Kankan lies around 500 km east of Conakry along a road that is mostly paved but slow — expect seven to nine hours by bush taxi, longer in the rains. Bush taxis (minibuses and station wagons) depart from Conakry's Bambeto and Madina motor parks when full, which can mean a wait of several hours. The road passes through Mamou and Kissidougou and the journey has some spectacular scenery through the Fouta Djallon highlands before flattening out into the drier east.
There is a small airport at Kankan (KNN), but scheduled services are infrequent and unreliable. Check current status before building travel plans around it.
Kankan also serves as a transit point for travel onward to Mali — shared vehicles head east from the main motor park toward the border at Kourémalé or Koulounin most days.