Train from Mombasa to Nairobi

Train from Mombasa to Nairobi at a glance

The train from Mombasa to Nairobi in numbers, as operated by Kenya Railways: around 6 hours on board, direct, with no change of train, 2 trains a day. Departure is from the main station in Mombasa. We offer tickets in second class and first class and handle seat reservations, children and luggage questions in the same chat.

• Route: Mombasa to Nairobi
• Operator: Kenya Railways
• Journey time: about 6 hours
• Connection: direct train
• Frequency: 2 trains a day
• Classes: second class and first class
• Booking: form on this page, confirmation on WhatsApp, electronic ticket by message

From Mombasa the Madaraka Express leaves Miritini station, about 20 minutes west of the city, and reaches Nairobi in roughly five to six hours; the morning express is the most popular, so we book seats in advance and arrange the transfer from your coast hotel to the station.

How to book train tickets from Mombasa to Nairobi with Haqqi Tours

Booking a train from Mombasa to Nairobi with us takes a few minutes and one conversation. Fill out the form on this page with your travel date, whether you want a one-way or a return, how many adults and children are travelling and the class you prefer. Our team then messages you in the WhatsApp chat to check your booking: we finalise the departures available on that day, the seats and the cost. You choose, we book, and the electronic ticket arrives in the same chat, ready to show on your phone or print.

• Step 1 - send the form: date, one-way or return, adults and children, class
• Step 2 - we message you through WhatsApp with the available departures, the seats and the cost
• Step 3 - you confirm the departure you prefer and we arrange payment in the same chat
• Step 4 - we issue the e-ticket and send it to you; we stay in touch until you arrive in Nairobi

Haqqi Tours also provides what happens around the train: a private transfer to the station in Mombasa with your suitcases, a driver waiting at the station in Nairobi, and tours in Nairobi once you are there. Mention it by WhatsApp and it goes on the same confirmation.

Timetable of the Mombasa to Nairobi train

2 trains a day - that is how often the train from Mombasa to Nairobi runs with Kenya Railways. The fastest services take about 6 hours; some departures are a bit slower where they make extra stops. The first trains of the morning suit a full day in Nairobi; the late-afternoon departures are popular with passengers who want to sleep in their own bed and arrive in the evening.

If you are connecting to a flight or another train at Nairobi, tell us: we build in a safe margin and choose a departure that leaves room for a delay.

Is there a direct train from Mombasa to Nairobi?

Direct - and that is the main reason travellers choose the train over flying between Mombasa and Nairobi. No connection, no second platform to find, and the journey time of about 6 hours is exactly what the timetable says. Haqqi Tours books the direct service by default.

Departure: the station in Mombasa

The train from Mombasa to Nairobi leaves from the main station in Mombasa, in Mombasa - mombasa is Kenya's historic island port, with a Swahili Old Town, the sixteenth-century Fort Jesus and beaches stretching north and south along the coast. Plan to be at the station about 20 to 30 minutes before departure: enough to find the platform on the boards, pass any ticket gate or security check the station uses, and board without hurrying. Getting there: Mombasa has no metro; matatus and tuk-tuks cover the island and the north coast, the Likoni ferry carries pedestrians and cars to the south coast, and the Madaraka Express links Miritini with Nairobi in about five to six hours. A private car is the simplest choice with luggage, for the airport-to-resort run across the city or for the Dongo Kundu bypass to Diani.

• Let us know which hall or level your train leaves from - big stations have more than one
• Arrive 20-30 minutes early; the platform is shown on the boards shortly before departure
• Keep the e-ticket on your phone and the ID used for booking together - some operators check both
• Luggage travels with you: racks at the coach ends and above the seats, no weighing, no fees

Arrival: the station in Nairobi

Arrival is at the station in Nairobi, and this is the moment the train wins over the plane: no baggage belt, no passport queue, no airport bus. Nairobi is Kenya's capital and the only city with a national park on its doorstep, the hub for the Masai Mara, Amboseli and the Rift Valley lakes. We can have a Haqqi Tours driver at the exit with your name, or simply tell you the best way to your hotel by metro or taxi.

Onward journeys from Nairobi - a connecting train, a ferry or a flight the same day - can be added to the booking; let us know and we time the Mombasa to Nairobi train to fit.

Classes and what it is like on board the Mombasa to Nairobi train

Tickets on the train from Mombasa to Nairobi are sold in second class and first class. The lower class is comfortable and is what most passengers book; the upper class adds wider seats, more legroom, quieter coaches and, on some services, a welcome drink or at-seat service. Kenya Railways's trains on this route have luggage racks, power sockets at most seats, toilets in every coach and, on longer services, a café or bar coach. Haqqi Tours explains the difference for the exact train you are booking so you pay for what you will actually use.

