Best Places & Tourist Attractions To Visit in and Around Mombasa

By Anthony Ham

Mombasa is a fabulous city. At one level, it’s an incredible destination for its own sake. It’s a dynamic Swahili city filled with fascinating architecture, friendly people, and some first-rate attractions. But it’s also a gateway town for Kenya’s south coast beaches. And it’s a good place from which to launch excursions to the safari parks and reserves of the country’s southeast. Here is our guide to the best places to visit in Mombasa and nearby.

Fort Jesus

Fort Jesus, Mombasa

Of all the places to visit in Mombasa, Unesco World Heritage–listed Fort Jesus is the most spectacular. Ah, the history this building has seen! Built in 1593 by the Portuguese, it was also ruled over the centuries that followed by the Omanis, Swahili rebels and the British, and all left their mark. Wander the ramparts and enjoy the views, explore the architectural flourishes, and learn the fort’s fascinating history in the museum.

Mombasa Tours

Spice Market

Spices at Mombasa market. Source: flickr.com/photos/111724946@N08/11822429785

East Africa’s Indian Ocean coastline grew wealthy on the medieval trade in spices, and that legacy lives on today in the region’s buildings and multicultural population. For the full sensory overload, and for evidence that spices still pervade everyday life here in Mombasa, visit the fabulous spice market. Vocal salespeople hawk pyramids of cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, turmeric and all manner of curry powders to provide a riot of color, noise and fragrance, with street foods making use of the spices just outside the market’s walls. The spice market lies just west of the Old Town, along Nehru and Langoni Rds, and it’s one of the best places to visit in Mombasa.

Diani Beach

Hammock hanging between palm trees, Diani Beach, Mombasa

Having experienced the many tourist attractions in Mombasa, Kenya’s premier beach and coastal resort town, Diani Beach lies within easy reach of Mombasa and should be next on your list. A beautiful beach, a full slate of activities, fantastic eating and accommodation options, and plenty of nearby attractions are all possibilities in this wonderful place. There are other beaches (Takaungu and Tiwi) nearby, and the haunting, sacred forest of Kaya Kinondo is also close at hand. Come for a day, but, better still, stay for much longer.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 35km (21.7mi), 1½- to 2-hour drive, depending on the Likoni Ferry
Accommodation: Budget hostels, upmarket boutique beach hotels and most things in between.
Activities: Diving, snorkeling, water sports, skydiving and boat excursions.

Diani Beach Tours

Tsavo East National Park

Elephants covered in red dust in Tsavo East National Park

A safari to Tsavo East is one of the best things you can do from Mombasa. In fact, Tsavo East is the closest of Kenya’s major parks to Mombasa and offers an incredible array of wildlife. Highlights will almost certainly include elephants (which are very often coated in the red Tsavo dust), lions (look for the Tsavo males with their notoriously scruffy manes), zebras, giraffes and so much more. Cheetahs, gerenuk and Somali ostriches are other possible prizes.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 203km (126mi), 3 to 5 hours.
Accommodation: Tented camps and lodges across a range of budgets inside the park and just outside the western boundary.
Activities: Wildlife viewing (game drives) and birding.

Tsavo East Tours

Tsavo West National Park

Burchell's zebra in Tsavo West National Park

When thinking about what to do from Mombasa, Tsavo West National Park may not immediately spring to mind. But it’s one of Kenya’s best wildlife parks with some dramatic landscapes, and it’s close enough to make for a multiday excursion from the city. Admire volcanic rock formations or the green-as-green Mzima Springs with its baboons, crocodiles and hippos. You can also watch for wildlife (including lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras and others) in the Ngulia Hills area. You might even see rhinos, and the birdlife is amazing.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 266km (165mi), 4½ to 7 hours.
Accommodation: Small range of midrange and top-end lodges inside the park, plus a budget campground.
Activities: Wildlife viewing (game drives) and birding.

Tsavo West Tours

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

Impala, Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

If you’ve made it as far as Tsavo, then don’t miss Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. Run by the local community, it promises classic safari landscapes of savannah grasslands and lightly wooded hills. These form a backdrop for seeing lots of different animals that could include elephants, lions, cheetahs and klipspringers. Taita Hills is also known for its bird watching and there’s an intriguing WWI museum at the sanctuary entrance.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 201km (125mi), 3½ to 5 hours.
Accommodation: There are a couple of upper midrange lodges inside the sanctuary.
Activities: Wildlife viewing (game drives), birding and a museum visit.

Taita Hills Tours

Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary

Cheetah in Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary. Source: flickr.com/photos/191844316@N04/51667694868

Not far from Taita Hills, Lumo is another community-run sanctuary. Despite not receiving many visitors, Lumo is home to big cats, elephants and many more species. Over half of all the 1,100 bird species in Kenya are found here, including some real local specialties such as the Taita thrush, Taita white-eye and Taita apalis. Best of all, other safari vehicles are rare and you can go on night drives or even a walking safari.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 210km (130.5mi), 3½ to 5 hours.
Accommodation: Campgrounds, a couple of midrange lodges and a luxury tented camp.
Activities: Wildlife viewing (day and night game drives), birding and walking safaris.

Lumo Tours

Shimba Hills National Reserve

Buffalo with birds on its back, Shimba Hills National Reserve

One of the least-known treasures of Kenya’s safari portfolio, Shimba Hills National Reserve is an outstanding excursion from Mombasa. Combining pretty, forested hills with ample grasslands, Simba Hills offers the chance to see elephants, sable antelopes, buffaloes, baboons, and giraffes. The reserve is also known for its abundant birdlife, and the butterfly population here has to be seen to be believed.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 51.5km (32mi), 2 hours.
Accommodation: One upmarket lodge inside the reserve.
Activities: Wildlife viewing (game drives) and birding.

Shimba Hills Tours

Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park

Dolphins in Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park. Source: flickr.com/photos/bknabel/9390732232

It’s easy to forget that Kenya’s incredible wildlife is not just found on land but also under the sea. Down near the Tanzanian border in Kenya’s far southeast, off Wasini Island, Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park is home to dolphins, sea turtles, and all manner of sharks, stingrays and fish. The pristine coral reefs here are a dazzling underwater world that just has to be seen to be believed.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 85km (52.8mi), 2½ to 4 hours.
Accommodation: Wasini Island has a small range of budget and midrange accommodation.
Activities: Diving, snorkeling, water sports and dhow cruises.

Kisite-Mpunguti Tours

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary

Elephant at Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary Elephant in Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary. Source: flickr.com/photos/16348114@N02/13885864653

Barely known to international travelers, Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary lives up to its name with lots of elephants on show. It’s delightfully quiet, and you may sometimes even have the elephant sightings all to yourself. The scenery, too, is pretty special, particularly along the Cha Simba Valley section of the reserve. A visit here sends a strong signal of support to the local community which oversees the sanctuary.

Distance and Driving Time From Mombasa: 59km (36.7mi), 1½ to 2 hours.
Accommodation: Choose between a luxury tented camp and its budget campground.
Activities: Wildlife viewing (game drives) and birding.

Kenya Mombasa Places To Visit in Africa

By Anthony Ham

Anthony is a photographer and writer for travel magazines and Lonely Planet, including the guides to Kenya and Botswana & Namibia.