Places to Visit in Kenya
Amboseli National Park is one of the most popular places to visit in Kenya with a breathtaking view of Mt. Kilimanjaro attracts tourists from all over the world. This park was declared a National Park in 1974 with about 80 different wildlife and 400 bird species. The park is famous for its large population of African elephants. It also has great numbers of other wildlife and birds like impalas, wildebeest, swamp hen, long-toed lapwing, and many more. You can explore all that this park has to offer by going on different safari tours available here.
Best Time to Visit:
June to October and January to February
Timings:
6 am to 6 pm
Masai Mara National Reserve is the only one among Kenya tourist attractions to be included in the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. This African park covering an area of 1,510 km² is a vast scenic expanse of plains with magnificent views with diverse wildlife like rhinos, elephants, zebras, cheetahs, and many more. This park attracts tourists from all over the world to experience the Masai Mara Safari tour and enjoy the sights of animals roaming freely in their natural habitats as they go about their daily activities. You can also see extensive numbers of acacia trees swathing the park’s landscape.
Best Time to Visit:
June to October
Timings:
6 am to 6 pm
Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the best places to visit in Kenya with the large number of flamingos giving the lake a pink look. This park is located on the foot of the Great Rift Valley at the center of Kenya. The park’s landscape consists of grasslands, steep rocky slopes, dense forests and hills that all act as viewpoints when enjoying game viewing at this national park. This national park is one of the most popular Kenya attractions with exciting activities like game drives, bird watching and hiking.
Best Time to Visit:
June to September
Timings:
6 am to 6 pm
Tsavo National Park is one of the oldest national parks in Kenya and is divided into two parts by a railway line passing through it. Tsavo West National Park has a rugged landscape with mountains and wooded grasslands, while Tsavo East National Park has semiarid and wooded grasslands. This park has a wide variety of wildlife that you can explore while engaging in one of the activities like game drives, bird watching, nature walks and hiking. These two national parks have many attractions that will keep you occupied like Mizma springs, Shaitani lava flow, River Galana, Yatta plateau and many more.
Best Time to Visit:
June to October and December to February.
Timings:
6 am to 6 pm
Situated on the Northern Frontier of Kenya, Laikipia Plateau lies between Mt Kenya and the Great Rift Valley. This plateau is home to a number of ranches and conservancies trying to maintain the biodiversity and ecosystem of this region. The plateau offers an incredible game viewing experience with highest populations of endangered species like black rhinos and grevy’s zebras. It is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Kenya with the silhouette of Mt Kenya giving it an aesthetic backdrop.
Best Time to Visit:
June to September
The Great Rift Valley is one of the Kenya attractions famous for its alluring natural beauty with geologically active volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, lakes, mountains and plains. This valley is also one of the greatest natural wonders of the world with picturesque landscapes and preserved ecosystems. The valley boasts a huge number of national parks and reserves with natural habitats for many African wildlife and bird species. Amongst the various safaris this place offers, the walking safari at Hell’s gate national park lets you get intimate with the geological features and the flora and fauna of the Great Rift Valley.
Best Time to Visit:
July to October
Mount Kenya National Park is amongst the top places to visit in Kenya with its breathtaking sights of glaciers, lakes, forests and mountains. Africa’s second highest mountain, Mt Kenya, is its main attraction that serves as a magnet for adventure seekers with its thrilling activities like hiking, camping, cave explorations and many more. The park is home to numerous wildlife, birds and plantlife which also include many rare and endangered species. Elands, tree hyrax, white tailed mongoose, bushbucks, and many more are few of the animals that can be seen while on game drives in this national park.
Best Time to Visit:
December to March
Timings:
6 am to 6 pm
Giraffe Manor tops the list of Kenya tourist attractions with its stately exterior, sophisticated interiors, green gardens, open terraces and courtyards. This is a private hotel spread across 12 acres of land in the Langata suburb of Nairobi. Having breakfast with herds of Rothschild’s giraffes is the main attraction of this hotel. Admire at the beauty of these creatures as they peer through the windows and watch out for their long tongues, which can be twenty inches long. These giraffes are not pets thus the interactions are not guaranteed but there’s a huge possibility of finding them at breakfast times.This activity is reserved for guests who stay overnight at this massive manor.
