JKIA to Westlands: What to Expect on Your First Drive Back

Collecting your car at JKIA

When you book with us, one of our team meets you in the arrivals area and takes you to your car. There is no rental desk to find and no taxi queue. We walk round the car with you, show you the essentials, including the spare wheel and jack, and film a short video of the inside and outside of the car, which we encourage you to do too. Then we hand over the keys, so you are on your way within minutes. We track your flight, so if you land early or late, we adjust.

Before you set off, take a minute to set your phone up. Put your hotel or apartment into Google Maps or Waze while you still have the airport Wi-Fi, and if you need a local SIM for M-Pesa and data, SIM cards are sold in the arrivals area (you will need your passport to register one). Our first-timer's guide to JKIA arrivals covers immigration, baggage and customs in detail, and whether a SIM or an eSIM suits you better.

Route one: the Nairobi Expressway

For most people this is the way to go. The Expressway is an elevated toll road with an interchange at the airport. It carries you over Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway and brings you down at Westlands, at the James Gichuru Road end.

• Time: often around 20 to 30 minutes when traffic is light. At the busiest times you may queue at the toll plazas or on the approach roads at either end.
• Toll: about KES 330 for a car (January 2026 rate; rates can change). We pass tolls on at cost with no admin fee.
• Paying: you can use an electronic toll tag, the Expressway's tap card, M-Pesa or cash. Most of our cars also carry an electronic toll card; tell us before you arrive if you would like to use it, and we will set it up.
• Driving it: the road is smooth, well lit and clearly signed. Keep left unless overtaking, watch for your exit early and move over in good time.

Route two: Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway

The old route below the Expressway costs nothing in tolls, but it is much slower. Late at night or early on a Sunday it can be fine; at rush hour it can take well over an hour. If you land at a busy time, the toll is money well spent.

Arriving in Westlands

When you come off the Expressway, the calm ends and classic Nairobi energy begins.

• The pace changes. You are now sharing the road with matatus (minibuses) and boda-bodas (motorbike taxis). Motorbikes filter between cars, so check your mirrors before every turn.
• Roundabouts. Give way to traffic already on the roundabout, coming from your right, and keep your lane once you are on it.
• Speed bumps and potholes. Waiyaki Way and the main roads are good, but side streets can have unmarked bumps and the occasional pothole.
• Parking. Most Westlands hotels, malls and apartment blocks have their own secure parking. Ask your hotel where to leave the car when you check in.

Landing late or tired?

Many long-haul flights land late at night or very early in the morning. The drive is usually quick at those hours, but if you would rather not drive after an overnight flight, book one of our chauffeurs to drive you in, or have the car delivered to your hotel the next morning instead. Our self-drive vs chauffeur guide helps you decide.

Not staying in Westlands?

We deliver to hotels and homes across Nairobi, not just the airport. If you are staying in Karen, the Southern Bypass is usually the quicker way from the airport. Kilimani, Kileleshwa and Lavington are a short drive from the Westlands end of the Expressway, and Gigiri, Runda and Muthaiga lie to the north. Choose your delivery point when you book. For which neighbourhood suits your stay, and what to do once you are there, see Urban Escape Kenya's Nairobi guide.

The right car for the airport run

• Travelling light, mostly in town: the Mazda CX-5 or Toyota Harrier.
• Family and plenty of luggage: the Toyota Alphard or the seven-seat Mazda CX-8.
• Heading upcountry later in the trip: the Toyota Prado, Land Cruiser V8 or Land Cruiser Safari.

Heading back to JKIA

The return trip needs more time than the drive in. Cars are security-checked at the airport entrance, and at busy times the queue to get in can be long, on top of check-in and security inside the terminal. Leave plenty of margin, especially on weekday evenings and during the December and January rush. You choose where we collect the car when you book: at the airport as you fly out, or from your hotel or home if a relative is driving you to the airport.

Book before you fly

Your time back home is precious. Choose your car, tell us your flight and where you are staying, and we will have it waiting when you walk out of arrivals. See how booking works.