Visas & entry
Kenya requires most foreign visitors, including US, UK, EU, Canadian and Australian passport holders, to obtain an electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) before travel; passport exemptions apply for some nationalities, notably within the East African Community. Apply through Kenya’s official eTA system well before flying and verify the current rules, fees and transit requirements for your passport.
Getting in
- Nairobi — Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: The principal international gateway and the sensible start for almost every first trip. It is the hub for Nairobi, the SGR train to Mombasa, domestic connections and most onward safari logistics.
- Nairobi — Wilson Airport: Not an intercontinental arrival airport, but the working hub for safari aviation. Use it for flights to the Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, Laikipia and other bush airstrips; allow generous time to transfer from JKIA because Nairobi traffic is unforgiving.
- Mombasa — Moi International Airport: The practical international/coastal gateway for Mombasa, Nyali, Watamu and parts of the coast. It also works well for an open-jaw safari-and-beach itinerary, though Diani requires an onward road or ferry transfer.
- Diani — Ukunda Airport: The efficient arrival point for Diani and Kenya’s south coast, with scheduled flights from Nairobi and some safari connections. It avoids the Mombasa-to-Diani transfer when flight schedules and fares cooperate.
Getting around
For a first safari, fly between distant regions when time matters: Nairobi–Mara is about 45 minutes by air but at least six hours by road, and Samburu is another long haul. A private driver-guide makes sense for the Rift Valley, Amboseli and Tsavo circuits; self-driving is viable there only if you are comfortable with traffic, variable roads and park navigation. The Nairobi–Mombasa SGR is a good overland experience, not a resort-to-resort shortcut: its termini are outside the city and beach zones and require transfers. Domestic flights are often the least wasteful choice, but baggage limits on light aircraft are tight and soft bags are preferred.
Money
The currency is the Kenyan shilling (KSh/KES). Cards work reliably at established Nairobi hotels, malls, lodges and many coastal businesses, but carry cash for small towns, tips, markets, independent eateries and unreliable-card moments; mobile money is ubiquitous locally but not always easy for short-term visitors. Tips are customary in safari tourism—budget separately for guides, camp staff and drivers, as they are often excluded from package prices.
Daily budget · KES (Kenyan shilling; KSh). Per person per day, based on two sharing, excluding international flights.
- Value
- KSh 18,000–30,000
- Mid-range
- KSh 40,000–65,000
- High-end
- KSh 90,000–200,000+
- These are realistic all-trip averages mixing city/coast days with safari days. Kenya is affordable in Nairobi and on the coast; safari days set the final bill.
- For a value trip, expect roughly KSh 8,000–16,000 on Nairobi/coast days but KSh 20,000–35,000 on safari days. Shared camping or minivan safaris are the usual way to hold this level.
- Comfortable Nairobi/coast days run about KSh 18,000–35,000; comfortable safari days KSh 45,000–80,000. A good mid-range safari package can be better value than booking a cheap room and adding park fees, drives, meals and transfers separately.
- High-end Nairobi/coast days run roughly KSh 45,000–100,000+; high-end safari days KSh 100,000–250,000+. Conservancy camps, private guides and peak-season Mara stays drive the upper end fast.
- Park and conservancy fees, accommodation, and whether the vehicle is private or shared are the main cost variables. Check whether quoted safari prices include fees, game drives, meals, transfers and domestic flights.
- July–October in the Mara and Christmas/New Year on the coast bring major rate rises. Domestic flights cost more upfront but can save enough transfer time to be worthwhile; ballooning, drinks, tips, cultural visits and single supplements are often extra.
Eating well
- Order nyama choma for the table rather than as an individual plated meal; confirm the cut, weight and expected wait before committing.
- On the coast, eat seafood where it is busy and ask what was landed that day. Resort menus are convenient, but Mombasa and local coastal restaurants are better for Swahili cooking.
- Safari camps can accommodate dietary requirements, but tell them when booking; remote properties cannot reliably improvise for severe allergies or highly specialized diets.
- Use bottled or properly treated water outside reliable hotels and restaurants, and favor busy stalls with food cooked hot in front of you.
- In Nairobi, choose restaurants by neighborhood: Westlands for range and nightlife; Karen/Lang’ata for a meal around conservation visits. Traffic makes cross-city dinner plans a bad idea.
- Tips are appreciated but not automatic everywhere; check whether a service charge is already on the bill before adding more.
Book before you land
Maasai Mara hot-air-balloon safaris, especially July–October · Mount Kenya guided summit treks and peak-season hut arrangements · Nairobi–Mombasa SGR train during Christmas/New Year, Easter and major domestic-holiday weekends
- Treat safari pricing as separate from normal Kenya costs: park or conservancy fees, game drives, drinks, tips, transfers and cultural visits may be excluded from an apparently all-inclusive rate.
- Do not attempt a one-night safari. Two nights is the bare minimum; three nights in one wildlife region produces a much better trip than racing between parks.
