Home/Countries/Kenya/Nature & outdoors/Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya

The sacred roof of Kenya - the second-highest mountain in Africa, an extinct volcano of jagged glaciated peaks, alpine moorland and rare plants, a UNESCO wilderness for trekking and climbing.

Saved in this browser only - no account, nothing sent anywhere. See your map

UNESCO World Heritage

Typemountain

WhereCentral Kenya

Nearest cityNanyuki

Best seasonJanuary to February and August to September

Time to allowSeveral days

Getting thereIn central Kenya; road from Nairobi to the trailheads

EntryPark fees; guides and treks charged

Mount Kenya, which gives the country its name, is the second-highest mountain in Africa, a dramatic extinct volcano of jagged, glacier-clad peaks rising to over 5,100 metres in the central highlands. A sacred mountain to local peoples and a UNESCO wilderness, it is ringed by forest, bamboo and unique alpine moorland dotted with giant lobelias, and offers superb multi-day trekking to the accessible summit of Point Lenana, below the technical climbing peaks.

What you actually see

The jagged peaks - the glaciated summits of Batian, Nelion and Point Lenana.
The trek to Point Lenana - the accessible trekking summit.
The alpine moorland - the unique giant lobelias and groundsels.
The forest and wildlife - the encircling forest, elephants and colobus monkeys.

When to go

The two dry seasons, January to February and August to September, are best for trekking, with clearer weather and safer trails; the mountain makes its own weather, so cold, rain and mist are possible any time at altitude.

Honest expectations

Reaching even the trekking summit of Point Lenana is a serious multi-day, high-altitude endeavour requiring fitness, a guide, warm gear and acclimatisation to avoid altitude sickness; the higher peaks are for technical climbers only. The weather is cold and changeable at altitude. It is far less crowded than Kilimanjaro, a rewarding challenge.