African Spice Safaris

African Spice Safaris is a Nairobi-based tour operator with an office on Coffee Garden Drive in Muthaiga. Alongside longer safaris, it runs a wide range of day tours in and around the city, which makes it useful for travellers with a free day before or after a safari, a long layover or a business trip with a little spare time.

Its classic city excursion combines three of the south-western suburbs' best-known stops. The tour departs daily at 09:00, or at a time to suit you, and lasts around four to six hours. It begins at the Karen Blixen Museum, with up to an hour at the former home of the author of Out of Africa, continues to the Giraffe Centre for about an hour of hand-feeding Rothschild's giraffes and a walk on the nature trail, and then visits the Kazuri Beads factory, where a free guided tour of 30 to 45 minutes explains how the ceramic beads are made. Lunch at the Utamaduni veranda restaurant is included.

The price covers hotel or residence pick-up and drop-off in Nairobi, all entry fees, service charges and taxes, lunch and a professional English-speaking guide. Drinks, tips, extra meals, optional activities and personal expenses are not included, and a supplement applies if you want the tour to start at the airport. Rates are given on request and include children's prices for ages 6 to 12. Tours can be booked for a single person.

The company also offers other Nairobi day trips, including a standalone Giraffe Centre visit, a tour of the national museums and outings such as a Ngong Hills hike and a Kenya National Archives visit. Booking through a local operator is a good option for travellers who do not want to deal with taxis between sites, or who would prefer to have entry fees and timings handled for them, especially as several attractions now take only cashless payments.

It suits first-time visitors, families, solo travellers and anyone with limited time in Nairobi. When booking, confirm the pick-up time, whether the tour is private or shared, and whether the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust nursery can be added, as it requires its own advance booking. Contact the team by phone or WhatsApp on the numbers listed on the website.