Cheap flights to
Kenya

We’re often asked if there’s a best time to book flights to find the best deals. While there’s no specific day of the week, there is a time period when flights tend to be cheaper. We call it the Goldilocks Window because it’s not too far ahead of your departure date but not too close either. For an international trip, you should look for flights 2–8 months before. For domestic trips, the window is a bit shorter, about 1–3 months before your trip.

If you plan to travel during peak season, however, or for a trip that requires specific travel dates, we recommend booking even further in advance. Start planning in December for a July safari trip, for example, or in July to visit Kenya in January. Last-minute deals are few and far between all the time but especially during busy travel seasons, with fare jumps happening 21, 14, and 7 days in advance, so don’t leave your planning for the month before.

Sometimes, fares just don’t drop, especially during peak travel periods. But before you give up on your dream vacation, try our Greek Islands Trick. It works especially well for the Greek islands, hence the name, but can be used all over the world.

If you want to fly from Miami to Kenya for a safari in August, flights could be upwards of $1,400. Instead, check out fares to Cairo or Dubai, often found for under $800 in the summer. From there, you can find a cheap ticket for the last leg. The goal is to get across the ocean for the cheapest price possible, then find a budget airline flight or other mode of transit to close the gap. This type of travel planning involves a little more work on your part, but it could save you a bundle.

Note that in some places, this trick works better than in others. In the case of Kenya, there aren’t many nearby airports that are super easy to reach. However, it’s always worth looking because if you can find a really great deal (for instance, the US to Cairo), it may ultimately end up taking your total trip cost down in the long run—plus, you may be able to add a whole other destination onto your trip.

This tip works like the Greek Islands Trick but in reverse. Again, say you live in Miami and want to visit Kenya for the Great Migration, but flights are out of your price range. Check out flights from New York instead. It’s far from Miami, but we see deals too good to pass up from airports across the country every day. If you see a deal for under $700 from New York to Nairobi, for example, it’s likely worth adding a flight from Miami to New York for under $200.

June–September is a busy season in Kenya—and for good reason. People want to travel during the dry season, when there’s a better chance of seeing lions and other wildlife, and it’s when kids are out of school and families can travel. However, more people flocking to a destination in a short time frame means airlines can charge more for flights.

Traveling in the off season is the best time to save money, but we like traveling during shoulder seasons—the periods just before and after high season. January–February, between Kenya’s rainy seasons, is a great time to visit, for example. You’ll have fewer crowds and lower prices but still get great weather.

Even if you have your heart set on a summer trip, there are still ways to save. Try to fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, which are usually the cheapest days to fly. Avoid Fridays and Sundays, the most expensive days, if you can.

Searching for flights can be stressful. Airfare changes constantly, searching takes time out of your day, and you’re always wondering if you missed a price drop. The good news is that there are tools out there that can do the work for you. Set up fare alerts for your travel dates, and you’ll get an email when prices drop. We recommend doing this before the Goldilocks Window we talked about above so you can see the deals that come up during that time. And if your dates or departure airports are flexible, set a few alerts.

Kenya is well-connected to much of the world but is a bit harder to reach from the US. There are nonstop flights from New York, but most visitors will have to make at least one connection, likely in New York or Europe. If you’re flying from the West Coast, you might have two layovers.