Places to visit in Kenya
Somebody once said that you do not have to be rich to travel well. You may frown upon this, but it is true. All you need is to find places to visit in Kenya with a limited budget. And we bet there are many such places to visit in Kenya that can fit within your budget. Kenya is one of the most amazing and affordable countries to enjoy.
Here is a list of 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya in no particular order:
1. Nairobi National Museum.
The first in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Nairobi National Museum. The Nairobi National Museum is an amazing place for you to experience our country’s natural, human, and cultural heritage. It is in this same museum that you can get to see the various bird species in the animal kingdom.
Another spectacular sight in the museum is the skeleton of the famous elephant, Ahmed.
Who is Ahmed you may ask. Well, he was the elephant with the longest tusks ever in the world. Former president Jomo Kenyatta made sure he was well protected in Marsabit National Reserve till his time of death, fortunately, Ahmed died a natural death.
The museum is also home to the Nairobi snake park, if you are afraid of snakes, well that is okay. The snakes are well kept in an area suitable for you to view through a glass window. And the good news is you can visit the park for as low as Ksh 100 for adults and Ksh 50 for children.
When looking for places to visit in Kenya, don’t leave this tourist attraction out.
2. Karura Forest.
The second in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Karura Forest. Right in the heart of Nairobi is this amazing forest. The presence of fragrant eucalyptus trees, wild grassland, a waterfall, and a variety of wildlife including birds, monkeys, and even antelopes.
This is one of the most accessible places to visit in Kenya mainly because it’s a short distance from the Central Business District of Kenya’s capital city Nairobi. The Karura Forest is open daily from 0600hours to 1800hours and for as low as Ksh 100 for adults and Ksh 50 for children you can enjoy the peaceful forest.
Picnics are also done in the forest for as low as Ksh 150 for adults and Ksh 100 for children under the age of 12years though they have to be prearranged and booked through the KFEET office.
3. Giraffe Center
The third in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Giraffe Center. Famously known as the home of the Rothschild Giraffe, the Giraffe Center is definitely one of the best places to visit in Kenya. The main activity here is feeding the beautiful giraffes from a high platform.
The center protects the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe. You can have a rare opportunity of observing, hand feeding, or even kiss one of the giraffes from a raised wooden structure. There is also an exciting self-guided forest walk through the adjacent Gogo River Bird Sanctuary.
The entry fee here is only Ksh 400 for adults and Ksh 200 for children who are citizens.
4. Ngong’ Hills Forest
The fourth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Ngong’ Hills Forest. Located at the northern tip of Kajiado County just 25 kilometers from Nairobi City is this forest.
It is well known to host a variety of flora for example pine, cypress, acacia, etc and fauna for example buffaloes, wild pigs, dik-diks, porcupines, etc. and 30 wind energy generation power sites.
Some of the activities carried out here that make Ngong Hills Forest one of the most attractive places to visit in Kenya are hiking, viewing, camping, team building, and also weddings. It is a beautiful place for you, your friends and family to relax and enjoy a lovely sunset and scenic beauty for only Ksh 200 per citizen adult.
5. Oloolua Forest.
The fifth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Oloolua Forest. This amazing forest is located in the leafy suburbs of Nairobi. lt is tucked in the well-known suburbs of Karen, Rongai, and Ngong’.
Oloolua is home to a range of species of small mammals, spectacular waterfalls, birds, indigenous plant species, and caves.
If you are a huge fan of nature and nature walks then the Oloolua forest is one of the best places to visit in Kenya for you, why?
There is a 5-kilometer Oloolua nature trail that meanders through the thick forest vines and undergrowth below giant indigenous trees and bushes, in some places following the course of River Mbagathi that cuts through the forest.
And for an even better adventure, there is a 33-meter long cave known as the Mau Mau caves, reputed to have once been home to our freedom fighters the Mau Mau during the colonial period.
The entry fee to the Oloolua Nature trail is only Ksh 200 for adults and only Ksh 100 for children.
6. The Nairobi National Park.
The sixth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Nairobi National Park. Located about a half-hour drive from Nairobi Central Business District, Nairobi National Park offers the most accessible yet unusual safari experience in Kenya. That is one of the reasons it’s considered one of the best places to visit in Kenya. It was the first park to be gazetted not only in Kenya but also in the whole of East Africa. The park is only about 30,000 acres or 117 square kilometers, one of the smallest of Africa’s parks.
It has acquired the nickname ‘Kifaru Ark’ a testament to its success as a rhinoceros (kifaru in Kiswahili) sanctuary. The park is home to the world’s densest concentration of black rhinos (more than 50).
