AFCON 2027 host cities: how to travel between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

Three countries, an hour apart by air, with three sets of entry rules. How to move between them without missing a match.

Aerial view of the new Hoima City Stadium in western Uganda, with a white roof over red seats and a green pitch.

AFCON 2027 host cities are spread across three countries, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and a fan following one team could cross two borders in the group stage alone. The good news is that the main cities are an hour or so apart by air. The catch is that each country has its own entry rules, and the cheapest regional seats will go early. The tournament runs from 19 June to 17 July 2027.

This guide covers flying between the hosts, the overland routes worth taking, the border paperwork and how to plan a trip around a schedule that is not out yet.

The AFCON 2027 host cities at a glance

Kenya: Nairobi, with Kasarani and the new Talanta stadium proposed. Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO).
Uganda: Kampala (Namboole), plus Hoima in the west and Lira in the north. Fly into Entebbe (EBB).
Tanzania: Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar and Arusha. Fly into Julius Nyerere (DAR), Zanzibar (ZNZ) or Kilimanjaro (JRO).

Aerial view of the Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi, a white oval stadium with a Maasai shield on its side and building work still going on around it.

CAF has not yet confirmed the final venues or the match schedule, so treat this list as the plan, not the answer.

Flying between the AFCON 2027 host cities

Flying is the sensible choice for almost every hop. The main routes, all direct:

Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, with its old white control tower and a row of African national flags under a blue sky.

Nairobi to Entebbe: about an hour, with several flights a day.
Nairobi to Dar es Salaam: about an hour and a half.
Nairobi to Kilimanjaro, for Arusha: about an hour. Fares were around $150 when a traveller checked in 2026.
Entebbe to Dar es Salaam: about an hour and a half.
Entebbe to Kilimanjaro: about an hour and a quarter, but only once a week on Uganda Airlines, according to FlightConnections.
Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar or Arusha: a short domestic flight, or a two-hour fast ferry to Zanzibar.

Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines, Air Tanzania and Precision Air all fly regional routes. Seats are limited, and three host countries share them, so book the flights between the AFCON 2027 host cities as soon as you know where your team plays. Choose fares you can change, and keep each flight on its own booking if they come from different airlines, so a delay on one does not cancel the next.

Overland: when it makes sense

Nairobi to Arusha is the one road trip most fans can do with ease. Shuttle buses take four to five hours for the roughly 275 km, and cost about $25–35. You cross at Namanga, getting off on the Kenyan side to be stamped out, then again on the Tanzanian side. Have your Tanzanian e-visa printed and your compulsory Tanzanian insurance ready.

Nairobi to Kampala takes about 13 hours by coach, through Busia or Malaba. It is cheap, but long, and the UK government's travel advice for Uganda warns against driving outside towns after dark. For a match trip, fly. If you go by road, travel in daylight with an established coach company and keep your passport and yellow fever card in your hand luggage.

Dar es Salaam to Arusha is about 650 km, a full day on the road. Fly unless you plan to stop on the way.

Kampala to Hoima or Lira is a road trip in any case: about four hours to Hoima and five to Lira. Use a hotel car or a hired driver your hotel trusts, leave early and come back in daylight.

Borders and paperwork between the AFCON 2027 host cities

Each country checks its own papers, and you need the right ones before you board.

Kenya and Uganda: the East Africa Tourist Visa covers both, plus Rwanda, for 90 days and multiple entries, at $100. Without it, you need each country's own entry permit.
Tanzania: not part of that visa. You need the Tanzanian e-visa and its compulsory government travel insurance, bought once at your first entry.
Kenya: also asks for its own travel insurance.
Yellow fever: Uganda checks the certificate on arrival, and the other two can ask for it when you come from a risk country, including from each other. Carry it with your passport for every crossing.

Scams at the borders

At land borders, people offer to "help" with visas, forms or currency. Decline politely and go straight to the official desks. Pay fees only at the counter and keep the receipt. Change money at a bank or a cash machine, not with the men waving notes at the border.

At airports, use the official taxi rank or a ride-hailing app, and agree the fare before you get in. In Zanzibar, Uber does not work: photograph the official fare board when you land.

How to plan a multi-country AFCON trip

1. Pick a base country first. Most fans following one team will spend the group stage in one country. Book that part as soon as the schedule is out. 2. Get the paperwork early. The East Africa Tourist Visa if you will cross between Kenya and Uganda; the Tanzanian e-visa and insurance if Tanzania is in the plan. 3. Book the next leg after each round. Hold flexible fares, or wait for the draw and book that night.

4. Leave a spare day. Regional flights do get delayed. Never plan to land on the morning of a knockout match. 5. Budget for cash. Each country has its own shilling, and taxis and markets often want cash or mobile money.

A sample two-country trip

Say your team plays its group in Nairobi and its round of 16 in Dar es Salaam. Fly into Nairobi on the East Africa Tourist Visa or Kenya's own permit, with Kenya's insurance. Apply for the Tanzanian e-visa and buy its insurance before you leave home, so both are ready if your team goes through. After the last group match, book the hour-and-a-half flight to Dar es Salaam that night, and arrive at least a day before the match. Add Zanzibar afterwards if there is time: it is a two-hour ferry away.

The terminal of Kilimanjaro International Airport, between Arusha and Moshi, behind a garden of red shrubs and pine trees.

Money across three countries

Moving between the AFCON 2027 host cities means three currencies. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania each have their own shilling, and they are not interchangeable. Take local cash from machines inside banks or malls when you arrive, and spend the last of it before you leave, because changing it back is hard. US dollars are useful for visas, Zanzibar taxis and some hotels; carry newer, clean notes, because old or torn ones are often refused.

What we do not know yet

CAF has not confirmed the venues, ticket prices or the match schedule, and the qualifiers run until March 2027. Uganda's announced visa waiver for the tournament still needs details. We will update this guide when they come. Until then, book what you can change, because tournament plans move. Our AFCON 2027 hub tracks every date as it is confirmed.

For the rest of your trip, see our Dar es Salaam guide and our Kampala guide.

Quick answers

What is the fastest way between the AFCON 2027 host cities? Fly. Nairobi, Entebbe and Dar es Salaam are about an hour or an hour and a half apart.
Can I take a bus from Nairobi to Arusha? Yes. Shuttles take four to five hours through Namanga.
Does one visa cover all three hosts? No. The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Kenya and Uganda, not Tanzania.
Do I need yellow fever proof? Carry the certificate for every crossing. Uganda checks it on arrival.