Join us for an untold excitement Mombasa has to offer, and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Mombasa is the easiest coastal trip in Kenya to actually take. Not the prettiest beach in the country and not the quietest, but the one you can reach by breakfast and be swimming in by three.
The Madaraka Express leaves Nairobi Terminus at eight and reaches Miritini in the early afternoon. First Class costs KES 4,500 each way. Nobody drives, nobody arrives wrecked, and the six hours through Tsavo turn out to be a part of the trip people talk about afterwards rather than endure.
What waits at the other end is a city with two halves. Nyali, Bamburi and Shanzu run north along white sand with the reef sitting directly offshore. Old Town runs the other way, a dense grid of carved Swahili doors, coral rag walls and Fort Jesus above the harbour where the Portuguese, the Omanis and the British all took turns.
Most couples do both in 3 days and still spend a full day doing nothing. Our 7 Bae Experience packages are built around exactly that, from KES 42,900 per person sharing.
Beach packages for couples, with the train, the transfers and half board already included.
Budget (KES 400 to 800)
Old Town around Biashara Street and the lanes off Mackinnon Market, where the food is Swahili, fast and eaten standing up.
Mid range (KES 900 to 1,500)
Nyali and the city centre along Digo Road and Haile Selassie, the range most couples end up in for lunch.
Fine dining (KES 2,000 and up)
Nyali, Bamburi and Shanzu, mostly beachfront or clifftop, and the places worth booking ahead for one night of the trip.
Location: Cement Silo Road, Nyali, on the cliff above Tudor Creek and the Old Harbour, a few minutes from Nyali Bridge and about 20 minutes from Moi International.
Menu: Seafood led, drawing on French, Asian and Swahili cooking, with grilled meat and vegetarian dishes alongside. Ask for a Dawa, which they are known for.
Why Visit: The clifftop terrace looking back at the harbour is the reason to come, and it is the obvious choice for the one dinner of the trip worth dressing for. Book ahead. The Tamarind Dhow sails from the same jetty in the evening and is bookable through us as an add-on to any Mombasa package.
Location: Mtwapa Creek, about 16 km north of Mombasa island off the Mombasa to Malindi road, with the turning immediately after Mtwapa Bridge. The access road is not signposted, so watch for the tall building called Penthouse and turn there. They run pickups from coast hotels, which is easier than finding it yourself.
Menu: Seafood led, with platters, prawns, crab and fish alongside steaks, pasta, pizza, chicken and vegetarian dishes. The wine list leans South African.
Why Visit: Kenya’s only floating restaurant, a timber deck resting on a platform on the creek among the mangroves, so the room moves gently while you eat. Trading since 1994. Come for sunset rather than dinner, since the light on the creek is the point and the kitchen slows down when the place is full. They also run a dhow and a catamaran for sundowner cruises on the creek, bookable separately.
Location: Inside Serena Beach Resort and Spa on Shanzu Beach, about 25 km from Mombasa island and 35 minutes from Moi International. Open to non residents, so you do not have to be staying there.
Menu: Seafood led and cooked over the grill, using what comes in locally. Serena’s other venues on site cover Swahili dishes, wood fired pizza and all day dining if you want something lighter.
Why Visit: The room is built around an Arabian dhow theme with a ceiling of sails above you and the ocean a few metres away, which makes it the most distinctive dining room on the North Coast. Reviewers who have eaten at both regularly rate it above Tamarind on food and service, and it costs less. Book ahead, and note it is 25 km out, so build the transport into your evening.
Location: Links Road, Nyali, behind City Mall, about ten minutes from Mombasa CBD and 25 minutes from Moi International. Google Maps places the pin badly, so navigate to City Mall and go from there. There is a large car park.
Menu: Sushi, sashimi and teppanyaki, with bento boxes as the value option and multi course teppanyaki menus at the top end. The chilli prawns and the tempura prawns come up again and again in reviews. Good vegetarian range, which is rare on this coast.
Why Visit: You are greeted with a drum, the room is quiet and Kabuki styled, and the teppanyaki tables mean a chef cooks in front of you, which turns dinner into the evening rather than a stop on the way to it. It is the only serious Japanese kitchen on the coast and a genuine change of pace after three days of grilled fish. Not cheap, and portions run large. Book for evenings.