The park also has a variety of picnic and camping sites for example Twiga campsite and the Ivory burning site monument, nature walks at the Nairobi Safari Walk, and the Nairobi Animal Orphanage. There are also game drives carried out in the park. The park entrance fee for adults is only Ksh 400 and Ksh 200 for children.
7. The National Archives.
The seventh in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the National Archives. If you have been to Nairobi then you know about the common phrase ‘Archives’. The Kenya National Archives building is located in the Central Business District. It is the largest Pan-African art gallery in Africa.
It holds 40,000 volumes of public records and archives. It also houses Joseph Murumbi’s Gallery which contains artifacts that were collected in the 19th century. The archive contains ancient art collections from different communities of Africa. This is most definitely one of the most interesting places to visit in Kenya for only Ksh 50 to all citizens especially if you love history.
8. Kenyatta International Convention Center.
The eighth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Kenyatta International Convention Center. The KICC, as its popularly referred to, is one of the most attractive places to visit in Kenya. This is because, despite the new developing buildings in Nairobi City, none beats the history and uniqueness of this tall, cylindrical building formerly known for being the tallest building in Kenya.
With 32 stories and 105m high, this building still ranks as one of the top conference centers not only in Kenya but also in Africa. Its largest ballroom has a capacity of more than 4000 people.
For an amazing view of the Nairobi city, you can go to its rooftop and do not forget to take photographs. You are literally on top of the world! For only an entrance fee of Ksh 250, you can get to experience all these.
9. Nairobi Railway Museum.
The ninth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Nairobi Railway Museum. This museum is purposely dedicated to the history of the country’s rail network located in the center of Nairobi near the railway station. That makes it one of the most attractive places to visit in Kenya for those interested in the history of Kenya’s railway system.
Here you will find a variety of artifacts and exhibits that illustrate the construction and running of the railway. There are also models of railway engines that operated after the construction of the Kenya – Uganda railway and also photographs of the railway throughout its history.
Wandering through the museum gives you a glimpse of our country’s development and a glimpse of the future, for those days are gone. This is possible at a fee of only Ksh 100 for citizens and Ksh 400 for residents.
10. Fourteen Falls.
The tenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Fourteen Falls. It is located in Thika which is around 45 km from Nairobi city, it’s name is derived from 14 successive falls located on the Athi River.
It is considered one of the most attractive places to visit in Kenya for people who like an adventure in the wild. There are various activities carried out here for example boat riding, fishing, photography, watch divers perform spectacular shows as they dive from the cliffs to the waters below and bird watching.
Oldonyo Sabuk National Park famously known as Kilimambogo is located near the falls. There is a huge number of buffaloes that reside here, on the mountain is the tomb of Lord Macmillan and his dog.
Activities like hiking and camping are carried out here for only Ksh 100 for adults and Ksh 50 for children.
11. Menengai Crater.
The eleventh in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Menengai Crater. The fact that the Menengai Crater is the second-largest volcanic crater in the world with a surface area of 90 square kilometers makes it one of the best places to visit in Kenya. How amazing is that! The volcano is however extinct.
There is a really amusing story by the locals about this crater. The locals have named it “Kirima Kia Ngoma” meaning “The Place Of Devils”. It is believed that the crater is home to evil spirits that haunt and confuse people who dare to go there. It is also said that people have disappeared not to be seen ever gain while others are said to have been confused forever!
Another interesting story is that in the ancient days there was a big fight between two Maasai clans who were living in the area, the defeated clan was being thrown into the crater and it is said that their spirits try to rise to heaven in form of smoke. This is not to scare you, but to see how our communities in the early try to come up with rather interesting theories.
The Menengai Crater is however a breathtaking and beautiful view for its visitors. There are also activities carried out here like hiking, trekking, visiting a Mau Mau hideout cave, photography, bird watching, and camping. The Kenya Forest Service charges only Ksh 200 per person for access to Menegai Crater.
12. Thompson Falls.
The twelfth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Thompson Falls. Thompson falls is an attraction site found in Nyahururu town in Laikipia County. The waterfall is on Ewaso Ng’iro river, a few kilometers from Lake Olbolosat which drains from the Aberdare ranges.
In 1883 Joseph Thompson was the first European explorer to set eyes on the majestic falls, he therefore decided to name it after his own father. He was impressed by the stupendous thundering of the waters. The falls also appeared in the television movie The Man In The Brown Suit in the year 1998.
One of the most adventurous activities here is that you actually have the chance to go down to the bottom of the falls and also pick up guiding maps from the curio shops around Thompson Falls entrance to get guidance on the direction of Kenya’s Highest Hippo Pools found on the upstream of Thompson Falls.
Thompson falls is one of the cheapest places to visit in Kenya because it has an entry fee of only Ksh 100 adults who are Kenyan citizens and Ksh 50 for children who are Kenyan citizens.