When talking about the places in Kenya to explore, it's evident to mention Lake Victoria. Also known as Victoria Nyanza, it is the largest lake in Africa and second largest freshwater lake in the world with an area of approx 70,000 square kms. The lake is home to more than 200 species of fishes and numerous wetland animals and birds. Tilapia, clawless otters, cichlid, and sitatunga are some of the many creatures that you can see while on a safari here. Enjoy one of the best boat safaris here and also enjoy bird watching from these boats.
Best Time to Visit:
July to October
Diani Beach is the most scenic place among Kenya tourist attractions with its white sands, glistening blue waters and palm tree linings. This beach is a tropical paradise where the African waters meet the Indian Ocean and has been awarded the best beach destination in Africa for 5 consecutive years now. Apart from all the aesthetics this beach also has a lot of restaurants and shacks to choose from when you want to grab a bite or have a refreshing drink. The beach is also famous for its coral reefs, black and white colobus monkeys and the Shimba Hills NAtional Reserve.
Best Time to Visit:
December to March and June to September
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Nursery in Nairobi National Park is aimed at sheltering orphaned baby elephants until they are old enough and then they are returned to national parks and wildlife reserves. Spend time watching baby elephants and feed, bathe, and play with them on your visit to this nursery. You also have the option of fostering one of these cute creatures. Apart from the elephants this nursery also takes care of orphaned black rhinos. This nursery is working with the intention of saving the elephant and rhino populations of Africa, as they are struggling due to the poaching for teeth and horns.
Best Time to Visit:
July to October and January to February
Timings:
11 am to 12 pm
Ngong Hills are one of the most popular places in Kenya owing to the seven hump-like structures resembling the knuckles of a fist. These hills are home to a rich mix of flora and fauna with giraffes, buffaloes, bushbuck and baboons. It is perfect for one day hike trips, picnics,and picturesque views with beautiful flower gardens. This mountain range is a gazetted forest reserve with its highest peak located at 2460 meters above sea level. A fun fact is that these hills were featured in a movie called ‘Out of Africa’.
Best Time to Visit:
Early August to mid October
FAQ’s of Kenya
Which are the famous places to visit in Kenya with your family?
There are a lot of famous places to visit in Kenya with your family, from national parks and reserves to beaches and hills. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Nursery is a must visit when you are exploring Kenya with your family, this place will leave your kids in awe with the baby elephants and rhinos here. Also Giraffe Manor is a place you might want to check out before leaving Kenya.
Which are the famous national parks in Kenya?
The most famous national parks in Kenya are Amboseli, Tsavo and Nairobi. These parks are popular Kenya tourist places because of the rich biodiversity one gets to explore with the panoramic views of the city’s landscape. You can find herds of wild elephants, giraffes, endangered black rhinos, hundreds of birds and much more wildlife to explore in these parks. The spectacular view of Mount Kilimanjaro one gets from the Amboseli National Park attracts a lot of tourists to this park.
Which are the best places for safari in Kenya?
The best places for safari in Kenya are National Parks of the city like Lake Nakuru, Amboseli and Tsavo with breathtaking sights of flamingos, giraffes, zebras and other exotic animals with pristine water bodies, hundreds of birds and plant life. Masai Mara National Reserve is also one of the most famous Kenya tourist places for safari with its lions, leopards and Tanzanian cheetahs.
What is Kenya famous for?
Kenya is famous for its numerous national parks and wildlife preserves like Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, Masai Mara, and many more. The rich biodiversity of this city like the Big Five, elephants, rhinos, and many more with the rugged scenic landscapes, make up for exceptional safari tours. Another reason for the popularity of Kenya is the Masai tribe with its exceptional lifestyle and culture. The Great Rift Valley and Lake Nakuru are also known as home to thousands of flamingos, attracting even more tourists.
Is Kenya expensive for tourists?
Kenya is not expensive, if you start your tour with a well planned budget. On an average a tourist spends around KES12,619 ($103) per day on a vacation in Kenya. Of this $103, around KES2,858 ($23) are spent on meals and about KES3,443 ($28) are spent on local transportation. Rest of the money goes into the tickets of various attractions and safaris one enjoys in the city of Kenya.