Mombasa City Tours 1 Day Sightseeing Trip

Mombasa’s full-day city tour excursion is a comprehensive tour of the island. It includes the old Arab town, with its maze of narrow, twisting alleys displaying beautifully curved doors and verandahs, and its bazaars, curios, and antique shops. 

A full-day sightseeing tour of Mombasa typically covers iconic landmarks, including the historic Fort Jesus, the narrow streets of Old Town, the iconic Moi Avenue Elephant Tusks, and Haller Park for nature and wildlife.

African Spice Safaris Mombasa full-day tour often starts around 800 hours, lasting 7–9 hours, and frequently includes visits to local markets, workshops, and lunch, offering a comprehensive overview of the city’s rich Swahili culture and history.

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, with an estimated population of 1.3 million. It is an island covering an area of 20 square Kilometers. It has a bridge to the north side (North coast) and a ferry to the south (South coast), which ferries people to and from Mombasa City and the west Causeway.

Mombasa also has the largest and busiest seaport in East and Central Africa.  Included are a visit to the Dhow harbor still in use, a Hindu temple, a visit to the Akamba wood carvers, and a drive to the bazaar for a short shopping expedition.

Typical 1 Full-Day  Mombasa Excursion Itinerary Highlights:

✓ Mama Ngina Waterfront: A scenic spot for a relaxing walk along the channel
✓ Mwembe Tayari Market: A vibrant, open-air market showcasing local spices, produce, and textiles
✓ Moi Avenue Elephant Tusks: Iconic monument built in 1952 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s visit
✓ Akamba Wood Carving Cooperative: A chance to see local artisans at work and purchase authentic crafts
✓ Fort Jesus Museum: A UNESCO World Heritage site, this 16th-century Portuguese fort offers deep insights into coastal history
✓ Haller Park (Bamburi Nature Trail): A former quarry turned into a nature park, featuring wildlife like giraffes, hippos, and crocodiles
✓ Old Town: A walking tour through narrow streets, featuring Arab-influenced architecture, ancient mosques, and the old dhow harbor

Optional Mombasa Activities Add-ons:

✓ Mamba Village Centre: East Africa’s largest crocodile farm
✓ Nguuni Nature Sanctuary: A quieter, nature-focused alternative to Haller Park
✓ Tamarind Dhow Dinner Cruise: A popular evening activity (usually separate from the daytime tour)

Notes:
✓ African Spice Safaris guides: Professional English-speaking guides are standard, providing context on the culture and history
✓ Transport: African Spice Safaris Mombasa tour includes air-conditioned transport from hotels in Mombasa, North Coast, or South Coast (Diani)

Mombasa’s full-day city tour excursion is a comprehensive tour of the island. It includes the old Arab town, with its maze of narrow, twisting alleys displaying beautifully curved doors and verandahs, and its bazaars, curios, and antique shops.

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, with an estimated population of 1.3 million. It is an island covering an area of 20 square Kilometers. It has a bridge to the north side (North coast) and a ferry to the south (South coast), which ferries people to and from Mombasa City and the west Causeway.

Mombasa also has the largest and busiest seaport in East and Central Africa.  Included are a visit to the Dhow harbor still in use, a Hindu temple, a visit to the Akamba wood carvers, and a drive to the bazaar for a short shopping expedition.

* Mombasa Old Town
* Fort Jesus Museum
* Moi Avenue Elephant tusks
* Lunch at Tamarind Restaurant
* Akamba Wood Carving Factory
* Mwembe Tayari open-air market
* Bamburi Nature Trail (Haller Park)

0800 Hours: After breakfast at your hotel/ residence, we pick you up and drive to Mombasa town. Visit the Akamba handicraft (where you will learn about the wood carvings). Akamba Handcraft is one of the largest wood carving industries and markets in Kenya. Thereafter, visit the Hindu temple – one of the many symbols of Mombasa’s cultural diversity.

The temple is a popular tourist spot, and a tour can be taken inside, with a historical background provided by one of the temple gurus. Extravagant idols and stone carvings of various religious beliefs are displayed within the temple and on its walls. It is located near the Railway Station, just outside the downtown area.

Next, we explore the Mombasa “Tusks” – symbolic representations of entrance into the heart of the town. The tusks were built to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s 1952 visit to the town, as they lie directly on the path from the port to the town.

