Region
Nairobi area
Sleep in Nairobi for one or two nights, do the museum and giraffe mornings by car, and treat Wilson Airport as your gate to the parks.
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Key facts · Kenya
- Best months
- Jun–Sep, Dec–Feb
- Currency
- Kenyan shilling
- Language
- Swahili and English
- Plugs
- G · 240 V
- Time zone
- East Africa Time
Rules in force · 9Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Carry the yellow fever certificate on every leg of a mult…
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- East Africa ↗Carry the yellow fever certificate on every leg of a multi-country trip: Uganda and Burundi check it for all arrivals, and a stop in Kenya or Ethiopia makes the next border ask for it.
- East Africa ↗Advice for Ethiopia, Somaliland, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and the Congo border areas can change within days; read your government's page the week you fly and before every regional flight.
- East Africa ↗Price park, reserve and permit fees before comparing lodges: they are charged per person per day, often with VAT, and are fixed whatever bed you choose.
- Kenya ↗Apply for the Kenya eTA only on the official portal (etakenya.go.ke) at least 3 working days before you fly; lookalike sites charge double. Most African passports have been exempt since 2025.
- Kenya ↗Book a travel-clinic visit several weeks ahead; ask about malaria prevention and check whether a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required for your route, including transits.
- Kenya ↗Plastic carrier bags are banned; leave shop and duty-free plastic bags behind before you fly in.
- Kenya ↗Light aircraft to the parks have strict baggage limits, usually soft-sided bags only and a low total weight (often around 15 kg); confirm the limit with your operator and leave a hard case in Nairobi.
Nairobi is a base for arrival and departure, not a place to rush. Sights are close on the map but slow by road; the international airport and Wilson Airport (safari flights) are on opposite sides of the city. Keep one bed, do one cluster per half-day, and leave a buffer before any flight.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- NairobiTrip line
Westlands for a first night; museums and giraffes by car.
Best Jun–Sep, Dec–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
Day trip
- Nairobi National ParkGuide: planned
Wildlife inside the city limits; a half-day by car.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
- Lake NaivashaGuide: planned
Rift Valley lake; about 2 h each way by road.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Nairobi 2, then a morning safari flight from Wilson
- Do not book a safari flight for the morning after a late international landing.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi National Park | Nairobi | 45 min | unknown | Book a driver-guide; entry is per person per day, check current rates. |
| Lake Naivasha | Nairobi | 120 min | unknown | A long day; leave early and return before dusk. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding culture: leave the big bag at the Nairobi hotel and fly to the parks with a soft bag.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | go | go | ok | × | × | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | go |
| Kenya (country-wide) | go | go | ok | × | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next
Go next
Masai Mara and the Rift Valley
planned3–5 nights
Masai Mara reserve and conservancies; Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru
Amboseli and Tsavo
planned2–4 nights
Elephants with Kilimanjaro views; Tsavo East and West on the way to the coast
Kenyan coast
planned3–5 nights
Diani, Watamu and Mombasa for beach nights after a safari
Nairobi area: what we know, and what is coming
1 of 3 places open
On this page
- 3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
- How to split 2 nights
- 2 day trips with door-to-door time
- Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
- What to do with the big bag between beds
Coming as the guide grows
- Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
- Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
- Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
- Regional food: what, where and when it works
- A page for Nairobi National Park — Wildlife inside the city limits; a half-day by car.
- A page for Lake Naivasha — Rift Valley lake; about 2 h each way by road.
Meanwhile
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 1 base
- Day trips
- 2, 45 min to 2 h
- Nights suggested
- 2 nights
Trips that stop here
Nairobi, Naivasha and the Mara
7 days · 2 nights here
Nairobi → Lake Naivasha → Masai Mara → Nairobi
Mara, Amboseli and a beach
10 days · 1 night here
Nairobi → Masai Mara → Amboseli → Diani
North, south and the coast
14 days · 2 nights here
Nairobi → Samburu or Laikipia → Masai Mara → Nairobi → Mombasa → Watamu or Lamu
Local time
What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.
Nairobi
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