Lamu holiday packages take you to Kenya’s oldest living Swahili town, a UNESCO World Heritage site with no cars, narrow alleys and a slower pace than anywhere else on the coast.
- FromUSD 480per person sharing, 3 nights, flight inclusive, low season
- Duration3 to 5 days, flexible
- StartsNairobi or Mombasa
- Best forTravelers wanting a quieter, more cultural coastal holiday
- StyleAny group size, private arrangements throughout
Rated 5.0 on Google from 46 reviews. Price confirmed in writing before you pay.
Lamu Island and its neighbouring Shela beach are the draw here, donkeys instead of traffic, dhow sailing at sunset and centuries old carved doors in a town that has traded along this coast since the 14th century. Our Lamu holiday packages are built around this slower pace rather than fighting against it.
Every Lamu holiday package we run is flight inclusive from Nairobi or Mombasa, with your hotel, transfers and a town tour arranged in advance and confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before you pay a deposit.
Highlights
- Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Swahili settlement
- Shela beach, a quiet, dune backed stretch a short walk or boat ride from town
- No motor vehicles on Lamu Island, donkeys remain the main transport
- Dhow sailing trips at sunset, a Lamu signature experience
- Flight inclusive packages from Nairobi or Mombasa, no long road transfer needed
- The Lamu Cultural Festival, usually held in November, a strong reason to time your trip around it
Day by day plan
- Day 1
Fly to Lamu and settle in
A short flight from Nairobi or Mombasa to Manda Airstrip, followed by a boat transfer across the channel to Lamu Island or directly to Shela, since no bridge connects the airstrip to the town. Check in and a relaxed first evening, often with a rooftop dinner overlooking the channel.
- Day 2
Lamu Old Town walking tour
A guided walk through Lamu Old Town’s narrow alleys, past carved wooden doors, the Lamu Museum and the old fort, with a stop at the waterfront market where dhows still unload goods much as they have for centuries.
- Day 3
Shela beach and a dhow sunset sail
A relaxed day at Shela beach, a wide, dune backed stretch a short walk from town, followed by a traditional dhow sailing trip at sunset, one of the most photographed experiences on this part of the coast.
- Day 4
Free day or island hopping
A free day to revisit favourite spots, or an optional boat trip to nearby Manda or Pate Island for a quieter, less visited slice of the archipelago before your onward flight.
Lamu holiday packages, per person sharing, flight inclusive
| Tier | 3 nights | 4 nights |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | USD 480 | USD 590 |
| Mid range | USD 680 | USD 820 |
| Luxury | USD 1,050 | USD 1,280 |
- Rates include return flights from Nairobi or Mombasa to Lamu, boat transfer, accommodation on bed and breakfast and a guided old town tour.
- Peak season, Jul to Oct and the festive period and the Lamu Cultural Festival dates specifically, run about 15 to 25 percent above the rates shown.
- Kenyan citizens and residents can book on a KES rate excluding flights if departing from Mombasa by road and boat instead; ask us for that alternative.
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 flights, Nairobi or Mombasa to Lamu
- Boat transfer between Manda Airstrip and your hotel
- Accommodation on bed and breakfast at the tier you choose
- A guided Lamu Old Town walking tour
- One dhow sunset sailing trip
Not included
- International flights into Kenya
- Kenya ETA and visa fees
- Lunches and dinners beyond breakfast, unless your tier states otherwise
- Tips for your guide and hotel staff
- Travel insurance
Lamu holiday packages: getting there from Nairobi or Mombasa
By air. A short flight connects both Nairobi and Mombasa to Manda Airstrip, typically around 1 hour 20 minutes from Nairobi and closer to 40 minutes from Mombasa, followed by a short boat transfer since no bridge links the airstrip to Lamu town.
Every one of our Lamu holiday packages includes this flight and boat transfer as standard, since the alternative, a long road journey with a security escort requirement on parts of the route, is neither faster nor more comfortable for most travellers.