13. Paradise Lost
The thirteenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is Paradise Lost. Paradise Lost is an amusement park located roughly 10 kilometers from Nairobi in a coffee plantation in Kiambu.
The park has a whole list of activities for you to do. One of the reasons it’s considered one of the most intriguing places to visit in Kenya is the presence of caves that were once homes to our Mau Mau freedom fighters which are hidden by waterfalls at the front. There is also boat riding at the Paradise Lake in motorboats. You can also have the chance of feeding ostriches, horse riding, camel riding, bird watching, picnicking on the grounds near the lake, camping, or taking nature walks on the property.
All this is available at an entrance fee of only Ksh 300 per adult and Ksh 200 per child.
14. Mount Longonot National Park.
The fourteenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is Mount Longonot. The word Longonot is a Maasai word meaning “mountains of many steep ridges”. It is a dormant volcano that is estimated to have erupted in the 1860s making it stand at an estimated height of 750m above the floor of the Great Rift Valley and 2776m above sea level.
The Mt Longonot National Park is under the Kenya Wildlife Service, there are several animals found here most of them live in the thick covering on the floor of the crater thus seeing them is not guaranteed.
One of the activities carried out here is climbing the mountain, there are wonderful views from the top of the mountain for example Lake Naivasha. The hike from the park entrance gate to Longonot peak and back takes around 5 hours. The entry fee to Mount Longonot National Park is only Ksh 300 for adults. It is therefore one of the most affordable places to visit in Kenya.
15. Lake Nakuru National Park
The fifteenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is Lake Nakuru. Lake Nakuru was initially gazetted as a bird sanctuary in 1960 and then later on upgraded to a National Park In the year 1968. Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the premium parks in Kenya together with Maasai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park well known for the flamingoes.
This park has the largest population of rhinos and it takes pride in its effort to conserve this unique species. It is also home to over 450 bird species including the flamingoes, depending on the season and 4 of the big five animals.
The lake is salty thus supporting the growth of the blue-green algae scientifically known as Cyanophyte Spirulina Plantesis. This algae attracts thousands of greater and lesser flamingoes making the waters of the lake look pink thus the name ‘Pink Lake’ or ‘The bird watchers paradise’. It is one of the best places to visit in Kenya if you want to see countless flamingoes and pelicans.
Activities carried out here include game drives, bird watching, sightseeing, photography, and picnics on sites like the baboon cliff where you have a great view of both the lake and park. Boat riding is however not allowed on the lake. The entrance fee to Nakuru National Park is only Ksh 800 for adult citizens.
16. Mount Elgon National Park
The sixteenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is Mount Elgon National Park. If you are in love with nature and beauty then Mount Elgon National Park will most definitely blow your mind. This park is unique because it is at the border of Kenya and Uganda and declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve.
The mountain has a number of caves including the famous Kitum Caves. These caves are very important to the wildlife in this park, most especially the buffaloes and the elephants. They walk into the caves at night to lick the salt from the walls as a nutritional supplement.
It is believed that the salt licking habit of these animals has led to the expansion of the caves over time. Rock painting can also be found in these caves as people in the ancient days lived in these caves as hideout places during the colonial era.
Apart from the elephants and buffaloes, the park is also home to a number of small antelopes and monkeys including the black and white colobus and the blue monkey.
In the 2000s the late Wangari Maathai was named after an endangered dragonfly that was discovered in Mount Elgon, it is called Maathai’s Longleg.
Activities carried out here include walking and hiking through self-guided trails and routes that lead to the caves, bird watching and primate viewing are also carried out here. Park entrance fee costs Ksh 215 for adult citizens. Visit this park and experience first hand why it is considered one of the most attractive places to visit in Kenya.
17. Hell’s Gate National Park
The seventeenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is Hell’s Gate National Park. Hell’s Gate National Park is one of the smallest national parks we have in the country but its unique features make it extremely special and worth the pay. The park shows a clear indication of volcanic activity from the cliffs, gorges, lava rock, caves, hot water springs, geysers, and hot waterfalls. It is also home to a variety of species like giraffes, black-backed jackals, olive baboons, impala, Burchell zebras, warthogs, Thompson gazelles, monkeys, and defassa waterbucks and hartebeest.
The park is located 90 kilometers from Nairobi and home to over 100 bird species and breeding area for lammergeyer vultures. There are a couple of exciting activities that you can engage in while visiting the park for example game drives. Animal lovers will most definitely have a blast during the game drive since the animals are already used to vehicles so they do not hide or run when they see one.
Hiking from the Hell’s Gate National Park’s main gate to the main valley and the lower gorge, it is during this hike that you will have the opportunity of seeing some of the world’s most captivating cold and hot waterfalls, hot springs, and colored rocks.
