Is there a better place to count down to 2027 than a white beach where the loudest thing is the ocean?
Our Diani Christmas packages cover 20 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. An early Christmas stay from 20 to 23 December costs from KES 66,000 per person sharing by SGR. Christmas week costs from KES 93,500. A New Year stay with flights to Ukunda costs from KES 167,500. Prices include transport and transfers.
Title sponsorAlumni Golf Challenge
We are the title sponsor this year.
Golf is part of who we are, so we put our name behind the Alumni Golf Challenge. Want more golf after the day? Tell us when you are free. We book your tee time at Karen, Muthaiga or Vipingo Ridge and sort the transfers and the stay.
- FromKES 66,000per person sharing, 20 to 23 Dec
- Christmasfrom KES 93,50023 to 26 Dec, 3 nights
- New Yearfrom KES 167,50030 Dec to 3 Jan, by flight
- Getting thereFlight to Ukunda or SGR plus road
- Book by15 November 2026Diani sells out before Mombasa
Rated 4.9 on Google from 47 reviews. Price confirmed in writing before you pay.
Diani Christmas packages sell out faster than almost anything else on the Kenyan coast. Diani has fewer big hotels than the North Coast. Many Nairobi families return to the same resort every year. If you want a sea view room for New Year, you need to move early.
This page shows real festive prices built from the 2026 rate sheets of Diani hotels. You will see room rates, gala dinner charges and minimum night rules before you call us. You will also see one simple trick that saves about a third: arrive before the festive rates start.
We plan the flight to Ukunda or the SGR and road transfer, book the hotel and handle any New Year's Eve dinner seats.
Highlights
- Five dated options from 20 December to 3 January
- Flights straight to Ukunda, about 15 minutes from the hotels
- SGR option using the Dongo Kundu bypass, avoiding the ferry queue
- Compulsory gala dinners priced into the quote
- New Year itinerary with Wasini and Colobus outings
- Deposit holds your room, then pay in instalments
Day by day plan
- Day 1
30 December: Fly to Diani
Fly from Nairobi to Ukunda Airstrip in about 1 hour 15 minutes. Jambojet, Safarilink, Skyward Express and Kenya Airways all serve the route. Our driver meets you at the small terminal. Most Diani hotels are 10 to 20 minutes away. Check in, swim and walk the beach at low tide, when the sand stretches far out. Dinner is at the hotel.
- Day 2
31 December: New Year's Eve
Keep the day slow because the night is long. Take a short visit to Colobus Conservation in the morning to see the rare Angolan colobus monkeys of the south coast. Back at the hotel, rest and dress up. Your hotel's New Year's Eve gala dinner starts in the evening, with a band or DJ and a countdown on the beach. Fireworks light up Diani at midnight.
- Day 3
1 January: New Year's Day
Nobody wants a tour on 1 January. Sleep in and enjoy a late breakfast. Spend the day between the pool, the beach and a sunbed in the shade. If you have energy in the afternoon, rent a kayak or paddle board at the beach. In the evening, book a table at one of Diani's beach restaurants for something different.
- Day 4
2 January: Wasini and Kisite day trip
Leave early for Shimoni, about 1 hour 15 minutes south. A traditional dhow takes you into Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park to look for dolphins and to snorkel over the reef. Lunch is usually seafood on Wasini Island. You are back in Diani by late afternoon. Book this one with us early because boats fill in festive week.
- Day 5
3 January: Back to Nairobi
Have breakfast and a last swim, then check out. The driver takes you to Ukunda Airstrip for your flight home. SGR guests leave Diani about three hours before the 15:00 express from Mombasa Terminus, which reaches Nairobi around 20:18. You arrive home with a tan and one day to unpack before work.
