Things to Do in Diani Beach: Activities and Day Trips

Diani’s main draw is the beach itself — 17km of white sand and clear water protected by a barrier reef. But the surrounding area has enough to fill a full week: a primate conservation centre, a national reserve 40 minutes inland, one of Kenya’s best marine parks accessible by day trip, multiple watersports operations, and a skydiving drop zone directly on the beach.

Wildlife and Conservation

Colobus Conservation

Entry: Approx USD 10 non-resident adults / KES 600 resident adults (as of 2026) Opening hours: 7am–6pm daily Location: Diani Beach Road, central Diani

The Angolan colobus monkey is a large black-and-white arboreal monkey found in the coastal forests of the South Coast. Diani’s rapid development has fragmented its forest habitat, and road kills on the A14 highway were severely reducing the population before Colobus Conservation intervened in 1997.

The conservation centre rescues and rehabilitates injured colobuses, installs colobridges (rope bridges crossing the highway), and raises community awareness. The educational tour takes 45–60 minutes and often includes close views of rehabilitating animals in large forest enclosures. The resident colony in the forest around the centre is often visible free from the road.

Shimba Hills National Reserve

Entry: Approx USD 26 non-resident pp / KES 1,200 resident pp (as of 2026) Location: 40km northwest of Diani (approximately 45 minutes)

Shimba Hills is a low coastal range covered in forest and grassland. It’s the best remaining habitat for the sable antelope in East Africa — a large, striking antelope with curved horns and distinctive black and chestnut colouring. It also holds elephants, buffalo, leopards, and a diverse forest bird list. The Sheldrick Falls waterfall is accessible on a short guided walk (guide approximately KES 1,000). Self-drive is possible with a reasonable saloon car. Tours from Diani are available from approximately KES 5,000–8,000 per person.

Water Activities

Kite Surfing

Diani is one of the most reliable kite surfing destinations in East Africa. The trade winds from June–September and November–March create consistent conditions, and the shallow water inside the reef provides a forgiving learning environment.

H2O Extreme is the largest operator on Diani Beach, offering IKO-certified beginner courses from approximately USD 120 for a 4-hour introduction. Equipment hire for experienced surfers runs approximately USD 60/half day. They also offer wing foiling, wakeboarding, and boat hire.

Diani Kitesurfers is a smaller operation focused specifically on kite surfing. Beginner lessons from approximately USD 100 for 3 hours. More personalised instruction than H2O’s larger operation.

Snorkelling and Marine Park — Kisite-Mpunguti

Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park is approximately 65km south of Diani (accessible by speedboat in 1.5–2 hours, or by road to Shimoni in 1 hour and then by boat). It’s the most pristine marine environment on the Kenya coast, with hard and soft coral, healthy reef fish populations, green and hawksbill turtles, and spinner dolphins resident year-round.

Day trips from Diani depart at approximately 8am and return by 5pm. Pilli Pipa Dhow Safaris (Diani) and Charlie Claw’s (Shimoni) are the most established operators, charging approximately USD 75–100 per person including transport, snorkelling equipment, and a seafood lunch on Wasini Island. The dolphin watching component typically involves the boat positioning around a pod of 20–60 dolphins — sightings are very reliable.

Scuba Diving

Diani has two PADI-certified dive schools. Diving the Crab (at Diani Reef Resort) and Aqua Ventures (at Leopard Beach) both offer two-tank dives at local sites (Diani House Reef, Treasury Reef, Peri Peri Reef) for approximately USD 80–120 per two-tank excursion. The local diving is good for coral and reef fish; for larger pelagic encounters the Kisite Marine Park is the better destination.

Wasini Island Day Trip

Wasini Island sits adjacent to Kisite Marine Park and most marine park day trips include lunch here. The island has a small permanent community and a long Swahili history — the dhow ruins at the eastern tip of the island are the remnants of a trading settlement from the 18th century. An afternoon walking the island after lunch is included in most tour packages.

Land Activities

Skydiving

Skydive Diani operates from a small airstrip near the beach. Tandem jumps are available at 10,000 feet (approximately USD 200) and 15,000 feet (approximately USD 280) as of 2026. The landing zone is directly on Diani Beach. No experience is required; the full process from ground training to landing takes approximately 3 hours.

Quad Biking and Buggy Tours

Several operators on Diani offer quad bike and beach buggy tours through the coastal forest and along the beach at low tide. Diani Adventure Tours runs 2-hour tours from approximately KES 5,000 per person.

Practical Notes

Getting to Diani from Mombasa: Cross the Likoni Ferry (free for pedestrians, approximately KES 60 for vehicles) and take a matatu south along the A14 for approximately KES 150–200. The journey from Mombasa city to Diani takes 45–75 minutes depending on ferry queues. Uber and Bolt also serve the route from Mombasa — approximately KES 1,500–2,500 including the ferry.

Best season for watersports: Kite surfing is best June–September and November–March. Snorkelling visibility is best October–March. The long rains (April–May) make most water activities unpleasant.

For accommodation at Diani, see our Diani Beach hotels guide. For a longer South Coast itinerary, see our Kenya beach and safari combo.