Rock climbing is also carried out on Fischer’s tower but the most experienced rock climbing can have a try at the main rock which is a bit stiffer compared to Fisher’s tower.
You can also hire bikes at the main gate for you to cycle in the park and have the chance to interact with the flora and fauna. Here is a little tip: cycling through the Buffalo cycling circuit lookout for beautiful views of Lake Naivasha, Mount Longonot, and Mount Suswa. Bird watching is another rewarding activity carried out in the park
For example, the Lammergeier vultures that fly as far as Maasai Mara to forage and back to the park by afternoon how amazing is that? This is definitely one of the best places to visit in Kenya.
Park entry fees are Ksh 250 for adult citizens.
18. Kakamega National Reserve Forest
The eighteenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Kakamega National Reserve Forest. Kakamega National Reserve Forest is found in the Lake Victoria basin and west of the Nandi escarpment that forms the edge of the central highlands. It is an area of scenic beauty and unique wildlife located just 15 kilometers from Kakamega town.
This forest is very unique in the fact that it is the only tropical rainforest in Kenya. It is therefore considered one of the best places to visit in Kenya, especially in the western part of the country.
The reserve was initially gazetted as a trust forest in 1933 before the two reserves Yala and Isecheno were later established within it in the year 1967. Later on, it was awarded national forest reserve status in 1985 when nearly 4000 hectares of the forest together with the adjacent Kisere forest was gazette as the Kakamega Forest National Reserve.
The forest is an ideal habitat for birds, insects, butterflies, and wildlife which are plentiful in the area. It currently supports seven primate species like the DeBrazza monkey that is mostly found at the isolated Kisere Forest Reserve. Other rare species of the primates found here are Blue monkeys, Olive Baboons, and the Red-Tailed Monkey.
One of the major activities carried out here is nature walks.
Park fees here is Ksh 200 per adult and Ksh 50 per child.
19. Lord Egerton Castle
The nineteenth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is the Lord Egerton Castle. Found some 14 kilometers away from Nakuru town lies the magnificent Lord Egerton’s Castle. The castle was built in the year 1952. The story behind the construction of this castle is rather heartbreaking, a story of love and betrayal.
Lord Maurice Egerton was born in a royal family of Lords in the year 1874 and was the last born son of Alan De Tatton and Lady Anna Louisa Taylor. He had two siblings William and Cecil Egerton who later on died and left him as the sole heir to his family’s vast wealth. He worked in the Royal Navy until the year 1920 when his father died, therefore succeeding him as the fourth baron of Egerton.
He loved photography and hunting and this prompted him to travel around the world. He came to Africa through Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). He eventually entered Kenya and decided to fully settle here where he was convinced by Lord Egerton to settle down and pursue agriculture in the country. He then bought 21,116 acres of land from Delamere.
As an offspring of the Royal lineage, he had to get married by someone of the same status as he is. He found himself a young lady whose lineage branched off from Queen Elizabeth, he built a four-roomed cottage hoping to impress her.
When he invited the lady to come to see the house, she was disgusted by the sight of the house and did not even spend two hours in the compound saying it was a ‘bird’s nest’ and this made Lord Egerton build a bigger and better house.
The construction materials were shipped from Italy and England. He was able to build a magnificent four-storey and 52 room mansion. When the castle was finally completed he invited the lady once again to see the house but she turned it down saying it was no better than a “dog’s kennel” she left Lord Egerton and married a British Lord in Australia. This left Lord Egerton leading him to deeply despise women. Women were never allowed into the castle, all his workers were male.
The history of this castle makes it one of the most interesting places to visit in Kenya. You should come to visit this magnificent castle for only Ksh 150 for adults and Ksh 50-100 for children.
20. Fort Jesus
The twentieth in our list of the 20 affordable places to visit in Kenya is Fort Jesus. Fort Jesus is definitely one of the most historically significant places to visit in Kenya. It was built in the year 1593-1596 on the coastline of Old Town in Mombasa and was a transit place for trade and the gateway to India.
The Portuguese built the fort by the designs of Joao Batista Cairato, who drew his inspiration from Pietro Cataneo, an Italian architect. The building material and labor came from the Swahili people who were the indigenous inhabitants of Mombasa.
The fort takes the shape of a man from above. In 1858, it became a national park and in the year 2011, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site marked as one of the most beautiful and brilliant structures from the 16th century. The entry fee is only Ksh 200 for adults and Ksh 100 for children.
Ramina Tours & Travel would love to assist you Explore, enjoy, and enjoy the above-mentioned attractions and all the other attractive and adventurous places to visit in Kenya that you might be interested in touring.
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