Planning your safari
What to Pack for Your Kenya Safari
The complete packing list — clothing, gear, health kit and documents — tuned to how you’re travelling, plus the local rules that quietly catch first-time visitors out at the airport.
Start here
The short version
In shortPack layers in neutral earth tones, comfortable closed shoes, sun and insect protection, binoculars and a camera, and your documents and any medication — all in a soft bag, and packed light if you’re flying. And for the sake of the law, leave three things at home: camouflage clothing, single-use plastic bags, and vapes.
Packing for a safari is less about bringing more and more about bringing the right things — and knowing a handful of Kenya-specific rules that surprise first-timers. Get the colours, the layers and the soft bag right, remember the binoculars and your medication, and you’re most of the way there.
Below is the full checklist, broken down by category, followed by how it changes for the kind of trip you’re taking — a Nairobi day drive, a multi-day road safari, or a fly-in trip with strict luggage limits.
The full list
Your safari packing checklist
Tap through the four categories. Two sets of clothing is genuinely enough for most trips — lodges do same-day laundry, so pack light.
The golden rule is neutral earth tones. They help you blend into the bush, don’t startle wildlife on walks, and don’t attract biting insects the way brights and darks do.
- Neutral earth tones — khaki, olive, tan, sand, beige and grey; the safari palette for good reason.
- Long sleeves & trousers — lightweight and quick-drying, for sun by day and insects at dusk.
- A warm fleece or jacket — early game drives are genuinely cold, even in the warmer months.
- A light rain jacket — essential in the green season and useful any time of year.
- Wide-brimmed hat & sunglasses — the equatorial sun is strong, even on cool mornings.
- Comfortable closed shoes — for drives and short walks, plus sandals for around camp.
- A buff or scarf — your best friend against the dust on open game drives.
- Swimwear — many camps and lodges have a pool for the heat of the afternoon.
A little kit goes a long way on safari. If you bring one thing beyond your clothes, make it binoculars.
- Binoculars — the item people most regret leaving behind; bring your own rather than share.
- A camera with a zoom lens — a proper zoom is what turns a distant animal into a photo.
- Spare batteries & memory — you’ll shoot far more than you expect; bring several and large cards.
- A power bank — for long days out, and for camps that run on limited power.
- A universal adapter — Kenya uses UK-style three-pin (Type G) plugs at 240 volts.
- A head-torch or flashlight — invaluable around camp once the sun is down.
- A refillable water bottle — camps refill purified water, so there’s no need for disposable plastic.
- A small daypack — for your camera, water and a layer on every game drive.
None of this is alarming — it’s the sensible kit for any tropical trip. Sort the malaria tablets before you leave home.
- Malaria tablets — get a prescription before travel and bring them in their original packaging.
- High-SPF sunscreen & lip balm — reapplied often; the sun is deceptively strong at altitude.
- Insect repellent — DEET (30 to 50 per cent) or picaridin, especially around dusk.
- A doctor’s letter for medication — carry any prescription drugs with a signed English letter.
- A small first-aid kit — antiseptic, plasters, blister pads, painkillers and tweezers for thorns.
- Rehydration salts — and a simple anti-diarrhoea remedy, sensible for any tropical destination.
- Hand sanitiser & wet wipes — genuinely useful out on the plains, far from a tap.
- Travel-sized toiletries — most camps provide the basics, so you can pack light here.
Have these ready before you fly, and keep a photo of each on your phone as a backup.
- Passport — valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates.
- Your eTA approval — apply online well in advance and carry a printed copy.
- Travel insurance — including medical evacuation cover; carry the policy details.
- Yellow-fever certificate — required if you’re arriving from or transiting an endemic country.
- Some cash — US dollars and Kenyan shillings for tips, drinks and small extras.
- Cards & mobile money — cards are widely accepted, and M-Pesa is used everywhere.
- Copies of everything — a photo of your passport, eTA and insurance kept on your phone.
- Carry ID at all times — a passport copy is usually fine; keep the original safe at your lodge.
Pack for your trip
How it changes by the kind of safari
The checklist is the same in spirit, but how much you bring — and how you pack it — depends on how you’re travelling.
Nairobi day trips
Travel light — just what you need for the day. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, a light layer, your camera and binoculars, water and a little cash. You’re back in the city by evening, so leave the full kit at your hotel.
Multi-day road safaris
The full list applies, but keep it to a soft holdall you can lift yourself. Two or three sets of clothing, your warm layer, and your gear and health kit. Road trips are far more forgiving on luggage than flights.
Fly-in safaris
Pack minimal and soft. Light aircraft cap luggage at around 15 kg per person in soft-sided bags — main bag and daypack combined. Leave the hard case and the “just in case” extras behind.
