As Els pointed out, there aren’t many reviews out there to help plan a visit to Mount Kenya. This is Africa’s second-highest mountain, reaching 5,199 meters, and most people associate it with demanding multi-day climbs. But what about a day hike? Is it even possible—and is it worth the steep $50 park entry fee?

We decided to find out for ourselves.

We sorted out the e-ticket the night before. Entry to Kenyan national parks now has to be booked and paid online through the E-Citizen platform, which isn’t exactly suited for foreigners. And because we also have to pay for a car, the payment has to be done twice, one for the car in KES, and for us in US$. But with a bit of effort—and using Edge browser on a PC—we got it to work this time. It feels good to have the E-ticket on hand when we arrived at the gate. 

We left Naro Moru Lodge on a clear, beautiful morning around 8:30 AM, and could even see the summit of the mountain from afar. It’s about a 30-minute drive to the Naro Moru Gate where we were warmly welcomed by a friendly ranger. She asked whether we were planning to hike or just drive up to the Meteorological Station. That answered one big question—we could drive to Met Station! We were not sure about that. The station is located at around 3,000 meters and about 8 km from the gate. If you want to hike further from there, a guide is mandatory (3,000 KES). Luckily, one was arranged within 10-15 minutes, and off we went. (We were also told that a WHS plaque is located at Sirimon gate? but there was a sign here with the unesco symbol, and there were a unesco symbol at the gate itself.)

The drive to Met Station winds through a stunning bamboo forest, narrow but paved. Along the way we saw several waterbucks, and we stopped for a short but very steep walk to a beautiful waterfall—well worth it also for a close-up of the bamboo forest. 

At Met Station, we parked and continued on foot. The first kilometer is along a wide path leading to a communications mast, with a gentle incline. From there, a narrow and unmarked trail climbs steeply through forest. The bamboo slowly gave way to towering alpine trees—far larger than anything we see in lowland in our country.

Around 3,250 meters, the landscape began to shift into moorlands: open views, sparser vegetation, and the dramatic change we had hoped for. Clouds were moving in, but the scenery and the view was still stunning. A bit higher—perhaps 100 meters more—we reached the land of the giant lobelias. These extraordinary plants, which can grow up to 3 meters tall, are perfectly adapted to the intense cold at night and hot sun at daytime of the high altitude. They were everywhere, along with a surprising variety of alpine flowers and grass vegetation. 

We reached a cave/natural shelter, the perfect spot for lunch. It had taken us about 2.5 hours and 550 meters of elevation gain. Just as we sat down—of course—it started to rain lightly. No worries, we were under shelter. 

The rain passed, and we suited up with rain coats for the descent, just in case. Good call! Minutes later, the sky opened up with heavy rain, hail, and thunder. The trail turned into a stream. It became increasingly harder to navigate and avoid the flow of water. Our feet were soon soaked, and the hail coated the ground in white. What an adventure this was (when looking back), but it was a very though decline. 

We were happy to reach the wide path again, thinking the worst was over. Not quite!  Water was now rushing down the path, and we had to wade the last kilometer to the car. Soaked, but safe—and smiling! 

Our guide reminded us: the weather on Mount Kenya is famously unpredictable. That’s no exaggeration!

Despite the dramatic turn in weather, we were thrilled with the experience. Stunning, untouched nature, rich alpine flora, and those incredible lobelia plants! —a true highlight of our Kenya journey.

Practicality

We stayed two nights at Naro Moru River Lodge, an oasis by the river with a wonderful garden. We wish we stayed one more night to enjoy the garden and the pool. 

Bring extra clothes (for all kinds of weather), food and water. No plastic bottles, we had to show our metal water bottles to the ranger at the gate. 

Good sturdy and water proof shoes. It was quiet muddy and wet some places even before the rain. 

We had our own car, but I guess this trip can be organized by the lodge. The road are suitable for any kind of cars.