TIPS BEFORE YOUR TRIP TO KENYA 2026
DOCUMENTS
- Passport must be valid for at least 6 months and contain at least one blank page.
- ETA Form https://www.etakenya.go.ke/en required for ALL travelers without exception, including children and passport holders from previously visa-free countries.
- Printed or saved (on mobile device) approved ETA form
- Return ticket
- If you’re taking a combined tour (e.g., Kenya + Tanzania or Ethiopia + Kenya), a Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required (not needed for transit only).
DON’T FORGET BEFORE YOUR TRIP
- USD or EURO (issued no earlier than 2009 or 2013)
- Credit cards – Union Pay, Visa, Mastercard
- UK-style power adapter (can be bought in Kenya for $1–2)
FIRST AID KIT
- Standard travel kit: cold medicine, headache relief, stomach & intestinal remedies. Kenyan pharmacies have a wide selection – ask your guide or contact us if you need anything
CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES FOR SAFARI AND BEACH
- Military-style camouflage clothing is prohibited
- Clothes suitable for temperatures from +15°C to +30°C
- For safari: cotton T-shirts and shirts, hoodie, windbreaker, cotton trousers, capris, socks
- For beach: usual beachwear, also bring a light jacket or sweater for windy evenings
- Safari clothing can be any color
- Hat, scarf or light shawl (safaris can be windy)
- Sunglasses, sunscreen SPF 30–50 (also for safari)
- Comfortable breathable shoes for safari, flip-flops, sandals… high-heels – optional
- Casual dinner wear (in 3-star hotels and above wearing shorts to dinner is prohibited)
- Please leave valuable jewelry at home.
LUGGAGE
- Plastic bags are banned in Kenya. Please pack using paper or cloth bags. Zip-lock pouches and cosmetic bags are allowed.
- Hand luggage should include essentials for the first days of safari in case of flight delays or lost luggage.
SAFARI SOUVENIRS
- Export of any items made from animal bones, horns, etc. is strictly prohibited. Customs won’t accept explanations and you risk over a year in prison and a million-shilling fine.
- Export of shells, starfish, etc. is illegal. Do not buy these from beach vendors. You’ll need an official receipt to export such items and vendors do not provide any documentation.
PROHIBITED IN KENYA
- Plastic bags
- Smoking on Nairobi streets
- Exporting shells, corals, starfish, plants
- Exporting souvenirs made from wild animals (teeth, horns, skins, hooves, etc.)
- Drones
- Import or use of hookahs
- Use of narcotic or psychotropic substances
PHOTO & VIDEO
- Prohibited to photograph or film government officials (police, military) and government buildings
- Ask permission before filming or photographing locals
LANGUAGE
English and Swahili are widely spoken