Location: Old Town, at the end of a narrow street above the Old Port, a short walk from Fort Jesus. Look for the bright yellow building and the carved doors.
Menu: Swahili coastal cooking with Indian and Arab influence. Grilled seafood, pilau, biryani, curries and samaki wa kupaka, which is fish in coconut sauce and the dish reviewers keep coming back to. Portions are large enough that couples routinely share one main. Around KES 800 to 1,500 for a full meal.
Why Visit: You walk through the doors and the harbour opens up in front of you, looking across the channel to the mainland. It carries over three thousand reviews, which tells you it is consistent rather than exceptional, and consistency is the harder thing to find. It is also the natural lunch stop on your final day, when the car is yours and Old Town is on the way to the station. Service can be slow.
Location: Ndia Kuu Road, Old Town, a few minutes on foot from Fort Jesus. It is small and easy to walk past, so pin it before you set off rather than looking for a sign.
Menu: Swahili coffee spiced with cardamom, Turkish coffee, chai and fresh juices, alongside mahamri, samosas, bhajias, chapatis and dates. Set lunch and dinner menus run roughly KES 800 to 1,500 with biryani, coconut fish and Swahili style prawns.
Why Visit: Low cushioned seating, carved furniture and paintings that trace the Swahili, Indian, Arab and Portuguese threads running through this city. It is the quietest room in Old Town and the obvious place to stop when the heat and the lanes have worn you out. Come for the coffee and the chapatis rather than a full meal, and give yourself an hour with nothing to do.
Period: June to October, January to February
What to Expect: June to October is dry and a little cooler, the easiest weather of the year and the busiest, so book two months out. January and February are hot and clear with quieter beaches and the best water clarity for snorkelling on the reef.
Period: March to May, November to December
What to Expect: The long rains from March to May bring the lowest hotel rates of the year and genuinely green coastline. November and December bring short rains that rarely spoil a day, then the festive rush arrives from 23 December with supplements at every hotel on this coast.
Mombasa is easy to reach by train, air or road. The Madaraka Express runs three times daily from Nairobi Terminus to Miritini, and Jambojet, Kenya Airways, Skyward Express and Freedom Airline Express fly JKIA to Moi International in about an hour. By road it is roughly 480 km on the A109, with Modern Coast, Coast Bus and Dreamline running day and overnight services. However you arrive, arrange your transfer in advance rather than negotiating at the terminus or the airport.
Land at Moi International (MBA), about an hour from Nairobi and 40 minutes from the Nyali hotels.
The Madaraka Express runs three times daily from Nairobi, with the 8:00am arriving around 2:10pm at Miritini.
Roughly 480 km on the A109, eight to eleven hours by bus or car through Mtito Andei and Voi.
The terminus is 22 km from Nyali, so arrange your transfer before you travel rather than on the platform.
| Airline Name | Reviews |
|---|---|
| Safarilink | (Good) |
| Air Kenya | (Good) |
| Jambo Jet | (Good) |
| Fly 540 | (Good) |
Mombasa’s beach hotels run north from the island along three strips, and which one you choose mostly decides how long you spend in a car. Nyali is closest to town and to the train, Bamburi sits a little quieter with Haller Park nearby, and Shanzu is furthest out and the most resort heavy. All three put you on white sand with the reef offshore. Our couples packages anchor on Nyali, for the simple reason that on a short trip the transfers matter.
Closest to both Mombasa CBD and the SGR terminus at Miritini, roughly 7 km from town with City Mall and Nyali Centre fifteen minutes away. Good beach, short transfers and the easiest base if you want Old Town and Fort Jesus within reach. Our Bae Experience packages use Mombasa Beach Hotel here, a 152 room property where every room has a sea facing balcony. Reef Hotel is the step up.
A little further north and noticeably quieter, with Haller Park on the doorstep and a long stretch of sand. Kenya Bay, Travellers Beach Hotel and Bamburi Beach Hotel sit along this strip, running from mid range half board up to all inclusive ocean front.
