Mount Kenya & Aberdares Hiking Adventure

Day 1: From Nairobi to Meru Mount Kenya Bandas (approx. 2,950 m) – approx. 3-hour hike
In the morning, we leave Nairobi and drive toward Chogoria – a scenic route that takes around four hours. Along the way, we enjoy a picnic lunch before continuing into the dense montane rainforest of Mount Kenya. About halfway up the track, we begin our hike and ascend through lush vegetation for approximately three hours to reach the Meru Mount Kenya Bandas at around 2,950 m. A warm dinner and your first night in the mountains await. Overnight in a mountain hut (B|L|D).

Day 2: Hike to Lake Ellis (approx. 3,450 m) and Mugi Hill (approx. 3,700 m) – Drive to Silva Montana Hotel – approx. 7–8 hours hiking
After an early breakfast, we begin our hike with sweeping views over the surrounding highlands. On clear days, we may even see the snow-capped peaks of Batian (5,199 m) and Nelion (5,188 m), two of Mount Kenya’s three summits. At a relaxed pace, we reach Lake Ellis after about four hours and 12 kilometers, where we pause for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, we optionally climb nearby Mugi Hill (approx. 3,700 m) – a perfect acclimatization hike. We then meet our vehicle and drive to the comfortable Silva Montana Hotel to enjoy a relaxed dinner. Overnight at hotel (B|L|D).

Day 3: Transfer to Aberdare National Park and hike to the waterfalls – approx. 4-hour hike
After breakfast (around 7:00 am), we continue our journey via Embu to Nyeri Town, where we stock up on fresh supplies. After a total of around 3–4 hours of driving, we reach the Kiandongoro Gate of Aberdare National Park (approx. 2,500 m).
After check-in, we proceed to the Fishing Bandas, where lunch awaits. In the afternoon, we take a varied 4-hour hike to the impressive Karuru and Chania waterfalls, accompanied by a local guide, an armed ranger, and a support vehicle. Dinner and overnight stay at the cozy bandas (B|L|D).

Day 4: Ascent of Mount Satima (4,001 m) – 7 to 8-hour hike
After an early breakfast, a short drive (approx. 1 hour) takes us to the Wandares Roadhead at about 3,400 m. From here, a beautiful trail leads us through open grasslands and moorland to the highest peak of the Aberdares – Mount Satima (4,001 m). The ascent takes around 4–5 hours, followed by a 2–3 hour descent back to the vehicle. On clear days, we enjoy far-reaching views all the way to majestic Mount Kenya. After the hike, we transfer comfortably to the charming Aberdare Country Club, where we relax and enjoy the evening. Overnight at hotel (B|L|D).

Day 5: Onward travel – return to Nairobi or start of a safari adventure
From Aberdare Country Club, you can either return to Nairobi to continue your journey or head straight into your next adventure – a safari in one of the nearby national parks. The choice is yours! (B)

We reserve the right to make changes to the program due to special events, force majeure or weather reasons.

Legends: B = breakfast | L = lunch | D = dinner

This trekking tour can be booked for your group at dates other than shown here.

German guided tour
English guided tour

Duration: 5 days
Costs: € 1.390 per person
Group size: min. 2 Persons (all the tour dates are guaranteed with a minimum group size of only two persons)
€ 170 for single room supplement (only for hotel accommodation, for hut and camping overnight stays during the trek single accommodation is not available).

What’s included:

• All described transfers in Kenya with private vehicle
• Accommodation, three meals and drinking water on the trekking and safari tour
• Professional, English-speaking local mountain guide
• Mountain crew (cook & porter)
• Camping equipment (kitchen utensils)
• All national park fees
• Welcome dinner
• Oximeter

Not included

• Sleeping bag
• All flights
• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks other than water
• Visa fees
• Tips
• Personal expenses
• Personal travel insurance

Visa
Since 2024, travel to Kenya has required an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to replace the traditional visa. The eTA costs around $30 including service fees. The application is made online using the German-language form at https://www.etakenya.go.ke/de and should be made at least 72 hours before departure. Once approved, the eTA is valid for 90 days, after which a new application must be made. The passport must be valid for at least six months from the planned entry date and have at least two blank pages to apply for the eTA. When entering Kenya, you must present the printed eTA along with your passport and return ticket.
These visa and passport regulations apply to EU countries and Switzerland. Other citizens would like to inquire at the respective country consulate.

