Mount Kenya National Park

The beautiful Mount Kenya National Park

Travel to Mount Kenya National Park, taking specialised hiking and climbing tours and safaris to a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site just to the east of the Great Rift Valley. This is the second highest mountain in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro and Voyage2Africa offers excellent deals for your accommodation and safari options in splendid Kenya.

Mount Kenya National Park was proclaimed in 1949 to protect Mount Kenya, the wildlife and surrounding environment – an ancient extinct volcano with its rugged ice-capped summits, Afro-alpine moorlands and diverse forests that illustrate extraordinary ecological processes. Come and explore this unusual landmark on a safari tour with Voyage2Africa and we will show you how important such biodiversity is to the future of all people! Special packages and deals available for climbers, hikers, and campers.

Mount Kenya is also called “Come touch the sky” as it is so high, it seems to touch the sky, soaring an amazing 5,199 m, into blue skies. Mount Kenya was an active volcano some 3 million years ago and it still features 12 leftover glaciers on the mountain, all disappearing fast. The 3 peaks are covered in ice and the middle sections are completely covered in beautiful, lush forests where rare ecological and biological processes continue. The area also lies within the traditional migrating route of the African elephant population.

Climb The 3 Peaks

The mountain peaks at a jaw dropping 5 200m, looming over the region including the incredible Meru National Park and most visitors want to hike or climb the peaks. Choose from 7 hiking routes up the 3-peaked Mount Kenya – most people climb up to Point Lenana, the third highest peak at 4985m. If you are an experienced climber with technical climbing abilities then the other 2 peaks are for you. 

The three peaks are Batian (5199m), Nelion (5188m) and Point Lenana (4985m) and climbers need to be experienced and spend at least 3 nights to acclimatise to prevent altitude sickness. The climb begins in the tropical vegetation and plenty of birds then it changes to a cooler wetter climate where forests and moors are home to sunbirds, eagles and other mountain species. 

Highlights

  • Do a one-day trip from Nairobi to base camp to see the two peaks, going via the Sirimon route so that you get to walk on tracks through beautiful forests and see the lower parts of Mount Kenya.
  • Pop into the Mount Kenya Conservancy and Animal Orphanage to see shy and well-behaved llamas, hippos, black and white colobus monkeys, white-nosed monkeys, and others. The orphanage cares for animal orphans who have lost their parents, injured wild animals, and rare animals that are on the verge of extinction.
  • Simply going to the region to see the scenery is mind blowing in itself – lakes, tarns, glaciers, dense forest, mineral springs and a selection of 11 species of endemic plants 
  • Magnificent wildlife sightings include elephants, tree hyrax, white tailed mongoose, suni, black fronted duiker, mole rat, bushbucks, water buck and eland. Animals rarely seen include leopard, bongo, giant forest hog.

Getting to Mount Kenya

Get to there from Nairobi, about 175km (108 miles) away. Experience an unforgettable safari in the 2 800km2 true wilderness. Take a drive through the tropical forest surrounding the mountain, home to buffalo, elephant, rhino, monkeys and exotic birds. Further upland, look out for loads of rare flora such as Rosette plants.

Lush Landscape

Enjoy being in a park that is surrounded by a forest reserve. Notice the constantly changing flora as the altitude increases. The lower slopes are covered with dry upland forest. At 2,000m the real mountain forest begins, with mainly cedar and podo trees. At 2,500m find a dense belt of bamboo forest merging into the upper verdant forest.

When To Visit

The Park is open all year round. The best time to visit is December to March, the sunniest months. March to May are sometimes cloudy and rainy, and from October to early December there is drizzle, which may restrict clear views.    

Family Safaris to Mount Kenya are Hot

Pack up the entire family for a safari holiday to Kenya that they will never forget. Intrepid journeys into Africa introduce your kids to the biggest classroom in the world, nature! Game viewing, nature walks, river cruises and camping under the stars are all part of a safari adventure your family will talk about for years down the line!  

Bring your children into the true wilderness of Kenya, our top African safari destination of all time – so check out the luxury lodge and bush camp accommodation where children are made to feel at home and book your special family package today.

The Best of the Best Safaris in Mount Kenya National Park

Plan a Kenya tour and safari with Voyage2Africa, the African travel experts, and enjoy signature experiences to the premier wildlife destination south of the equator. We bring you thrilling adventures in the Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park, the Great Rift Valley, Mount Kenya National Park and even Nairobi.  We offer you the best of the best safari accommodation in Kenya, in lavish lodges, family resorts, modern hotels, eco villas and rustic wild campsites in nature. Bring your camera and you hat, your binoculars and your sense of spirit to an African land that is home to humankind.

Did you know?

You can camp at Shipton’s Camp just below the summit, nestling between the snow-capped peaks. Choose the mountain hut where climbers can rent bunks and rest the night before summiting the mountain, or choose the Shipton’s Caves, an adventurous spot for exploring.

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