BlaakLane.com operates a chauffeur service in Nairobi with a fixed fare quoted before you confirm. Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO) pickups are flight-tracked, and transfers to Wilson Airport are timed to your safari flight's check-in. A vetted local affiliate named on your confirmation drives every trip.
Booking your Nairobi chauffeur service
In the reservation engine on this page, or at book, enter JKIA or your address, where you are heading, the date, time and vehicle class. The fixed price appears straight away. For safari connections, add both flights: your arrival into JKIA and the light-aircraft departure from Wilson, with the operator's name, so the booking is timed to check-in rather than to departure.
The Toronto-based dispatch desk works 24/7 and hands each trip to a vetted Nairobi affiliate from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network. We do not claim offices or cars of our own in Kenya; the confirmation lists the operator, chauffeur and vehicle.
What your Nairobi fare covers
- Included waiting of 60 minutes after actual landing on international arrivals, 30 minutes on domestic flights from Mombasa, Kisumu or the coast, and 15 minutes elsewhere, followed by 15-minute blocks.
- Child seats for Nairobi trips, free when requested.
Airport parking at JKIA or Wilson, any airport access charge and gratuity are charged at actual cost and added to the booking. Planning ranges by class sit on the rates page; the booking engine gives the exact figure. If plans change, cancel more than 72 hours before pickup at no cost. Inside 72 hours 10% is charged, inside 48 hours 50%, and inside 24 hours or on a no-show the full fare.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport: terminals and pickup
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport lies about 15 to 18 km southeast of the Central Business District off Mombasa Road. Most international and domestic flights use Terminal 1, a curved building divided into units labelled 1A to 1E, and a smaller Terminal 2 handles some regional and low-cost flights. Arrivals exit to a shared forecourt and car parks.
Standard pickup is at the designated area for pre-arranged cars outside arrivals, and your confirmation gives the exact point. Flight tracking sets the chauffeur's arrival at JKIA to your real touchdown time. A name-board meet and greet in the JKIA arrivals hall is an add-on, and add-ons are only available in selected locations. Typical times from JKIA:
| Destination | Via | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Central Business District | Expressway or Uhuru Highway | 25-60 minutes |
| Westlands | Nairobi Expressway | 25-45 minutes |
| Upper Hill and Kilimani | Expressway or Mombasa Road | 30-60 minutes |
| Gigiri (UN Office at Nairobi) | Expressway, then Limuru Road | 40-75 minutes |
| Karen and Langata | Southern Bypass | 40-80 minutes |
| Wilson Airport | Mombasa Road and Langata Road | 30-60 minutes |
The Nairobi Expressway is a raised, tolled road of about 27 km between Mlolongo, near the airport, and Westlands. It has changed airport runs: a trip that took 90 minutes at rush hour on the surface roads can now take under 40.
Wilson Airport: handovers to safari flights
Wilson Airport, about 5 km south of the CBD on Langata Road, is one of the busiest light-aircraft airports in Africa. Scheduled and charter flights leave from here for the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, Laikipia, Lamu and other safari destinations. A typical day for a safari guest runs: land at JKIA overnight or early morning, transfer across the city, and check in at Wilson one hour or so before departure.
A few practical points make the handover smooth:
- Put the air operator's name in the booking notes. Different operators use different terminal buildings on the Wilson side, and the chauffeur drops you at the right door.
- Safari flights usually limit baggage to around 15 kg per person in soft bags. If you are carrying more, many lodges and hotels in Nairobi store surplus luggage; the chauffeur can drop it on the way.
- Allow at least three hours between an international landing at JKIA and a Wilson departure, to cover immigration, bags and the drive.
- On the way back, book the Wilson pickup against your return flight number; small-aircraft schedules shift with weather, and the timing adjusts.
For private jets and charters, see private aviation and FBO transfers.
Westlands, Upper Hill, Gigiri and Karen
Nairobi's business map spreads west and north of the old centre. Westlands has become the main office and hotel district, with glass towers along Waiyaki Way and malls such as Sarit and The Mall. Upper Hill hosts banks, insurers, hospitals and several embassies on a ridge south of the CBD. Kilimani, Lavington and Kileleshwa are residential and restaurant neighbourhoods between them. North of the centre, Gigiri is home to the United Nations Office at Nairobi, the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme and UN-Habitat, and many embassies; security screening at the UN gates adds time. Runda and Muthaiga are leafy residential suburbs. To the southwest, Karen and Langata sit on the edge of Nairobi National Park and hold Giraffe Manor, the Karen Blixen Museum and many boutique hotels.
Hotels commonly used by visitors include Fairmont The Norfolk near the university, the Villa Rosa Kempinski and the Sankara in Westlands, and Hemingways in Karen. The Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in the CBD hosts summits and conferences, and the Moi International Sports Centre at Kasarani is the main stadium. For UN, NGO and embassy travel, see government and diplomatic transport.
The right vehicle for Nairobi
- Business or Luxury Executive Sedan: CBD, Westlands and Upper Hill meetings.
- Executive SUV: airport runs with luggage, Karen and Langata roads, and safari-bound guests with duffels.
