5 Hidden Gems Nairobi, Things to Do in Nairobi That No One Else Will Recommend (and that aren’t safaris)

Looking for things to do in Nairobi that aren’t safaris? We love a good tourist list. We really do. But after spending proper time in Nairobi, we realised that the most memorable moments weren’t the ones we’d seen plastered across every travel blog. They were the quieter ones, the weirder ones, the ones where we turned to each other and said: “okay, we have to tell people about this.”

So here it is. Five things to do in Nairobi that won’t show up on the standard lists, but absolutely should. These are the ones we’d recommend to anyone visiting, whether it’s your first time or your fifth.

Things to Do in Nairobi

1. Watch (or Try) Glassblowing at Kitengela Glass

You know those glass-blowing videos that go absolutely viral on social media? Where someone takes a molten blob of glass and turns it into something unbelievably beautiful? That’s Kitengela Glass, and you can actually go and do it.

We first came across their store at the Village Market, and it was impossible not to walk in. End-to-end shelves of stunning handcrafted glass pieces in every shape and size, jugs, tumblers, bowls, art pieces. Every single one is made from recycled glass. Kitengela has been doing this since the early 90s and is one of the world’s longest running recycled glass studios, which feels like something that should be way more well known than it is.

Their workshop is about 50 minutes outside Nairobi, and that’s where the real magic happens. You can watch glassblowing for just KES 300, or you can actually get involved: blow a bubble (KES 500), shape a paperweight, or go all in with a 30-minute experience for KES 5,000 (~$40) or a full hour for KES 10,000 (~$80). We didn’t make it to the workshop on this trip because Nairobi traffic had other plans for us, but it is genuinely top of our list for next time. If you go before us, please tell us everything.

You can book their activities at kitengela.glass.

👉 Read the full Kitengela Glass post

2. Get Your Name Written on a Grain of Rice

Yes, you read that correctly. At the Village Market in Gigiri, there are artists who will handwrite your name (or anything up to 10 words) onto a single grain of rice. With a tiny Kenyan flag on the other side. And then seal it in a little glass vial and turn it into a necklace.

We stumbled across this completely by accident and then stood watching for an embarrassingly long time, because watching it happen is genuinely mesmerising. The precision, the patience, the fact that the letters are perfectly placed on something that barely exists. We have absolutely no idea how someone develops that skill, but we are so glad they did.

We had each other’s names written. Saleha wears Aliasgher’s, Aliasgher wears Saleha’s. You choose the gel colour for the vial, the chain length, the chain colour. It’s one of the most unique souvenirs we’ve ever come home with from anywhere. Probably the most touristy thing we did in Nairobi, and we are completely unapologetic about that.

Keep an eye out for these artists around the markets. They’re not always in the same spot, but Village Market is a good bet.

👉 Read the full Grain of Rice post

3. Visit Kazuri Beads in Karen

We went to Kazuri expecting a quick browse at a jewellery shop, and we left having taken a full workshop tour and spent way longer than planned, in the best possible way.

Kazuri, meaning small and beautiful in Swahili, is a handmade ceramic jewellery brand based in the leafy suburb of Karen. From the moment you step inside, the colour hits you. Long wooden displays lined with hand-painted ceramic beads in greens, blues, reds, yellows, and rich earthy tones that feel distinctly East African and somehow also completely timeless.

What makes it really special is the workshop tour. You walk through each stage of production: women shaping tiny clay beads by hand, painting them with such detail, glazing, firing, threading. Large trays of beads sit drying in rows.

The whole place buzzes with conversation and laughter. No two pieces are exactly the same, and you can see that in the small, beautiful variations in every single item. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to buy something just to have a piece of the process.

Kazuri also employs hundreds of women from the local community, which adds another layer to why supporting them feels so good.

👉 Read the full Kazuri Beads post

4. Walk (and Eat) Through Karura Forest

Both of us are absolute suckers for a forest. The air, the quiet, the way everything just slows down the second you step in. Karura Forest in Nairobi is exactly that, except it also has a waterfall, ancient caves, cycling trails, and one of the prettiest cafes we’ve sat in anywhere.

Start at the River Cafe. It’s a stunning wooden structure completely surrounded by greenery, and the portions are genuinely impressive (we were surprised). Have breakfast or coffee there before heading into the forest. There are trails to the orange waterfall and the historic Mau Mau Caves, and you can also hire bikes if you’d rather cycle through.

A few practical things worth knowing: there are two entrances, and Google Maps tends to send you to the hiking entrance rather than the cafe one, so check ahead. Security will also check your car and bags on the way in because no plastic waste is allowed inside the forest. We actually loved that detail.

It’s not a particularly strenuous experience, which makes it perfect for any fitness level, and it’s one of those places that genuinely makes you forget you’re in a major city.

👉 Read the full Karura Forest post

5. Drive Out to the Great Rift Valley Viewpoint

This one is a bit of a mission, and that’s exactly why most people skip it. But the payoff is breathtaking.

The Great Rift Valley Viewpoint sits about an hour outside Nairobi City Centre (with no traffic, so leave early, before or at 6:45am). You search “The Great Rift Valley Viewpoint” on Google Maps and follow it out. The road is mostly tarmacked, with a sandy, unpaved stretch through a village near the end.

When you arrive, you might feel a little confused at first. The Google pin isn’t exactly on the spot, and there are no signs to tell you you’ve made it. But walk a few metres forward and you’ll see a house on your right. It belongs to a man named Evans, and he has created a wonderful space right there on the edge of the Rift where you can stand and just… look. As far as the eye can see.

He’ll tell you about the different landmarks you’re looking at, explain what you’re seeing, and take your photos too. There are no official fees, but we tipped Evans for his time and warmth, and we’d encourage you to do the same.

There’s something about standing at the edge of something that old and that vast that really puts things in perspective. It’s not a flashy attraction. There’s no gift shop, no tickets, no queues. It’s just the view. And it’s completely worth it.

BONUS: Mamba Village

We couldn’t leave this one out. Mamba Village isn’t something you’ll typically find on the standard lists of things to do in Nairobi, which is exactly why we’re including it here, even though it’s animal-related.

It’s East Africa’s largest crocodile farm, and it also has tortoises and a range of other reptiles. I actually went here as a kid and it seems to have grown quite a bit since then. The entrance fee is KES 200 to 350 for residents and roughly $10 for non-residents, and you can walk through the enclosures with a guide (tip-based, no extra fee).

Go with the guide. We cannot stress this enough. He was brilliant at answering all our questions, and he was also brave enough to demonstrate that the crocodiles were very much not asleep. If you’ve ever seen crocs in real life, you’ll know they look crusty and almost unalive. That’s just them conserving energy. The second they sense prey, that changes very quickly. Watching our guide prove that was equal parts terrifying and incredible.

One practical tip: don’t make the same mistake we did and try to visit after work. Langata Road traffic is intense. Go in the morning, thank yourself later.

👉 Read the full Mamba Village post

Nairobi has so much more going on than the average travel guide lets on. These are our personal favourites, the ones that surprised us, delighted us, or gave us something to talk about for weeks after. If you do any of them, let us know in the comments. And if you’ve found your own hidden gems in the city, we’d genuinely love to hear about them.

👉 Read our full ranked list of things to do in Nairobi

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