Travel to Kenya

Flying to Kenya

There are frequent direct and indirect flights to Kenya by numerous major airlines. The national airline is Kenya Airways (www.kenya-airways.com). Other airlines offering flights to Kenya include British Airways (www.ba.com) and Emirates (www.emirates.com). There are no significant seasonal factors affecting flight prices.

Notes

Kenya has two international airports. The main point of arrival is Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), which receives the majority of scheduled international flights. Mombasa’s Moi International Airport (MBA) also receives some international scheduled flights, and is the main point of arrival for charter flights from Europe. Both airports are managed by the Kenya Airports Authority (www.kaa.go.ke).

Major airports are: Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Mombasa Moi International Airport.

Airport Guides

Flight times

To Nairobi: from London - 8 hours 35 minutes; New York - 14 hours 30 minutes.

Departure tax

Included in the air fare.

Travelling to Kenya by Rail

Driving to Kenya

The main international road crossings into Kenya are from Tanzania and Uganda. The main crossing points from Tanzania are at Lunga Lunga, south of Mombasa, and Namanga, on the road to Arusha. There are smaller posts at Isebania and Taveta. From Uganda there are crossing points at Busia and Malaba.

Heading to or from Tanzania, several companies run comfortable shuttle bus services between Nairobi, Arusha and Moshi. These are aimed at tourists who fly into Nairobi and are visiting the game parks in Tanzania’s northern circuit region from Arusha, or are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro from Moshi. The buses take about six to eight hours in both directions. Reliable operators providing a daily service include Riverside Shuttles (www.riverside-shuttle.com) and Regional Luxury Shuttle (www.regionalluxuryshuttle.com).

Kenya has a vast network of local long and short-haul bus routes, and the coverage is reasonably good around Nairobi, the coast and the western region. The further from the capital you travel, the less prevalent the services, particularly in the north. For Tanzania, the pick of the crop is Dar Express (www.dar-express.co.tz) which connects Nairobi to Arusha, Moshi and Dar es Salaam. The most reliable operators between Nairobi and the Ugandan capital Kampala are Easy Coach (www.easycoach.co.ke) and Queen's Coach.

When choosing to travel by public bus, it is important to take into consideration that some routes, particular Malindi to Lamu and Isiolo to Marsabit, have been prone to attacks by shiftas (bandits) in the past. Drugged food and drink is another potential risk, so it is best to politely refuse any snacks or drinks from strangers.

Getting to Kenya by boat

The principle seaport is Mombasa which comprises of Kilindini Harbour (the main port), Port Reitz, Port Tudo and the Old Port. Kilindini Harbour is also a popular cruise ship stop.