Is Lamu safe to visit
Lamu Island and Shela, where almost all tourist activity happens, see a visible security presence and are generally trouble free, with millions of tourist nights logged there over the years without major incident on the island itself.
Certain mainland areas of Lamu County, well away from the island and the standard tourist route, have carried separate travel advisories in the past. Check current guidance before you travel and know that our Lamu holiday packages stay entirely within the island and Shela, not the mainland areas those advisories reference.
When is the Lamu Cultural Festival
The Lamu Cultural Festival is usually held in November each year, though exact dates shift annually, so confirm the current year’s schedule with us before booking if the festival itself is your main reason for travelling.
It features traditional dhow races, henna painting, poetry, Swahili food stalls and a donkey race through the old town, genuinely one of the liveliest weeks of the year to be in Lamu and a strong pick if you want your Lamu holiday package timed around a specific cultural event. Rooms sell out fast, so tell us early if festival timing is the whole reason you are considering Lamu holiday packages in the first place.
How much is a Lamu holiday package
A Lamu holiday package starts from about USD 480 per person sharing for 3 nights at budget tier, flight inclusive, rising to around USD 1,280 for 4 nights at luxury tier.
Flights make up a meaningful share of the total cost given Lamu’s remote location, so the gap between budget and luxury tiers on our Lamu holiday packages is narrower in percentage terms than a coast destination reachable by road, like Diani.
What Lamu Old Town is actually like
Lamu Old Town’s narrow, shaded alleys are too tight for cars, so donkeys and foot traffic are still the main way people and goods move around, a genuinely unusual experience for most first time visitors used to busier coastal towns.
Carved wooden doors, coral stone buildings and a working waterfront market give the town a lived in feel rather than a museum piece, since people still live, trade and pray in the same buildings that earned Lamu its UNESCO listing. Every one of our Lamu holiday packages includes enough unstructured time to simply wander these alleys without a fixed schedule, which is honestly the best way to experience them.
Who Lamu holiday packages suit best
Lamu holiday packages suit travellers who have already done a beach and safari trip and want something quieter and more cultural for a second or third Kenya visit, rather than first timers who may prefer Diani’s wider range of activities and easier road access.
They also suit couples and small groups wanting genuine privacy, since Lamu simply does not have the large resort infrastructure that Diani or Watamu offer and its charm comes precisely from that smaller scale rather than in spite of it. Families with very young children sometimes prefer a resort with more structured activities, in which case our Kenya family safaris page has better suited options than a typical Lamu holiday package.
Shela beach and Lamu’s other islands
Shela, a short walk or boat ride from Lamu town, has a wide, quiet beach backed by dunes and a small cluster of boutique guesthouses, popular with travellers who want beach time alongside the cultural sightseeing.
Manda and Pate Islands sit nearby and see far fewer visitors, worth a day trip if you want a quieter contrast to Lamu town itself and something we can add to any Lamu holiday package on request. Guests who prefer a livelier beach scene often choose our Diani Beach holiday packages instead.
Dhow sailing and other activities
A sunset dhow sail is close to mandatory on any Lamu holiday package, a slow, quiet way to see the town and channel from the water as the light changes over the old buildings.
Snorkelling trips, fishing excursions and a visit to the ruins at Takwa on Manda Island are all available as add ons, priced separately depending on which activities interest you. Ask us to build any of these into your Lamu holiday packages quote from the start so the full cost is clear before you travel.
Best time of year for a Lamu holiday
Jun to Oct and Dec to Mar are the driest, most comfortable months for a Lamu holiday package, with lower humidity than the long rains bring in Apr and May.
The Lamu Cultural Festival in November is worth planning around specifically if cultural immersion matters more to you than guaranteed dry weather, since some rain is still possible that month. See our Kenya safari month by month guide for how coast weather compares with the rest of the country if you are combining this with an inland trip.
