Lamu Old Town

Lamu Old Town is a historic landmark in Kenya. Lamu is a Swahili town on an island off Kenya's northern coast, inhabited continuously since the twelfth century and built of coral stone with carved wooden doors.

Last updated: 18 September 2026. How we calculate costs

KenyaEntrance KES 500 · Verified
Landmark

Lamu is a Swahili town on an island off Kenya's northern coast, inhabited continuously since the twelfth century and built of coral stone with carved wooden doors. There are no cars: transport is by donkey or by dhow between the island villages. Shela beach, a walk or boat ride from the town, runs for twelve kilometres.

Slow travel
Photography
Local culture
History
Beaches

Related activities

  • Sunset dhow sail

    Traditional sailing boat trip through the channel at dusk.

How to get to Lamu Old Town

Lamu Old Town sits in Kenya. It pairs well with Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Maasai Mara, so you can group them on the same day.

Tickets and time needed

The recorded entrance fee is KES 500, in the local currency set by the operator.

Tips for your visit

Related things to do here include Sunset dhow sail. Prices can change, so check the official source linked on this page before you go.

Lamu Old Town FAQ

How much does it cost to visit Lamu Old Town?

The recorded entrance fee is KES 500, in the local currency set by the operator.

Where is Lamu Old Town?

Lamu Old Town is in Kenya.

What is near Lamu Old Town?

Nearby places include Nairobi National Park, Giraffe Centre, Maasai Mara, Amboseli National Park.

Guidese editorial team

Travel research & data review

We build every guide from official tourism boards, operator sites and published price lists. We record where each number came from and when it was last checked.

  • Every cost and season figure is sourced and dated
  • No sponsored rankings or paid placements
  • Facts re-checked on a scheduled review cycle

More in Kenya

Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park

Entrance $60 · Verified

A fenced savannah park on the city boundary holding black rhino, lion, giraffe and buffalo, with the skyline visible behind the plains.

Nature
5h
Giraffe Centre

Giraffe Centre

Entrance $15 · Verified

A conservation centre for the endangered Rothschild's giraffe, with a raised platform for feeding at eye level.

Nature
1h 30m
Maasai Mara

Maasai Mara

Entrance fee under review

The Maasai Mara is the Kenyan section of the Serengeti ecosystem, open grassland with high predator density year-round and the wildebeest migration crossing the Mara river between roughly July and October. Conservancies bordering the reserve limit vehicle numbers and allow night drives and walking. Fly-in from Nairobi takes under an hour.

Nature
Amboseli National Park

Amboseli National Park

Entrance $60 · Verified

Amboseli sits below Kilimanjaro on the Tanzanian border, with swamps fed by mountain meltwater that hold elephants through the dry season. The park is known for large, well-studied elephant families and for open views of the mountain when the cloud lifts, usually early and late. It is small enough to cover in two days.

Nature