Experience a safari vacation in Kenya, the place where safari travel originated. The best Kenya tours and safaris include Big 5 game viewing, incredible natural beauty and cultural encounters, often combining Kenya’s top attractions with Tanzania and the tropical beaches of the Kenyan coast.

The safari bucket list for Kenya includes seeing the Great Migration in the legendary Masai Mara, Amboseli’s unforgettable views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Samburu’s leopards. Encounter fascinating cultures in authentic Masai villages and taste the flavours of Africa, India and Europe in the melting pot that is Swahili culture.

Kenya’s biggest attraction is the natural movement of mega-herds – wildebeest, zebra and gazelle – following the summer rains and sweet grasses in an annual pilgrimage called the Great Migration. Depending on when your Kenya safari takes place, you may witness the life-and-death struggles of the Mara River crossings or dramatic encounters with Africa’s top predators on the open plains.

Kenya combines easily with Tanzania and Rwanda, which means you can add gorilla trekking to your Kenyan safari. You’ll also find a wide range of safari and beach combination tours to make the most of Kenya’s Out of Africa scenic beauty and wildlife, rounded off with R&R on a tropical island.

Kenya offers a holiday for every traveller. From unforgettable Kenya family safaris that offer child-friendly activities and services, to exclusive hideaways for romantics, from adventurous honeymoons to small groups of friends and family celebrating a milestone anniversary. Whatever type of traveller you are, there’s not much that beats a Kenya holiday – the standards of service are high and Kenya’s top destinations offer luxury accommodation ranging from lavish, colonial-style lodges to funky boutique hotels and amenity-packed resorts.

Quick links to travel advice

• Planning a Kenya safari for the first time? Get started with Kenya Safari Guide for Beginners
• Not sure where to travel on your East Africa safari? Read our expert advice on Where to Safari: Kenya or Tanzania.
• Planning a trip to the Kenya coast? Read our Kenya Beach Guide.
• Why choose a privately-guided safari? Read all about the advantages of tailor made travel.

Safety & Security

Can I travel to Kenya?’ is a question asked by many travelers, especially first-timers wanting travel advice for this wildlife-rich East African country that is home to the Great Wildebeest Migration over the plains of the Masai Mara.
For more Kenya travel advice, please read our expert blog on ‘Is it Safe to Travel to Kenya?’ that is packed with important information and insiders’ takes on the current situation.Money & Spending

Kenya’s national currency is the Kenyan Shilling and although foreign currencies such as US Dollars are widely accepted (and indeed the currency required for activities like hot-air balloon safaris) we’d recommend using local currency to pay for bar bills, souvenirs and meals not included in your itinerary.
Please note that due to the number of fake notes in circulation, no US Dollar bills printed before 2003 are accepted in Kenya and, in fact, your safest bet is to carry notes printed after 2006.
Banking facilities and ATMs are found throughout Kenya’s major travel destinations and all major credit cards are widely accepted, in particular MasterCard, Visa and American Express.
Banking hours are from 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 11am on the first and last Saturday of the month for most banks.

Tipping

For good service is customary in Kenya although it is of course at your discretion – bear in mind that some of the larger hotels will add a service charge onto your bill. A 10% tip is customary in city restaurants and bars when a service charge is not included.
For in-depth tipping guidelines, enquire with one of our Africa Safari Experts – they’d be happy to share their knowledge with you.

Climate

Average summer temperatures: 20°C / 68°F to 34°C / 93°F
Average winter temperatures: 18°C / 64°F to 29°C / 84°F
Rainy season: mid-March to June (‘long rains’) and October to December (‘short rains’)
Refer to best time to visit Kenya for climate charts, details on the best wildlife-viewing times and when to witness the Masai Mara migration.
What to Pack
For your Kenya safari, pack light casual wear in neutral colors (try to avoid white, black and blue) and a warm jacket for evening game drives. For more on what to pack for a safari, refer to our Africa Safari Guide travel advice section.
In Kenya’s major cities the dress code is conservative but not overly formal – jeans and modest tops for women are fine. Swimsuits are acceptable on the beach but you’ll need to cover up in public places.

Etiquette

Kenya is a fairly conservative society, especially where Islam holds sway, and much emphasis is placed on courtesy and manners. Care needs to be taken when photographing local people – always ask permission and prepare to be asked for reward in Kenya’s most popular destinations – but by and large the people of Kenya are easy-going, amiable, humorous and helpful, making travelling and interacting with them a real pleasure.

