What should I pack for a Kenya safari?
Pack light, neutral-coloured layers, a warm fleece for early drives, sun protection, insect repellent, binoculars, a camera with spare batteries, a UK-style Type G plug adapter and your travel documents, all in a soft-sided bag. If any part of your trip uses a light aircraft, keep everything, including hand luggage, within 15 kg.
A Kenyan safari wardrobe is about function rather than fashion. You will spend long hours in a vehicle, with cool dawns, warm middays and dusty tracks, so the goal is a small set of clothes that layer well, wash easily and do not draw attention from insects or wildlife. Many camps and lodges offer laundry, which is why experienced travellers pack for four or five days rather than the full trip.
Quick checklist
- Bag: one soft duffel or soft-sided bag, plus a small daypack
- Tops: 3–4 breathable shirts or T-shirts in khaki, olive, tan or stone; at least one long-sleeved shirt
- Bottoms: 2 pairs of lightweight trousers, 1 pair of shorts
- Warm layers: a fleece or light down jacket and a light waterproof shell
- Footwear: closed walking shoes or light boots, plus sandals for camp
- Sun: wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, high-factor sunscreen, lip balm
- Health: insect repellent, antimalarials if prescribed, personal medicines in original packaging, a small first-aid kit
- Kit: binoculars (one pair each if you can), camera, spare batteries and memory cards, power bank, head torch
- Power: Type G adapter (the three-pin UK style) and dual-voltage chargers
- Documents: passport, eTA approval, insurance details, yellow fever certificate if required, printed itinerary
- Bags inside your bag: fabric packing cubes or reusable pouches, not plastic carrier bags
What should I wear on a Kenya safari?
Wear neutral, breathable layers you can add or remove as the day warms up: a long-sleeved shirt, light trousers, a fleece for the first hours of the morning and a hat for the midday sun. Earth tones such as khaki, olive, tan and stone work best because they hide dust and do not attract biting insects.
Game drives usually start around dawn, and in an open or pop-up-roof vehicle the morning air can feel cold, especially in higher country such as the Masai Mara and Laikipia. By late morning you will often be down to a single layer. Lower, hotter parks such as Samburu call for lighter fabrics, but a warm layer is still worth having for evening drives and dinner outdoors.
Long sleeves and long trousers matter most after sunset, when mosquitoes are active. Closed shoes are sensible for walking around camp at night and for any guided walks. You do not need specialist safari clothing: lightweight hiking or travel clothes in the right colours do the job.
Which colours should you avoid on safari?
Avoid dark blue and black, because tsetse flies are attracted to both colours, and leave military-style camouflage at home. Bright white is impractical rather than risky: it shows dust within minutes.
The tsetse link is well established. Research on tsetse control has found that blue targets catch the most flies, and the most effective targets for several tsetse species are made from blue and black cloth. Where tsetse flies are present, their bite is painful, so navy jeans and black T-shirts are best kept for the city.
On camouflage, Kenyan law makes it an offence for anyone who is not a police officer to wear a police uniform or one that resembles it, and Kenyan authorities have repeatedly warned civilians against wearing military-style attire. The simplest approach is to pack nothing that could be mistaken for a uniform, including camouflage-pattern jackets, trousers and bags.
How much luggage can you take on a safari flight in Kenya?
On Kenya's scheduled light-aircraft safari flights, the allowance is 15 kg per person including hand luggage, carried in soft-sided bags. As of October 2026, both Safarilink and Airkenya publish a 15 kg limit for safari routes, and Safarilink describes it as strictly enforced.
Safarilink allows 20 kg on some routes, including Mombasa, Diani, Malindi, Lamu, Kisumu, Zanzibar and Entebbe, but the safari airstrips use the 15 kg figure. Airkenya states that its 15 kg covers all hand baggage, with personal items such as handbags capped at 5 kg within that total. Both airlines treat excess baggage as carried at their discretion, depending on load and space, so you should not assume extra kilos will travel with you.
The soft-bag rule exists because the holds on small aircraft are small and irregularly shaped. Safarilink warns that rigid suitcases are harder to stow and may, in extreme cases, follow on a later flight. A soft duffel with no wheels or frame is the safest choice. If your itinerary is entirely by road, as many Kenya safaris are, the limit does not apply, but a soft bag is still easier to load into a safari vehicle.
