Mombasa County
Mombasa
Source: Kenya News Agency (opens in a new tab) · checked 17 Oct 2026
The source places Mombasa's Old Town in Mombasa County.
Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
About Mombasa
A historic port town whose Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1593–1596 to protect the port, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
Highlights
- Fort Jesus, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2011
- Mombasa Old Town, the fort's historic setting
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab) · checked 16 Oct 2026
More photos of Mombasa
See all 4 in the gallery ›
.jpg){kind=link}
Suggested time
At least 1 day
KenyaPlus editorial guidance for a comfortable visit, not an official rule.
Confirm before booking
- Fort Jesus opening hours and entry fees
- Train and flight schedules
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 Mombasa, both from the Kenya Meteorological Department.
- January: between the rains.
- February: between the rains.
- March: long rains.
- April: long rains.
- May: long rains, expected peak.
- June: between the rains.
- July: between the rains.
- August: between the rains.
- September: between the rains.
- October: short rains.
- November: short rains.
- December: short rains.
- Long rains
- Short rains
- Between the rains
- Expected peak (2026 outlook)
A summary of Kenya's national rainfall pattern from the Kenya Meteorological Department: long rains March to May (with the peak in April inland and May on the coast, as KMD expected for 2026) and short rains October to December. Other months are shown as between the rains. Rain varies by year and place, and between-the-rains months can still be wet.
Forecast: October–December 2026
For Mombasa 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.
Source: Kenya Meteorological Department (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
A seasonal forecast, not a guarantee. KMD also issues monthly and weekly updates.
Kenya's rainy seasons
March to May is the main rainfall season — the “long rains” — over most parts of Kenya.
Information status: VerifiedSources: Kenya Meteorological Department: Climate outlook for the 'Long Rains' (March–May) 2026 season (KMD/FCST/01-2026/SO/01) (opens in a new tab); Kenya Meteorological Department: Climate outlook for the 'Long Rains' (March–May) 2025 season (KMD/FCST/01-2025/SO/01) (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
For the 2026 long rains, the Kenya Meteorological Department expected the peak in April over most regions, and in May along the coast.
Information status: VerifiedSource: Kenya Meteorological Department (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
October to December brings the “short rains”, a major rainfall season in Kenya.
Information status: VerifiedSource: Kenya Meteorological Department (opens in a new tab) · checked 23 Oct 2026
More in our guide: Best time to visit Kenya.
Park entry fees
Information status: VerifiedMombasa Marine National Park — daily entry
Per person, per 24 hours. Children under 6 enter free.
| Visitor | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| East African citizen | KES 500 | KES 250 |
| Kenya resident | KES 675 | KES 350 |
| African citizen | USD 15 | USD 10 |
| Non-resident / foreign visitor | USD 25 | USD 15 |
Official KWS tariff "Conservation Fees 2025", supplied by the KenyaPlus owner and checked on 17 Oct 2026.
- For the marine park only. Fort Jesus is not in this tariff.
- 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 Mombasa
Mombasa: Fort Jesus and the Old Town
Fort Jesus and Mombasa Old Town, arriving by air or train, and getting on to the south coast.
Entering Kenya: the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA)
Who needs Kenya's eTA, who is exempt and for how long, the documents to have ready, and how long approval takes — from the official portal.
Getting around Kenya
The Nairobi–Mombasa train, domestic flights from Wilson Airport, and realistic road times between Kenya's main destinations.
Diani and the south coast
Getting to Diani by air or road, the Dongo Kundu bypass and the Likoni Ferry, and the Kisite-Mpunguti marine park.
Tsavo East: red elephants and the Galana River
One of Kenya's largest parks, between Nairobi and the coast — what sources confirm, and reaching it by train or road.
Lamu Old Town
East Africa's oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement — its architecture, festivals, and arriving by air.
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.
Tsavo West: Mzima Springs, lava and rhinos
Kenya's second-largest national park — springs under the lava, the rhino sanctuary, Lake Jipe, and reaching it by road or train.
Shimba Hills: rainforest and sable antelope near the coast
A green, hilly reserve 30 km from Mombasa — Kenya's last breeding sable antelope, Sheldrick Falls and coastal rainforest.
Things to do in Mombasa
Photo: Ami Gorasia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped and darkened behind text. All photo credits
Journeys
Ride the Madaraka Express from Nairobi to the coast
The train from Nairobi to Mombasa, past Tsavo.
Where: Nairobi · Tsavo East · Mombasa
Photo: Bahnfrend · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
Culture and history
Explore Fort Jesus and Mombasa Old Town
A 16th-century Portuguese fort and the old town beside it.
Where: Mombasa
Where next from Mombasa
Close by
Photo: FredD · CC BY-SA 3.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
Diani Beachunder 1 h by road (estimate)
Photo: Mutisya Maingi · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
Shimba Hills National Reserveabout 1 h by road (estimate)
Photo: N Beenay · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
Watamuabout 2 h by road (estimate)
If you like Mombasa
Photo: Alexmbogo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
NairobiAlso good for city, culture, food
Photo: Ruslik0 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
MalindiAlso good for beach, culture
Photo: Sila101 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · original
Resized to 1,920 px wide and metadata removed; displayed cropped to fit. All photo credits
LamuAlso good for culture
Thinking of visiting Mombasa?
Add it to a plan and run the Trip Reality Check.
Sources
- Kenya News Agency (opens in a new tab) — Heavy security as government implements lockdown in Old Town (May 2020) (checked 17 Oct 2026)
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre (opens in a new tab) — Fort Jesus, Mombasa — World Heritage List (checked 16 Oct 2026)
Spotted something out of date? Tell us — we check corrections against the source before changing anything.