Lamu in December
Great month: December is in the middle of the recommended season (November – March, July – September). Plan around: Christmas and New Year on the Coast.
The season runs to the end of March, 3 months away. Long Rains on the Coast usually starts in April, 4 months away.
3 days in Lamu in December · from ₹22,458 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
Before you book December
Closures, crowds and rules at Lamu this month.
Heads up
Travel Advisories for Mainland Lamu County
The UK advises against all but essential travel to Lamu County except Lamu and Manda islands, and the US advises against travel to Lamu County, citing attacks by al-Shabaab near the Somali border. Fly to Manda Airport rather than taking the road to Mokowe, check your government's current advice before booking, and confirm your travel insurance covers the trip.
Heads up
Christmas and New Year on the Coast
From mid-December to early January the coast fills with holidaymakers from Nairobi and Europe: hotels raise prices and set minimum stays, and flights and SGR tickets to Mombasa sell out. Book early.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹22,458 for two
- Room a night₹3,700
- Food a day, each₹1,729
- Main sight entry, each₹740
Mid-range
₹56,171 for two
- Room a night₹11,100
- Food a day, each₹3,990
- Main sight entry, each₹740
Luxury
₹1,35,465 for two
- Room a night₹29,600
- Food a day, each₹9,310
- Main sight entry, each₹740
What December does to prices
- From mid-December to early January the coast fills with holidaymakers from Nairobi and Europe: hotels raise prices and set minimum stays, and flights and SGR tickets to Mombasa sell out.
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Kenya yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Mombasa (MBA), 240 km away
Then: Flight · 6h 30m (Kenya Airways / Jambojet via Nairobi to Manda + boat)
Flights from India: from 3 cities, one way from ₹30,000
Fly into Nairobi (NBO), 467 km away
Then: Flight · 3h 30m (Jambojet / Safarilink / AirKenya to Manda + boat to Lamu)
Flights from India: from 9 cities, one way from ₹25,000
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹3,270
- At least 3 working days before you fly (you can apply up to 3 months ahead), apply for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) at etakenya.go.ke: passport photo page, a recent photo, your return ticket and hotel or safari booking. The fee is US$30 plus bank and processing charges (about US$34 in all), paid by card. Save the approval; airlines check it at boarding.
- At least 10 days before leaving India, get a yellow fever vaccination at a government-authorised centre (Airport or Port Health Organisation, or a listed hospital) and keep the yellow International Certificate of Vaccination with your passport. India asks for it when you land back from Kenya; without it you can be quarantined for up to 6 days.
- At immigration in Nairobi or Mombasa, show your passport, the eTA approval and your return ticket. The eTA is for a single entry; you are admitted for up to 90 days.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive, with a blank page; eTA approval (printout or on your phone); Yellow fever vaccination certificate (the yellow card), needed by India on your return; Return or onward ticket; Hotel or safari bookings for the stay.
Kenya has no visa on arrival: without an approved eTA the airline will not board you. Kenya waived the eTA for most African nationals in 2025, not for Indians. Sources disagree on whether 90 days is the stay or the validity from approval, and on the processing charge: check the approval and the fee shown at etakenya.go.ke, and ignore look-alike sites.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Kenya in December
Also in season this month.
- Aberdare National Park · good month
- Diani Beach · good month
- Lake Naivasha · good month
- Lake Nakuru · good month
- Mombasa · good month
- Ol Pejeta Conservancy · good month
- Samburu National Reserve · good month
- Watamu & Malindi · good month
Nearby in The Coast:
Want this as a real plan?
Lamu in December, day by day, priced for your group.