+255 765 772 906

Kenya

How to get to Mount Longonot

Here is how to get to Mount Longonot from Nairobi. Mount Longonot is a stratovolcano located southeast of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, Africa. It is thought to have last erupted in the 1860s. Its name is derived from the Maasai word Oloonong’ot, meaning “mountains of many spurs” or “steep ridges”. The dormant volcano rises 1000m above the baking-hot valley floor and was formed 400,000 years ago; it last erupted in the 1860s. The park itself covers only 52 sq km and was set up to protect the volcano’s ecosystem and little else. The name ‘Longonot’ comes from the Maasai name Olo Nongot, which means ‘Mountain of Many Summits’. The mountain has a deep crater on top covered in a forest of small trees. There are steam vents on the steep crater walls. Mount Longonot is 90 kilometers roughly an hour and a half, northwest of Nairobi city, and may be reached from there by a tarmac road, and from the main road, the park is 4km. A nearby town is also named Longonot. The Longonot satellite earth station is located south of the mountain. Vehicles may be left in a car park 1km after the gate. You can as well reach Longonot from Lake Naivasha which is few minutes’ drive away from Longonot, seen from a distance on your climb at the rim. However, you will need a good 4 x 4 vehicle to make you drive convenient across the marram terrain road to the park. For transport arrangement to visit Mount Longonot National Park, kindly get in touch with Enclose Africa Safaris, they will get you going with their driver guide at comfort. You can as well book the day excursion to Mount Longonot, with them, which can as well include a visit to Lake Naivasha after your hike to the crater rim at Mount Longonot, before driving back to Nairobi.

Keep exploring

More safaris in Kenya

We have no itinerary on the site that stops at Mount Longonot right now. These are our Kenya trips, and any of them can be reshaped to include it.

Good to know

Planning a trip to Mount Longonot

When is the best time to visit Mount Longonot?
June to October and January to February. The crater-rim circuit is steep and loose underfoot, and it is hard going when wet.
How much does a safari to Mount Longonot cost?
Pricing depends on your travel dates, lodges, and group size. Tell us what you have in mind and we will send a tailored quote, with no obligation.
How do I get to Mount Longonot?
Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi, Kenya, then drive about an hour and a half to the gate. Your Enclose Africa Safaris guide handles every transfer from arrival to departure.

Plan your trip to Mount Longonot

Tell us your dates and what you would love to see. A real person from our Arusha, Tanzania office replies within one business day with a tailor-made itinerary, no obligation.