Skip to content
KenyaPlus — home
Menu

Kilifi County

Malindi

Information status: Verified
The white Vasco da Gama Pillar on the shore at Malindi, with the sea behind

About Malindi

A coastal town in Kilifi County, about 120 km north-east of Mombasa, with the Vasco da Gama Pillar — a national monument managed by the National Museums of Kenya — and Kenya's first marine protected area.

Information status: Verified

Highlights

  • The Vasco da Gama Pillar, dated to 1498 or 1499 and gazetted as a national monument in 1935
  • Malindi Marine National Park & Reserve, established in 1968: reefs, coral gardens, seagrass and mangroves
  • Reef fish, sea turtles and humpback dolphins recorded in the marine park
Information status: Verified

Suggested time

At least 2 days

Information status: Unconfirmed

Confirm before booking

  • Marine park fees and boat or snorkelling trips (often tide-dependent)
  • Opening hours and fees for the Vasco da Gama Pillar
  • Flights to Malindi, or road conditions from Mombasa

KenyaPlus does not yet hold verified data for these.

When to go

Rain affects travel in Kenya, especially on unpaved roads. Here is the yearly pattern and the current forecast for Malindi, both from the Kenya Meteorological Department.

  1. January: between the rains.
  2. February: between the rains.
  3. March: long rains.
  4. April: long rains.
  5. May: long rains, expected peak.
  6. June: between the rains.
  7. July: between the rains.
  8. August: between the rains.
  9. September: between the rains.
  10. October: short rains.
  11. November: short rains.
  12. December: short rains.
  • Long rains
  • Short rains
  • Between the rains
  • Expected peak (2026 outlook)
Information status: Estimated

Forecast: October–December 2026

For Kilifi County, the Kenya Meteorological Department expects above-average rainfall in October–December 2026, with rains starting in the 2nd to 3rd week of October and ending in the 1st to 2nd week of December.

Information status: Verified
Kenya's rainy seasons

More in our guide: Best time to visit Kenya.

Park entry fees

Information status: Verified

Malindi Marine National Park — daily entry

Per person, per 24 hours. Children under 6 enter free.

Malindi Marine National Park — daily entry: fees by visitor category
VisitorAdultChild
East African citizenKES 500KES 250
Kenya residentKES 675KES 350
African citizenUSD 15USD 10
Non-resident / foreign visitorUSD 25USD 15

Official KWS tariff "Conservation Fees 2025", supplied by the KenyaPlus owner and checked on 17 Oct 2026.

  • KWS marine protected areas share one rate.
  • Boat and water-sport charges are separate.
  • Entry is charged per person and is valid for one visit of up to 24 hours.
  • Children aged five and younger enter free; the child rate covers ages 5–17, and students up to 23 on an organised visit from their school or college.
  • Kenyan citizens aged 70 and over and persons with disability are exempt.
  • Vehicle charges are extra (from KES 600 a day for a vehicle with fewer than 6 seats), as are camping and activities.

Guides for Malindi

  • Malindi

    The Vasco da Gama Pillar, Kenya's first marine protected area, and getting to Malindi on the north coast.

  • Watamu: reefs, turtles and the Gedi ruins

    Watamu Marine National Park's reefs and nesting turtles, and the Gedi ruins, a World Heritage Site since 2024.

Things to do in Malindi

Where next from Malindi

Close by

If you like Malindi

Compare Malindi with Lamu

Thinking of visiting Malindi?

Add it to a plan and run the Trip Reality Check.

Plan a trip with MalindiCompare with other places

Sources

Spotted something out of date? Tell us — we check corrections against the source before changing anything.