Fort Jesus
Portuguese fort built in the late 1500s on a coral ridge above the harbour, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and museum. Thick walls and bastions overlook the old town.
Mombasa
Coral-reef beaches are easy to reach from this historic port city, which has a Swahili old town and the Portuguese-built Fort Jesus.
Attractive locations
Haller Park
Former quarry turned into a nature park near Bamburi, with giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, tortoises and shaded walking paths.
Mombasa Tusks
Pairs of giant crossed tusks forming arches over Moi Avenue in the city centre, a well-known landmark and photo spot.
Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve
Marine park off the northern coast with coral reefs and clear water for snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips.
Rabai Museum
Small museum in the village of Rabai, inland from Mombasa, linked to the site where the missionary Johann Ludwig Krapf founded a mission in the 1840s.
Mombasa Old Town
Narrow streets of carved wooden doors, balconies, small shops and mosques near Fort Jesus, showing the Swahili and Arab influences on this old port.
Nyali Beach
Long stretch of sand north of the island, lined with resorts. It offers swimming, walks along the shore and an easy break from the busy city.
Airports
Moi International Airport MBA
It is about 8 km in a straight line from Mombasa.
Malindi International Airport MYD
It is about 103 km in a straight line from Mombasa.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan28.0 °C24 mm
- Feb28.4 °C15 mm
- Mar28.2 °C62 mm
- Apr26.9 °C129 mm
- May25.5 °C217 mm
- Jun24.3 °C74 mm
- Jul23.9 °C36 mm
- Aug24.3 °C29 mm
- Sep25.2 °C38 mm
- Oct26.1 °C98 mm
- Nov26.6 °C104 mm
- Dec27.4 °C69 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Aug. Wettest months: Apr, May, Nov.
Costs
Prices here are about 34% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
999 or 112.
ngo
Kenya Red Cross Society
Helps with: Kenya's national Red Cross society. Its contact page lists a head office in Nairobi, a main phone line and a toll-free number, 1199.
Who qualifies: People in Kenya who need Red Cross help or information.
Phone: +254 703 037 000
Address: South C (Bellevue), Red Cross Road, off Popo Road, Nairobi
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Kenya
Helps with: The UN migration agency, with a head office in Nairobi. Its work covers migration management and crisis response, and it lists a call centre and a medical enquiries line.
Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration in Kenya. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +254 709 889 000
Address: Sri Aurobindo Avenue, off Mzima Spring Road, Lavington, Nairobi
embassy
Diplomatic Directory (Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. The ministry's Diplomatic Directory (May 2025 edition) is the official list of foreign missions in Kenya.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own country's embassy or high commission.
Address: Old Treasury Building, Nairobi
local government
Emergency number 999 (police, ambulance and fire)
Helps with: Reaches the police, ambulance and fire services in Kenya. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 999