Glassblowing, a Glass Bridge, and an Art Studio Unlike Anything Near Nairobi
Most visitors come to Kenya for the Masai Mara. The ones who do a little more research end up here.
Kitengela Glass sits just south of Nairobi National Park — a working glass-art compound started in 1992 by Anselm Croze. The studio processes over 500 kilograms of recycled waste glass every day, turning discarded bottles and broken window panes into blown glass, sculptures, chandeliers, and mosaic installations by hand.
What this collection offers is access to the studio as an experience, not just a shop. Walk a swaying suspended glass bridge across the gorge. Watch artisans shape molten glass pulled from a 1200°C furnace. Swim in a mosaic pool surrounded by glass dragon sculptures. Wander through Nani's Wonderland - or stay the night and have the studio to yourself after the day crowds leave.
Every experience below is bookable. If you have questions about group visits or combining experiences, WhatsApp or email us directly.
What Happens When You Visit
The studio grounds are a compound — not a single building. Glass sculptures sit in the gardens. Mosaics cover entire walls. The glassblowing furnaces run through the day. The bridge anchors us to the park. A visit here takes two to four hours depending on what you book, and the pieces fit together naturally.
The Suspended Glass Bridge
The suspended glass bridge crossing is what most people come for first. It's a swaying walkway built across the adjacent gorge — glass-paneled in sections, engineered to move slightly under your feet. Visitors call it the 'scary bridge' and mean it as a compliment. The crossing takes a few minutes; the view of the compound below is worth every one of them.
The bridge is open daily. It is suitable for adults and older children. Not recommended for guests with vertigo.
Live Glassblowing Demonstrations
The glassblowing demonstrations run throughout the day, performed by the studio's working artisans. These are not set-piece performances — the artists are making actual pieces that end up in the shop. You watch molten glass gathered from the furnace, shaped on a blowpipe, and formed into finished objects in real time. The heat is real. The process is genuinely absorbing.
Group visits and tour operators can request scheduled demonstration times. Contact us via WhatsApp to arrange.
Swim With Dragons
The Swim With Dragons experience is the studio's mosaic pool — tiled entirely by hand with glass dragons, glass sculptures, and coloured tilework. It's an afternoon experience that extends a half-day visit into a day. The pool sits within the compound so you're surrounded by the studio grounds, gardens, and sculptures while you swim.
Popular with families, couples, and solo travelers who want a full day on the property.
Nani's Wonderland
Nani's Wonderland is a guided walk through the sculpture installationsand the Croze family home. Named for stained glass studio founder Nani Croze, it takes about 30 minutes.
Stay With Us
For visitors who want more than a day, accommodation on the studio property puts you inside the compound overnight. After the day visitors leave, the grounds are quiet. You have the gardens, the sculptures, and the glass art entirely to yourself. Available for multi-night stays.
Glasstronomique Café
The Glasstronomique Café is the studio's outdoor café — food and drinks served in handmade Kitengela glassware. Open to all visitors. A practical place to sit after the bridge or a glassblowing session, and a reasonable way to extend the visit without doing another booked experience.
About Kitengela Glass
Kitengela Hot Glass was founded in 1992 by Anselm Croze, a Kenyan artist who built the studio on a simple premise: waste glass is a material, not a problem. Over four decades, the studio has grown into one of East Africa's most recognized artistic institutions, producing blown glass, architectural lighting, mosaics, and sculptural installations for clients in Kenya, Europe, and the United States.
The studio processes over 500 kilograms of recycled glass daily. Every piece — whether a drinking glass or a building-scale chandelier — starts as scrap: broken bottles, discarded window panes, industrial offcuts. Nothing virgin.
The Kitengela compound sits adjacent to Nairobi National Park's southern boundary. The location is deliberate: the park's wildlife is visible from the property, and the studio's presence in a semi-rural area is part of its character. Visitors regularly combine a morning game drive in the park with an afternoon at the glass studio.
The studio's glassware, sculptures, and homewares are available to browse in the Kitengela Glass online shop — including tumblers, vases, lighting, and custom commissions that ship internationally.
