Getting in and visas for Kenya

By plane

Kenya Airways (KQ) is the national airline. KQ has extensive regional (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Entebbe, etc.) and international connections (Dubai, London, Amsterdam, Mumbai, etc.). It is also a SkyTeam associate member. Kenya has three International airports:

• Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi. Approximately twenty minutes from the main business district.
• Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
• Eldoret International Airport (local flights and cargo only).

Jomo Kenyatta is the primary arrival point for visitors flying into Kenya. There are excellent flight connections provided by KQ to major tourist destinations such as Mombasa, Kisumu and Malindi. Major airlines that serve NBO are:

• Air India
• Air Malawi
• Air Mauritius
• Air Tanzania
• Air Zimbabwe
• Brussels Airlines
• British Airways
• Egypt Air
• Emirates
• Ethiopian Airlines
• Kenya Airways
• KLM Royal Dutch
• South African Airways
• Swiss International Airlines
• Qatar Airways
• Saudia (Saudi Arabian Airlines)
• Virgin Atlantic

An increasing number of airlines are flying to Kenya, and Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has become a hub for East and Central Africa. National carrier and biggest airline in the country is Kenya Airways, which (among others) also provides direct flights from Nairobi to several West African countries, e.g., Lagos in Nigeria, Bamako in Mali, as well as direct flights to Bangkok and connections to Hong Kong and China. A recent code-share agreement with Korean Airlines has also brought the Korean peninsula within reach.

By train

Kenya does not have a passenger train service linking it with neighboring countries, though there are cargo lines. There is minimal inland train service. The train service only operates between Nairobi and Mombasa, Kisumu and Eldoret. These are good, though the third class carriages are usually overcrowded, and one may miss a seat even after booking.

By car

The roads may be poor, but all neighboring countries can be accessed including Ethiopia via the border town of Moyale, Uganda via Busia, and Tanzania via Namanga. Beware of overland routes coming through the northern deserts as these are essentially lawless regions. Most vehicles traveling through the area travel via armed convoy.

By bus

Regular bus services operate between: Nairobi (Kenya) & Arusha (Tanzania); Nairobi (Kenya) & Kampala (Uganda); Mombasa (Kenya) & Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania); Kisumu (Kenya) & Kampala (Uganda); Reliable bus services on these routes include Akamba Bus, Scandinavian and Regional.

By boat

This is limited to Lake Victoria (e.g., Mwanza in Tanzania to Kisumu in Kenya)and the coastal area (e.g., Mombasa-Zanzibar cruises).