How to travel to Kenya

Kenya is a well-connected destination with direct flights available from major cities around the world.

Upon arrival, you can choose between classic road or fly-in safaris to get around.

Since the roads inside national parks can be challenging to navigate, opting for a 4×4 vehicle driven by expert guides is recommended.

Moreover, entry requirements such as visa are simple. You can find out more below.

GETTING TO KENYA
Domestic Flights
GUIDED TOURS
VISA

Two tourists and a safari guide looking at a map to see how to travel to Kenya; a safari vehicle in the background.

GETTING TO KENYA

Getting to Kenya is easy, thanks to direct flights from Europe and the US, as well as within Africa, and multiple connecting hubs, such as Amsterdam, Dubai, Ethiopia, and Qatar.

Moreover, plenty of airline providers fly to Kenya, including Lufthansa, KLM, and Kenya Airways.

Kenya has two international airports: Mombasa Moi International Airport (MBA), located in the coastal city of Mombasa, and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), in the capital city, Nairobi.

If you plan a safari in Kenya, flying into Nairobi is the best starting point for visiting the national parks.

If you would like to end your experience with a tropical beach holiday, you can choose to fly out of Mombasa Airport.

Getting around Kenya is easy once you arrive, thanks to the country’s established tourism industry.

To explore the country’s magnificent national parks, you can take a domestic or chartered flight or embark on a classic road safari with a safari guide.

You can read our overview of where to go to help you choose between exploring the northern or southern circuits.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS

Kenya is a vast country, 1.6 times larger than Germany, and travellers often underestimate the long distances between the parks and the time spent travelling in a vehicle.

Fortunately, there is a way to avoid hours of road travel. Thanks to years of improved infrastructure, the aviation industry is very well developed, and there are airstrips throughout Kenya’s parks.

As a result, choosing to travel on a fly-in safari by taking domestic flights is a common choice among visitors to Kenya.

Domestic flights save hours of road travel but are also scheduled to maximise your time in the parks.

Flights tend to depart in the mid-morning, allowing you to enjoy a morning game drive and then catch a flight to your next destination so that you arrive in time to partake in an afternoon activity.

While domestic flights do avoid road travel, getting around in Kenya on a classic road safari is a perfect option for those who prefer to enjoy the journey.

A small herd of cows is crossing a tarmac road in rural Kenya, while a truck is approaching in the distance.

GUIDED TOURS

“Safari” means “to travel”, so travelling around Kenya on a classic road safari offers an authentic experience.

While driving distances can be long, there are plenty of exciting places to visit en route, including Nakuru, Naivasha, Elementaita Rift Valley Lakes or the Aberdare and Mount Kenya mountains.

Navigating through the vast open savannahs and forests with minimal signage and elemental mapping can be disorienting. Furthermore, the roads inside the parks are basic, making off-road driving and mechanical experience necessary for those planning to drive in Kenya.

Therefore, we currently don’t recommend or offer self-driving safaris in Kenya.

The recommended way to travel in Kenya safely, comfortably and without worrying about logistics is in a specially adapted Toyota Land Cruiser driven by expert guides.

From the moment you embark on your safari until you say your farewells, the guides will handle everything for you. They are highly experienced, and they’ll likely be a highlight of your safari.

A female tourist is standing in a safari vehicle, binoculars around her neck, looking out of the open pop-up roof.

FLY-IN SAFARIS

Fly-in safaris are a common choice for getting around Kenya. Several domestic airlines connect the capital, Nairobi, with national parks and other protected areas. Most domestic bush flights start at Wilson Airport in the Langata-Karen area of Nairobi.

All popular, as well as some less visited, wildlife parks have landing strips for small aircraft. You can even fly from the plains of the Masai Mara straight to the tropical beaches of Diani Beach.

This means you can go on a circuit fly-in safari from one protected wildlife area to the next. Depending on the route, you may have a stopover either in Nairobi or picking up passengers in another national park. In any case, you will reach your next destination much quicker than by road.

A minimum number of passengers is usually required to confirm a flight. However, especially during the busier months, this number is easily reached.

You can also choose to combine a classic road safari with a flight to the beach or back to Nairobi. This way, you save the last long leg on the road.

VISA (ETA) – HOW TO GET A VISA FOR KENYA

Before travelling to Kenya, we recommend staying up-to-date with the latest travel information by referring to your local Kenya Embassy or Commission. Nonetheless, we have provided you with a rough guide of the documents you require below:

What visas are required?

Tourist visas are no longer required to enter Kenya. Instead, visitors must apply for an electronic travel authorisation (eTA) through the Kenya Electronic System for Travel Authorization. An eTA costs 30 USD and is valid for 90 days from the issue date.

To ensure that you receive your eTA on time, it’s recommended that you submit your application at least two weeks before your travel date.

In the past, the e-visa application process for Kenya used to be quite complex and time-consuming. The eTA is now not only cheaper but also much easier to obtain.

What travel documents to bring when travelling to Kenya?

We recommend that you bring the following travel documents with you:

A passport valid for at least six months after your intended departure date.
Proof of your itinerary showing where you will be staying.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate if you enter Kenya from a yellow fever-infected country like Tanzania or Uganda.
A return flight ticket.
A debit and/or credit card. Remember to inform your bank that you’ll be travelling to Kenya
A copy of your travel insurance with disclosed existing medical conditions, if any.
A copy of all essential documents. We recommend uploading scans of all documents to your email or another cloud account.