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Design Week Africa 2026 takes place at KICC in Nairobi from 23 to 26 September. If you are flying in for it, the questions come quickly. How many nights do you really need? How long does it take to cross the city each morning? And can you fit in anything beyond the exhibition halls without missing the parts of the programme you came for? This guide walks through a practical way to plan the week, with a base in Karen and time set aside for the south-west side of Nairobi.
Check availability & book direct · Design Week Africa stays at Karen Plains Hotel
Start with the number of nights
Most booking mistakes happen before anyone opens a calendar. Decide what kind of visit you are making, then add nights around it. Choose your own dates in our booking engine, as nothing is pre-set to the event.
| Your visit | Nights to consider | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One or two exhibition days | 2 to 3 | Arrive the evening before so your first morning isn't spent recovering from a flight. |
| All four days | 4 to 5 | Covers 23 to 26 September plus an arrival night. |
| Exhibiting or speaking | 5 or more | Check the organiser's build-up and breakdown times and book those nights too. |
| Exhibition plus Karen | Add 1 to 2 | Time for a Giraffe Centre visit, a park drive or supplier meetings. |
Arrival: the first evening sets the tone
International flights land at JKIA; some regional connections use Wilson Airport. We can arrange a private transfer to Karen, priced per vehicle, one way: a JKIA sedan is US$55 for up to three people and a JKIA 4×4 Land Cruiser is US$95 for up to six. From Wilson, a sedan is US$45 and a 4×4 is US$85. Details are on our airport transfer page.
Check-in is from 12:00. If you land early, our 24/7 front desk can store your luggage while you find lunch. On the first night, keep it simple: dinner at the hotel, where Kenyan, Swahili and traditional African cooking is central to the menu, then an early night. Lunch and dinner can be added for US$40 per day for both meals.
Exhibition days at KICC
KICC sits in the CBD, across the city from Karen. That is the trade-off of a Karen base: a quieter place to sleep and work, in exchange for a cross-city drive. Plan for it rather than hoping traffic will be kind.
- Leave early on day one. Opening mornings are busy, and you will want time to collect any passes the organiser requires.
- Use the packed breakfast. Breakfast runs 7:00 to 10:30, and a packed breakfast is available on request for early starts.
- Check a live traffic app before you leave. Journey times vary with Nairobi traffic, so look again each morning rather than relying on yesterday's timing.
- Book transport once, not daily. We can arrange venue transport, quoted on request. Free on-site parking is available if you have your own car.
- Carry what you need for the whole day. Business cards, a notebook for sourcing leads, a charger and a light layer for the evening.
Evenings are where the week's value is captured. Every room has a work desk, and our Starlink Wi-Fi is fast enough to upload photos of material samples, send specification requests and share notes with the studio at home. A generator covers guest rooms and Wi-Fi during power cuts, so a late email doesn't get lost.
If you'd like us to line up transfers and transport before you land, ask your KPH concierge on WhatsApp and edit the prompts in the message with your own dates.
Making time for Karen
Karen is more than a place to sleep between exhibition days. A few hours here can be the part of the trip that stays with you.
Morning: Giraffe Centre
The Giraffe Centre is in the Karen area, and we offer a bookable Giraffe Centre tour. It suits a morning before a late exhibition session or the day after the event closes.
Half a day: Nairobi National Park
Wildlife on the edge of a capital city is a welcome change of pace after days on exhibition stands. Our Nairobi National Park half-day tour is priced and quoted when you book. Sightings are never guaranteed.
Evenings: eating well in Karen
Cave à Manger, The Wine Box's wine-paired restaurant, is in Karen Plains Arcade, opposite the Waterfront Karen mall, which is a few steps from the hotel. Cultiva, a farm-to-table restaurant, is elsewhere in Karen and worth a drive. Book your own table ahead; we are happy to suggest options.
If you have a spare day
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Karen Blixen Museum are both in or near Karen. For a longer safari after the event, our partner Travel Corporation Limited at The Hub Karen quotes and operates itineraries. Park fees are extra. See our safari stays page for more.
A sample week, from landing to flying home
Sample plan, not the official programme. Check designweek.africa for programme times.
- 22 September: fly in, transfer to Karen, dinner at the hotel.
- 23 September: early start for the opening day at KICC. Evening at your desk sorting contacts.
- 24 September: a full day at the exhibition. Dinner at Cave à Manger across the arcade.
- 25 September: Giraffe Centre in the morning, KICC in the afternoon.
- 26 September: final exhibition day. Send laundry out in the morning (US$20 per bag, wash, dry and fold) so you pack clean clothes.
- 27 September: check out by 10:00 and leave your luggage with us, then join a Nairobi National Park half-day tour before your airport transfer.
Plan your stay with us
Come for the event. Let us help with the rest. Book your room directly, choosing the dates that suit your programme, and tell us about flights, transport and any time you'd like in Karen. We will help put it together.
Check availability & book direct
Ask your KPH concierge on WhatsApp · See our Design Week Africa accommodation page
Live rates and availability are shown in our booking engine. Extras such as transfers, meals, tours and spa visits are quoted and confirmed separately.
Event details checked on designweek.africa in September 2026. Karen Plains Hotel is independent and not affiliated with Design Week Africa. Event tickets are arranged separately with the organiser.