Bags, not baggage
Luggage: soft, and light
The one packing rule worth planning around from the very start — especially if any leg of your trip is by air.
Fact: the light aircraft that serve the safari parks enforce a strict luggage limit of around 15 kg per person, in soft-sided bags only. Mechanism: their holds are small and oddly shaped, so a rigid suitcase simply won’t fit, and every kilo is weighed at check-in. Consequence: overweight or hard-shell bags can be refused and left behind for a later flight. Advice: pack a soft duffel of about 60 litres or less, plus a small daypack — and remember that most lodges offer same-day laundry, so you need far less than you think.
For road safaris the limit is much more relaxed, but soft luggage still packs better into a four-wheel-drive than a hard case. Whatever your trip, a daypack is your constant companion on game drives — keep your camera, binoculars, water and a layer within easy reach, and leave the rest at camp.
Leave it behind
What not to bring
A few things are worth leaving at home — some for comfort and dust, and three because they can land you in trouble at the airport.
Kenya enforces a few rules that surprise first-time visitors, and customs at JKIA is vigilant. Leave camouflage clothing at home — military-style camo is reserved for the armed forces and illegal for civilians. Don’t bring single-use plastic bags of any kind, including duty-free bags and Ziploc baggies; they’ve been banned since 2017, are confiscated on arrival, and carry heavy fines. And leave vapes and e-cigarettes behind — Kenya banned the import of all nicotine products in late 2025. Flying a drone also needs clearance from the civil aviation authority, so that stays home too unless it’s been arranged.
They won’t fit a bush plane’s hold and don’t pack well into a safari vehicle. Bring a soft duffel instead.
Tsetse flies are strongly drawn to both colours, so stick to lighter earth tones out in the bush.
It looks smart for about an hour, and then the fine safari dust takes over completely.
They can startle wildlife, particularly on walking safaris where you’re on foot and close.
Heavy, slow to dry and hot in the sun. Lightweight, quick-drying trousers are far more comfortable.
Same-day laundry at most lodges means two or three sets of clothing is genuinely plenty.
Let’s plan it
Tell us about your trip
We’ll help you pack for exactly the safari you’re taking — and put a tailored quote together while we’re at it. Send a few details and we’ll reply personally, usually within hours.
Frequently asked questions
Safari packing FAQs
Clothing & colours
Neutral earth tones — khaki, olive, tan, sand, beige and grey. They help you blend into the bush, don’t startle wildlife, and don’t attract biting insects the way bright and dark colours do.
No. Military-style camouflage is reserved for the armed forces in Kenya and is illegal for civilians, so leave anything with a camo print at home to avoid trouble at the airport.
Far fewer than you’d think. Most lodges offer same-day laundry, so two or three sets of safari clothing, layered well, is genuinely enough — and it keeps you within the flight luggage limit.
Gear & health
Yes — it’s the item people most regret leaving behind. A good pair transforms distant sightings, and it’s well worth bringing your own rather than relying on sharing the lodge’s.
Kenya uses UK-style three-pin (Type G) plugs at 240 volts, so bring a universal travel adapter. A power bank is also handy for camps that run on limited power.
Speak to your doctor or a travel clinic before you go. Malaria prophylaxis is commonly advised, and a yellow-fever certificate is required if you’re arriving from or transiting an endemic country. Bring any medication in its original packaging with a doctor’s letter.
Luggage & rules
Around 15 kg per person in soft-sided bags on light aircraft — main bag and daypack combined. Hard suitcases won’t fit the hold, so pack a soft duffel of about 60 litres or less.
Kenya banned single-use plastic bags in 2017, and they’re confiscated at the airport with heavy fines. Use fabric packing cubes, mesh bags or dry sacks instead — including for your toiletries and shoes.
Only with prior clearance from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority. Without a permit, drones are confiscated on arrival, so arrange it well ahead or leave it at home.
Money & practical
Bring some US dollars and Kenyan shillings for tips, drinks and small extras. Cards are widely accepted in cities and lodges, and M-Pesa mobile money is used almost everywhere.
Your camera, binoculars, water, sunscreen, a hat and a light layer — everything you’ll want within reach while you’re out, with the rest left safely at camp.
Early mornings and evening game drives can be genuinely cold, even in the warmer months, so a warm fleece or jacket and a buff earn their space. The days themselves are warm to hot.
Pack light, travel well
Get the colours, the layers and the soft bag right, remember your binoculars and your documents, and leave the camo and plastics at home — and you’re ready. When you are, tell us about your trip and we’ll take care of the rest.
Plan the rest: what a safari costs, getting there, or pick a safari from Nairobi. More in safari planning.