How to get to Kenya: airports, flights and border crossings

Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO) is where almost every long-haul flight lands. It sits about 20 km southeast of the centre; a taxi or ride-hailing car into Westlands or the CBD takes 30–60 minutes depending on traffic. Wilson Airport, the small field south of the centre, handles the light aircraft that fly to the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu and Lamu — so a typical safari routing is a long-haul flight into NBO, a night in Nairobi, then a morning transfer to Wilson.

Mombasa Moi International (MBA) is the second international gateway and the right answer if your trip is beach-only. It has direct links to Nairobi and a handful of regional and seasonal European routes. Diani Beach is about an hour south by road or a short hop to Ukunda airstrip. Kisumu (Lake Victoria), Eldoret and Malindi take domestic and limited regional traffic; Lamu's airstrip is reached by scheduled light aircraft from Nairobi or Mombasa.

There are no nonstop flights from North America to Nairobi. From the US you connect through Europe, the Gulf or Addis Ababa; total travel time is typically 18–24 hours including the layover. From the UK, nonstop services run from London to Nairobi in roughly 8.5–9 hours, with one-stop options through the Gulf or Europe taking 11–14 hours. From Canada, expect one or two connections and 20–26 hours door to door.

From Australia and New Zealand there is no nonstop option. Routings go through the Gulf (Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi), Addis Ababa or Johannesburg, and total travel time is commonly 20–30 hours. Fares swing widely by season: July–October and the December holidays are peak, while May and early June are the cheapest months to fly and also the long rains on the coast.

Kenya has working land borders with Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia. The busiest and easiest for travellers are Namanga and Holili on the Tanzania side (Arusha, Moshi, Kilimanjaro) and Busia and Malaba on the Uganda side (Kampala, Jinja). Cross-border buses and shuttles run daily on these routes; expect a stop at immigration on each side and a few hours of formalities. Moyale, on the Ethiopian border, is remote and the road south is long and rough — treat it as an expedition, not a transfer.

By sea, there is no practical passenger ferry for travellers into Kenya. Cruise ships call at Mombasa, and a few regional services touch the coast, but you cannot plan a trip around arriving by boat. If you are coming from Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam, the realistic option is a flight to Mombasa or Nairobi rather than a ferry.

Most visitors, including US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand passport holders, need a Kenyan electronic travel authorisation (eTA) before boarding. Apply online at least a week before you fly; the system asks for your passport details, arrival date, accommodation and a photo. Do not book a non-refundable safari on the assumption that the eTA will clear in a day.

Check your passport validity and blank pages before you apply, and carry a printed or offline copy of the approval. If you are combining Kenya with Tanzania or Uganda, check the entry rules for each country separately — a single East African tourist visa is not available to every nationality, so confirm what applies to your passport. Yellow fever vaccination may be required if you are arriving from a country with transmission risk.

Book the long-haul flight and the first night in Nairobi first, then the safari. Lodge space in the Masai Mara in July–October sells out months ahead, and the light-aircraft seats between Wilson and the airstrips are limited, so the internal flight often constrains the dates more than the international one. If you are heading to the coast, decide between flying Nairobi–Mombasa and taking the train; the standard-gauge railway runs daily between Nairobi and Mombasa and is a comfortable alternative to a domestic flight.

Leave a buffer night in Nairobi before an international departure. Domestic flights and road transfers can run late, and NBO is a different airport from Wilson, so an afternoon safari flight into Wilson does not connect to an evening long-haul from NBO without a few hours to spare.