24 places worth the trip in Kenya, grouped by what they are. Every guide explains what to see, the best time to go and the practical details, checked against official sources. Best time to visit Kenya: Jul–Oct, Jan–Feb.
A reserve of about 1,510 square kilometres of rolling grassland in Narok County, joined to Tanzania's Serengeti across the border. It is Kenya's best-known safari destination, famous for its lions, leopards and cheetahs and for the wildebeest and zebra herds that cross the Mara River in the second half of the year.
ExploreA compact park of about 392 square kilometres in southern Kenya, set on the dry bed of an ancient lake below Mount Kilimanjaro. It is known above all for its elephants, studied here continuously since 1972, and for the views of Africa's highest mountain rising behind the plains.
ExploreA compact, fenced national park of 188 square kilometres wrapped around a shallow alkaline lake on the floor of the Rift Valley, just outside Nakuru city. It is one of Kenya's key sanctuaries for black and white rhinos, has large numbers of waterbirds, and is part of the Kenya Lake System World Heritage Site.
ExploreA park of about 117 square kilometres just 7 kilometres south of central Nairobi, established in 1946 as Kenya's first national park. Open plains, forest and river valleys support lions, black rhinos, giraffes and hundreds of bird species, often seen with the city skyline behind them.
ExploreA 68 square kilometre national park just south of Lake Naivasha, named after a narrow break in its cliffs. It is one of the few Kenyan parks where you can explore by bicycle or on foot, past volcanic plugs such as Fischer's Tower and into a water-carved gorge.
ExploreA 767 square kilometre national park covering the high moorland and forested slopes of the Aberdare Range, between about 2,000 and 4,000 metres. It is known for its tree-hotel lodges, waterfalls and cool, misty forests that shelter elephants, buffalo, black rhinos and rarely seen species such as the bongo.
ExploreA compact reserve of about 165 square kilometres on the north bank of the Ewaso Nyiro river, owned and managed by the Samburu County Government. Its semi-arid scrub, doum palm groves and riverine forest support high numbers of elephants and the 'Samburu Special Five', species rarely seen in southern Kenya.
ExploreAt about 13,747 square kilometres, Tsavo East is Kenya's largest national park, a semi-arid expanse of bush and plains crossed by the Galana River. Together with Tsavo West it forms the Tsavo Conservation Area, and it is the easiest big park to reach from Mombasa and the coast.
ExploreKenya's second-largest national park, covering about 9,065 square kilometres west of the Nairobi–Mombasa highway. It is hillier and greener than Tsavo East, with volcanic cones, lava flows, the spring-fed pools of Mzima and a fenced rhino sanctuary.
ExploreA reserve of about 192 square kilometres of coastal rainforest, woodland and grassland on a plateau roughly 30 kilometres south-west of Mombasa. It protects Kenya's only population of sable antelope, a large elephant population and many rare plants, and makes an easy day trip from the south-coast beaches.
ExploreBuilt by the Portuguese between 1593 and 1596 to control the port of Mombasa, Fort Jesus changed hands repeatedly between Portuguese, Omani, Swahili and British rulers. It is one of the best-preserved Portuguese military forts of its era and has been a museum since the late 1950s.
ExploreGede, also spelt Gedi, is the ruined Swahili town of mosques, a palace, houses and tombs that flourished in the 15th century and was abandoned in the 17th. Its coral-stone walls now stand among tall trees in a protected forest, and in 2024 it became Kenya's eighth World Heritage Site.
ExploreLamu Old Town, on Lamu Island in the far north of Kenya's coast, is regarded as the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa and has been lived in for more than 700 years. Its narrow lanes, coral-stone houses and seafront are explored on foot or by donkey, as there are almost no cars.
ExploreA large freshwater lake on the floor of the Rift Valley, about two hours' drive from Nairobi, ringed by papyrus, acacia woodland and old volcanoes. Boat trips to see hippos and fish eagles, walks among plains game and easy access to Hell's Gate make it one of Kenya's most popular weekend escapes.
ExploreA long, narrow alkaline lake in Baringo County, just north of the equator, protected within Lake Bogoria National Reserve. It is famous for hot springs and geysers along its shores and is one of the most important feeding sites for lesser flamingos in East Africa.
ExploreA tropical rainforest in western Kenya, regarded as the easternmost remnant of the great Guineo-Congolian forest that once stretched across central Africa. Guided walks through tall trees reveal hundreds of bird species, colourful butterflies and several kinds of monkey found in few other places in Kenya.
ExploreA non-profit centre in Nairobi's Lang'ata suburb, run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (Kenya), where visitors meet Rothschild's giraffes face to face from a raised feeding platform. It was set up in 1979 to help save this rare giraffe subspecies and now combines a breeding programme with conservation education for Kenyan schoolchildren.
ExploreA 360-square-kilometre not-for-profit wildlife conservancy on the Laikipia Plateau, west of Nanyuki and almost exactly on the equator. It holds the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, the last two northern white rhinos on Earth and the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary.
ExploreA marine park and reserve near the Tanzanian border, made up of small coral islands, fringing reefs and open channels where dolphins are often seen. Boat trips leave from Shimoni and usually combine snorkelling in the park with a visit to Wasini Island, a quiet island with no cars.
ExploreDiani Beach runs for around 17 kilometres along the Indian Ocean south of Mombasa, from the mouth of the Kongo River to Galu. A coral reef offshore keeps the lagoon calm and shallow, and the beach is lined with palms, hotels and patches of coastal forest that shelter several monkey species.
ExploreWatamu sits on a small headland about 105 kilometres north of Mombasa and 15 kilometres south of Malindi, with sandy bays on either side. Its beaches and offshore reefs are protected by the Watamu Marine National Park, one of Kenya's first marine parks and part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Explore
Kenya · 7 nights4★ LodgeKenya · 9 nights4★ Resort
