Mount Kenya Trek from Nairobi: Routes, Costs and How to Plan It

Planning a Mount Kenya trek from Nairobi comes down to three decisions: which route to climb, what the park fees add up to and how many days to give the mountain. The drive north is shorter than most visitors expect and the whole trip is easy to arrange from the city. This guide runs through the gates, the costs and the two Daring Escapes routes so you can plan the climb without guessing at a single figure.

Mount Kenya is Africa’s second-highest mountain and its trekking summit, Point Lenana, sits at 4,985 metres. About 15,000 people reach it every year without ropes. That makes it one of the few big peaks a fit hiker can climb in under a week. The whole thing starts with a simple drive out of Nairobi.

Getting from Nairobi to the mountain

A Mount Kenya trek from Nairobi begins at one of three gates. The route you pick decides which one. Naro Moru Gate sits about 188 km from the city along the Nyeri to Nanyuki road near Naro Moru town. The drive to Chogoria town takes roughly 3 to 4 hours before you continue up to Chogoria Gate. On the Sirimon side, the trip starts with an early morning drive from Nairobi to Sirimon Gate. The exact distance and drive time for that leg are worth confirming before you plan around them.

The three main gates

• Sirimon Gate – Northwest side, 2,660 m. Early morning drive from Nairobi.
• Chogoria Gate – East side, about 2,400 m. Roughly 3 to 4 hours to Chogoria town.
• Naro Moru Gate – About 188 km from Nairobi on the Nyeri to Nanyuki road.

Whichever gate you use, the operator handles the transfers. On the 4-day trek the vehicle meets you at Chogoria Gate on the final day and drives you back to Nairobi, arriving by evening. On the 5-day climb the pickup happens at Sirimon Gate instead. You never need to sort out your own transport between the city and the trailhead.

The routes: five ways up, three main choices

Five routes lead to Point Lenana: Sirimon, Chogoria, Naro Moru, Burguret and Timau. Most trekkers compare the three main ones, Sirimon, Chogoria and Naro Moru. Burguret and Timau sit on the tougher, quieter end of the range and suit experienced hikers. For the full route-by-route breakdown, read the Mount Kenya routes guide. Here is the short version you need to plan from the city.

• Sirimon – Easy to moderate. 4 to 5 days. Driest approach with hut accommodation.
• Chogoria – Moderate. 4 to 5 days. The scenic side with Gorges Valley and Lake Michaelson.
• Naro Moru – Moderate to hard. 4 days minimum. Fastest and steepest, with less scenery.
• Burguret – Hard. 5 to 6 days. Remote and quiet, for experienced hikers.
• Timau – Advanced. 5 to 7 days. The gateway for the true peaks, Batian and Nelion.

Sirimon is the driest and most gradual approach, with hut accommodation at Old Moses at 3,300 m and Shipton’s Camp at 4,200 m, so you carry no tent on that side. Chogoria is the scenic pick, running through Gorges Valley, Lake Michaelson and Nithi Falls. Naro Moru is the fastest and steepest. If you want a closer look at the scenic side, the Chogoria trail guide covers it in depth.

What a Mount Kenya trek from Nairobi costs

The one fixed cost you can plan on paper is the park fee. Mount Kenya is a Kenya Wildlife Service park and the same fees apply at every gate: Sirimon, Chogoria and Naro Moru. They are charged per person per 24 hours and they do not change between seasons.

Vehicle entry per day: KSh 600 under 6 seats, KSh 1,500 for 6 to 12 seats. Fees do not change between seasons.

Non-resident adults pay USD 70 per day for entry. Citizens and East African residents pay KSh 800. Residents of Kenya who are not citizens pay KSh 1,100 and African citizens from outside East Africa pay USD 30. Camping is charged on top, at USD 20 per night for non-residents on public sites and USD 35 on private sites. Children and students pay roughly half the adult fee, though the exact figure should be confirmed.

Guide rates, porter rates, hut stays and rescue costs sit outside the KWS schedule and vary by operator, so confirm those with whoever runs your trek. Tour prices themselves are shown on each tour page rather than quoted here, because they move with your dates and group size. For the wider picture on fees and budgeting, the Mount Kenya complete guide goes deeper.

The two Daring Escapes routes

Daring Escapes runs Mount Kenya both ways and both end at Point Lenana. The difference is direction and how long you stay on the mountain.

4 days or 5 days

• 4-day Sirimon to Chogoria – First-timers. Climbs the gentle Sirimon side, descends through Chogoria. About 2,325 m of ascent over three days and 2,585 m of descent. Three nights on the mountain.
• 5-day Chogoria to Sirimon – More acclimatisation. Climbs the scenic Chogoria side with an extra night at Lake Michaelson, then descends Sirimon. About 2,585 m of ascent over three and a half days.

The 4-day Mount Kenya trekking tour climbs Sirimon and descends Chogoria. It starts with an early morning drive from Nairobi to Sirimon Gate at 2,660 m, then walks 13 km to Old Moses Camp at 3,300 m on day one and 17 km to Shipton’s Camp at 4,200 m on day two. Summit day starts at midnight and reaches Point Lenana around 6:30 AM before dropping to Lake Ellis Camp at 3,550 m. The final day descends through Gorges Valley and Nithi Falls to Chogoria Gate at 2,400 m and the drive back to Nairobi. In all it gains about 2,325 m over three days and descends about 2,585 m.

The 5-day Mount Kenya climb reverses it, climbing Chogoria and descending Sirimon. The extra day is spent at Lake Michaelson at 3,950 m, an acclimatisation night that gives your body more time to adjust before the summit push. That is the point of the longer trip: better acclimatisation and a higher summit success rate. Day four reaches Point Lenana around 6:30 AM before a drop of 1,685 m to Old Moses Camp at 3,300 m. Day five walks out through giant heather and bamboo to Sirimon Gate.

Best time for a Mount Kenya trek from Nairobi

The dry windows are January to February and June to September, with the tour pages also pointing to July through October as a strong run. The long rains fall April to May and turn the trails muddy. The short rains in October and November are lighter but still wet. March and September can work as shoulder months with lighter traffic on the mountain. The park itself stays open year round and fees stay the same, so the calendar decision is really about trail conditions and how clear you want your summit morning.

How to plan it

The question most people ask is whether to arrange the trek themselves or book through an operator. When you hire at the gate, you negotiate with guides you cannot vet in advance and you carry the logistics yourself: food, water, shelter and what happens if someone gets altitude sickness. At 4,000 metres, with a headache and thin air, that is a lot to hold together on your own.

When you book a Mount Kenya trek from Nairobi with Daring Escapes, those systems are already in place. We work with proven guides who know the mountain and its weather. We provision the trek so food and water are sorted. We cover the contingencies: backup support and a Nairobi team tracking the climb. That is what turns a hike you are managing into a trek that runs itself.

Start with the route. If this is your first high-altitude trek and you want the gentler ascent, the 4-day Sirimon to Chogoria route is the natural first pick. If you want more time to acclimatise and the scenic Chogoria side as the main event, the 5-day climb fits better. Both reach Point Lenana. The difference is how much mountain you let yourself see on the way there. Check the 4-day and 5-day tour pages for dates and current pricing.