Uhuru Park

Nairobi

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An expanse of manicured green on the fringe of the central city, this attractive park is a popular respite from the downtown noise and bustle. It owes its existence to Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner. In the late 1980s, she fought to save the park from the bulldozers of the former Moi government. Upon her death in late 2011, her funeral was held in the park and attended by thousands of mourners.

During the day, the park attracts picnicking families, business people stepping out of the office and just about anyone in need of a little communion with nature. It’s not safe after dark.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Locals and tourists enjoying the Sheldrick Trust Elephant Orphans Project on a cloudy day in Nairobi, Kenya.

    David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

    6.69 MILES

    Occupying a plot within Nairobi National Park, this nonprofit trust was established in 1977, shortly after the death of David Sheldrick, who served as the…

  • Zebras in a field at Nairobi National Park with Nairobi city in the background.

    Nairobi National Park

    4.16 MILES

    Welcome to Kenya’s most accessible yet incongruous safari experience. Set on the city’s southern outskirts, Nairobi National Park (at 117 sq km, one of…

  • Entrance of Nairobi National Museum.

    National Museum

    1.13 MILES

    Kenya’s wonderful National Museum, housed in an imposing building amid lush, leafy grounds just outside the centre, has a good range of cultural and…

  • A Masai Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii aka Kilimanjaro giraffe) and her calf in Nairobi National Park with the city in the background. 945049802 giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchii, kilimanjaro giraffe

    Giraffe Centre

    7.7 MILES

    This centre, which protects the highly endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, combines serious conservation with enjoyable activities. You can observe, hand…

  • The Karen Blixen house

    Karen Blixen's House & Museum

    8.4 MILES

    If you loved Out of Africa, you'll love this museum in the farmhouse where author Karen Blixen lived between 1914 and 1931. She left after a series of…

  • Karunguru Coffee Estate

    Karunguru Coffee Estate

    17.89 MILES

    This estate has been cultivating coffee since 1928, and its five-hour tours (which must be pre-booked) are outstanding, taking in an explanation of the…

  • Making pottery at Kazuri Bead Factory, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa 1045644384 making pottery, beads, kazuri bead factory

    Kazuri Beads & Pottery Centre

    8.73 MILES

    An interesting diversion in Karen, this craft centre was started by an English expat in 1975 as a place where single mothers could learn a marketable…

  • Go-Down Arts Centre

    Go-Down Arts Centre

    1.32 MILES

    The Go-Down Arts Centre, a converted warehouse in Industrial Area, contains 10 separate studios and is a hub for Nairobi's burgeoning arts scene, bringing…

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Nearby Nairobi attractions

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3. All Saints' Cathedral

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An important landmark overlooking Uhuru Park, All Saints Cathedral is the city's premier Anglican house of worship.

4. Holy Family Cathedral

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8. Khoja Mosque

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