Mount Kenya trek & Laikipia walking safari

We meet you on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and escort you to your hotel.

The balance of the day is at leisure before joining us for welcome drinks and dinner. This is a great opportunity to go over the last minute detail for the days ahead.

After breakfast with the giraffes, we stroll across the lawns to the Giraffe Sanctuary.

Spend time getting to know your new leggy friends better and stretch your own legs on the nearby nature trail before returning to the lodge for lunch.

This afternoon a short transfer takes us to the elephant orphanage of the Daphne Sheldrick Wildlife Trust for an engaging private encounter with abandoned baby elephants.

There is time on the way back to the lodge to shop a diverse range of local designer clothing, jewellery, artwork and interiors.

We enjoy dinner together at the lodge tonight

We start the day with a scheduled flight to Nanyuki and transfer by road to a private conservancy in Laikipia, in the shadow of Mount Kenya.

The adventure starts after lunch with an afternoon walking safari led by expert Maasai and Samburu guides and trackers.

Our walk ends at a simple but luxurious bush camp, with sundowners and dinner under the stars.

Since we are walking in true wilderness with no roads or trails, we are accompanied by a team of camels who transport the camp to the next location. Our luggage is transported so that all we carry is our personal items for the day.

We are woken early in the morning with coffee and hot water for our morning wash.

After a sumptuous breakfast, we head out on the trail again as the sun crests the surrounding hills. We follow natural trails, looking for game and birdlife – the pace is relaxed and offers a different perspective than that of a regular game drive experience.

Tracks and signs are expertly interpreted by our skilled Maasai and Samburu guides, while the surrounding landscape is filled with interesting signs of a rich and turbulent geological history.

Manyattas, home to the Samburu community, dot the landscape around us while artefacts like flints, shards, graves and pottery litter much of the ground near our camps.

We arrive at camp in time for lunch and a siesta to avoid the midday heat.

Later this afternoon, we head out again to explore the area around camp.

We return in time for sundowners, a hot bucket shower and dinner under the stars before retiring.

While the crew break down camp and the camels complain at their loads, we depart for another day on the trail.

Our route makes its way slowly back towards Tumaren Camp to arrive in time for lunch.

We take the afternoon  to prepare for the next leg of our expedition, swapping out the khaki bush wear and sun hats for trekking pants and fleece tops.

We enjoy a last bush dinner at the camp before retiring to our luxury tent, ready for an early start the next day.

We depart early for a long transfer to the trailhead at Chogoria on the eastern slopes of Mount Kenya.

After a quick picnic lunch, while the porters pack and arrange our gear, we set off on the trail and head up through the indigenous Afro-Alpine forest.

Our trek today ends at our first camp in a pocket of forest on the fringe of the Moorland.

To assist with acclimatisation, today’s is a relatively short hike and we will arrive in camp on the banks of scenic Lake Ellis for lunch.

We have time in the afternoon to relax and soak up the views, take a stroll around the lake or even try your hand at a little fly fishing.

This afternoon, we take walk up to nearby Mugi Hill before returning to camp for dinner.  This further assists our bodies to adjust to the altitude as we add a short time at a higher altitude and sleep a little lower.

One of our favourite days on the trail, the trek today takes you up and along the beautiful ridge overlooking the stunning Gorges valley, with views expanding to include Lake Michelson the higher we climb.

We take a break for lunch over looking the lake to enjoy the spectacular views across Mount Kenya, before continuing on a gentle traverse, ultimately descending to camp on the shoreline of Lake Michaelson.

Another beautiful trek as we get to the meat and bones of the main massif, following the trail as it winds in and around the lower slopes of Mount Kenya.

Today’s trek is relatively short in distance and low in altitude gain, however, the path is steep in places.

Camp is at the simple but beautifully appointed Austrian Hut, located on at the edge of the Lewis Glacier with the steep rock ramparts of Mount Kenya looming above us.

The ravages of global warming are apparent here and an afternoon stroll around the fringes of the glacier will reveal many ice caves, evidence of the extent of the glacial melt.

Summit day!  While the true summits of Nelion and Batian can only be reached by technical rock climbing, the trekking peak of Point Lenana is our objective on this trek.

Our summit offers breath-taking views of the twin summits of Mount Kenya and the surrounding mountainside, valleys and countryside beyond.

On a clear day, even the soaring heights of Kilimanjaro in neighbouring Tanzania can be seen in the distance.

An early departure at 5.30am for a sunrise summit is the best way to experience this climb, taking time to enjoy a warm celebratory drink before descending on the southern side of the peak into Mackinder’s valley to arrive at Shipton’s Camp for our final night on the mountain.

With Mount Kenya now at our back, we make our way down Mackinder’s Valley towards Old Moses Camp where our vehicles are waiting.

Luggage and equipment loaded, we transfer out of the park back towards Nanyuki where stop for a quick lunch.

This afternoon, we check into the luxurious Solio Lodge located in a private wildlife sanctuary where a hot shower and soft bed await weary bodies – a just reward for the effort of the previous days.

We reward ourselves with a full day of pampering and intense and exclusive wildlife experiences. A luxury safari is a fitting conclusion to our Kenya experience.

After breakfast we depart for Nairobi, either by charter flight or by scheduled flight from Nanyuki.