Day Trip to Mount Longonot National Park and Lake Naivasha
Description
Climb to the top of Mount Longonot on this moderately-difficult day hike. The hike takes 3-4 hours round-trip, with sweeping views of the national park available from the summit. At the end, you will be rewarded with a scenic boat ride at Lake Naivasha.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Mt Longonot National Park is located 90km from Nairobi city on the floor of the Great Rift Valley. The mt Longonot national park is a popular park for hiking and mountain climbing that takes less than 3-4hrs to climb/hike up and down. It is one of the best adventure day trips from Nairobi. Longonot national park is easy to get to and has the best sightseeing opportunities and one can look inside the mountain crater.
Boat Ride in Lake Naivasha Go on an hour boat ride in this wonderful rift valley lake. The boat ride will take you to see the hundreds of birds in this lake including the diving African fish eagle which dives in the water to catch fish without ever missing. You will also go to the hippo pool and see the hippos as they swim and bleat inside the water while opening their mouths to over 180 degrees.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We do pick up travelers from apartments, hotels, residence or any other places within Nairobi
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(20)
Dominic and Jimmy were fantastic as our guides for the day. Reliable, patient and so easy to talk to, 👍🏼
If you are looking for a day that perfectly balances physical challenge with serene nature, this is it. Our trip was insanely beautiful and exceeded every expectation we had. From the peak of a volcano to the waters of a hippo-filled lake, it was an unforgettable experience. We start with a rewarding, high-energy hike up Mount Longonot and transition into a relaxing, scenic boat ride on Lake Naivasha. The views from the crater rim are stunning, but the boat ride was an unexpected highlight—seeing hippos, diverse birdlife, and other wild animals up close was truly amazing. One of the best parts of this package was that all park fees were included. It made the day feel seamless and high-value. The only thing not included was lunch, but our driver took us to a local buffet that was delicious, high-quality, and very affordable. It’s a full, satisfying day. We were picked up at 6:00 AM and made a quick fuel/coffee stop. We hit the trail at 8:50 AM. The hike to the top takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on your fitness level (I took my time at 1.5 hours, while my friend zoomed up!). If you walk the perimeter of the crater, add another 3 hours. We finished lunch by 2:00 PM and wrapped up the boat ride at 4:00 PM before heading home. The vibe is incredibly peaceful yet adventurous. You move from the quiet, rugged terrain of the volcano to the lush, vibrant life of the lake. It felt personal, professional, and very well-paced. We were pleasantly surprised to find this was a private tour! It was just my friend and me with our driver and guide. We had expected a large group, so having that one-on-one attention made the day feel much more exclusive and relaxed. The team made the trip. Jimmy, our driver, was excellent—not only a great navigator but also picked a perfect lunch spot. Dominic, our hiking guide, was fantastic. He was so patient and kind, never making me feel rushed when I needed to take breaks on the incline. Best For • Nature Lovers: The wildlife sightings at the lake are top-tier. • Hikers of all levels: Whether you’re a "zoomer" or a slower hiker, the guides make it accessible. • Small Groups/Friends: The private nature of the tour makes it a great bonding experience.
Wow, thank you so much for such a detailed and thoughtful review! We are thrilled to hear that the day exceeded your expectations. It’s a favorite itinerary of ours because of that 'rugged-to-serene' contrast, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the private nature of the tour. I’ll be sure to pass your kind words along to Jimmy and Dominic—they really are the stars of our team, and they’ll be so happy to know they made your hike and lunch stop special. We’d love to host you again for another adventure soon!"
It was an awesome experience. The Guide Joshua was very vast and patient, the Driver, Peter was also extremely nice and patient. I’d wholly recommend
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are thrilled to hear that you had such an awesome experience. Joshua and Peter will be delighted to know that their patience and expertise made your trip special. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back for another adventure in the future. Cheers!