Flights & Getting Around

Did you know you can book your flights through Go2Africa? For more information and frequently asked questions, please see our Flights section.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: East Africa’s major flight hub is located 13km / 8mi outside Nairobi and is the gateway to the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Mombasa and Kenya’s beaches as well as Zanzibar and Tanzania. There are also good connections from here to Uganda, Rwanda and the Seychelles.
Wilson Airport: a regional airport about 90 minutes by road from Jomo Kenyatta, Wilson is the hub for almost all of Kenya’s internal flights and serves its fly-in safari locations. Ensure you have time between your international flight and domestic flight to make the transfer between the two airports.
Moi Mombasa International Airport: located about 10km / 6.2mi northwest of the town itself, Mombasa’s airport is the gateway to the Kenyan coast.
Chartered flights are a great way to get around Kenya and avoid the country’s often dirt roads; transfers from airstrips to lodges are conducted in 4X4 vehicles.
Road transfers from airports and between major destinations tend to use mini buses as do scheduled safaris to popular destinations such as the Masai Mara. Sliding windows and a pop-up roof provide passengers on mini buses with ample viewing opportunities on game drives whereas safaris to more remote destinations and private conservancies use open-sided 4X4s.

Visa & Passport Requirements

Visas are required by most visitors to Kenya including British, American, Canadian, European, Australian and New Zealand passport holders. Citizens from some smaller Commonwealth countries are exempt.
Visas are valid for three months from the date of entry and can be purchased upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Visitors can pay for their visas in local currency and they must possess a passport that is valid until six months after the initial date of travel.
If you plan on travelling onwards from Kenya, visas for other East African countries such as Tanzania and Uganda can generally be obtained in Nairobi for around US$50 each.

History & Economy

Independence from Britain in 1963 may have been the beginning of a new chapter for Kenya but this East African country has a human history that stretches back to prehistoric times.
Lying at the heart of a region from which modern humans emerged some 150 000 years ago, Kenya’s history has been shaped not only by indigenous and migrating African ethnic groups but by European and Arabian traders, missionaries, and colonizers as well. Jomo Kenyatta was the first leader of independent, post-colonial Kenya and his conciliatory rallying cry harambee – all pull together – became the national motto.
Today, Kenya boasts the largest and most advanced economy in East Africa. Agriculture accounts for 75% of the work force but it is the service industry, dominated by tourism, which contributes nearly two thirds of Kenya’s GDP.

People & Culture

Kenya’s predominantly young population (nearly 75% of Kenyans are under 30) is made up of many ethnic groups that include the famous Maasai. English and Swahili are the official languages (any attempts to speak Swahili will be warmly received by locals!) and most Kenyans consider themselves Christian. About 10% of the population are Muslim, the majority living on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast.

Landscape & Wildlife
Straddling the equator, Kenya is dominated by the Rift Valley, a raised region of lakes, hills and mountains that is the result of a 6 000km crack in the earth’s crust. Dividing the flat coastal plains from the fertile shores of Lake Victoria, the rolling temperate grasslands of the central Rift Valley are home to huge numbers of animals and consequently Kenya’s most famous parks and reserves.
Northern Kenya’s hot and arid scrublands are home to wilder, more remote parks and a different set of animals while the Indian Ocean coast is a place of long sandy beaches, coral reefs and tropical islands.

Most famous for the wildebeest migration that moves through the Masai Mara and Serengeti ecosystem, Kenya’s ban on hunting plus private and local community conservation initiatives have helped to safeguard one of Africa’s most important populations of large animals. There are healthy numbers of the Big 5, abundant predators and plains game, and a long list of bird species. No wonder then that several Kenyan parks deliver the easiest game viewing in Africa!

The term “Big Five” refers to the five African animals on the must-see list of every safari adventure throughout Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa. They include the lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros and Cape buffalo. The Big Five aren’t simply Africa’s topmost predators, but rather the continent’s five most challenging animals to track.

The Great Migration is one of the most awe-inspiring natural events on the planet, and Kenya offers the perfect stage to witness this magnificent spectacle. It involves the mass movement of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and other herbivores as they embark on an epic journey across the vast plains of East Africa in search of fresh grazing grounds. During this incredible migration, the animals face numerous obstacles, including treacherous river crossings and encounters with hungry predators.

To witness this breathtaking display of nature’s power and resilience, head to the iconic Maasai Mara National Reserve. This world-renowned destination becomes the theater for the Great Migration between July and October when the wildebeest and zebras cross the Mara River, creating a mesmerizing spectacle of survival, drama, and raw beauty. Prepare to be spellbound as you witness this extraordinary event in person, an experience that will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

While Kenya is geographically smaller than Tanzania, its diversity of landscape and culture affords a wide range of activities including interactive conservation experiences and community visits to local tribes such as the Maasai. Kenya’s mountainous interior and arid northern regions harbor unique species found nowhere else. Tanzania’s majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, coffee plantations, tropical coastline and island paradise of Zanzibar distinguish it from its neighbor to the north. Broadly speaking, Tanzania’s climate tends to be more tropical than Kenya’s, with more lush, green landscapes. Given their proximity and intersection of the Great Migration, these two countries are often combined into one journey.

The Great Migration is the largest animal migration in the world. Each year, more than two million animals (wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle) migrate in a clockwise direction across the ecosystems of the Serengeti (Tanzania) and the Masai Mara (Kenya). While this cycle continues throughout the year, August and September are the best times to see the Great Migration in Kenya and your chances of witnessing a river crossing are generally much higher. Come early October, the rainy season in Tanzania will commence, and the herds will embark on their return journey back to the Serengeti.