Maralal is around 340 kilometres north of Nairobi by road. The most reliable route goes via Nyahururu (Thomson's Falls), on a reasonable tarmac road most of the way, with the final stretch to Maralal on an unpaved but usually passable road. The drive takes around five to six hours from Nairobi in a private vehicle, longer with public transport.
Matatus and shared minibuses run from Nyahururu to Maralal several times daily, leaving from the Nyahururu bus stage in the morning. From Nairobi, take a matatu or bus to Nyahururu first, then connect onward. Some buses run direct from Nairobi on longer schedules. A 4WD is recommended if you plan to explore beyond the town, particularly for the road north toward Baragoi and Lake Turkana, which deteriorates significantly after Maralal.