Diani Christmas packages and New Year packages: guide prices per person sharing for 2026
| Option | Dates | Per person sharing |
|---|---|---|
| Early Christmas: Swahili Beach Resort bed and breakfast, SGR and road, 3 nights | 20 to 23 Dec | KES 66,000 |
| Christmas: Diani Reef Beach Resort bed and breakfast, SGR and road, 3 nights | 23 to 26 Dec | KES 93,500 |
| Christmas: Swahili Beach Resort half board, SGR and road, 3 nights | 23 to 26 Dec | KES 111,500 |
| New Year: Swahili Beach Resort half board, return flight, 4 nights | 30 Dec to 3 Jan | KES 167,500 |
| New Year: Neptune Palm Beach all inclusive with gala dinner, return flight, 5 nights | 28 Dec to 2 Jan | KES 267,000 |
- Guide prices in KES, confirmed when you book. KES 66,000 is about USD 512 and KES 167,500 is about USD 1,298 at KES 129 per USD.
- Festive flights to Ukunda change daily. We built them at about KES 30,000 return. Booking early is the best way to beat that figure.
- The Neptune option includes the compulsory USD 100 New Year's Eve gala dinner per adult listed for 2026.
- Hotels are examples per level. We have no partnership with them and will offer a similar hotel if one is full.
Get my exact price on WhatsApp
Reserve this trip
Pick your dates and group. See the total. Hold it with a deposit.
Pay by Mpesa, bank transfer or card once we confirm in writing. Free changes until you confirm.
Included
- Return flight to Ukunda or SGR economy plus private road transfer, as shown
- Private transfers between Ukunda Airstrip or Mombasa Terminus and your hotel
- Hotel nights at 2026 festive rates on the meal plan shown
- Compulsory gala dinner fees where we list them in the option
- WhatsApp support from our Nairobi team through the holidays
Not included
- Wasini, Colobus Conservation and other excursions (priced separately)
- Lunches and dinners on bed and breakfast options
- Drinks outside your meal plan and optional gala extras
- Travel insurance, tips and personal spending
How much are Diani Christmas packages in 2026?
Diani Christmas packages cost from KES 66,000 per person sharing for 3 nights from 20 to 23 December. That uses Swahili Beach Resort before its festive rate starts. Christmas proper, from 23 to 26 December, costs from KES 93,500 at Diani Reef on bed and breakfast.
New Year is the most expensive week. Our options run from KES 167,500 for 4 nights half board with flights, up to KES 267,000 for 5 nights all inclusive with the gala dinner. Every price includes transport from Nairobi and transfers.
What do Diani hotels charge over the festive season?
Diani hotels switch to festive rates from about 19 to 23 December until 3 or 4 January. The 2026 rate sheets show prices roughly doubling.
- Diani Reef Beach Resort: bed and breakfast KES 10,700 per person sharing until 19 December, then KES 23,300 from 20 December to 3 January
- Swahili Beach Resort: bed and breakfast KES 15,400 per person sharing until 22 December, then half board only at KES 28,400 from 23 December to 3 January
- Neptune Palm Beach: all inclusive USD 360 per double room in early December, then USD 580 from 19 December to 4 January
- Leisure Lodge: a Christmas supplement of USD 35 per person on 24, 25 and 31 December
Are gala dinners compulsory with Diani Christmas packages?
At many Diani resorts, yes. Neptune Palm Beach lists compulsory gala dinners for 2026 at USD 100 per adult on Christmas Eve and again on New Year's Eve. Children aged 2 to 12 pay half.
Other hotels build the gala into a supplement or the festive rate. We read every hotel's festive terms and put the gala charge in your quote. You will not get a surprise bill at check in.
How many nights do Diani hotels require at Christmas?
Most Diani resorts set a minimum stay over the holidays. Swahili Beach Resort asks for 3 nights from 23 December. Leisure Lodge asks for 3 nights. Neptune Palm Beach asks for 5 nights between 23 December and 7 January.
That shapes our options. Christmas stays are 3 nights and New Year stays are 4 or 5. If you only have a weekend, the early Christmas dates from 20 to 23 December avoid most minimum stays.
Flight or SGR for Diani Christmas packages?
Flying is faster. Ukunda Airstrip is about 15 minutes from most hotels. Fares in normal months start at about KES 7,000 one way, but festive fares can triple. Book flights the same day you book the hotel.
The SGR is cheaper and has no baggage worries. Take the 08:00 train to Mombasa Terminus, then our driver uses the Dongo Kundu bypass to reach Diani without the Likoni ferry. The road leg takes about 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Our SGR guide covers trains and luggage.
When is the deadline to book Diani Christmas packages?
