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City guide

Mombasa, Kenya

Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907.

Type CityPopulation 1,208,333

Why go

  • City in Mombasa County, Kenya.
  • Served by Vipingo Estate Airport (VPG).

History

Mombasa is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital status in 1907. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. Buildings in the Central Business District are blue and white, representing the Indian Ocean. It is the country's oldest and second-largest city after Nairobi, with a population of about 1,208,333 people according to the 2019 census.

Restaurants & places to go

Grill, Chicken, Fries, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30 Features: takeaway, delivery, halal · Baobab Road, Mombasa, 80295 · instagram.com
Indoor
Burger, Sandwich, International, Breakfast, Hot Dog, Ice Cream, Tea, Cake, Mediterranean, Coffee Shop, American, Pancake, Cafe · Opening hours: Tu-Sa… · mnkafe.com
Indoor
Chicken, Fast Food · Features: takeaway · kfc.ke
Indoor
Burger, Fast Food · Features: takeaway, delivery · subhub.co.ke
Indoor
Restaurant · restaurant · Mombasa · mombasa-gokart.com
Indoor
Restaurant · restaurant · cjs.co.ke
Indoor
Restaurant · restaurant · robertositalianhub.com
Indoor

128 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Moi International Airport (MBA) 6 km to the centre
Mombasa, 01, KE — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 9 airlines (Condor Flugdienst, Ethiopian Airlines, Flightline, Fly540…) · direct flights to 9 destinations incl. Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Dubai… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 9 airlines, 9 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Ukunda Airstrip (UKA) 29 km to the centre
Ukunda, 02, KE — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor. ✈ 2 airlines (Flightline, Fly Air) · direct flights to 1 destination incl. Nairobi (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 2 airlines, 1 direct destination
  • Flightline B5 (BE1) · 1 route: Nairobi
  • Fly Air F2 (DH8) · 1 route: Nairobi

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Bamburi Airport (BMQ) 12 km to the centre
Bamburi, 01, KE — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Vipingo Estate Airport (VPG) 31 km to the centre
Kikambala, 03, KE — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Funzi Island Airport 63 km to the centre
Funzi Island, 02, KE
Outdoor
Mackinnon Road Airport 76 km to the centre
Mackinnon Road, 02, KE
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Mtongwe Ferry
Ferry terminal · 2.3 km from the centre
Outdoor
Likoni Ferry
Ferry terminal · 4 km from the centre · Kenya Ferry Services
Outdoor
Likoni Ferry
Ferry route
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
October – March

The warmer, longer-day half of the southern-hemisphere year.

Shoulder season
April – May, September

Milder and quieter, with better value.

Worth avoiding
June – August

The southern winter — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Vipingo Estate Airport (VPG); 10 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: MBA has direct flights to 9 destinations on 9 airlines (incl. Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, Dubai…). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Mtongwe Ferry, 2.3 km); routes include Likoni Ferry.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Mombasa, Kenya. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.

Tours & experiences

Sightseeing
Sightseeing
Sightseeing
Sightseeing