How many days do you need in Nairobi?

With three days in Nairobi, you may experience both urban and traditional cultures, with time left over to visit one of Kenya's most popular national parks. Get an early start and you'll be viewing lions, wandering through the jungle, and photographing giraffes before noon. Here is how to spend three days in Nairobi.

Day 1

Even in Kenya's largest city, wildlife is not far away, so spend your first morning on a safari around Nairobi National Park. With the extra benefit of chilly air and ideal lighting for photography, you'll see the animals—cheetahs, rhinos, and lions—at their most active. If you are not prepared for an early morning wake-up, consider an early evening safari instead.

Following your safari, return to the city—this is an excellent opportunity to sample some of Kenya's locally grown coffee or tea—to witness conservation efforts within the city boundaries. At the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, watch wildlife caregivers bottle-feed newborn elephants and then explore the neighboring Giraffe Centre. Because the two places are close together, taking a trip that includes both is easy and time-saving.

Day 2

Begin the day with a cultural encounter at Bomas of Kenya, which brings together people from the country's many communities in the grasslands, highlands, and coast. It's a chance to get a firsthand glimpse at traditional living, with reconstructed village buildings, dance acts, musical performances, and demonstrations of traditional crafts.

Alternatively, attend a trip that focuses on cultures closer to Nairobi, such as women's community development, visiting a disadvantaged area, or learning about the life of Nairobi's street children. In the evening, make reservations for a night of typical Nairobi entertainment, such as a dinner performance with Kenyan dancers or a seat at Carnivore Restaurant, where a meat-lovers feast is served on the point of a sword.

Day 3

Spend your final day touring one of the country's great wildlife reserves. Lake Nakuru National Park in the Great Rift Valley offers vistas of hippos and over 400 bird species, including flamingos. For endangered black rhinos, visit Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where Africa's "Big Five" animals congregate around watering holes.

Other possibilities include joining a ranger on a cycling or walking safari through Hell's Gate National Park, which is home to everything from African buffalo to gazelles, or ascending to the peak of Mt. Longonot, a wooded volcano with panoramic views of the Great Rift Valley.