Book by 15 November 2026 to get a real choice of hotels. After that, sea facing and family rooms disappear first. Late November is still possible, but you take what is left.
Most festive hotels want full payment before you arrive and have strict cancellation rules. A deposit with us holds the room. You can clear the balance in parts with our lipa mdogo mdogo plan.
What can we do in Diani during the holidays?
Diani is quieter than Mombasa, so most guests mix beach days with one or two outings. See prices on our Mombasa and Diani tours page.
- Wasini Island and Kisite Mpunguti dolphin and snorkel trip, about USD 80 to 145 per adult depending on the operator
- Colobus Conservation guided walk to see the Angolan colobus
- Shimba Hills day trip for elephants and the Sheldrick Falls walk
- Skydiving or kitesurfing for the brave
- Sunset drinks at a beach bar on New Year's Day
Diani Christmas or Mombasa Christmas: which is better?
Diani is better for a quieter holiday with a wide white beach. Mombasa North Coast is better for families who want more outings, shorter transfers and more hotel choice.
Compare the two on our Mombasa Christmas packages page. For normal months, our Diani packages for residents and Diani beach holiday packages are cheaper.
Optional add on
Add a round of golf to this trip
You are already at the coast. Vipingo Ridge and Nyali sit on the north coast, so a round slots into any free morning.
Where would you like to stay?
- Green fee and caddie
- Clubhouse lunch
- Private car and driver
- Tee time booked for you
Guide price for a weekday round. Weekend rounds, buggies, club hire and more golfers are all in the planner. We confirm every line in writing before you pay.
How to book Diani Christmas and New Year Packages 2026
- Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us your budget. We plan with it, not around it.
- Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. If a cheaper hotel or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
- Tweak it until it fits. Change a hotel, add a night or swap an activity. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
- Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your rooms, seats and transport. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
- Travel day. Your driver meets you with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.
Pay by Mpesa, bank transfer or card on our secure checkout at book and pay. Prefer to plan face to face? Our office is at Pili Trade Centre on Mombasa Road, opposite Hilton Garden Inn and next to Argyle Grand Hotel.
Questions people ask
When do festive prices start in Diani?
It depends on the hotel. For 2026 Neptune Palm Beach starts on 19 December, Diani Reef on 20 December and Swahili Beach on 23 December. Most end on 3 or 4 January. Arriving before these dates can save you about half on the room.
Can I book a Diani New Year package for 2 nights?
It is hard. Most Diani resorts set minimum stays of 3 to 5 nights over New Year. A few smaller cottages and guest houses accept 2 nights. Tell us your dates and budget and we will check what is open.
Which airlines fly to Diani in December?
Jambojet, Safarilink, Skyward Express and Kenya Airways serve Ukunda from Nairobi, from either JKIA or Wilson Airport. The flight takes about 1 hour 15 minutes. December seats sell out, so we book flights as soon as your hotel is confirmed.
Is the Likoni ferry a problem at Christmas?
It can be. Queues get long in festive week. Our drivers use the Dongo Kundu bypass from Mombasa Terminus instead, which avoids the ferry. If you fly to Ukunda, the ferry is not on your route at all.
Are Diani Christmas packages suitable for children?
Yes. Diani's beach is wide and the lagoon is calm at low tide. Many resorts run kids clubs over Christmas. Children usually pay 30 to 50 percent of the adult share. The gala dinner is often half price for them. We show child prices in your quote.
How do I pay for a Diani Christmas package?
Pay a deposit by Mpesa, bank transfer or card to hold the room and flights. Then pay the balance in parts before the hotel's deadline, usually early December. We send receipts for every payment and the hotel voucher once fully paid.
Sources we checked: Diani Reef and Swahili Beach 2026 and festive rates (Business Radar, Oct 2026); Neptune Palm Beach 2026 rates, gala dinners and minimum stay; Leisure Lodge Beach and Golf Resort festive terms; Nairobi to Ukunda flights and airlines (Skyscanner); Dongo Kundu bypass opens (Nation); Wasini day tour price (Coral Spirit). Rules and fees change, so we confirm them again when you book.
Ready when you are. Send your dates and group size. We reply with a clear price and a plan you can change.
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