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Free and cheap things to do in Nairobi this weekend.
Nairobi has a reputation as an expensive city, and for anyone paying rent in it that reputation is deserved. It is also a city with an unusual amount of free space, free culture and cheap sport if you know where to look. This is a standing list rather than an events listing, and we update it.
Green space
Uhuru Park and Central Park. Free, central, and after the recent works, considerably better used. Best on a Sunday afternoon.
Karura Forest. A modest entry fee, and the best value in the city for it. Walking and running trails, waterfalls, caves and picnic sites. Go on foot or by matatu to the gates.
Nairobi Arboretum. Cheaper than Karura, closer to town, and popular with running groups on Saturday mornings.
Ngong Road Forest. Trails on Kibra's doorstep, and the nearest real running surface to the ward.
Michuki Memorial Park. Small, free and a reminder of what the river could be.
Culture
Nairobi National Museum and Snake Park. Citizen rates are a fraction of the tourist price. Take your ID.
Railway Museum. Cheap, eccentric and genuinely interesting.
The gallery circuit. Several Nairobi galleries are free to enter, including spaces at the GoDown Arts Centre and the Kuona artists' collective. Openings are free and usually welcoming.
Kenya National Theatre and the Alliance Française. Free or low-cost events run most weeks, including film screenings and student productions.
Sport
Community league football. Free to watch, everywhere, every weekend, and better entertainment than most paid options.
Parkrun. Free timed 5k runs on Saturday mornings at several Nairobi locations. Register once online and it is free forever.
Ngong Racecourse. Race days are cheap to attend and the grounds are pleasant even when nothing is running.
Markets as a day out
Maasai Market on its rotating days, City Market, and the Sunday craft markets cost nothing to walk around. Take a set amount of cash and leave the card at home.
Sending us your additions
If you know something free or nearly free that we have missed, particularly anything in or near Kibra, send it to news@kibranewsnetwork.co.ke and we will add it. Include what it costs, where it is and when it happens.
That was a Kibra News Network report, read by an A I voice.
Nairobi has a reputation as an expensive city, and for anyone paying rent in it that reputation is deserved. It is also a city with an unusual amount of free space, free culture and cheap sport if you know where to look. This is a standing list rather than an events listing, and we update it.
Green space
Uhuru Park and Central Park. Free, central, and after the recent works, considerably better used. Best on a Sunday afternoon.
Karura Forest. A modest entry fee, and the best value in the city for it. Walking and running trails, waterfalls, caves and picnic sites. Go on foot or by matatu to the gates.
Nairobi Arboretum. Cheaper than Karura, closer to town, and popular with running groups on Saturday mornings.
Ngong Road Forest. Trails on Kibra’s doorstep, and the nearest real running surface to the ward.
Michuki Memorial Park. Small, free and a reminder of what the river could be.
Culture
Nairobi National Museum and Snake Park. Citizen rates are a fraction of the tourist price. Take your ID.
Railway Museum. Cheap, eccentric and genuinely interesting.
The gallery circuit. Several Nairobi galleries are free to enter, including spaces at the GoDown Arts Centre and the Kuona artists’ collective. Openings are free and usually welcoming.
Kenya National Theatre and the Alliance Française. Free or low-cost events run most weeks, including film screenings and student productions.
Sport
Community league football. Free to watch, everywhere, every weekend, and better entertainment than most paid options.
Parkrun. Free timed 5k runs on Saturday mornings at several Nairobi locations. Register once online and it is free forever.
Ngong Racecourse. Race days are cheap to attend and the grounds are pleasant even when nothing is running.
Markets as a day out
Maasai Market on its rotating days, City Market, and the Sunday craft markets cost nothing to walk around. Take a set amount of cash and leave the card at home.
Sending us your additions
If you know something free or nearly free that we have missed, particularly anything in or near Kibra, send it to news@kibranewsnetwork.co.ke and we will add it. Include what it costs, where it is and when it happens.