- Standard Black SUV or Sprinter Van: conference teams moving between KICC and hotels, or families heading to Wilson together.
- Minicoach or motorcoach: summit and incentive groups, planned by a coordinator.
- Armoured SUV or sedan (partner): available to Nairobi clients on request, once a risk assessment is done.
Browse details on the fleet page. Every vehicle is four model years old or younger, apart from Rolls-Royce, Maybach and Bentley, which may be up to seven.
Driving in Nairobi: left-hand traffic and rush hours
Kenya drives on the left. Weekday peaks run roughly 6.30 to 9.30 am and 4.30 to 8 pm, and the Waiyaki Way, Mombasa Road and Ngong Road corridors slow sharply then. Minibuses known as matatus stop without warning, speed bumps are frequent in residential areas, and heavy rain during the long rains (roughly March to May) and short rains (roughly October to December) floods some junctions. As in most large cities, street theft happens; the practical response is to keep windows up and phones out of view in slow traffic, and to use a pre-booked car with a named chauffeur rather than accepting rides at the airport.
Conferences at KICC and the UN complex
Nairobi hosts regular international meetings, from UN Environment Assembly sessions at Gigiri to African summits at KICC. During these weeks, roads around the CBD, State House and the UN complex may close at short notice for motorcades, and hotels in Westlands and Gigiri fill early. Delegations needing several cars, drop-offs at accreditation points and on-call vehicles through the day are planned by a coordinator and confirmed in writing. Give the venue gate and the accreditation requirements in the booking notes, as UN security usually lets only approved vehicles inside the compound.
Events in and around Nairobi
- Safari Rally Kenya: the World Rally Championship round is usually held in March around Naivasha, about 90 km northwest.
- Nairobi International Trade Fair: usually late September or early October at Jamhuri Park.
- The Great Migration: usually July to October in the Masai Mara, the busiest period for Wilson Airport.
- Conferences at KICC and UN Gigiri: frequent through the year, with road closures around the CBD during state events.
Confirm dates with organisers or the Kenya Tourism Board.
Trains and intercity routes from Nairobi
The Madaraka Express on the standard-gauge railway runs from the Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau, close to JKIA, to Mombasa in about 4.5 to 6 hours, with stops including Mtito Andei and Voi, and a branch toward Naivasha. Station pickups are timed to the scheduled arrival. Timetables are on the Kenya Railways website.
| Destination | Distance | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Naivasha | about 90 km | 1.5-2.5 hours |
| Nakuru | about 160 km | 2.5-3.5 hours |
| Nanyuki and Laikipia | about 200 km | 3-4 hours |
| Amboseli | about 240 km | 4-5 hours |
| Arusha, Tanzania (via Namanga) | about 270 km | 5-6 hours |
| Mombasa | about 480 km | 8-10 hours |
Most visitors fly to the Mara, Mombasa or the coast. For East African onward trips, see Kigali, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
Entry rules for Kenya: the eTA
Kenya replaced visas for visitors with an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) from January 2024. Every foreign visitor, including infants, needs an approved eTA before travel, except citizens of East African Community member states. Apply on the official eTA portal up to 90 days before travel and at least three days ahead; once issued it is valid for entry within 90 days. Nationals of a number of countries are exempt from the fee. A yellow fever vaccination certificate may be requested, depending on where you travel from. Airport information is published by the Kenya Airports Authority.
Hourly bookings for Nairobi meetings
Nairobi's offices are spread between Westlands, Upper Hill, Gigiri and the CBD, and a short distance can take 40 minutes at the wrong hour. With hourly chauffeur service, the same chauffeur and car stay with you through a day that might start at a bank in Upper Hill, move to a ministry near Harambee Avenue and end at a dinner in Karen. The fixed price for the number of hours is shown when you book, and any extra time runs in 15-minute blocks, confirmed with you first.
Nairobi National Park, Karen and short day trips
Nairobi is unusual in having a national park inside the city limits. Nairobi National Park's main gate is on Langata Road, about 10 km from the CBD, and many visitors fit a morning game drive in before a flight. Your chauffeur can take you to the gate and collect you afterwards; the game drive itself is done in a park-approved safari vehicle with a guide, booked separately. Nearby in Karen and Langata are the Giraffe Centre, the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage viewing and the Karen Blixen Museum, each 20 to 40 minutes from Westlands. A half-day city tours and day trips booking covers several of them in one run.
Late arrivals and early departures at JKIA
A large share of long-haul flights reach JKIA late at night or before dawn, and many leave around midnight. Road times at night are short, often 20 to 30 minutes to Westlands on the Expressway, so the chauffeur's timing to your actual landing matters more than traffic. For departures, the airport applies a security check at the entrance to the terminal area, and queues can build; plan to arrive about three hours before an international flight. The booking engine takes your flight time and the desk suggests a pickup time.
BlaakLane.com in Nairobi
Trips in Nairobi follow the same written standard as everywhere else we operate: a fixed fare, flight tracking and a named, vetted affiliate. Corporate travel managers, UN and NGO teams and safari travellers book through the same engine, and corporate accounts add monthly invoicing and duty-of-care data. Kenyan operators with qualifying vehicles can join the affiliate network.
