Clear immigration with your approved eVisa, collect bags, and meet your named driver holding a board just outside arrivals. Nairobi hotels are 30 to 60 minutes away depending on traffic; Wilson Airport for Mara flights is 45 minutes.
Your safari starts at the arrivals door, not at the park gate. Here is exactly what to expect at JKIA and how to make the first two hours effortless.
- Apply for the travel authorisation online before you fly. There is no reliable on arrival alternative.
- Your driver waits just outside arrivals with a name board and is reachable on WhatsApp.
- Allow 60 minutes to Nairobi hotels in evening traffic, 45 to Wilson Airport.
- Same day connections to the Mara are possible if you land before mid morning.
Before you fly
Kenya requires travellers to hold an approved electronic travel authorisation before departure. Apply online well ahead, print or save the approval, and carry your yellow fever certificate if your routing requires one. We send every guest a checklist with their final documents, and we check the approval is in hand before travel day.
From the aircraft door to your vehicle
Immigration queues at JKIA move steadily and are longest when several long haul flights land together in the early morning and late evening. After baggage reclaim you walk out into a covered arrivals area where drivers wait with name boards.
Our drivers arrive before your flight lands, track the actual arrival time rather than the scheduled one, and stay in place if you are delayed inside. You will have their name, photograph and number on WhatsApp the day before.
Night arrivals are common and completely normal. The transfer, the hotel check in and the vehicle are all arranged for the actual hour you land, at no premium for antisocial timing.
How long transfers take
| Destination | Distance | Allow |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi city centre hotels | 18 km | 30 to 60 minutes |
| Westlands and Gigiri | 25 km | 40 to 75 minutes |
| Karen and Langata | 25 km | 40 to 70 minutes |
| Wilson Airport for Mara flights | 20 km | 45 minutes, allow 90 in peak traffic |
| Masai Mara by road | 270 km | 5 to 6 hours |
| Amboseli by road | 240 km | 4 to 5 hours |
Arrange a private arrival transfer
Meet and greet inside the terminal, a named driver, a tracked vehicle and a fixed price. Executive saloons through to group vans.
Private, executive or group
A private saloon suits couples with normal luggage. An executive vehicle suits business travellers who want quiet, water, and a driver who understands a tight schedule. A van or minibus is the right answer for families, camera gear and groups arriving together.
For corporate arrivals across multiple flights we run a manifest with a named driver per vehicle and one organiser contact, which is the same discipline we use for conference groups.
Connecting straight to safari
If you land before mid morning you can transfer to Wilson Airport and be on a game drive the same afternoon. If you land in the evening, spend the night in Nairobi. Guests who try to force a same day road transfer to the Mara after a long haul flight almost always regret it.
Frequently asked
- Will my driver wait if my flight is delayed?
- Yes. We track the actual arrival time and there is no charge for flight delays outside your control.
- Can you transfer me from JKIA directly to the Masai Mara?
- Yes, either by road as a five to six hour drive or by connecting you to a scheduled flight from Wilson Airport.
- Do you provide transfers for corporate groups?
- Yes, including multi flight arrival manifests, executive vehicles and a single point of contact for the organiser.
Arrange a private arrival transfer
Meet and greet inside the terminal, a named driver, a tracked vehicle and a fixed price. Executive saloons through to group vans.