• Quiet coaches and family areas on selected services - let us know when booking
• Bicycles, pushchairs and large luggage accepted within the railway's rules, which we explain
• Pets are allowed on many services with a small ticket - tell us if one is travelling
• Reserved seats with tables, power sockets and luggage racks

Children, luggage and groups on the Mombasa to Nairobi train

Travelling with children on the train from Mombasa to Nairobi is easy: young children are often free or heavily discounted, seats can be booked together, and there is room to move about. Let us know the ages on the form and we apply the right fares. Luggage is not weighed or charged on this route; you bring what you can lift onto the rack. For groups, we book seats in the same coach and ask about group fares, which typically make the Mombasa to Nairobi train the cheapest way to move several people between the two cities.

Things to do in Nairobi after the train

The reasons travellers take the train to Nairobi are the Karen farmhouse museum, the Nairobi Arboretum, the Ngong Hills, Nairobi National Park and the Giraffe Centre. Nairobi is Kenya's capital and the only city with a national park on its doorstep, the hub for the Masai Mara, Amboseli and the Rift Valley lakes. Eat chai and fresh tropical juices, nyama choma, grilled meat served with kachumbari salad and ugali with sukuma wiki greens while you are there.

If you want the day in Nairobi organised - a driver, a guide, timed entry tickets - we do that too. Mention it on WhatsApp.

Best time to take the train from Mombasa to Nairobi

The train from Mombasa to Nairobi runs all year. The long dry season from June to October and the short dry season from January to February are the best times, with warm days and cool nights; the long rains from March to May and the short rains in November bring afternoon storms and slow traffic, and the wildebeest migration months of July to October fill safari lodges. If you can travel outside those weeks, the same seat costs less and the train is quieter. Whatever the month, early booking is the single biggest saving.

Train, plane or bus from Mombasa to Nairobi?

Weighing a flight against the train from Mombasa to Nairobi? Add the time to the airport, check-in, security and the trip in from the arrival airport, and the train is generally as fast door to door and far less tiring - about 6 hours on board. The bus is the budget option, worth it for some passengers, slower for all. We book whichever suits you; on this route the train is our first recommendation.

Return train from Nairobi to Mombasa

Coming back? Say so on the form. A return train ticket from Nairobi to Mombasa booked with the outbound is frequently cheaper than two separate bookings, and it keeps the whole trip on one WhatsApp thread with one point of contact.

How much does the train from Mombasa to Nairobi cost?

Train ticket prices from Mombasa to Nairobi move like flight fares: the earlier you book and the quieter the departure, the less you pay. The class you choose, whether you want a refundable ticket, a seat reservation or a return, and whether children are travelling all change the total. Rather than quote a figure that will be out of date tomorrow, Haqqi Tours checks the fare for the day you want to travel and sends it to you in the WhatsApp chat before you decide.

The figure we send covers the ticket, any compulsory seat reservation and our booking service; what you see through WhatsApp is what you pay. If a cheaper departure exists thirty minutes earlier or later, we tell you, because a Mombasa to Nairobi train ticket that costs less at a slightly different time is normally worth it.

Cheapest train ticket from Mombasa to Nairobi: how to pay less

The cheapest train ticket from Mombasa to Nairobi is almost always the one booked earliest for an off-peak departure. Our team applies the same rules on every booking:

• Travel mid-week and mid-day - Tuesday to Thursday departures after the morning rush are usually the cheapest
• Avoid the first and last trains of the day, which carry commuters and business travellers at higher fares
• Tell us if your dates are flexible - moving by a day, or by an hour, frequently halves the fare
• Ask about children's, youth and senior fares - most operators on this route discount them
• Book both directions together - a return or two singles, whichever comes out cheaper on your dates
• Choose a fixed-departure ticket if your plans are certain; flexible tickets cost more

When you complete the form, mention if you are flexible. We compare the fares across the day and send the cheapest Mombasa to Nairobi train ticket first, then the alternatives.

Why book your Mombasa to Nairobi train ticket with Haqqi Tours

What we offer on the train from Mombasa to Nairobi: live fares checked for your travel date, every class and fare type explained without jargon, seats reserved together, children's and group fares applied, the electronic ticket delivered by WhatsApp and a team that answers at any hour if the train is late or the plan changes. Send the form and let us take the train off your list.