How to Travel from Mombasa to Nairobi

We all relate to Nairobi being a busy city. Holding the title of being the Capital City of Kenya, Nairobi houses the most government headquarter offices and many businesses. The city is densely populated as it has the ‘best opportunities’ one could find in the country.

However, you need to cool down and take a break from your schedule and enjoy some relaxing venues and time once in a while. That’s where Mombasa comes in. Flourishing with richness is a tourism attraction, and nightclubs heading to the coast are the first go-to domestic vacation one could think of.

You can consider the hotels in Mombasa, the seasons, recreational facilities, and places to visit, but that requires a whole new blog post to be addressed. However, let’s start from the basics – transportation! How can you find your way from Mombasa to Nairobi?

There are four major options that you can go for if you want to travel from Mombasa to Nairobi. They include

By Air

Flying to Nairobi is probably the best option in terms of time and convenience. But to enjoy these two, you’ll have to pay more. This is the most expensive way to travel from Mombasa to Nairobi. There are two types of flights that you can book on your way to the capital. There are economy and first-class seats that you can opt for.

The significant difference is the additional services and comfort that the latter will offer. However, considering you’ll be on the same plane, the timing will still be the same. A flight from Mombasa to Nairobi takes approximately 45 minutes.

The aircraft that you can fly in include

You also have to be cautious of the different timings of the companies and the prices for they differ.

With a Train

A couple of years ago, you’d take about 10 – 12 hours on the train to get to Nairobi from Mombasa. However, with the recently constructed standard gauge railway development, it’s about a 5-hour trip. This is an exciting one!

The railway line is well placed as it goes from town to town and penetrates the heart of Tsavo National Park as you approach Taita Taveta County. You get to enjoy views of the wildlife there. Talk about the beautifully striped zebras, the mightiness of elephants, the dance of giraffes, and the playfulness of antelopes.

It’s pretty rare to get a glimpse of the big cats as they have their territories deep in the jungle, but, well, if you’re lucky enough, you can come across a pack of wild dogs seeking prey to devour. Oh, how effective hunters these canines are.

With affordable rates of only a 1000 bob for the economy and 3000 Kenyan shillings for first class, you can rail through to Nairobi in five hours. With plenty of seats on each coach, you’ll enjoy the company and get the chance to network with fellow passengers. Quite an investment by the government!

Through Public Means

Before the upgraded train came on board, buses and vans were the go-to solutions for many citizens. You’d head to the different offices, book a ticket and you’ll be up and running on your ride’s date. Nowadays, you can do it online, which is much better as you don’t have to make many trips to the offices.

Many companies drive passengers traveling between these cities. The likes of coast Bus, Simba, Mombasa Raha, Oxygen, Mash Poa, Chania, and many more. It roughly costs about 200 thousand bob to get a ticket, and the trip takes about 7 – 8 hours. 

Self-Drive

You can opt to drive yourself to these destinations. It’s a plus if you own a car, but you can also decide to hire a car as companies do so. The self-drive option gives you the luxury to stop at any point and go at speeds that best suits you. 

You will also be in control of the trip as you dictate at what time you’ll leave Mombasa and what time you plan to arrive in Nairobi. You’ll have to spend a little more because of the fuel costs, but that depends on the vehicle’s tank and consumption of fuel.

There are many options to get to Nairobi from Mombasa. All you have to do is choose the best one for you, and you’ll be good to go.

Self-Drive from mombasa to Nairobi by car
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