A Nairobi airport transfer with BlaakLane.com is booked at a fixed fare you see before confirming. Add your flight into Jomo Kenyatta International (JKIA), the destination and the vehicle class. The chauffeur tracks your landing, waits 60 minutes free on international arrivals and collects you from the terminal's designated pre-arranged car area. The fare is fixed before you land.
How to book a car from JKIA
In the reservation engine on this page or at book, choose Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), enter the flight number and the address, and pick a vehicle. The fare shown is fixed: there is no meter and no surge when Mombasa Road is jammed. Add the passenger names, a mobile number that works in Kenya, and any child seats, which are free on request.
Nairobi trips are assigned by the 24/7 dispatch desk in Toronto to a vetted local affiliate operator from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network, bound by the BlaakLane.com written standard. The confirmation names the operator, chauffeur and vehicle.
JKIA terminal layout
JKIA is East Africa's main hub and the base for Kenya Airways. Most traffic uses Terminal 1, which is divided into lettered units, while Terminal 2 serves several low-cost and regional airlines. The airport is operated by the Kenya Airports Authority.
| Area | Main use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1A | Most international departures and arrivals | Kenya Airways and many foreign carriers |
| Terminals 1B and 1C | International and regional flights | Shared arrivals flows with 1A |
| Terminal 1D | Domestic flights | Kenya Airways domestic and others |
| Terminal 1E | International arrivals area | Common exit for many long-haul flights |
| Terminal 2 | Low-cost and regional carriers | Separate building, short drive away |
Unit assignments change with airline schedules, so the flight number in your booking decides where the chauffeur waits.
Where the chauffeur meets you at JKIA
Standard service is collection at the area the airport designates for pre-arranged and chauffeur vehicles outside your arrivals exit. JKIA has a security screening point at the airport entrance for all vehicles, which the chauffeur allows for in their timing. After baggage and customs, contact the chauffeur, who confirms the bay and meets you at the car. By default, the chauffeur stays with the car rather than inside the hall.
To be met at the arrivals exit with a name board, add meet and greet at booking. Add-ons are only available in selected locations; the booking engine shows whether it can be added at JKIA for your arrival.
Entry rules and immigration timing
Most visitors to Kenya need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, applied for online through the official eTA portal before departure, which replaced the old visa system in 2024. Some regional travellers are exempt; check the current rules for your passport. With an approved eTA, immigration usually takes 20 to 45 minutes. Early-morning arrivals from Europe and the Gulf, when several wide-bodies land between 5 and 8 am, can take longer. Bags follow in 15 to 30 minutes.
The included wait is 60 minutes from actual landing on international flights and 30 minutes on domestic flights from Mombasa, Kisumu or Malindi. Waiting beyond that is charged in 15-minute blocks.
Drive times from JKIA and the Nairobi Expressway
JKIA is about 15 to 18 km south-east of the CBD. The Nairobi Expressway, an raised toll road that opened in 2022, runs from near the airport to Westlands and can cut the trip dramatically compared with Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway. Background is on the Nairobi Expressway page.
- CBD and Upper Hill: 25 to 45 minutes via the Expressway; up to 75 minutes on surface roads at peak.
- Westlands: 20 to 40 minutes via the Expressway.
- Gigiri and the UN complex: 35 to 60 minutes.
- Kilimani, Lavington and Kileleshwa: 30 to 55 minutes.
- Karen and Langata: 30 to 50 minutes via the Southern Bypass.
- Runda and Muthaiga: 40 to 60 minutes.
- Nairobi Terminus (SGR station): 10 to 20 minutes.
Kenya drives on the left. Weekday peaks are roughly 6:30 to 9:30 am and 4:30 to 8 pm.
Rail alternatives from JKIA
There is no train to the terminals. The Madaraka Express standard-gauge railway to Mombasa departs from Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau, 10 to 20 minutes from JKIA, and runs several times a day; details are on the Kenya Railways site. Many visitors fly into JKIA and continue to the coast by train, so we often run airport-to-Terminus transfers. Commuter rail serves the city but does not reach the airport.
Which vehicle suits a Nairobi arrival?
Choose by luggage: safari travellers often carry soft bags plus camera cases, and humanitarian and NGO teams carry equipment. Details are on the fleet.
- Standard Sedan (2 passengers, 2 bags): a consultant to an Upper Hill office.
- Luxury Executive Sedan (2/2): an executive heading to a Westlands tower.
- Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach) (2/2): a VIP or family-office principal.
- Standard Black SUV (6/6): a family starting a safari itinerary.
- Executive Black SUV (6/6): a senior delegation to Gigiri.
- Luxury Stretch Limo (8 passengers): wedding parties.
- Sprinter Van (12 passengers, 12 small bags): conference or NGO teams.
- Party Bus (14 passengers): group celebrations.
- Sprinter Luxury Jet Van (7 passengers, carry-on only): a delegation in Nairobi for a single day of meetings.
Coaches, armoured vehicles and Rolls-Royce or Bentley cars are available in Nairobi on request through vetted partners, confirmed in writing. No vehicle on a Nairobi job is older than four model years; the only exceptions, up to seven, are Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley.
Districts, hotels and venues in Nairobi
Nairobi's visitors spread across several districts. Westlands is the main business and nightlife hub, with office towers, embassies and many international hotels. Upper Hill holds banks, hospitals and corporate headquarters on the ridge above the CBD. The CBD itself has the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and government offices. Gigiri, to the north, is the diplomatic quarter around the UN complex, with Runda and Muthaiga's residential estates nearby. Karen and Langata, to the south-west, are quieter leafy suburbs close to Nairobi National Park, the Giraffe Centre and several boutique lodges. Kilimani and Lavington are residential areas popular with expatriate families. Give the full building or compound name, because many residences and offices have security gates where the chauffeur checks in.
Safari connections and Wilson Airport
Many JKIA arrivals connect to a safari flight from Wilson Airport, Nairobi's light-aircraft field on Langata Road, roughly 25 to 45 minutes away. Book the transfer from JKIA to Wilson with your safari flight time in the notes so the chauffeur can plan the route. Road transfers into the Rift Valley, to Lake Naivasha (about 2 hours) or towards the Maasai Mara, are planned as intercity transfers, and multi-day programmes are confirmed in writing.
UN, diplomatic and NGO travel
Nairobi hosts the UN Office at Nairobi in Gigiri, the headquarters of UNEP and UN-Habitat, and many embassies and humanitarian organisations. Delegations and conference programmes are planned under government and diplomatic transportation. For principals who need more protection, secure transportation is arranged through vetted partners and confirmed in writing.
What the fixed fare includes
The vehicle, chauffeur, flight tracking, the included waiting time and the full booked route; any gratuity for your Nairobi chauffeur is billed at actual cost and added to the booking. Planning ranges are on the rates page. Cancelling is free more than 72 hours before pickup, costs 10% at 72 hours or less and 50% at 48 hours or less, and is charged in full at 24 hours or less or on a no-show.
Related pages
Read the Nairobi chauffeur service guide and the Kenya country page. Across the continent, we book fixed-fare transfers at OR Tambo, Lagos and Cairo. Frequent corporate travellers can open corporate accounts.
