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Forest on the Chogoria side of Mount Kenya sets the pace for this overnight: a Nairobi hotel pickup, a drive north, and a night at the Bandas. You walk through trees towards the road head, with time for waterfalls and high tarns before you drop back to town. The days follow the eastern trail, not the Naro Moru gate.
Breakfast in Nairobi comes first, then an 08:00 collection and a morning on the road with lunch on the way. Once you leave the tarmac the track climbs through quieter forest to Mount Kenya Bandas. You settle into camp, walk a short loop around the clearing, and watch for monkeys or larger game at dusk. Tents are provided. Meals on this first day are lunch and dinner.
The second morning is a 7 kilometre climb of about two hours to the road head at around 3,300 metres. From there you can cross to Nithi Falls, or walk towards Lake Ellis and the view of Mugi Hill, before you retrace the vehicle track, sign out of the park, and drive down through Chogoria to Nairobi. Keep a buffer if you have an evening flight; the walk out and city traffic can stretch the afternoon.
Eastern slopes hold the Chogoria approach, where forest opens onto heath and then the high road head. The Bandas sit in a quiet clearing that is a good place to watch for animals at dusk, with the peaks still a long way above you.
The drive from Nairobi is a full morning north, so the mountain day starts after a proper road transfer rather than a trailhead sleep. You return the same way, dropping back through the forest to Chogoria town before the last stretch to the city.
Comfort on forest tracks for several hours, with a daypack, is enough. The second morning is shorter but still uphill to 3,300 metres, so a decent level of fitness helps more than technical climbing skill. No previous mountain nights are required.
The minimum age is 12. Infants on the transfer must sit on laps. If you have never slept at altitude, take the first afternoon slowly, drink plenty, and tell the guide if a headache or nausea starts.
Years of East African guiding sit behind this short mountain window. Drivers and guides work in several languages and know the Chogoria forest and the walk to the road head, so the pacing stays honest for two days rather than a rushed summit push.
Vehicles wait with spare luggage, and tents are set up at the Bandas so you are not carrying a full camp. Pickup and drop-off in Nairobi keep the ends of the trip simple.
After breakfast you are collected from your Nairobi hotel around 08:00. Have bags at reception so the vehicle can leave on time, and keep a small pack with layers for the mountain. The drive north takes most of the morning, with lunch on the way, as the city thins into farmland and then the lower slopes of Mount Kenya. Spare luggage can stay in the vehicle if you do not need it at camp. This is the transfer day, not a long walk, so use it to rest and drink water before you gain height.
Once you leave the tarmac the track climbs through forest that is quieter and more open than the west-side routes. You have time to settle into the altitude before you reach Mount Kenya Bandas, then a short loop around the clearing before dark. Monkeys or larger game sometimes pass in the evening. Tents are provided for the night. Meals are lunch and dinner.
After breakfast you walk about 7 kilometres further up to the road head at around 3,300 metres, usually two hours of steady climbing. That leaves the rest of the morning to cross the river for Nithi Falls, or to walk towards Lake Ellis and the view of Mugi Hill and the Giant's Billiard Table. You then retrace the vehicle track to the Bandas, sign out of the national park, load the bags, and drive down through the forest to Chogoria and on to Nairobi. Keep a buffer if you have an evening flight; the walk out and the city traffic can stretch the day.
You will be collected from your hotel in Nairobi after breakfast, with an 08:00 start for the drive north. Have your bag ready at reception so the vehicle can leave on time. Spare luggage can stay in the vehicle if you do not need it on the mountain.
The return is to Nairobi at the end of day two, after you walk back to the Bandas, sign out of the park, and drive down through Chogoria. If you are flying the same evening, keep a buffer; mountain days can run late if the walk out is slow.
The days on the ground follow the Chogoria approach: a drive to Chogoria, a night at Mount Kenya Bandas, and a morning walk to the road head for Nithi Falls and Lake Ellis. That is a different trail from the Naro Moru route on the west side of the mountain.
If you have seen an older name that mentions Naro Moru, pack for Chogoria and the Bandas. The gate, the camp, and the viewpoints are all on the eastern side.
No. This overnight stays at the Bandas and walks to the road head at about 3,300 metres. Point Lenana sits much higher and needs a longer itinerary with camps at Old Moses and Shipton.
If you want a sunrise summit, the four day Sirimon ascent is the better fit. These two days are for forest, camp, and the eastern viewpoints.
Day one is mostly the road transfer plus an easy walk around the Bandas once you arrive. Day two is a 7 kilometre climb of about two hours to the road head, then the same ground back down.
It is a moderate outing rather than a technical climb. Still, 3,300 metres can feel thin if you have come straight from Nairobi, so keep the pace steady.
You overnight at Mount Kenya Bandas, with tents provided. Expect a simple mountain camp rather than a hotel room: shared space, cold air after dark, and wildlife sometimes close to the clearing.
Bring a warm sleeping bag. Bedding on the mountain is basic, and nights at this height drop quickly once the sun goes.
Lunch and dinner are on the plan for day one, including lunch on the drive north. Day two starts after breakfast at the Bandas before you walk up to the road head.
Ask the team before you travel if you need a vegetarian or other simple diet. Extra snacks of your own are useful on the second morning.
The forest and the Bandas clearing are good for monkeys, and buffalo or elephant sometimes come through in the evening. Nothing is guaranteed; the animals move on their own time.
Keep food packed away at camp and follow the guide if something large is nearby. This is a national park, not a fenced camp.
Travellers need to be at least 12. The walking is short but the night is cold and the altitude is real, so younger children are not a fit for this itinerary.
Infants on the Nairobi transfer must sit on laps. If you are travelling as a family, say so before you travel so the team can confirm the vehicle.
You can leave bags you do not need in the vehicle for the overnight. Pack a daypack with layers, water, and your sleeping bag for the Bandas.
Do not leave passports or valuables in an unattended bag. Keep documents on you for the park gate.
Cloud and rain are common on the eastern slopes. The team may change the start time or shorten the road-head walk if the track is poor.
If the mountain is unsafe, the team will be in touch about moving the dates. Pack waterproofs even in a dry month.
Pickup is from your hotel in Nairobi after breakfast, aiming for an 08:00 departure. Be in the lobby with bags ready so the drive north stays on schedule.
The same vehicle brings you back to Nairobi at the end of day two. Tell the team your hotel name before you travel.
About the centre
Nairobi
Our team has spent years organising tours and safaris across Kenya and East Africa, shaping each itinerary around the days you actually have. Drivers and guides work in several languages and look after different groups with the same calm attention, whether you are here for the first time or already know the parks.
Comfort on the road is the priority: well-kept vehicles, familiar routes, and a clear welcome from the moment you are met. We plan around wildlife, mountain, and coast days so the logistics stay simple and your time in the landscape feels unhurried.
Operated by Zazu Safari Ventures Ltd, a partner of adventuro.