The furthest of the three and the most resort-focused, with wider beach and fewer reasons to leave the property. Serena Beach Resort and Spa is the landmark here, built to resemble a 13th-century Swahili village, with the Jahazi Grill on site.
Mombasa spreads across an island and three coastal strips, so almost everything involves a bridge or a causeway. What you use depends less on budget than on how far north you are staying and what time of day you are moving.
Both work across the island, Nyali, Bamburi and Shanzu, and coverage is good. Cashless, tracked and the easiest option for short hops. Waiting times stretch in the evenings and along the north coast strips, so allow more time than the app quotes after dark.
Ranks at Moi Avenue, Nyali and the airport. No meters, so agree the fare before you get in and carry small notes. Useful when your phone or data fails, and drivers know the shortcuts around the causeway at peak.
A car with a driver for the day, which is how most couples handle Old Town, Fort Jesus and Haller Park without deciding anything in advance. This is what our Mombasa packages include on the final day, from checkout until the station drop. Bamm Tours quotes current rates.
The short hop option along the north coast strips and around Old Town, open sided and cheap. Agree the price first. Not for luggage, and not for the run to Miritini.
Possible but rarely worth it on a short trip. You will be paying for a car that sits at the hotel for two days, and the island at peak is not where you want to learn the road layout. Bamm Tours has the options if you want one.
Traffic clogs the Nyali Bridge and the Makupa causeway at morning and evening peak, which is what turns a 22 km transfer into an hour. Stick to well lit pickup points after dark.
The reef sits directly offshore from Nyali, Bamburi and Shanzu, which means the snorkelling boats leave from the sand in front of your hotel rather than from a harbour an hour away. Kenya’s oldest marine park, gazetted in 1986, with coral gardens, reef fish and sea grass beds close enough to reach in a few minutes.
Water clarity is at its best from January to March and again from October, when the sea is calmest. Snorkelling and the glass bottom boat are both add ons to any of our Mombasa packages.
For enquiries or bookings, write to [email protected]. We’ll revert within 20 minutes during business hours.
Is there really another company that an individual based in Nairobi Kenya can book to travel with apart from Baecation Adventures? I don’t think so. I have personally used their services since the year 2000. Their Tour guides and staff in the office are professionals. Their Tour vehicles are the best in town. What’s more, you get the value for your money. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. All the best team!
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For us, It wasn’t just your typical wildlife safari, it was a perfect blend of adventure, nature and fun activities. We cycled through Hell’s Gate National Park, which offered breathtaking views and a completely unique perspective of the park.
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I was looking for an affordable tour package for my small family when I thought of calling Francis. After a few minutes of discussion, I liked his suggestion of going to Nakuru for 2 days and 1 day in Naivasha. My family and I enjoyed our stay at Buraha Zenoni. My kids did want me to check out.
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It depends almost entirely on how you get there and whether transfers are included. Our Bae Experience packages start at KES 42,900 per person sharing for three days and two nights, covering return First Class train, the transfer from Miritini, two nights at a Nyali beach hotel on half board and a private car with driver on your final day. The honeymoon package runs four days and three nights from KES 52,900 per person. Lunches, drinks and gate fees sit outside that.
Three days is the shortest trip that still works, giving you an arrival afternoon, one full unscheduled day and a final day in Old Town before the train. Four days is better if you can take the extra leave, which is why our honeymoon package carries a third night. Beyond five days most couples start adding a bush stop in Tsavo on the way home.
The train, comfortably. First Class on the Madaraka Express is KES 4,500 each way, against roughly three times that for a flight. Flying saves about five hours, but the train runs through Tsavo in daylight and needs no airport queues at either end. All our Mombasa packages use First Class both ways.
The North Coast, which runs from Nyali through Bamburi to Shanzu. Nyali is closest to both the city and the train terminus, so transfers are shortest, which matters most on a short trip. Bamburi is quieter with Haller Park nearby, and Shanzu is the furthest out and the most resort focused. Our packages anchor on Nyali for that reason.
Yes, with ordinary care. The tourist strips at Nyali, Bamburi and Shanzu have an established security presence and couples move around them freely. The one place people get caught out is the arrivals area at Miritini, which is busy with touts and unmetered taxis, which is why every one of our packages includes a driver who meets you on the platform rather than in the car park.
