Arrival is the part of a trip you are least equipped to handle well. You have been travelling for hours, you are carrying everything you brought, and the decisions come at you in a run: which queue, which currency, which car, which road. It helps to know roughly what is coming.
This is what to expect between stepping off the plane and putting your bag down in Parklands.
Which Airport You Will Land At
Almost all international arrivals come into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, on the eastern side of the city. If you are flying in on a smaller regional or domestic aircraft, you may instead land at Wilson Airport, which sits closer to the centre and handles lighter traffic.
Both connect to Parklands by road. The route and the length of the journey depend far more on the time of day than on the distance, which is the single most useful thing to understand about moving around Nairobi.
Before You Land
Two things are worth sorting before you travel rather than in the queue.
Entry requirements. What you need depends on your nationality, and the rules are revised periodically. Check the current position with official sources shortly before you fly rather than assuming last year’s process still applies.
Your address in Nairobi. Arrival paperwork generally asks where you are staying. Have the property name and address written down somewhere you can reach without unlocking a phone with a flat battery, along with your booking reference.
Through the Airport
The sequence is the familiar one: immigration, then baggage reclaim, then customs, then the arrivals hall. Queues vary with how many aircraft have landed at once, so the same airport can feel quiet one evening and slow the next.
Two errands are worth doing before you leave the building, because both are harder once you are out in the city and tired.
- Money. Have some Kenyan shillings for small immediate costs. Card acceptance is good in Nairobi, but cash smooths the first hour.
- A local SIM. Mobile connectivity is worth having straight away, both for calls and because mobile money is used widely in Kenya for everyday payments. If you are staying more than a few days, this is one of the highest-value things you can do on arrival.
Getting to Parklands
Two options cover most arrivals, and the right one depends mostly on what time you land.
Licensed taxis from the airport rank. Straightforward, always available, and the simplest choice if you would rather not deal with an app while carrying luggage. Agree the fare before you set off.
Ride-hailing apps. Widely used in Nairobi and usually cheaper, provided you have working data and can find the designated pickup area. This is where having sorted a SIM inside the terminal pays off.
Telling us when you land. We do not run airport transfers ourselves, so the last leg will be a taxi or a ride-hailing trip either way. It is still worth sharing your flight details when you book. It means we know when to expect you rather than working it out at the door, and our team can advise on which of the two options above tends to suit the hour you are arriving. That is worth asking about if you are landing late at night, travelling with children, or coming for medical treatment.
Whichever you choose, treat the journey time as elastic. Nairobi traffic is heavily dependent on the hour, and a road that moves freely late in the evening can be slow during the working day. If you have something scheduled soon after landing, leave far more room than the distance suggests.
Arriving in Parklands
Parklands sits north of the city centre and is noticeably calmer than the middle of town, which is a considerable relief at the end of a long journey. L’Aziz Suites is off Limuru Road, opposite Aga Khan University Hospital and near MP Shah Hospital.
That location matters on arrival day for guests coming to Nairobi for medical care, who often land already tired and with appointments waiting. If that is your situation, we have written separately about what to expect during an extended stay near Aga Khan University Hospital.
Your First Few Hours
The first evening is mostly about undoing the journey. A few things make that easier.
Every suite has a full kitchen, which is more useful on arrival night than at any other point in a stay. Long flights leave people hungry at strange hours, and being able to make something simple without going back out is worth a great deal when you have just put your bag down. There is also high-speed WiFi throughout the property, so telling people at home that you landed safely is the work of a moment.
Beyond that, the advice is dull and correct: drink water, resist the urge to unpack everything, and go to bed at a local hour if you possibly can. Our junior, family and executive suites all give you a separate living area, so the first evening does not have to be spent sitting on the end of a bed.
Coming Soon?
If you tell us when you are landing, we will know when to expect you rather than working it out at the door. Check availability and share your arrival details when you book.
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