Airports and Arrival

There are two main ways to fly into Kenya, the most popular option is to fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and the other entry point is Moi International Airport in Mombasa.

Airports in Nairobi and Mombasa:
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi currently handles an estimated 3.4 million passengers each year, making it Africa’s third busiest airport after Johannesburg and Cairo. In recent years, over $75 million has been spent on giving it a complete makeover; with a state of the art security system now in place, a new car park, duty free shops, and updated check in and baggage handling systems.

Direct flight from Europe also go to the other main International Airport which is in Mombasa (Moi International Airport) which has also had impressive renovations done in recent years.

Domestic Flights and charter flights within Kenya:
As well as the main International Airport, there is another smaller airport called Wilson Airport, which deals with domestic and charter flights. Most safari destinations (e.g. Masai Mara, Amboselli, Tsavo, Samburu etc) and coastal destinations (Lamu, Malindi and Diani) have their own airstrip so flying in a small plane to your safari destination is quite a common thing to do. If you’re flying between Nairobi and the coast, (or vice versa) make sure you know which airport you’re flying from.

Flying between Mombasa and Nairobi:
The main airlines flying between Nairobi and Mombasa are Airkenya (Wilson Airport) Kenya Air and fly540.com (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport) also find out about your luggage allowance before leaving, as some of the smaller planes only allow 10-15kg per person.

Getting to your hotel from the airport:
There are money exchange desks inside the departure building. You walk right past them as you disembark. There are Taxis right outside the exit doors of the departure terminal and they will be marked with a broad yellow stripe down the side. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so pick the one that is best for your needs and then try haggling for a good price (the first price they give is guaranteed to be more than you will need to pay). Don’t get into an unmarked vehicle as they’re not registered vehicles and may not be safe.