Google Maps (offline)

Download Nairobi/your regions offline — data can drop outside cities.

The default way businesses, guides and hosts communicate in Kenya.

Food and grocery delivery in Nairobi and other big towns.

Best coverage nationwide and required to use M-Pesa. Buy at the airport with your passport.

Cheaper data bundles — a good second option in cities.

Set up data before you arrive (no M-Pesa though). Handy for the first hours.

eTA — required before travel

Kenya replaced visas with an Electronic Travel Authorization (since Jan 2024). EVERY visitor must apply online before departure. EAC citizens are exempt.

Passport valid 6+ months

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your arrival date.

Proof of onward travel

A return/onward ticket is sometimes requested on arrival.

Yellow fever certificate

Required if you’re arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission; recommended otherwise. Carry the certificate.

Risk at the coast and around Lake Victoria (low in Nairobi’s highlands). Ask a doctor about prophylaxis + use repellent.

Routine + Hep A / Typhoid

Be up to date on routine vaccines; Hepatitis A and Typhoid are commonly advised for Kenya.

Cover medical care and evacuation (useful for safaris and remote areas).

Drink bottled / filtered water

Tap water isn’t reliably potable — stick to sealed or filtered water.

Mobile money is king in Kenya — pay shops, taxis, even rent. Register with a Safaricom SIM (passport needed).

Carry some cash (KES)

Small vendors, matatus and markets are often cash-only. Keep small Kenyan shilling notes.

Cards (Visa / Mastercard)

Accepted in hotels, malls and bigger restaurants. Amex is rare. Notify your bank before travel.

Not mandatory but appreciated in restaurants if a service charge isn’t already added.

Kenya uses the UK-style 3-pin plug. Bring an adapter.

Languages: Swahili & English

English is widely spoken; a few Swahili words (“Jambo”, “Asante”) go a long way.

Kenya travel guide — visa, safety & best places

Plan a trip here

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Make Kenya your watched destination

Push alerts when the safety level moves, new places open, or entry rules change.

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Tsaro da faɗakarwa — Kenya

Alamar shirye-shiryen tafiya · na nuni kawai

Matakin 2

Exercise increased caution

There was no change to the advisory level. The other risk indicator was added. Advisory summary was updated. Increased Risk Areas: Do Not Travel to the Nairobi neighborhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera due to risk of crime and kidnapping . Do Not Travel to the counties of Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Lamu, Tana River (except Tsavo National Park), Kilifi (north of highway C103), and coastal areas north of

Karanta cikakken shawarar

Bayanan nuni da aka tattara daga majiyoyin jama'a (U.S. State Dept · GDELT). Koyaushe duba shawarar tafiya ta hukuma ta gwamnatinka kafin tafiya. An sabunta shawarar 9/11/2026.

Coming up in Kenya

20SEP Coastal Fashion Brunch