Mount Kenya

Africa's second-highest peak, an extinct volcano offering multi-day treks through five vegetation zones to Point Lenana's summit.

Mount Kenya is what remains of a much larger volcano, eroded over millions of years down to a cluster of jagged peaks around a central caldera. At 5,199 metres it’s the second-highest mountain in Africa after Kilimanjaro, and unlike its taller neighbour, reaching the summit proper — Batian or Nelion — requires technical climbing. Most trekkers instead aim for Point Lenana, the third and highest walkable summit, a demanding but non-technical trek that still delivers glacier views and a sunrise over the Rift Valley.

What sets a Mount Kenya trek apart is the sheer variety packed into a few days’ walking. Routes climb through farmland and forest, into bamboo groves and open moorland studded with giant lobelia and groundsel — plants found almost nowhere else on Earth — before the final push across alpine scree to Lenana’s summit. Several routes exist, from the popular Sirimon and Chogoria trails to the steeper, faster Naro Moru — each with its own character and views, and many trekkers combine two routes, ascending on one and descending on another.

The mountain also anchors its own national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its lower slopes support both established trekking lodges and a thriving farming region, giving climbers a comfortable staging point before and after the trek itself.

By Road

Around 3-4 hours from Nairobi to the main trailheads near Nanyuki or Chogoria, on a mix of tarmac and gravel roads.