Diani has the better beach, and we are happy to say so since we run packages there too. Mombasa has everything else: Old Town, Fort Jesus, more places to eat, and a train station that puts you on the coast without a ferry crossing or a further hour of road. If the beach is the whole point, go to Diani. If you want a beach plus a city with 500 years of history in it, Mombasa wins.
April and May, during the long rains, when hotel rates drop sharply and the coastline is at its greenest. The rain here tends to come hard and briefly rather than settling in for the day. June to October is the driest and the busiest, and late December carries a festive supplement at every hotel on this coast.
Yes, and it must be the original document used at booking. Kenya Railways tickets are tied to a named passenger and are not transferable, so a photocopy or a photo on your phone will not get you aboard. This catches people out most often on surprise trips, where we need your partner’s ID details before we can ticket.
Return First Class train, a private transfer from Miritini with a meet on the platform, your hotel on half board so breakfast and dinner are handled, and a private car with driver on your final day from checkout until the station drop. Lunches, drinks, gate fees and anything from the add ons list sit outside. The full breakdown is on each package page.
Yes, and they are two of our seven Mombasa packages. For a proposal, we run a planning call before you travel to agree the evening, the timing and whether you want a photographer hidden nearby or nobody there at all. For a surprise, every confirmation, call and message goes only to the contact you nominate, and we never contact the other person.
Fort Jesus and the carved Swahili doors of Old Town, Haller Park and its giraffe feeding platform, the reef directly offshore for snorkelling or a glass bottom boat, and a sunset dhow that sails past Fort Jesus lit against the water. Our packages leave your final day open with a car and driver so you can pick on the morning rather than in advance.
Not reliably from Mombasa itself. Dolphin watching on this coast means Kisite Mpunguti off Shimoni, roughly two hours south, and it is worth a full day rather than a half. What you will find directly off the Nyali and Bamburi beaches is Mombasa Marine National Park, with coral gardens and reef fish a few minutes from the sand.
4 to 6 weeks for most of the year, and longer for June to October or anything over a holiday weekend. The binding constraint is usually First Class on the train rather than the hotel, since it sells out well before the rooms do. Bookings close inside 48 hours of departure because Kenya Railways tickets cannot be changed at that point.
The train is the binding part. Kenya Railways refunds 70 per cent if you cancel in person at a station at least 48 hours before departure, and nothing at all inside 48 hours. Tickets are tied to a named passenger, so they cannot be transferred to someone else or resold.
Hotel terms vary by property and by season, and we will tell you exactly where you stand before you pay anything. It is the reason we ask for real travel dates early rather than provisional ones.
Yes. Most couples booking a coast trip spread it across a few payments rather than settling in one go, and we would rather help you plan properly than have you pick a shorter trip than you wanted. The details are on our payment plans page. The only fixed point is that the train tickets have to be issued before travel, since Kenya Railways does not hold seats.
No. The honeymoon package is simply the four-day version with a third night on the coast, and plenty of couples take it because they want the longer trip rather than because they have just married. The other six occasions all run three days and two nights at the same price, so pick the one that matches your reason for going and we will shape it around you.
Air conditioned, assigned seating, noticeably more space than Economy, and large windows, which matters because the middle of the journey runs through Tsavo and the game sits close enough to the line to point out. Refreshments are available on board. Six hours sounds long until you realise neither of you is driving, and most couples tell us afterwards that the journey was part of the holiday rather than the price of it.
Our Bae Experience packages are built and priced for two people sharing, so they are couples only. That does not mean we cannot help. Tell us what you want and we will build a family version through our customised tours service, with the right room configuration, the right hotel and the train booked for everyone.
Yes, and it is more common than you would think, particularly for birthdays. We run group packages and the coast suits them well, since the train carries everyone together and the North Coast hotels have the room capacity. Get in touch with your numbers and dates and we will price it properly rather than multiplying the couple rate.
We can. The afternoon train reaches Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau at around twenty past eight in the evening, which is a long way from most of Nairobi with luggage after three days away. A private transfer from the terminus to your home or hotel is KES 5,000, and it is the add on couples are most grateful for once they realise what time they are landing.
