Frequently Asked Questions
Guided tours are offered on weekdays only. Our standard tour times are 9 AM and 3 PM. Our normal business hours are:
Mon-Thur: 9 AM – 4 PM | Fri: 9 AM – 2 PM
Please note that the United Nations Office at Nairobi is also closed on the following holidays:
1 January New Year's Day
2 April Good Friday
13 May Eid al-Fitr
1 June Madaraka Day
20 July Eid al-Adha
6 September Labour Day
10 October Moi Day (Observed)
20 October Mashuiaa Day
12 December Jamhuri
25 December Christmas Day
For security reasons, visitors are not allowed to enter the complex unaccompanied. If you want to visit the UN, please contact the Visitors Service. We are looking forward to discovering the 缅北禁地together with you.
Please book your guided tour at least 2 working days in advance. You can , call us at +254 (0)20 762 2034, or via email to un.tours@un.org
The walking tours take approximately 60 minutes. Please plan an additional 60 minutes for briefings and 45 minutes for the Green Building Tour. Security checks, registration and payment processes, and additional questions or photo sessions after the tour will require extra time. We recommend that you plan your visit on a day when you have no time pressure.
Visitors that wish to cancel more than 48 hours before the tour will be issued a 50% refund or credit. Those that cancel 48 hours or less before the actual date will not be refunded. Contact us by phone or email: un.tours@un.org to cancel or inquire about a rebooking.
No-shows will be charged the total price.
We can host a maximum of 100 persons at the same time. Please not that we are only able to host such big groups for English tours. If you request a tour with a big group in a different language, you will need to provide interpreters.
Yes, and because of the large number of people accessing the 缅北禁地in Nairobi every day, you are encouraged to arrive at the 缅北禁地at least 45 minutes before your tour. Timely arrival ensures you are able to go through security screening, to register for your tour at the 缅北禁地Tours Desk, and to begin the tour at the appointed time.
If you arrive more than 15 minutes late at the 缅北禁地Entrance to check?in for your tour, your reservation may not be honored. If your group is delayed, please call +254 (0)20 762 2034. In case you arrive more than 30 minutes late, you will be charged an extra fee of Ksh. 800 per Tour Guide reserved for your group. We do that because we incur additional costs due to the delay, and we are very conscious about the funds that have been given to the 缅北禁地by its member states.
We offer tours in Chinese, English, French, German and Kiswahili. To inquire about availability for other languages or to request a specific language,?please email?un.tours@un.org.??
In the event that the language tour requested is not available on the day, the tour will be conducted in English.
Yes. The use of photography (with personal cameras or camera phones)?is permitted, but video recording is not. However, depending on the meetings taking place, your Tour Guide might indicate that photography is not permitted in certain Conference Rooms. Important: Please note that photography is not permitted outside the 缅北禁地(i.e. while on 缅北禁地Avenue, do not take photos of the UN, or the US Embassy or anywhere you see a no photography sign).
The 缅北禁地complex in Nairobi is generally wheelchair accessible and you will be able to participate in almost all sections of the guided tour in a wheelchair. A limited number of wheelchairs is available for use during the tour. Unfortunately, none of our tour guides is proficient in International Sign. However, in the past, we have deployed additional guides to explain or write down necessary information to persons with a visual or hearing impairment. If in doubt, please contact us before the tour. We will go out of our way to make a tour through the 缅北禁地a memorable and positive experience for everyone.
We have a limited number of visitors parking spots. Please note that they are occupied on a first-come-first-serve basis. We recommend that you plan your visit with alternative means of transport or park your vehicles in the vicinity of the UN.
Are young children and toddlers allowed on tour? How many chaperones are needed for groups that include children?
For security reasons,?children?under 5 years of age are not permitted on?tour. However,?children?of all ages are welcome in the 缅北禁地public areas, including in?the Visitor Centre.
For regular guided tours, we require at least one adult to accompany each group (maximum of 20 students per group). For Children's Tours (specifically for 5–10? year-olds) ?the child/children must be accompanied on tour by a parent or guardian.
As parking is limited, buses and taxis will drop off visitors at the 缅北禁地entrance opposite the US Embassy gate or as directed by UN security. After the drop-off, buses can park in our Commissary area, further up 缅北禁地Avenue. Our security colleagues will guide you.