Combining Lamu with other coastal stops
Some travellers combine Lamu with a longer coast trip, adding Watamu or Malindi either before or after, since both are reachable on the same general flight routing from Nairobi. See our Watamu and Malindi holiday packages page for that pairing.
Others treat Lamu as a standalone trip entirely separate from a Diani or Mombasa beach holiday, given how different its pace and character are from the busier southern coast. Our Diani Beach holiday packages page covers that alternative in full.
What to wear and cultural etiquette
Lamu is a predominantly Muslim, conservative town, so modest dress, shoulders and knees covered, is expected in the old town and appreciated even at Shela beach away from the immediate shoreline.
Ask before photographing local residents, particularly women and dress a little more conservatively during Ramadan if your Lamu holiday package falls within that period, since daily rhythms shift noticeably during the fasting month.
Private versus group Lamu holiday packages
Most of our Lamu holiday packages run as private arrangements, your own guide for the old town tour and your own boat for the dhow sail, rather than a shared group schedule.
This costs a little more per person at smaller group sizes but means your pace is entirely your own, worth it for most couples and families given how much of the appeal here is simply wandering without a fixed itinerary. See our Kenya honeymoon safaris page if you are combining Lamu with a wider trip for a honeymoon or anniversary.
Booking your Lamu holiday packages
Message us on WhatsApp with your preferred dates and group size and we will send a written quote covering flights, transfers, accommodation and the old town tour within a day.
Book 3 to 6 weeks ahead for standard dates and 2 to 3 months ahead if your trip is built around the Lamu Cultural Festival specifically, since accommodation in town fills quickly for that week. See our is Kenya safe guide and Kenya public holidays page for wider trip planning alongside your Lamu holiday packages booking.
How to book your Lamu holiday packages
Booking your Lamu holiday packages with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.
- Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. 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. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
- Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
- Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
- Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.
What every trip with us includes
Every Lamu holiday packages plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.
We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.
Paying safely
We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.
Why book with a Nairobi team
We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good Lamu holiday packages into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 46 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.
Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.
Questions people ask
How do I get to Lamu from Nairobi or Mombasa?
By air, a short flight to Manda Airstrip, about 1 hour 20 minutes from Nairobi or 40 minutes from Mombasa, followed by a boat transfer since no bridge connects the airstrip to Lamu town. This is included in every Lamu holiday package we run.
Is Lamu safe to visit?
Yes, Lamu Island and Shela, where our Lamu holiday packages operate, see a visible security presence and are generally trouble free. Certain mainland areas of Lamu County away from the island carry separate advisories, check current guidance before travel.
When is the Lamu Cultural Festival?
Usually held in November, though exact dates shift each year. It features dhow races, henna painting and a donkey race through the old town and is worth timing a Lamu holiday package around if cultural immersion is your priority.
How much is a Lamu holiday package?
From about USD 480 per person sharing for 3 nights at budget tier, flight inclusive, up to around USD 1,280 for 4 nights at luxury tier. Flights make up a meaningful share of total cost given Lamu’s remote location.
Can I combine Lamu with Watamu or Malindi?
Yes, many travellers add Lamu before or after a Watamu or Malindi stay on the same general flight routing from Nairobi. Most treat it as a standalone trip though, given how different its pace is from the busier southern coast.
What should I wear in Lamu?
Modest dress, shoulders and knees covered, is expected in the old town and appreciated at Shela beach too, since Lamu is a predominantly Muslim, conservative town. Dress a little more conservatively still during Ramadan.
Are Lamu holiday packages private or shared?
Most run as private arrangements, your own guide for the old town tour and your own boat for the dhow sail, rather than a shared group schedule, so your pace stays entirely your own throughout the stay.
How far ahead should I book?
3 to 6 weeks ahead for standard dates and 2 to 3 months ahead for the Lamu Cultural Festival week specifically, since accommodation in town fills quickly around that event.
Official information: Magical Kenya, official tourism board.
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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