Getting around Kenya

In Nairobi and other towns

In Nairobi, traffic sets the pace. A private driver is the calmest option at first, and ride-hailing apps are widely used too. When your ride arrives, check that the number plate matches the app before you get in. Not every app takes every card brand, so add a second card or M-Pesa in the app before you land, and carry a little cash. Our guide to money in Kenya explains M-Pesa.

Don't walk around cities after dark: the US advises avoiding travel after dark anywhere in Kenya. Go door to door with a driver you know or a ride-hailing app, and keep your phone out of sight in the car, with the window up. Our safety guide has the rest.

By train: Nairobi to Mombasa

The Madaraka Express runs on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) between Nairobi Terminus, in Syokimau, off Mombasa Road near JKIA, and Mombasa Terminus at Miritini, on the mainland west of Mombasa island. The journey takes roughly five to six hours depending on the service, past Tsavo.

• There are two classes, First Class and Economy.
• Book on Kenya Railways' official online booking system, with the passport or ID number of each passenger.
• Seats sell out around public holidays and in December, so book early.
• Security screening at the station is thorough. Arrive well ahead of departure, with your ID or passport.

Our Mombasa guide covers the train in more detail, and the drive south to Diani Beach.

By air

Flying saves long days on the road, especially to the coast and the parks.

• To the coast: flights from Nairobi to Moi International Airport in Mombasa take about an hour and run several times a day. You can also fly to Ukunda airstrip, near Diani.
• To the Maasai Mara: light aircraft fly to airstrips across the Mara, usually from Wilson Airport in Nairobi, with some flights from JKIA. The flight takes around an hour, and your camp collects you from the airstrip.
• To Nanyuki: light aircraft also fly from Wilson Airport, which makes it easy to link Laikipia with the Mara or the coast.

Light aircraft have strict luggage limits, typically soft-sided bags only, so check before you pack.

By road

Kenya drives on the left. Some typical drive times from Nairobi:

The roads deserve respect. The US calls road accidents one of the main causes of injury and death for Americans in Kenya. Many highways have two lanes, with risky overtaking. Avoid driving between towns at night. In the long rains, the Kenya Wildlife Service warns that most park roads may need a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

On safari, you go on game drives in your lodge or camp's vehicles, or in a vehicle made for it: of the sister company's fleet, only the Land Cruiser Safari may be used on game drives.

Pickups, drivers and cars: our sister company

We don't run cars ourselves. Every airport pickup, chauffeur and hire car comes from our sister company, Urban Escape Luxury Cars, and you can book with them directly. Their guides explain arriving at JKIA, self-drive or chauffeur, the documents you need to hire a car and driving with a foreign licence.

Ready to plan?

Tell us where you want to go and who is travelling, and we'll help you choose between the train, a flight and the road. Plan your trip with us, or start with our destination guides.