Embark on a thrilling day trip to Mount Longonot from Nairobi. Discover the beauty of this stratovolcano with a 4-hour hike to the park gate via Ngamia Summit. Witness breathtaking views and encounter diverse wildlife.
1-Day Hiking Adventure at Mount Longonot from Nairobi
Mount Longonot is 70 kilometres northwest of Nairobi. It is a stratovolcano thought to have last erupted in the 1860s. It is a stratovolcano that contains a large 8 x 12 km caldera formed by vast eruptions of trachytic lava some 21,000 years ago. The current summit cone was developed within the earlier caldera. This cone itself is capped by a 1.8 km crater.
It rises from 2,150m to a height of 2,780 m. Mount Longonot has a forest of small trees that covers the crater floor, and small steam vents are found spaced around the walls of the crater. A trail runs from the park entrance up to the crater rim, subsequently looping and encircling the crater. The whole tour is only about 9 km long but very steep so the round trip to the park gate (Longonot Peak) takes around 4 hours of hiking. The mountain is home to various species of wildlife, notably zebras, giraffes, buffaloes and elands.
Below is a standard day trip itinerary for Longonot. Keep in mind this climb can be an addition to a longer safari tour, depending on your preference.
Program:
Pick up from your residence or hotel at 7:00 am. Departure at 7:30 towards the Kikuyu agricultural highlands. A short break to view the spectacular Great Rift Valley before descending the escarpment. After approximately an hour and a half, we check in at the gate for registration and park fee payments.
After all, is set, we get ready for the hike. We start a 3-kilometre gentle hike to the base as the slopes get steeper, climbing to the rim to have a view of the crater. Along the crested rim, we reach the Ngamia summit point, 2,780m asl. We do a complete circuit of 7.5 km, having occasional rest and water/snack breaks. The approximate distance covered from the gate and back is about 14km. We drive back to Nairobi and drop you off at your residence after a successful day’s activity.
