
Flying and taking a bus are the 2 main ways to get from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to Nairobi, Kenya.
Flights from Dar Es Salaam to Nairobi
Even though the distance is not great, flights which include a hefty tax can be quite expensive.
There are 3 main airlines that fly between the two cities frequently:
- Kenya Airways – Kenya Airways has very high safety standards and is a very reputable company, but their fares are very high.
- Precision Air – Offers a number of daily flights at competitive rates. Talk to the airline booking office in downtown Dar Es Salaam for possible better rates and quick booking options.
- Fly 540 – The cheapest option these days is to fly with the new Fly 540 airline, East Africa’s first budget airline. They offer a good schedule of flights. Booking at the official airline office in downtown Dar and paying with cash is the easiest way to purchase a ticket. Tickets can be bought with only a day’s notice, but for the best rates, try to book a few weeks in advance.
Bus From Dar Es Salaam to Nairobi
The much cheaper option for getting from Dar Es Salaam to Nairobi is by taking the bus. Depending on the conditions of the bus and the conditions of the highway in both Tanzania and Kenya, the ride can either be a great experience, or a frustrating and very tiring experience.
There are 2 ways:
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1. Direct bus from Dar to Nairobi
2. Bus from Dar to Arusha / Moshi and a seperate shuttle from Arusha / Moshi to Nairobi.
If you have the time, consider option number 2 by splitting the trip up and taking an overnight break in either Moshi or Arusha.
The best benefit of taking the bus is being able to see the beautiful country side of Tanzania with spectacular views of Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro!
The best companies to research and get more information to take the bus from Dar to Nairobi are:
- Scandanavian Express – Used to operate a reliable and scheduled bus service directly from Dar Es Salaam to Nairobi, though I’ve now heard that the fleet of buses has been slowly degrading. Make sure to contact them to see if their routes are still in place.
- Dar Express – These days, Dar Express is often the most reliable option, though there are no printed schedules or contacts. With Dar Express it’s easiest to split the journey and spend the night in Arusha / Moshi and the following day travel from Arusha / Moshi to Nairobi. There buses leave around 6 am, contact them at their office in downtown Dar.
- Kilimanjaro Express – Kilimanjaro Express is also a reliable options.
- Akamba Bus Services (Dar 007 22 2185111, Arusha 007 27 2509491, Nairobi +254 020 553000) – Offers semi-reliable bus services directly from Dar Es Salaam to Nairobi.
- Davanu Shuttle (Arusha 057-8142, Nairobi 020-316929) – The Davanu shuttle service runs from Moshi or Arusha to Nairobi, Kenya. It can work to take a bus from Dar Es Salaam to Arusha or Moshi and then take the Davanu shuttle across the border to Nairobi.
- AA Shuttle – Luxury shuttle services from Nairobi to Arusha / Moshi and vice versa
Kenya Tanzania Border Crossing
The main and reliable border crossing is in the town of Namanga. The bus will drop you off, you can purchase your Kenya / Tanzania visa at the border and then continue on.
photo credit JMHan
Note: I would highly recommend doing a little bus planning research once you have arrived in Tanzania / Kenya. Contact the company either by phone of even better in the office and ask them what exact option they can offer. A lot of the information varies and is constantly changing so it’s important to ask for the information directly from the company.
If you know any better options on traveling from Dar Es Salaam to Nairobi, I’d love to hear your input or comments!
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kabala
7 years ago
i am traveling to Nairobi using a bus from Lusaka/Zambia. i would at the end of my journey communicate to everyone what would be my experiences.
Lauryn
8 years ago
How much is from kenya to Tanzania??
Albeto
9 years ago
There are soapy buses nowadays which travels to and from Nairobi, I think the easiest method is through jipaconnections, it is an online bus service.
Mark Wiens
9 years ago
Thank you for sharing Albeto
Aidil
10 years ago
And in addition how is the road?…koz it simz alot happens at nyt travel….and what cud be the cost frm nairobi-daresalaam
Aidil
10 years ago
Hi..i wanted to use a.a bus to travel from nairobi-daresalaam bt am nt sure if they do have that?
Mark Wiens
10 years ago
Hey Aidil, not exactly sure of the current situation, but yes it’s possible to take a bus. You might also try a flight on Precision Air.
John O.
8 years ago
Hi,
You can travel fairly comfortably by Dar Express. It leaves at 06:00 am and arrives Dar after 20:00 pm. The re are taxis around the bus area along river road. It coast Ksh.3500 one way. The other bus is SAI BABA which is picked from the same place at River road and costs the same. Departs the same time and arrives about the same time in Dar Es Sallam.
Regards,
John
Tony kibagendi
10 years ago
Have used AA SHUTTLES from Nairobi to Moshi with my family it came to my notice they
have very nice driver especially when we reached Namanga boarder the driver assisted
us so fast to get our Tanzania Visa to me the bus fare was good compared to take the flight
to kilimanjaro airport thanks AA PLEASE KEEP IT UP FOR THE GOOD WORK
to read their departure programme log in http://www.aashuttles.com.
Mark Wiens
10 years ago
Hey Tony, thank you so much for sharing!
Bangashzee
11 years ago
Hi can any body tell me what’s the fare from nairobi till dar es salaam by bus.
John O.
8 years ago
Hi,
You can travel fairly comfortably by Dar Express. It leaves at 06:00 am and arrives Dar after 20:00 pm. The re are taxis around the bus area along river road. It coast Ksh.3500 one way. The other bus is SAI BABA which is picked from the same place at River road and costs the same. Departs the same time and arrives about the same time in Dar Es Salaam.
Regards,
John
Mark Wiens
8 years ago
Thank you very much for the tips John.
msafiri
13 years ago
Hi Mark, Stumbled onto your site and my wife and I are busy gobbling up the information on Nairobi. We are planning to travel from Dar to Nairobi via Dar Express and as we might be arriving quite late, I was wondering if you know where the Dar Express bus terminal is located in Nairobi and if there are any taxis directly from the bus?
Mark Wiens
13 years ago
Hey,
Thanks so much for reading about Nairobi and checking out my website! Great to hear that you are planning to go to Tanzania and then on to Kenya. I don’t know exactly where their office is in Nairobi, I would think it is somewhere near River Road in downtown Nairobi.
It’s always a toss up in Nairobi, some taxi’s will probably be waiting for the bus to arrive, but some of the taxis may not be legit. Try to ask a local (maybe even riding in your bus) how much the fare would cost from the terminal to the location you are staying in order to get a price range. After that I would just recommend using your own judgment to see if the taxi driver looks suitable.
I wish you all the best for your trip! Thanks again for checking out my site.
Mark Wiens
13 years ago
@Rebecca: I’ve done it a couple times, leaving Dar / Nairobi at 6 am and arriving at about 6 pm. Sometimes I haven’t arrived until 10 pm or 11 pm. I’d say anywhere from 12 – 18 hours.
Rebecca
13 years ago
Thanks for sharing – how long is the bus ride between Dar and Nairobi? Well… I know you’re going to say that’s anyone’s guess, but a rough estimate? 😉