Fully hosted: Mount Kenya and the Big Five
Climb Africa’s second highest mountain, then track lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino at Ol Pejeta — half an hour from where you come off the mountain. One person responsible for the whole trip, from the flight you should book to the moment you are back at the airport.
Most people who write to us are not worried about the mountain. They are worried about everything around it — which flight to take, who is meeting them at Nairobi at midnight, where they sleep before the trek starts, and whether the pieces will actually join up.
This is the version where they do join up. You arrive, you are met, and from that point until you are back at the departure gate you are our responsibility. You climb the mountain, you see the wildlife, and we handle the rest.
Why the safari belongs on the end of a trek
Most visitors who want both fly to Kenya, climb in one place, then spend a day travelling to a game park somewhere else. From Nanyuki you do not have to.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is about half an hour from our base. It sits on the Laikipia plains with Mount Kenya on the horizon — the mountain you have just walked down. You finish the trek, sleep in a bed, and go on a game drive the next morning without a single hour of long-distance travel.
It is home to all of the Big Five and is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, so the animal most safaris struggle to find is the one you are most likely to see. Ol Pejeta also runs the only chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya, at Sweetwaters, which is worth the detour on its own.
- Lion
- Elephant
- Buffalo
- Leopard
- Rhino
Honest note on the leopard: it is the shy one, and nobody can promise you a sighting. The other four are seen routinely.
Two nights is the usual add-on and is enough for a proper morning and evening drive. If you would rather keep the trip short, the trek alone still works — say so and we will leave the safari out.
What we take care of
The whole chain, in the right order, with one point of contact throughout.
We advise on routing, timing and which arrival works best with your trek dates, then hold those dates around the flight you book.
You are met inside the terminal at Jomo Kenyatta International, whatever the hour, and driven to your Nairobi hotel.
Hotels booked and paid for on both sides of the trek — the night you land, and the nights after you come down off the mountain.
Nairobi to Nanyuki by road on the day of the trek, with a briefing and a gear check before you start walking.
Your chosen route with a KWS-certified guide, cook and porters, all park fees, meals, camping equipment and drinking water.
Conservancy fees, vehicle and driver-guide at Ol Pejeta, arranged around your recovery rather than crammed in.
How the flights work
We plan your flights with you. You book the ticket yourself.
We tell you exactly what to book — which routing gets you in at a sensible hour, how many days to allow either side, which arrival day lines up with the start of your trek, and what to avoid. Send us what you are looking at and we will tell you honestly whether it works.
You buy the ticket in your own name. That is deliberate, and it is better for you. You keep your airline choice, your frequent flyer miles, your seat preference and your own travel insurance. If something changes, you deal directly with the airline instead of through us — which is faster, and it means your money is protected by the airline and your card issuer rather than sitting with a third party.
Once your flight is confirmed, everything from the moment you land is ours to arrange.
How a hosted trip runs
The shape below is typical. The exact length depends on which route you choose and how much time you have.
You land in Nairobi
Met inside the terminal and driven to your hotel. Nothing else is asked of you that day — most people arrive tired and simply need a bed.
Nairobi to Nanyuki
A road transfer north to the foot of the mountain. In the evening we go through the route with you, check your kit, and fill any gaps from our rental stock so nothing is discovered missing at the gate.
The trek
Four to six days on the mountain depending on the route, with your own guide, cook and porters. Park fees, meals, camping equipment and water are all covered — you walk, and everything else is carried and cooked for you.
Down, and a real bed
Off the mountain, a hot shower and a proper night’s sleep in Nanyuki. Nothing is scheduled for that evening on purpose.
Ol Pejeta
An early game drive while the animals are still active, the middle of the day at leisure, and a second drive towards dusk. Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary fits in between if you want it.
Back to the airport
The transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International with time to spare. You are never running for a gate.
What is and is not included
Included
- Flight planning advice before you book
- Airport pickup and drop-off at Jomo Kenyatta International
- Hotels before the trek and after the trek
- All road transport, Nairobi to Nanyuki and back
- Kenya Wildlife Service park fees for the full trek
- KWS-certified guide, cook and porters
- Three cooked meals a day and hot drinks on the mountain
- Camping or hut accommodation along the route
- Tents, sleeping bags and walking sticks
- Drinking water throughout
- Ol Pejeta conservancy fees, vehicle and driver-guide
- One point of contact for the whole trip
Not included
- Your international flights — you book these yourself
- Kenyan visa or travel authorisation
- Travel and medical insurance
- Personal clothing and hiking boots
- Tips for the guide, crew and driver
- Alcoholic and bottled drinks
Who this suits
It is worth saying plainly that not everyone needs this. If you have travelled in East Africa before, or you are comfortable arranging your own hotels and transfers, our standard trek gives you the same mountain for less. Book that one.
This version earns its keep if it is your first time in Kenya, if you are landing late at night, if you are travelling alone, if you are bringing a group and would rather not be the person managing everyone’s logistics, or if you have flown a long way and want the mountain and the wildlife in one trip without losing days to travel between them.
Tell us when you want to be on the mountain
Every hosted trip is quoted individually, because the right answer depends on your route, your dates, how many of you there are, and how long you want either side. Send us those and we will come back with a plan and a firm price.