Nai Nami Street Tour, Nairobi | Ummi Goes Where?

Nairobi Downtown Tour with Nai Nami Street Kids

Are you one of those travelers who seek authentic local experiences that make for unforgettable stories to tell people back home? No one else has better street skills, insights, and personal stories to tell than former street kids.

NAI NAMI, which means “Nai (slang word for Nairobi) With Me” is a one-on-one, 3-hour walking tour in downtown Nairobi, founded in 2016 by Gianmarco Marinello and Sriram Damodaran who both gave up their careers and dedicated their lives to creating social change in Nairobi.

They trained youths from slums to become tour guides, thus allowing them to have a job, a stable income, and the opportunity to connect with people from all around the world. Since January 2019, Nai Nami Walking Tour is run and owned by the youths themselves.

How to Book a NAI NAMI Walking Tour

Booking can be made on Airbnb app/website. It is necessary to book the tour at least 24 hours in advance. During the peak season (June – September), you should try to book 4 weeks in advance.

Booking can also be made on their official website and a few other booking platforms.

What to Expect on the Nairobi Storytelling Tour

The tour starts in front of Hilton Hotel, which is in the City Hall-Way, just opposite Kencom Bus Stage.

On the day that I joined the tour, the team consisted of 6 guides. Besides me, there were only two other guests — an elderly American couple.

Each of us was assigned our own guide to allow us to have a personal interaction and an opportunity to ask all our questions. The other three guides walked along, sometimes separating from the group and later joining us again.

The guides all went by nicknames. Mine was called Typhoon.

The Tour

The tour is not designed to be a sightseeing tour, therefore it doesn’t have a specific route.

Instead, it is more of a storytelling experience, where the guides will show you their former home — the bustling streets of Downtown Nairobi, the railway station, the Kariakor market, the river side, and other places that you are unlikely to venture on your own.

Apparently, this is where Obama’s extended family used to live.

The downtown is a vibrant place where locals do business, shop at hidden markets, and eat at kibandas. Each of the streets has its own stories and secrets, which you will learn during the tour. If you’d like to buy something at the markets, your guide can also help you haggle for a local price.

At the end of the tour, we had a typical Kenyan meal at a local restaurant (please bring along some cash, and allocate some extra as you may be expected to pay for the guides as well).

After the meal, they walked me to the bus station, where I was to take an overnight bus to Kampala. And they even humored me when I wanted to try the street food, and khat (an addictive leaf that you chew to get high).

To be honest, learning about the city through their eyes was rather disturbing. I was appalled to learn about their living conditions and the violence they had to go through. But to them, this was their daily life. It was a sobering experience, to say the least.

Additional Info

Please bring your original passport or a copy of it (main page and the page showing the visa stamp). Everywhere in Kenya, you have to be prepared for random identity checks by the police. Therefore, you should have your documents with you at all times, not only on this tour.
Do not bring big cameras or DSLRs. According to Kenyan law, taking pictures in the streets of downtown is a punishable offense. Phones are fine, but please ask your guide first before taking photos. They will tell you when it is okay to take pictures, and when it is not.
The weather in Nairobi is unpredictable. Bring an umbrella/raincoat, and a light sweater.
Wear comfortable walking shoes. No sandals or high heels.

Final Thoughts

I was a little apprehensive when booking this tour because my social anxiety made me fear that it would be the kind of setting that would drain me very fast. With kids or young people (and sometimes people my age too), I always feel like I have to be ‘cool’ enough lest I bore them with my unfashionable, nerdy ways.

From the descriptions, I assumed that the guides were a very energetic, high-spirited bunch, and I was right. I never quite adjusted to their energy level as a group, but fortunately, when we separated from the larger group, it felt more chill. My guide was very accommodating and patient in answering all my questions.

I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Nairobi. Not only will you get an invaluable experience touring the city like a local, you will also get the opportunity to become a role model to the disadvantaged youths, and to give them the things they never had before: purpose, employment, and a brighter future free from crime.

What do you think of this tour? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.