- Book Mara camps, conservancy stays and bush flights far ahead for July–October. Migration river crossings cannot be scheduled, so do not pay for an itinerary that promises one.
- Use reputable ride-hailing or arranged drivers in Nairobi, especially after dark. Traffic can turn short map distances into long journeys; stay near the sights and restaurants you actually plan to use.
- For the coast, check tides and seaweed conditions before choosing a hotel if swimming matters. Diani is easiest for a first beach extension; Watamu/Kilifi are more spread out and need a transfer plan.
- Check your government’s current regional security advice before committing to Lamu or parts of the far north and northern coast; a festival or attractive fare is not a safety assessment.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
January–February
The short dry season is generally warm and reliable, with clear enough conditions for wildlife viewing; highland nights can still be cool, while the coast is hot and humid.
First safari tripsAmboseli and Kilimanjaro viewsSamburu and LaikipiaSafari-and-beach combinations
January can retain holiday pricing, and the Mara has excellent resident wildlife but not the main wildebeest migration spectacle.
March–May
Long rains bring lush scenery, strong birding and fewer visitors, but downpours can make rural roads slow or impassable and leave the coast humid.
Value-focused safarisBirdingGreen-season photographyFlexible lodge-based trips
This is the weakest season for a tightly scheduled self-drive or multi-stop road trip; some seasonal camps reduce operations or close.
June–October
The long dry season thins vegetation and concentrates wildlife near water; July–October usually brings the Mara migration, while Nairobi and highland dawns can be chilly.
Classic first safarisMaasai Mara migration tripsBig-game viewingWildlife photography
This is Kenya's most expensive and crowded safari period, especially in the main Mara reserve; good camps, conservancies and domestic flights need early booking.
November–December
Short rains are usually intermittent rather than all-day, turning landscapes green and improving birdlife; early December can be particularly pleasant.
Lower-crowd safarisBirdingGreen landscapesEarly-December safari-and-coast trips
Christmas and New Year erase the value advantage: domestic holiday travel fills coastal hotels, parks, flights and the Nairobi–Mombasa train.
Events worth planning around
Maasai Mara migration season · Broadly July–October; exact movement and river crossings vary year to year. · Maasai Mara and surrounding conservancies
This is the country’s principal safari availability crunch. Reserve quality Mara camps, conservancy stays and domestic flights far ahead; do not book around a promised river crossing.
Christmas, New Year and Easter domestic travel peaks · Christmas/New Year annually; Easter dates vary. · Coast, major parks, domestic flight routes and the Nairobi–Mombasa rail corridor
Kenyan domestic travel pushes up rates and fills coastal resorts, trains and flights. Book well ahead if travelling in these holiday windows.
Lamu Cultural Festival · Usually November. · Lamu Town, Lamu Archipelago
Accommodation and transport can tighten around the dhow races, food and cultural events. Check current government travel advice before planning Lamu, as some advisories warn against travel to Lamu County.
What to eat
Eat Kenya by region, not by a generic “African food” checklist: Nairobi is the place for the country’s broadest restaurant scene and contemporary cooking, while the coast is where Swahili, Arab and Indian influences become most vivid. On safari, lodge food can be polished but interchangeable; seek a nyama choma stop or local market meal when routing allows.
Nyama choma: charcoal-grilled goat, beef or chicken, typically shared with ugali, kachumbari and greens.Ugali: firm maize porridge, the everyday starch served alongside stews, grilled meat, fish and vegetables.Sukuma wiki: braised collard-like greens, usually a side rather than the main event.Githeri: a filling central-highlands mix of beans and maize, sometimes enriched with potatoes or vegetables.Pilau and biryani: fragrant spiced rice dishes central to Swahili coastal cooking.Coconut seafood: fish, prawns or octopus prepared with coconut, lime and coastal spices.Samaki: grilled or fried freshwater fish, especially tilapia and Nile perch around Lake Victoria.Mandazi and chai: fried, lightly sweet bread with milky spiced tea; a standard breakfast or snack.Mutura: spiced Kenyan sausage, best treated as a street-food snack from a busy, visibly clean grill.
Nairobi: Nyama choma restaurants and meat-focused shared meals. · Contemporary Kenyan cooking, excellent coffee and a genuinely varied dining scene. · Street snacks and informal grills, best chosen where turnover is high.
Central highlands and Laikipia: Githeri and other bean-and-maize cooking. · Kenyan coffee and tea-country produce. · Farm-to-table lodge cooking and grilled meat.
Mombasa, Diani and the Swahili coast: Pilau, biryani and coconut-rich curries. · Fresh seafood, especially grilled fish, prawns and octopus. · Mandazi, chai and Swahili snacks shaped by Arab and Indian trading history.
Lamu Archipelago: Seafood and coconut cooking. · Swahili dishes in a slower, more traditional coastal setting.
Western Kenya: Kisumu and Lake Victoria: Fresh lake fish, notably tilapia and Nile perch. · Luo lake-country food traditions and fish-market meals.
Researched Oct 19, 2026