Kenya Sightseeing by Landscape
Kilimanjaro rising behind a line of elephants is the picture most people have of Kenya, but the country offers four distinct landscapes within a few days of each other. Choosing by landscape keeps the route short and the photographs varied.
Open savannah
The Maasai Mara is the place for golden grassland, lions, cheetahs and the wider Big Five. Non-resident adults pay US$100 a day from January to June and US$200 from July to December, and ages 9 to 17 pay US$50. Plan 2 to 3 nights, as the road from Nairobi takes 5 to 6 hours each way.
Amboseli is flatter and drier. Elephants cross dried lakebeds with 5,895 m Kilimanjaro behind them, clearest in the early morning. The fee is US$90 per adult per day, prepaid on eCitizen .
Rift Valley lakes and rock
Lake Nakuru is an alkaline lake where lesser flamingos feed along the shore and southern white rhinos graze in acacia woodland. The fee is US$90 per adult. Hell’s Gate National Park, at US$50, has Ol Njorowa Gorge, basalt cliffs, hot springs and Fischer’s Tower. Naivasha, nearby, is a freshwater lake with hippos, and the Longonot crater rim sits at 2,776 m. Look for Amboseli and Rift Valley day tours if you want a driver.
The city and its animals
Nairobi National Park has black rhinos, giraffes and lions grazing within sight of the skyscrapers. Adults pay US$80 and children US$40. The park is 20 minutes from downtown, so it fits any layover day. For a Karen circuit, see attraction tours in Kenya .
Coastal stone
Fort Jesus in Mombasa was finished by the Portuguese in 1593 and has been a UNESCO site on the old town waterfront. Entry is US$17 for non-resident adults. Gedi, in Kilifi County, is a 13th-century Swahili town, with a palace, mosques and coral tombs in the Arabuko Sokoke forest, at US$8. Rates are set by National Museums of Kenya , and the National Museum in Nairobi charges US$18.
Sunrise and sunset timing
Game drives run at first and last light, when animals move and the light is soft. Mara tickets cover roughly 12 hours, about 6am to 6pm. In Amboseli, the mountain view is clearest in the early morning, so book the first drive of the day.
Getting between them
The Madaraka Express links Nairobi and Mombasa in about 5.5 to 6 hours, with departures at 08:00, 15:00 and 22:00, and economy fares at KES 1,500 through metickets.krc.co.ke .
Before you fly
Apply for the eTA, about US$30, at etakenya.go.ke . Pack cloth bags, since plastic carrier bags are banned.
Tip: for first-timers with 4 days, combine Nairobi, Amboseli and the Rift Valley.