Cairo to Nairobi overland
Photo: Wufei07, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This itinerary describes the overland route from Cairo, Egypt, to Nairobi, Kenya, by public transport. This is more or less the only surface route from North Africa to East Africa accessible to Westerners, and so most overland travelers from Europe or Asia towards Southern Africa will have to pass this way (travel down the West coast of Africa is also possible, but much more difficult). The route passes through Egypt, (North) Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya.
VisasAlmost all countries in this region prefer visas to be paid for in US dollars, and accept other currencies at unfavourable rates if at all.
RouteAir-conditioned trains link Cairo to Aswan, both during the day and overnight, taking about 12 hours. Fares are EGP 55 for second class, EGP 165 for first class, and USD 60 for a sleeper.
Northern extensionsFrequent and cheap trains, buses and minibuses link Alexandria with Cairo in 2-3 hours.
Southern extensionsThe quickest route onward from Nairobi to Cape Town is probably by crossing directly into Tanzania and then proceeding through Zambia and Zimbabwe to Johannesburg and on to Cape Town.
Stay safehtml advise against all travel to South Sudan, southern portions of Sudan, and parts of Sinai. Terrorism is an ongoing risk in most of the region.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Cairo to Nairobi overland" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Wufei07, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons