Kayes is in western Mali, close to the Senegalese border. It is about 500 kilometres from Bamako and 450 kilometres from Dakar by rail.
By air, Kayes-Dag-Dag Airport has occasional domestic flights to Bamako, though schedules are unreliable. Flying is the fastest option if it works.
By train, the historic Dakar-Niger Railway connects Kayes to Bamako on the Malian side. The journey takes 12–18 hours (when trains run) through the Sahel plateau. The connection westward to Dakar through Senegal has been suspended for years; travel to Dakar requires road or bus. The train to Bamako runs infrequently and unreliably — confirm locally before depending on it.
By road, bush taxis and occasional bus services run between Kayes, Bamako, and the Senegalese border. The road to Bamako takes 8–12 hours by 4WD on roads that vary in condition. A road connection westward into Senegal exists, with the border crossing at Diboli.
Border crossings into Senegal or Mauritania require standard West African visas; check requirements for your nationality well in advance.