Malindi Town Day Tour Gede Ruins Marine Park Trip

Our 1 Day Malindi city tour runs from 0700 Hours to 1800 Hours and features a mix of historical, cultural, and natural attractions.

Activities include

✓ Local Swahili Lunch 
✓ Touring the Malindi Museum
✓ Visiting the Vasco da Gama Pillar
✓ Exploring the 13th-century Gede Ruins
✓ Visiting Malindi Marine National Park
✓ Optional visit to Bio-Ken Snake Farm 

This is a popular, affordable guided tour of Malindi, a seaside town on the Indian Ocean founded in the 13th Century, 120 km (75 miles) northeast of Mombasa, and known as “Little Italy” since the late 1960s. Our tour of Malindi begins with a pick-up from your residence and a drive to Malindi town, where you spend the day.

1 Day Malindi City Tour Itinerary

0700 Hours – 0830 Hours: Departure from your hotel (in Malindi/Watamu) or early morning arrival and drive to the Gede Ruins
0830 Hours – 1030 Hours: Guided tour of the Gede Ruins, an ancient, abandoned Swahili town, followed by a visit to the nearby Kipepeo Butterfly Project
1030 Hours – 1230 Hours: Scenic drive to Malindi town, visiting the Vasco da Gama Pillar, the Portuguese Chapel, and the House of Columns (Malindi Museum)
1230 Hours – 1400 Hours: Lunch at a local restaurant specializing in Swahili coastal cuisine or seafood
1400 Hours – 1630 Hours: Afternoon at the Malindi Marine National Park for snorkeling, boat rides, and viewing coral reefs, or exploring the local markets
1630 Hours – 1730 Hours: A stop at the Bio-Ken Snake Farm (optional) or a relaxing walk on Silversand Beach
1730 Hours – 1800 Hours: Return to your hotel

The tour starts with a visit to the Portuguese historical monument, the Vasco Da Gama Pillar, built in 1498. Then, after you pay a visit to the Portuguese chapel, the first Christian church in East Africa, built in 1509, to accommodate 60 Portuguese at the time.  Next, we proceed to the Malindi Museum to learn more about this historic town.

The Malindi Maasai Market follows next, where you get a chance to buy some African jewelry, souvenirs, and paintings, among other items. You will also get an opportunity to browse other local shops. A guided tour of a local Giriama village is also included, where you will enjoy traditional songs and dances.  You will also learn about their customs, traditions, and way of life. Proceed to the Gedi ruins (known as Gede), a historical and archaeological site now a National Museum.

The remains of a Swahili town dating back to the 12th century, the Gede historical monument is one of the most popular attractions on Kenya’s coast. The city became wealthy and reached its peak in the 15th century.

Visible today are the remains of a magnificent palace, mosques, and large houses made from stone and coral reefs. Early in the 16th century, the town was mysteriously abandoned and is now home to hundreds of guenon monkeys. Under the care of the National Museums of Kenya, it is more than just an important archaeological site. Gede’s indigenous forest is a sacred site for traditional rituals and sacrifices for the surrounding community.

We then proceed to lunch at the crab shack, run by the Mida Creek conservation community and ideal for a relaxed meal in a rustic setting or drinks whilst watching the creek. Mida Creek, a Broadwater tidal creek surrounded by extensive mangroves and lined with palms, is where we end an excellent tour.

We will depart for Mombasa and, upon arrival, drop you off at your residence/hotel.

1 Day Malindi City Tour Highlights

Local Life: Shopping in the bustling town market
Nature & Wildlife: Marine National Park, BioKen Snake Farm
History & Culture: Gede Ruins, Vasco da Gama Pillar, and Portuguese Chapel

Malindi Town Day Tour Gede Ruins Marine Park Trip Malindi is a guided tour of the town of Malindi – a seaside town by the Indian Ocean that was founded in the 13th Century, is 120 km (75 miles) northeast of Mombasa and has been known as “Little Italy” since the late 1960s.

Our 1-day tour of Malindi includes a visit to the Portuguese historical monument – Vasco Da Gama Pillar, Malindi Museum, Malindi Maasai Market and shops, a local Giriama village, Gedi ruins a historical and archaeological site, now a National Museum, lunch at Crab Shack Restaurant in Watamu, and Mida Creek.

* Lunch at the Hemingway’s Hotel in Malindi used to be a popular spot for Ernest Hemingway
* Take a walk in Malindi’s narrow alleys in the old part of town, where the old houses have been lived in for centuries
* Visit the Church of St. Francis Xavier, standing across Vasco da Gama’s pillar, where he carved the Christian cross
* Visit the Juma Mosque and learn about the unfortunate use of the structure for slave trading until the late 19th century
* 12 miles from Malindi is the town of Gedi. Despite Gede’s proximity to Malindi, it was never a focus of any European activity

0830 Hours: The tour starts with a visit to Malindi Marine Park. Afterward, you proceed to Malindi town to see the Vasco da Gama pillar, and later you visit the Gedi Ruins on your way to Mombasa.

Malindi is one of Kenya’s coastal towns North of Mombasa. Just like Mombasa, Malindi holds a lot of history. Its scenic beauty and clean white beaches make it one of the most visited towns. The Swahili people are the predominant culture found in Malindi.

This is a multi-ethnic city, a mixture of different cultures and religions, a multi-colored human rainbow; this is how Malindi can be presented. Downtown and the old center, the local market building, and tourist resorts.

Malindi is a Kenyan beach holiday. Malindi is the liveliest and most entertaining place along the coast, with its discos, restaurants, and pubs, beach parties at night, and the casino. Everything needed to make an unforgettable holiday.

Malindi was made famous after Vasco da Gama’s stopover in 1498. In Malindi, you will see narrow alleys in the old part of town where the old houses have been lived in for centuries.

One of the oldest East African churches still stands strong; the Church of St. Francis Xavier still stands strong across from Vasco da Gama’s pillar, where he carved the Christian cross.

Also extant is the Juma’a mosque, which was misused as a haven for slave trading until the mid-1870s. Gede Ruins is a 12th-century Swahili village that was mysteriously abandoned some 600 years ago for unknown reasons.

It is now a National Museum, and the ruins are heavily overgrown with beautiful indigenous trees, including baobabs and tamarind. Well worth a walk and a visit. Look out for Syke’s Monkeys, and the Golden Rumped Elephant Shrew can also be seen here.

A quiet, careful look in some of the old wells can turn up the odd owl, too.  The tour of the Malindi area will encompass a visit to the lost city of Gedi, the town of Malindi, a ride out to sea in a glass-bottom boat, and lunch at Hemingway’s Beach Resort or Turtle Bay Beach Resort.

Later, return to your hotel in Malindi.

Malindi Town Day Tour Gede Ruins Marine Park Trip Rates Include

 ✓ Lunch
✓ Mineral water during the tour
✓ Professional English-speaking guides
✓ All entry fees, guide fees, service charges, and taxes
✓Pickup from your hotel in Malindi and drop-off at your hotel

Notes
* Visit the town of Malindi
* Visit Malindi to see Vasco da Gama’s pillar in Malindi 
* Ride out to sea in a glass-bottom boat and lunch at Hemingway’s Hotel
* Visit the ruins of the 13th-century Swahili village of Gede, lying south of Malindi

Malindi Town Day Tour Gede Ruins Marine Park Trip Rates Do Not Include:

* Drinks
* Tips or gratuity
* Travelers Insurance
* Communication charges
* Visas, international airfares, and airport taxes; meals
* Sightseeing not included in the package; optional activities
* Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)

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