merchant's house has original period furniture, and is a great depiction of a traditional Swahili house, and gives insight into how people lived back then. Notice the traditional beds with woven bases of rope, and the finely carved Kalinda screen in the main room. There's a garden full of flowering tropical shrubs and trees and the original well.