If you are carrying heavy camera equipment, plan for it early. Our guide to safari photography tips covers how to build a lighter kit, and Safarilink also offers a dedicated freight seat for travellers who need far more capacity.
Can you bring plastic bags into Kenya?
No. Kenya banned plastic carrier bags and flat bags used for commercial and household packaging in 2017, so pack fabric packing cubes, reusable pouches or paper bags instead of supermarket carrier bags.
The ban was announced by Gazette Notice in February 2017 and took effect on 28 August 2017. According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), it covers carrier bags of any thickness or colour and flat bags without handles. When the ban came in, Kenya Airports Authority placed bins at entry points at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport so arriving visitors could hand over their plastic bags.
For travellers, the practical rule is simple: do not use plastic carrier bags to organise your luggage, and do not arrive carrying shopping in them. Fabric cubes keep a soft duffel tidy and are reusable. Toiletries can go in a washable zip pouch.
What plug adapter do you need for Kenya?
Kenya uses Type G sockets, the three-rectangular-pin design used in the UK, at 240 V and 50 Hz. Visitors from the UK need no adapter; most others need a Type G adapter, and anyone with 110–120 V-only devices needs a voltage converter.
Most phone, laptop and camera chargers are dual-voltage, which you can confirm on the label (look for 100–240 V). Bring a small multi-socket travel adapter or a USB charging hub so you can charge several batteries overnight from one socket, and a power bank for long days out. Charging arrangements vary between camps, so it is worth asking about them when you plan your trip.
Do you need malaria tablets and insect repellent for a Kenya safari?
Yes, for most safari areas. NHS Fit for Travel describes malaria risk as high throughout the year in most of Kenya, but low in Nairobi and the highlands above 2,500 metres, and advises antimalarial tablets for those visiting risk areas.
The usual options are atovaquone/proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine, and the right choice depends on your health and itinerary, so see a doctor or travel nurse several weeks before you leave. Tablets are only part of the protection. Cover up with long sleeves and trousers after sunset, use insect repellent on exposed skin and sleep under a mosquito net where one is provided. If you develop a fever after your trip, seek medical advice promptly and mention that you have been in a malaria area.
What documents do you need for a Kenya safari?
You need a passport valid for at least six months from your arrival date with at least two blank pages, an approved Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) and, as of October 2026, Kenyan Government-provided travel health insurance.
The eTA is applied for online through the official portal, and the UK government's travel advice says Kenyan authorities recommend applying at least two weeks before departure (the portal minimum is three days). From 5 October 2026, most visitors staying less than 12 months must also hold the government travel health insurance, which is bought during the eTA application; foreign policies are not accepted in its place. A yellow fever vaccination certificate is needed if you are arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. Keep digital and paper copies of everything, and check the current rules for your nationality before you travel, because entry requirements change. Our safari FAQ covers other common planning questions.
What should you leave at home?
Leave hard suitcases, camouflage clothing, plastic carrier bags, dark blue and black clothing, and anything you would hate to lose. The table below summarises what to pack and what to leave by category.
| Category | Pack | Leave at home |
|---|---|---|
| Luggage | Soft duffel, small daypack, fabric packing cubes | Hard or wheeled suitcases, plastic carrier bags |
| Clothing | Khaki, olive, tan and stone layers; long sleeves; fleece | Dark blue, black, camouflage, bright white |
| Footwear | Closed walking shoes, camp sandals | Heavy mountaineering boots (unless trekking) |
| Health | Repellent, prescribed antimalarials, sunscreen, first-aid kit | Medicines without original packaging |
| Electronics | Type G adapter, dual-voltage chargers, power bank, binoculars | A drone, unless you have Kenyan permits arranged in advance |
| Documents | Passport, eTA, travel health insurance, yellow fever certificate if required | Original documents with no backup copies |
If you are heading on to Tanzania or adding a beach stay, the same principles apply, though you may want a few lighter extras for the coast. For a first trip, our guide to planning your first safari walks through the bigger decisions before you start packing. When you are ready to talk about routes and timing, you can send us an enquiry and we will build a private itinerary around your dates.