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🇰🇪Things to Do in Kenya
From the Maasai Mara's Great Migration to the beaches of Diani - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Kenya is where the modern African safari began, and the Maasai Mara remains the country's centerpiece - especially during the Great Migration, when over a million wildebeest cross from Tanzania's Serengeti. Most trips pair a Mara safari with either a second reserve for variety or a stretch of Indian Ocean coastline to unwind afterward. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
Kenya's most famous reserve, part of the same ecosystem as Tanzania's Serengeti, and the classic setting for the Great Migration's river crossings (roughly July-October).
📍 Maasai Mara
🚉 There is no rail or public bus into the reserve: light aircraft fly from Nairobi's Wilson airport to the Mara airstrips in 45 minutes, or it is a five-to-six-hour drive by 4x4 with a driver.
Amboseli National Park
Known for large elephant herds photographed against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, on the Tanzanian border - on a clear morning it's one of the most reliable Kilimanjaro views in either country.
📍 Amboseli, near the Tanzanian border
🚉 Shuttle buses run from Nairobi to Namanga on the Tanzanian border, but the park itself is reached by 4x4 transfer or a short flight from Wilson airport - about four hours by road.
Lake Nakuru National Park
A Rift Valley lake historically known for enormous flamingo flocks (numbers vary year to year with water levels), and now also a sanctuary for both black and white rhino.
📍 Lake Nakuru, Rift Valley
🚉 Nakuru town is on the new SGR railway's branch and the main Nairobi highway, about three hours by road, with the park gate 4km from the centre - a vehicle is needed inside.
Diani Beach
A white-sand beach on Kenya's south coast near Mombasa, regularly ranked among Africa's best, with coral reef snorkeling and diving just offshore.
📍 Diani, near Mombasa
🚉 Take the SGR Madaraka Express from Nairobi to Mombasa in under five hours, then the Likoni ferry and a matatu or taxi south for an hour to Diani.
Mount Kenya
Africa's second-highest peak after Kilimanjaro, and unlike Kilimanjaro, its higher summits require technical climbing - most visitors hike to Point Lenana, the highest point reachable without ropes.
📍 Mount Kenya
🚉 Nanyuki and Chogoria are the trailhead towns, three to four hours from Nairobi by matatu or shuttle; from there, guided climbs arrange their own transport to the park gates.
Samburu National Reserve
A drier, more rugged reserve in northern Kenya, home to species found almost nowhere else on a standard safari circuit, including the reticulated giraffe and Grevy's zebra.
📍 Samburu, northern Kenya
🚉 The reserve is six hours north of Nairobi by road, or a short flight to the Buffalo Springs airstrip - there is no public transport beyond Isiolo, the last town on the highway.
Lamu Island
A UNESCO-listed Swahili trading town on Kenya's coast, with no cars - donkeys and dhows (traditional sailing boats) remain the primary transport in the old town's narrow streets.
📍 Lamu
🚉 Fly to Manda airstrip from Nairobi or Mombasa, then a dhow across the channel to Lamu town - the island has almost no cars, and donkeys still do the hauling.
Nairobi National Park
A genuine national park with lions, rhinos and giraffes, uniquely set against the skyline of Kenya's capital city - the only game reserve in the world located within a major city.
📍 Nairobi
🚉 The park gate is 20 minutes from the city centre on Langata Road - matatus pass it, but a vehicle is required inside, so most visitors take a half-day game drive.
Mark Kenya, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Kenya?
A week suits a Maasai Mara safari plus a few beach days on the coast. Ten days lets you add a second reserve like Amboseli or Samburu for more variety.
What's the best time to visit Kenya?
July-October is peak season for the Great Migration's river crossings in the Maasai Mara. January-February is also good for wildlife viewing with thinner crowds; the coast is warm and pleasant most of the year outside the April-May long rains.
Is Kenya good for a first-time visit?
Yes, especially through an organized safari lodge or tour operator, which is how most visitors experience the parks - self-driving is possible but less common for first-time visitors given road conditions and park navigation.
Do I need a visa to visit Kenya?
Most nationalities need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before arrival, a straightforward online application that replaced the previous visa-on-arrival and e-visa systems. Check the official visa information for your nationality: etakenya.go.ke.
What are some things to do in Kenya on a tight budget?
Nairobi National Park is far cheaper to visit than the Maasai Mara while still offering genuine Big Five sightings, joining a shared group safari vehicle costs considerably less than a private one, and Kenya's coastal beaches are free to enjoy beyond resort fees.
Can I rent a car in Kenya, and what licence do I need?
You can, but the normal arrangement for a safari is a 4x4 with a driver-guide, who also knows where the animals are - which is most of the value. If you drive yourself, a foreign licence is accepted for visits when carried with an International Driving Permit, and the minimum age is usually 23 to 25. Traffic drives on the left. Park roads require high clearance and often a 4x4, and self-driving in the Mara is only sensible with real off-road experience. The National Transport and Safety Authority publishes the rules at ntsa.go.ke, with park information from the Kenya Wildlife Service at kws.go.ke.