Flights to Nairobi
Which airport to land at, how far each is from the centre, and where the routes go. Live fares are booked here.
Nairobi is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), 13 km (8 mi) from the centre, whose 13,507-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Nairobi Wilson Airport (WIL, 4 km).
| Airport | Code | From centre | Longest runway | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jomo Kenyatta International Airport | NBO | 13 km (8 mi) | 13,507 ft | 5,330 ft |
| Nairobi Wilson Airport (regional) | WIL | 4 km (2 mi) | 5,052 ft | 5,536 ft |
Runway length is a practical tell: at 13,507 ft, NBO can take the largest long-haul aircraft, so direct intercontinental flights are physically possible here. The airport sits at 5,330 ft; that altitude thins the air enough to affect take-off performance on hot days, which is why summer departures from high airports are sometimes weight-restricted.
Book a flight to Nairobi
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Routes to and from Nairobi
Straight-line distance and an estimated block time for the city pairs people search for most. Each opens a page with both ends’ airports, the time-zone shift and what changes on arrival.
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi to Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 673 km (418 mi) | about 1 h 37 min |
| Nairobi to Addis Ababa | Ethiopia | 1,166 km (725 mi) | about 2 h 15 min |
| Nairobi to Mogadishu | Somalia | 1,017 km (632 mi) | about 2 h 3 min |
| Nairobi to Kakamega | Kenya | 288 km (179 mi) | about 1 h 7 min |
| Nairobi to Kampala | Uganda | 503 km (313 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Nairobi to Kisangani | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,308 km (813 mi) | about 2 h 26 min |
| Nairobi to Mombasa | Kenya | 442 km (274 mi) | about 1 h 19 min |
| Nairobi to Kigali | Rwanda | 755 km (469 mi) | about 1 h 43 min |
| Nairobi to Lilongwe | Malawi | 1,449 km (900 mi) | about 2 h 36 min |
| Nairobi to Mwanza | Tanzania | 456 km (284 mi) | about 1 h 20 min |
| Nairobi to Bukavu | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 896 km (557 mi) | about 1 h 54 min |
| Nairobi to Bujumbura | Burundi | 860 km (535 mi) | about 1 h 51 min |
| Nairobi to Dodoma | Tanzania | 557 km (346 mi) | about 1 h 28 min |
| Nairobi to Zanzibar | Tanzania | 604 km (375 mi) | about 1 h 31 min |
| Nairobi to Arusha | Tanzania | 232 km (144 mi) | about 1 h 3 min |
| Nairobi to Borama | Somalia | 1,433 km (890 mi) | about 2 h 35 min |
| Nairobi to Mbeya | Tanzania | 925 km (575 mi) | about 1 h 56 min |
| Nairobi to Nansana | Uganda | 511 km (317 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Nairobi to Jijiga | Ethiopia | 1,355 km (842 mi) | about 2 h 29 min |
| Nairobi to Hargeysa | Somalia | 1,448 km (900 mi) | about 2 h 36 min |
| Nairobi to Eldoret | Kenya | 264 km (164 mi) | about 1 h 5 min |
| Nairobi to Kira | Uganda | 501 km (312 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Nairobi to Kinshasa | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,412 km (1,499 mi) | about 3 h 51 min |
| Nairobi to Lagos | Nigeria | 3,808 km (2,366 mi) | about 5 h 38 min |
| Nairobi to Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 7,833 km (4,868 mi) | about 10 h 48 min |
| Nairobi to Jakarta | Indonesia | 7,785 km (4,837 mi) | about 10 h 44 min |
| Nairobi to Lima | Peru | 12,564 km (7,807 mi) | about 16 h 51 min |
| Nairobi to Bogotá | Colombia | 12,335 km (7,665 mi) | about 16 h 34 min |
| Nairobi to Abidjan | Ivory Coast | 4,593 km (2,854 mi) | about 6 h 38 min |
| Nairobi to Singapore | Singapore | 7,459 km (4,635 mi) | about 10 h 19 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Common questions
Which airport should I fly into for Nairobi?
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is the closest large airport at 13 km (8 mi). The others, WIL, are further out and worth it only when the fare or the airline makes them so.
How far is NBO from Nairobi city centre?
13 km (8 mi) in a straight line; the road or rail distance is somewhat longer.
Can I book flights to Nairobi on this site?
Very soon: our airline partner is switching live fares on for this site. Hotels can be booked now.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.