They include restaurants, cafés, visitor attractions, parks, and museums.Google Maps turns 20, marking two decades of helping people navigate the world and discover new places.
Over the past two decades, Google Maps has evolved from a simple navigation tool into one of the most trusted and used apps worldwide, offering everything from real-time traffic updates to immersive 3D views of landmarks.
Google Maps is more than just a map: It’s a vibrant community that shares its knowledge about the world. And with over 100 million updates made to the map made each day, we’re committed to showing you the freshest and most comprehensive information possible, so you can get around with confidence.
Below is a compiled list of the milestone achieved in the evolution of Google Maps:
● 2005: On Feb 8, 2005, Google Maps launched on desktop to help people “get
from point A to point B.” Fun fact: one of the earliest product decisions was
about where to add the “Print” button to the UI.
● 2005: As part of a 20% project, a handful of engineers launched Google Transit Trip Planner in Portland, Oregon – a project that would later become real time transit information on Google Maps. Today, Google Maps has partnerships with over 10,000 transit agencies around the world.
● 2007: Google Maps launched real-time trace information in more than 30 US cities – helping people instantly understand how congested their route was thanks to green, red, and yellow roads on the map. When you look up trac on Google Maps, you’re actually seeing millions of algorithmically-powered predictions happening in real time!
● 2007: Larry Page had an idea to drive down a street and collect imagery –and Street View was born. Since then, it’s become an essential part of how they map the world. Google Maps collected billions of images and strapped cameras to everything from snowmobiles to camels. And, they have Street View imagery that covers more than 20 million kilometers – the equivalent of circling the globe about 500 times.
● 2007: Google Maps for mobile took off when it launched Blackberry, Palm,
and Windows devices. Two years later in 2009, they launched turn-by-turn
navigation – enabling people confidently navigate to unfamiliar places with just the phone in their pocket.
● 2009: This year marked a huge turning point for Google Maps – we started
making our own maps from scratch! To do this, we used data from local
governments, Street View and satellite imagery, and launched the “Report a
problem” – giving people the ability to suggest edits to the map for the
very first time.
● 2012: Street View launched a new way to explore the world with the Trekker, a backpack designed to capture 360° imagery. This technology allowed us to go beyond the roads and venture into places like the Grand Canyon, which was the Trekker’s very rst expedition. Since then, it’s traveled to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to the heights of the Eiel Tower, giving everyone a chance to experience these amazing places virtually.
● 2014: Google maps made it even easier to get more helpful information about places – including business open hours, ratings, and price ranges for restaurants, bars and hotels. Today, this information is available for over 250 million places around the world.
● 2015: A global community emerged – the Local Guides! These dedicated
volunteers are the heart and soul of Google Maps, contributing everything from helpful reviews and photos to crucial accessibility information – ensuring that Google Maps is fresh and up-to-date.
● 2019: Google maps unveiled Live View (later renamed Lens in Maps walking navigation), a game-changing feature that uses AI and augmented reality to guide you when walking around. No more confusion when you get out of the subway – just follow the arrows, Today lens in Maps walking navigation is available in over 100 countries.
● 2023: With the launch of Immersive View, Google Maps introduced the future of Google Maps by transforming the way people explore landmarks, parks, stadiums and routes thanks to advances in computer vision, AI and billions of images. Not only can you see stunning imagery, but you can overlay Maps’ helpful information about the weather and trace on top so you know exactly what to expect before you head out.
● 2024: Nearly 20 years into the mapping journey, Google Maps entered its
Gemini Era. With Gemini’s powerful creation, reasoning and summarization
capabilities — grounded in the trusted data about 250 million places around the world and insights from the Maps community – all you need to do is ask Maps to get inspiration for things to do in a snap
To celebrate this milestone, below is a curated list of the most reviewed places on Google Maps in Kenya, including restaurants, cafés, visitor attractions, parks, and museums. This list is perfect for inspiring travel features, weekend getaway guides, or highlighting local businesses.
See the list of top most reviewed places in Kenya below:
Most reviewed restaurants
- The carnivore restaurant
- CJ’s
- Delamere Farm Shop
- Green Spot Gardens
- For You Chinese Restaurant
- Pepino’s Pizza kimathi
- Kilimanjaro Jamia, Kimathi Street
- The Alchemist
- Java House – Greenspan Mall
- CJ’S – Kilimani
Most reviewed cafés
- Bao Box
- Cafesserie
- Embu Town
- The River Café
- Newscafe – Adlife (Kilimani)
- Pallet Café
- Cafe Bistro
- Matbronze Café
- Café Mocha
- Mubins Cafe
Most reviewed visitor attractions
- Nairobi Animal Orphanage
- Bomas Of Kenya
- Pembe Za Ndovu – Mombasa
- Thompson Falls Nyahururu
- Uhuru Gardens
- Watamu Marine National Park & Reserve
- Malindi marine boat excursions
- Eldoret Nature & Culture Centre
- Equator Marker, Nanyuki
- Vasco da Gama Pillar
Most reviewed parks
- Uhuru Park
- Nairobi National Park
- Tsavo East National Park
- Mount Kenya National Park
- Haller Park
- Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary
- Lake Nakuru National Park
- Aberdare National Park
- August 7th Memorial Park
- Amboseli National Park
Most reviewed museums
- National Museum of Kenya
- Fort Jesus Museum
- Karen Blixen Museum
- Museum Hill
- Kisumu Museum
- Kenya Railway Museum
- National Archives Moi Avenue
- Gede Ruins
- Hyrax Hill Museum1
- Nairobi Gallery
Google Maps isn’t just a map: It’s a vibrant community that shares its knowlegde about the world. And its fresh and comprehensive information means that you can confidently get around, no matter where you’re headed.
