Itineraries. Updated November 2026. 6 min read.
For about $8 in economy or $23 in first class, the Madaraka Express crosses Tsavo at up to 120 km/h, and on most trips somebody in your carriage spots elephants from the window. It is the cheapest safari transfer in Kenya, and one of the most enjoyable. This route uses it the way we think it works best: not as a way to skip the safari, but as the ride into one.
Here is the plan in two sentences. You take the morning train from Nairobi to Voi, step off into Tsavo East for two nights of game drives, see Mombasa's Old Town on the way down to the coast, and finish with three nights on Diani Beach. It starts at about $2,200 per person sharing in mid-range lodges and hotels, and it is a sample route we tailor to you, not a fixed departure.
Who this route suits
- Travelers who would rather sit by a big window than fold themselves into a 12-seat light aircraft
- Families with children old enough to enjoy a five-hour train ride with snacks and a view
- Anyone who wants safari and beach in one week without the cost of internal flights
- Rail fans: this is the line that replaced the old Uganda Railway, the one built through Tsavo in the 1890s
- Repeat visitors who have done the Mara and want a different, quieter park
It suits people chasing the Great Migration less well. The herds are in the Maasai Mara, on the other side of the country, and our Great Migration route is the one for that. Tsavo's draw is space, red earth and big elephant herds, with far fewer vehicles than the Mara.
The Madaraka Express in plain facts
| Item | Detail | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi station | Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau, off Mombasa Road | Allow an hour or more from Westlands or Karen in morning traffic |
| Mombasa station | Miritini terminus, on the mainland | 30 to 45 minutes to Mombasa island by road |
| Morning inter-county train | About 8:20am, about 5 hours 40 to Mombasa | The one that stops at Voi for Tsavo East |
| Afternoon express | About 3pm, about 5 hours to Mombasa | Fewer stops; take it if you are going straight to the coast |
| Fares, Nairobi to Mombasa | Economy KSh 1,000; first class KSh 3,000 | Roughly $8 and $23; shorter hops such as Nairobi to Voi cost less |
| Children | Ages 3 to 11 pay half | Check the current child rules when you book |
| Booking | Kenya Railways online booking site or app, with passport details | Book at least a day ahead, and weeks ahead at holidays; we book for you |
The line opened in 2017 and runs on standard gauge track, with underpasses built so elephants and other animals can cross beneath it. For most of the journey you are looking at dry bush, red soil and the occasional baobab. Between Mtito Andei and Voi the railway runs between Tsavo West and Tsavo East, and that is the stretch where people press their faces to the glass.
How a day on the train works
Treat the station like a small airport. Bags are screened at the entrance and again before the platform, so we have you there an hour before departure, with your passport, because your ticket is issued in your name. Seats are numbered. First class has wider seats in a two-and-two layout and a quieter carriage; economy is busy, friendly and full of Kenyan families going home, which is part of the fun. Snacks and drinks are sold on board, but we pack water and lunch for you anyway. Your bags travel with you, so pack for a long hot afternoon on the platform at Voi, not just for the seat.
Which class? For a couple on a holiday, first class is worth the extra $15 or so each, mainly for the space and the calmer carriage. For a student group or a family on a tight budget, economy is perfectly comfortable for five hours. Both classes get the same view.
Why Tsavo East, and why from Voi
Voi station sits a short drive from Voi Gate, the busiest entrance to Tsavo East, so you step off the train in the early afternoon, meet your driver-guide and are on a game drive within the hour. Tsavo East and Tsavo West together cover more than 20,000 square kilometres, which makes Tsavo the largest protected area in Kenya. The famous sights in the east are the red-dusted elephants, the Aruba Dam waterhole, the Galana River at Lugard Falls and the long view from Mudanda Rock. Lions here are the maneless Tsavo type. The non-resident park fee is $80 per adult per day at the time of writing, against $200 in the Mara from July to December.
There is history on this line too. In 1898 two lions killed railway workers building the original bridge over the Tsavo River, the story of the Man-Eaters of Tsavo. Your guide will tell it better than we can, and our Tsavo East page and Tsavo stay guide cover the park and the lodges in detail.
Mombasa on the way down, then Diani
On day 4 we drive out of Tsavo to Mombasa, about 3 hours, or put you back on the train at Voi if the timetable suits. Mombasa's Old Town is worth the afternoon: Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in the 1590s and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, then the narrow lanes, carved doors and a Swahili lunch. From the island it is about 1 to 1.5 hours to Diani, either across the Likoni ferry or on the newer southern bypass road, depending on traffic.
Diani gets three nights: long white sand, colobus monkeys in the coastal forest, and the Kisite-Mpunguti dhow trip for dolphins and snorkeling if you want a big day out. Our Diani guide and Diani stay guide cover the beach and the hotels; we will not repeat them here.
Swaps and add-ons
- Ride the train both ways: Diani back to Mombasa, and the afternoon express to Nairobi, instead of flying home from Ukunda
- Tsavo West instead of Tsavo East: Mzima Springs, the Shetani lava flow and the Ngulia rhino sanctuary, a longer drive from Voi
- Watamu instead of Diani: turtles, the marine park and the Gedi ruins, about 2.5 to 3 hours north of Mombasa
- Add Amboseli before the train: two nights under Kilimanjaro, then back to Nairobi for the morning departure
- Skip the safari and take the afternoon express straight to Mombasa for a beach-only week
When to go
Tsavo is at its best in the dry months, June to October and January to February, when animals gather at the waterholes and the Galana River. The coast is dry and breezy from late June to October and hot and calm from December to March. April and May bring the long rains, heaviest on the coast in May, when some beach hotels close and Tsavo's tracks turn slippery. Trains run all year, but they sell out at Christmas, Easter and school holidays, so book early for those dates.
What is included
- Airport pickup in Nairobi and the transfer to Nairobi Terminus
- Train tickets from Nairobi to Voi, in first class or economy
- Six nights: Nairobi hotel, Tsavo East lodge or camp on full board, Diani hotel on half board or better
- Private safari vehicle and Kenyan driver-guide from Voi, through Tsavo and on to Mombasa and Diani
- Tsavo East park fees for the days on the plan, and the Fort Jesus entry
- The flight from Ukunda to Nairobi on the last day
- Our 24-hour support while you travel
What is not included
- International flights, the Kenya eTA, the inbound health insurance and your travel insurance
- Beach excursions such as the Kisite dhow trip, unless you add them
- Tips for guides and hotel staff, drinks and personal items
How to book this trip
Tell us your dates and how many of you are traveling. We check the train timetable for your day, book your seats in your names, pick the Tsavo lodge and the Diani hotel, and send a written quote that lists every fare and fee. Fares and fees change, so the figures on this page are a starting point. You can pay in full or monthly with no deposit.