Ivory was considered an exquisite commodity at the time, and, in essence, the tusks were meant to embrace the Queen and the British Empire into the town and its social structure. Coincidentally, the tusks also spell the letter “M” for Mombasa.

Visit the Fort Jesus Museum – Mombasa’s most popular tourist attraction. The fort, located along the coast near the Old Town, is a monumental piece of architecture built in the 16th century by the Portuguese.

The fort has a museum that displays various artifacts from the era when Mombasa served as a transit point for the slave trade and commodities, and which enjoyed regular visits by seafarers and the like. Its interior comprises torture rooms and prison cells where slaves were kept in captivity before being traded.

Weapons such as cannons, used to defend the fort against invading foreigners and rioting locals, can be seen both inside and outside the fort. You will also explore the “Old Town” – the part of Mombasa that is reminiscent of the days when Arabs exerted a heavy influence on the town and its culture, especially in architecture and language (Kiswahili has many phrases derived from various Arabic dialects).

It is well known for its ancient buildings, extravagant art, and curio shops selling antique and popular Kenyan souvenirs. Old Town is best seen when explored on foot with an experienced guide, as the streets are too narrow to accommodate many vehicles. The town’s inhabitants are mostly of Arab origin, whose forefathers once roamed the town’s streets.

1300 Hours: Proceed to the Mwembe Tayari open-air market, where you will learn about the food spices, foods, and vegetables. Meet different traders buying and selling different types of goods. Proceed for lunch at the centre of Mombasa city or, by request, at Tamarind restaurant, which is built on the shores of the Indian Ocean on the northern coast.

1400 Hours: After lunch, visit Haller Park (formerly Bamburi Nature Trail) – the largest animal sanctuary in Mombasa. Located in Bamburi next to the Cement Factory, the park boasts an enormous variety of animals, reptiles, insects, and botanical gardens.

Walking along the trail is the ideal way to look at the various animals, and on many occasions, holding or feeding a reptile, such as a snake, is allowed under the close supervision of a guide. Educational videos are also shown, with an emphasis on the trail’s history and continuous improvement.

The park is home to buffalo, eland, antelopes, giraffes, waterbucks, oryxes, snakes, crocodiles, hippos, tortoises, and various bird species. It was previously a barren piece of land stripped of its resources by limestone mining and has since been redeveloped through reforestation and conservation efforts.

Today, it is a habitat for a large number of flora and fauna species.

1600 Hours: In the late afternoon, board your transport for drop-off at your beach hotel or cottage.

1700 Hours: Arrive at your hotel.

Mombasa City Tours 1 Day Sightseeing Trip Rates Include:

✓ Lunch
✓ Shopping time
✓ Walking and driving
✓ Mineral water during tour
✓ Possible to customize the tour
✓ Professional English-speaking guides
✓ All entry fees, guide fees, service charges, and taxes
✓ Pickup from your hotel in Mombasa and drop-off at your hotel

Notes

* Our Mombasa Full Day City Tour times:  0800 Hours – 1800 Hours

Mombasa City Tours 1 Day Sightseeing Trip Rates Do Not Include:

* Drinks
* Tips or gratuity
* Travelers Insurance
* Communication charges
* Visas, international airfares, and airport taxes
* 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)

Tamarind Seafood Restaurant in Mombasa specializes in seafood. When it comes to seafood, the Tamarind Restaurant dives deeper than anyone to bring you the finest and freshest fare and goes further than anyone to prepare it. Since our launch in 1972, The Tamarind has gained a reputation as Africa’s finest seafood restaurant.

The menu is a blend of the best of French, Asian, and African cuisine, and The Prawns Piri Piri, Chilli Crab, and Lobster Tamarind have earned the restaurant worldwide fame and rave reviews from many international dining publications.

Built in Arab-style architecture with high arches and a crenelated roof, the elegant, gleaming white building has the perfect setting, a starlit terrace perched on a cliff overlooking the picturesque Old Harbor of Mombasa. The restaurant has a seating capacity of 160 covers and caters to local residents as well as seasonal tourists and visiting businesspeople.

Book for the Tamarind Dhow Dinner Cruise or the Tamarind Dhow Lunch Cruise.

Mobile: +254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com