Insurance
A travel health insurance (with rescue costs) is essential for your own safety and a prerequisite for booking our trips. In the event of an accident in the mountains or on safari that requires a helicopter, the helicopter will not take off until full coverage of the costs has been clarified.
We strongly recommend that you take out travel cancellation insurance. Flights at bargain prices in particular cannot usually be rebooked or cancelled free of charge. In Kenya there could also be complications with the weather, your health, etc., which would force you to abandon your trip.
We asked ERGO Reiseversicherung to put together different service packages for you. You can book the right travel health insurance for you at https://www.reiseversicherung.de.

It should be noted that geoDiscovery Tours only recommends that its guests book travel insurance through ERGO and assumes no responsibility for the contractual content between the travel guest and the insurance provider. It is up to each guest to book their travel insurance through ERGO or another provider.

Vaccinations
There are currently no mandatory vaccination requirements for travelers from Germany, Switzerland and Austria traveling to Kenya (as of November 2023). However, it is advisable to check and, if necessary, refresh your vaccination status for diphtheria, polio and tetanus. Vaccination against hepatitis A and hepatitis B is also recommended. Although it is recommended to be immunized against yellow fever, this is not mandatory for tourists from Germany traveling directly to Kenya (for example on a direct flight from Germany). However, travelers from yellow fever endemic areas must present proof of vaccination that is at least 10 days old. For further information, please see the medical information from the Federal Foreign Office.

Best time to travel
For trekking: Due to Mt. Kenya proximity to the equator, this region is not exposed to the extremes of winter and summer weather, but rather the dry and rainy seasons. The best time to climb Mt. Kenya is therefore the warmest and driest months. There are two different trekking seasons that are optimal for climbing Mt Kenya; from December-March and from June-October. January-March is generally colder than June-October and there is a higher chance of snow on the summit. March, April, May and November are the wettest months and are not ideal for trekking. During the trekking tours the temperatures will be +25°C during the day and between 10°C to -5°C at night. On the summit day, temperatures of down to -20°C and sometimes strong winds can be expected.

For safari trips: In general, Kenya can be visited for safari tours 12 months of the year. April-May and October-November represent the rainy season in both countries. The rainiest time is April-May (here a raincoat is a must). We advise against traveling here. The second rainy season October-November has lower rainfall. The rainy season can be a beautiful time to visit as the vegetation is at its most lush and green. Precipitation typically falls in short showers interspersed with rays of sunshine, making for excellent photography. To experience the annual peak of the great migration in the Masai Mara, Kenya should be visited between July and September. This epic natural event sees millions of wildebeest, zebras and antelopes migrate north to the Masai Mara in Kenya. However, if you want to avoid the large tourist crowds that migration brings, it is beneficial to visit the Serengeti in Tanzania during the first dry season from January to March, when the wildebeest calving season is at its peak.

Tour program
The travel program is optimally coordinated for all of the trips we recommend. However, it can happen that roads are closed or impassable without prior notice, that waiting times of several hours arise due to traffic jams or fuel shortages, that access to sites can be closed for various reasons, or other restrictions such as flight delays or even cancellations due to bad weather, strikes, Health of the participants, a pandemic or unfavourable conditions during trekking make the implementation of the travel program difficult or, in the worst case, impossible. However, our local guides are prepared for such situations and will endeavour to carry out all program points to your satisfaction. The inconvenience is usually limited. Nevertheless, it must be pointed out at this point that, for the reasons mentioned, program changes are possible at any time and are not the responsibility of the organizer. Any resulting costs are borne by the traveller. We ask for your understanding.

Flying
Domestic flights in Kenya may be postponed for days due to limited airspace or weather conditions, or for technical or other reasons. Under these exceptional circumstances, our team will try – in cooperation with you – to relocate the tour to other regions or to organize road transport. The risk of delay and cancellation of these flights is borne by all participants.
In the event of a delay of several days, all participants are personally responsible for changing their flight home at least 48 hours in advance. We are of course happy to help you.

The domestic flights booked by us are:
Kenya Airways
Fly540

Please note that our trips are not suitable for people with limited mobility.