Destinations · Safari · Shimba Hills
Shimba Hills National Reserve
a safari on the coast’s doorstep
Just south of Mombasa, cool green hills hold Kenya’s only sable antelope, one of its densest elephant populations and the lovely Sheldrick Falls. Here’s your guide to Shimba Hills — wildlife, the falls, fees and visiting on a day trip.
Shimba Hills National Reserve is the nearest safari to the coast — a cool, forested plateau about 33 km south of Mombasa (near Diani). It’s the only place in Kenya to see the rare sable antelope and holds one of the country’s highest elephant densities, alongside buffalo, giraffe, colobus monkeys and rich birdlife in its coastal rainforest and grasslands. The signature experience is a guided walk to Sheldrick Falls (with a swim at the base), plus game drives and coast views; the adjacent Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary adds more elephants. Entry is a KWS fee of about US$20–25 for non-resident adults (~KES 250–300 citizen), plus a vehicle and guide. It’s ideal as a half- or full-day trip from Mombasa or Diani when you want wildlife without the long haul to Tsavo. See our Shimba Hills tour; confirm current KWS fees.
Why go
Safari without the long drive
What makes Shimba Hills special.
Not everyone on the coast has time for the long haul to Tsavo — and that’s where Shimba Hills comes in. Rising as a cool, green plateau just south of Mombasa, this national reserve packs a genuine safari into easy day-trip range. Its mix of coastal rainforest and rolling grassland shelters wildlife you won’t easily see elsewhere: it’s the only place in Kenya to find the majestic sable antelope, and it boasts one of the highest densities of elephants in the country.
Beyond the game drives, Shimba Hills has a signature experience all its own: a guided walk down through the forest to Sheldrick Falls, a lovely waterfall where you can swim in the cool pool at its base. Add sweeping views over the coastline, colobus monkeys in the canopy, butterflies and birds, and the neighbouring Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, and you have a rewarding half- or full-day escape into nature. Below: the wildlife, the falls, fees and getting there. Tap the tabs.
Shimba Hills in pictures
Green hills, big game
Swipe through Shimba Hills — tap the arrows or dots.
Plan your visit
Shimba Hills, tab by tab
Tap through wildlife, Sheldrick Falls, fees and getting there.
Wildlife
- Sable antelope — Kenya’s only population, Shimba’s star.
- Elephants — one of the highest densities in Kenya.
- Also: buffalo, giraffe, bushbuck, colobus & other monkeys.
- Rainforest riches: rare birds and butterflies.
Sheldrick Falls
- A guided forest walk (about 30–45 min each way) leads to the falls.
- Swim in the cool pool at the base.
- A ranger guide is required — great for spotting wildlife en route.
- The reserve’s signature experience.
Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary
- Adjacent community sanctuary — a corridor for elephants.
- More elephants and scenic baobab country.
- Community-run conservation you can support by visiting.
- Often combined with a Shimba Hills trip.
Fees & access
- KWS fee: ~US$20–25 non-resident adult, ~US$10–15 child; ~KES 250–300 citizen.
- From Mombasa: ~33 km south (via the Likoni ferry); ~1–1.5 hrs.
- From Diani: very close — a short drive inland.
- Need a vehicle and guide. Shimba Hills tour →
Compare at a glance
Shimba Hills at a glance
The key facts for planning.
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Location | ~33 km S of Mombasa (near Diani) |
| Getting there | Likoni ferry + road; ~1–1.5 hrs |
| Unique wildlife | Sable antelope (only in Kenya) |
| Also | High elephant density; colobus; birds |
| Highlight | Sheldrick Falls guided walk & swim |
| Fee | ~US$20–25 non-resident adult* |
*KWS fees are indicative and change by season — confirm current rates with the Kenya Wildlife Service. A vehicle and, for Sheldrick Falls, a ranger guide are required; morning visits are best for wildlife and cooler walking.
On the map
Where Shimba Hills is
On the coastal plateau south of Mombasa, inland of Diani. GPS ~4.25°S, 39.42°E.
Good to know
Shimba Hills questions, unpacked
Tap for Tsavo vs Shimba, the falls walk and timing.
Shimba Hills or Tsavo?
What’s the Sheldrick Falls walk like?
Will I see sable antelope and elephants?
Can I combine it with Diani or Mwaluganje?
When is the best time to visit?
Quick pointers
Shimba Hills pointers
The essentials for a great visit.
A day (or half-day from Diani) — no long drive.
A guided forest hike to a swimmable waterfall.
Best for wildlife and cooler walking.
Found nowhere else in Kenya.
Perfect south-coast pairing. Tour →
The Likoni crossing adds time from Mombasa.
Quick answers
Shimba Hills: common questions
Where is it?
What’s special about it?
How much is entry?
What can I do?
Shimba or Tsavo?
Is it worth it?
Close-to-home safari
Short on time but craving wildlife?
Shimba Hills is the coast’s best-kept safari secret: Kenya’s only sable antelope, elephants in abundance, and a forest walk to a waterfall you can swim in — all within a day trip of Mombasa and right next door to Diani. No long drive, no overnight needed, just green hills and big game a short hop from the beach.
It’s the easiest safari to bolt onto a coast holiday. Shall we set up the trip?
Book a Shimba Hills safari
See sable antelope, elephants and Sheldrick Falls on an easy day trip from the coast.
Shimba Hills tour →Keep planning your Mombasa trip
Our commitment · Conservation & restoration
A refuge for the rare sable
Mombasa Kenya (mombasakenya.org) is committed to the conservation of Shimba Hills — a coastal-forest reserve that shelters Kenya’s only sable antelope, one of its densest elephant populations, and rare coastal-forest birds and plants. This is a fragile island of habitat surrounded by farmland, and its elephants and forests depend on protection and on corridors like the community-run Mwaluganje sanctuary.
Visit as an ally: go with licensed guides, pay the fees that fund KWS and community conservation, keep your distance from elephants, stay on tracks and trails, take all litter out, refuse single-use plastic (banned since 2017), and support Mwaluganje’s community sanctuary. Your visit helps protect a unique corner of Kenya. Visit Shimba responsibly →