Chose this tour based on the amazing reviews on Jimmy and Dominic. Lucky us...one was our driver and the other the guide. We had such an amazing time. Dominic was such a good guide. Had lots of info ..good talk and assistance. Highly recommend. So much fun 🔥💯💯💯
Fantastic day at Mount Longodot. Jimny and Dominiek gave us a wonderful experience. 14km of hiking in a unforgettable setting. Topped off with a local lunch (fresh African food) I recommend!
I loved this trip - it was perfectly organised & a great combination of hiking and relaxing boat tour. Jimmy was great and we had great conversations in the car. Dominic knew so much about mount longonot too. The hike was quite strenuous but they told me my 4.5 hour timing was a first - and as a 57 year old woman I was pleased and hope others will beat me ;). I do wish I had worn shoes with a deeper grip as the volcanic soil is very slippery. And do carry lots of water and sun screen. Lake navaisha is amazing & was so beautiful. I saw hippo, fish eagles and so many birds. Super knowledgeable guides, great company and simply a great day trip. As I said a perfect combination and perfect guides.
Hello, We are absolutely thrilled to read your review and learn how much you enjoyed the combined hiking and boat tour trip. It sounds like you had a truly memorable day. We are so proud to hear your compliments about Jimmy and Dominic—they are indeed incredibly knowledgeable and great company to be with. A huge congratulations on your incredible 4.5-hour timing! That is an amazing feat, especially given the strenuous nature of the climb, and at 57, you should be extremely pleased. We agree, Lake Naivasha is stunning, and it’s great that you got to see so much wildlife, including the hippos and fish eagles. We also appreciate you sharing your helpful tips for future guests. We will definitely emphasize the importance of shoes with a deep grip to better handle the volcanic soil. The reminder to carry plenty of water and sunscreen is also excellent advice for that hike. Thank you again for choosing us for your day trip. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon. Cheer!
It was amazing hike. It's tough but worth the effort. Bring extra water. Jimmy and Dominic were very professional and provided excellent services. I skipped the lake so can't comment on it. The drive from Nairobi was through very congested roads, so expect slow movement and some traffic jams. Other than that very pleasant trip. Definitely recommend it.
Hello, we are thrilled to hear it was an amazing and worthwhile hike to Mount Longonot. We're proud of Jimmy and Dominic for their excellent service. Thanks for the valuable tip on extra water and the heads-up about the congested roads from Nairobi. We really appreciate the recommendation. Cheer!
The guides were really great. The hike to the summit was very nice but quite exhausting... The boat safari was the crowning achievement
Vielen lieben Dank für dieses tolle Feedback! Es freut uns ungemein zu hören, dass unsere Guides einen so positiven Eindruck hinterlassen haben und dass die Bootssafari ein krönender Abschluss war. Wir geben Ihr Lob sehr gerne an das gesamte Team weiter. Es ist großartig, dass Sie trotz der Anstrengung die Wanderung genießen konnten!
It was excellent! It was a beautiful hike with Domenic, who had the perfect mix of telling me about local plants and animal life and letting me do my thing and enjoy nature. My driver, Jimmy, was also excellent! He shared a lot of information too and I appreciated his good driving skills. I also very much enjoyed the boat ride and thought the boat operator, John, was great too. I got to be quite close to a whole family of hippos — which was very cool — and he answered all my questions, and I had many!
Hello, Thank you for the sharing the wonderful feedback! We are so pleased that you had an excellent time and appreciate you highlighting our team. We are very proud of Dominic for his knowledgeable guidance, Jimmy for his safe driving and information-sharing, and John for making the boat ride so enjoyable (especially the hippo sighting!). It's great to know that their efforts made your experience so memorable.Thank you again for recommending our team! We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon. Cheers!
Was a great experience visiting Mt. Longonot together with an other guest on a shared tour. They were really competent and friendly. They were on time and were driving safely. So all in all I can recommend this tour!
Hello, Thank you for the five-star rating—we love it! It was an honor to host you on the tour to Mt. Longonot. We work hard to ensure our guides are competent, friendly, and always driving safely, so your feedback is truly appreciated. Thank you for the enthusiastic recommendation! Cheers!
