Karen Blixen Museum & Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour
Karen Blixen Museum Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour is a historical journey into the lives of the author of “Out of Africa” and her lover. This circuit typically takes you from the suburban elegance of Karen to the rugged peaks of the Ngong Hills.
The Karen Blixen Museum and Denys Finch Hatton’s Memorial Grave day tour exploring the legacy of the 1985 film and book Out of Africa. While the museum is a formal public site, the grave is located on private land approximately 20 kilometers away in the Ngong Hills.
The tour includes a visit to the Karen Blixen House Museum in Karen and to the Finch Hattons Memorial Graveyard on the outskirts of Nairobi, at the foot of the Ngong Hills.
Our day tour begins with a visit to Karen Blixen’s house, which has been wonderfully preserved, featuring beautiful antiques, a wide veranda, an old outdoor kitchen with original utensils, and a rolling lawn with a view of the Ngong Hills.
Karen Blixen Museum’s history dates back to 1914, during the First World War, with the arrival of Karen Blixen from Denmark. At the foot of the Ngong Hills, Karen Blixen established herself as a farmer. After her departure in 1931, the suburbs retained the commemorative home of Karen
Once you have finished your visit to the museum, you will be driven up to the Ngong Hills to Denis Finch Hatton’s grave – a memorial to Karen Blixen’s lover. It is located inside a Kikuyu garden. Later, we return to the city and drop you off at your residence.
Karen Blixen Museum, Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour Highlights
✓ Karen Blixen Museum: Located on Karen Road, this 1912 farmhouse preserves original furnishings, photographs, and farm equipment from Blixen’s time as a coffee farmer (1917–1931). Guided house tours typically last 1–2 hours.
✓ Ngong Hills Views: The gravesite offers panoramic views of the Great Rift Valley and the Karen suburb, a vista famously loved by Blixen
Karen Blixen Museum, Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour Itinerary
0800 Hours – 0930 Hours: Pickup from your Nairobi hotel or airport
Morning: Guided tour of the Karen Blixen Museum, exploring the preserved 1912 farmhouse, original furnishings, and coffee-processing equipment.
Mid-day: Drive roughly 45–60 minutes to the Ngong Hills via Kiserian
Afternoon: Visit Denys Finch Hatton’s grave, marked by a large obelisk overlooking the Great Rift Valley
1600 Hours: Return to Nairobi
0800 Hours: Depart from your hotel and drive south to the leafy suburb of Karen (Named after Karen Blixen). To put the day and Karen’s life in context, we visit her house and farm (now a museum), where she wrote her book Out of Africa.
From here, we continue south around 20 kilometers to the Ngong Hills. The views of these hills were loved by Karen, and she now knows the burial grounds for Karen’s lover, Denys Finch Hatton. After a walk across the hills and an optional picnic lunch (at an extra cost), return to your hotel/ residence in Nairobi.
1600 Hours: We are back at the hotel/ residence.
Karen Blixen Museum Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour Itinerary
0800 Hours: Depart from your hotel and drive south to the leafy suburb of Karen (Named after Karen Blixen). To put the day and Karen’s life in context, we visit her house and farm (now a museum), where she wrote her book Out of Africa.
From here, we continue south around 20 kilometers to the Ngong Hills. The views of these hills were loved by Karen, and she now knows the burial grounds for Karen’s lover, Denys Finch Hatton. After a walk across the hills and an optional picnic lunch (at an extra cost), return to your hotel/ residence in Nairobi.
1600 Hours: We are back at the hotel/ residence.
Brief History of Karen Blixen Life in Africa
A very famous Dane, Karen, was born in Denmark in 1885. She achieved international fame for writing her life story, which was published and later adapted into the film Out of Africa.
She came to Africa after an arranged marriage to her cousin Baron Von Blixen. She bought Bogani House, which included 6000 acres, and started a coffee farm – although she wasn’t very successful for several reasons, like bad soil, locust plague, drought, and finally a factory fire.
So she ended up bankrupt and had to auction all her belongings, including the house, to pay her debt. After the sale of the house in 1931, she left Africa bound for Denmark, where she died in 1962.
The museum was purchased in 1959 by the Danish government and presented to Kenya on Independence Day in 1963. Karen was a great painter and writer, and loved hunting. At her home, now a museum, you can see old photographs, some of the original furniture, paintings, and books she wrote.
From Karen Blixen’s house, there were great views of the Ngong hills. From this small range of four peaks, there are breathtaking views of Nairobi city and across the vast plains of the Great Rift Valley.
The word “Ngong” means knuckles, and from a distance, the ridges of the hills do resemble knuckles of a hand. Legend has it that a giant God stumbled while digging the rift valley, and the imprint of his fist left the ridge’s four peaks.
The hills extend about 15 km from north to South and average about 2350 meters. There is a mixture of woodland, farmland, thick grasses, and wildflowers. You are unlikely to come across large game while trekking, although you may see antelopes, zebra, giraffe, bushbuck, and buffalo.
There is a large variety of bird species resident on the hill. And depending on your route and interest, you will make a stop and pay your respects at Denys Finch Hatton’s final resting place.
Karen Blixen Museum Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour Prices
Karen Blixen Museum Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour Rates Include:
✓ All entry fees
✓ Professional, experienced local guide
✓ Optional hiking tour of the Ngong Hills
✓ Round-trip pick-up and drop-off transport from Nairobi
| Dates From | Dates To | Price Per Person | Children Aged 8 to 12 Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st January 2026 | 31st December 2026 | Request for rates | Request for rates |
Notes
* This tour departs daily, and private departures are also available
* Remember to bring: Sunhat, sunscreen, drinking water, Camera, binoculars, money for souvenirs and gifts
Karen Blixen Museum, Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour Rates Do Not Include:
* Drinks
* International Airfare
* Accommodations in Nairobi
* Cost of obtaining a passport and visas
* Gratuity for your professional driver-guide
* Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)
* Personal expenses such as traveling insurance, excess baggage fee, communication charges that include laundry, emails, faxes, and phone calls, beverages including luxury champagne, luxury spirits, beer, and wines during meals or meals not indicated in the itinerary
Booking & Reservations, Karen Blixen Museum Finch Hattons Memorial Grave Day Tour, Contact
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