Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha
Traveler rating
4.8/5
Based on 39 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha worth booking?
Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha is a 9-hour experience in Nairobi, Kenya, from $60 per person. It scores 80 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Strongly Recommended”, based on a 4.8/5 rating across 39 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 80 / 100
- Rating
- 4.8/5 (39)
- Duration
- 9 hours
- From
- $60 per person
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/hik
What you get
- Professional English speaking guide/driver.
- Transport
- Private tour
- Pickup and drop-off to your hotel within Nairobi CBD
- park entrance fees
About this experience
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.
What's included
Included
- Professional English speaking guide/driver.
- Transport
- Private tour
- Pickup and drop-off to your hotel within Nairobi CBD
- park entrance fees
Not included
- Boat ride (25 USD per person)
- Lunch (We are happy to drive you to a restaurant.
- Pickup and drop off to the airport at 20 USD.
What you'll see and do
Mount Longonot National Park
6:00am:- Nairobi- Great African Rift Valley Depart Nairobi for Mt Longonot National Park going through the Kikuyu lush green highlands and then on the eastern escarpment of the rift valley system. 6:30am: – Great Rift Valley View Point You will make a scheduled stop at the view point on the side of the escarpment to enjoy the view of the Rift valley floor from a birds eye view. The rift valley system was formed 5 million years ago and the rift runs from the red sea through Ethiopia and Kenya and Tanzania. The rift valley is an active volcanic area and has some of the most interesting features including more than 8 lakes, dormant and active volcanic mountains and hotsprings and geysers like the Olkaria geothermal wells and Lake Bogoria geysers. You can actually see the volcanic Mt Suswa and Mt Longonot from this high place with their evergreen craters and the undulating green rift valley floor. The view from here is just amazing. Make sure to take as many photos from here as you can. 7:00am: – Mt Longonot National Park Drop into the rift valley and arrive at the Mt Longonot national park for your Hike up to the crater. The hike requires medium physical fitness and you will climb through the gulleys that dot the sides of this mountain. You can make some rest stops at the designated places on the trek. You will get to the rim of the crater and look into the awesome crater below. If you have the strength for it, you can go round the rim of the crater.
240 minutes here · Admission included
Lake Naivasha
12:00pm: – Mt. Longonot –Lake Naivasha Descend from the Longonot mountain for the base at the park headquarters. Relax for some while and take on the drive to Lake Naivasha. 1:00pm: – Lunch at Marina Camp Arrive at Marina camp and enjoy a sumptuous lunch at their restaurant by the lakeside while watching the lakes beauty and the birds flying by. 2:30pm: – 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. 4:00pm: – Lake Naivasha -Nairobi Depart Lake Naivasha for Nairobi going through the lush Kikuyu highlands and arrive back in Nairobi at 5:30 pm. You will be dropped off at your hotel or residency within Nairobi CBD.
240 minutes here · Admission not included
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Nairobi
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations. Pickup begins about 10 minutes before departure.
Ends at
Returns to the starting point
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en, fr, es
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Perfect Safaris
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 39 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
9 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Physical effort
6 mentionsExpect real walking or climbing: reviewers mention the effort involved.
Photo opportunities
4 mentionsThe views and photo stops come up again and again.
Knowledge and storytelling
3 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
Organization
3 mentionsPickup, timing, and logistics are described as running smoothly.
Traveler reviews
39 verified traveler reviews for Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent Mt. Longonot Private Tour
As a solo female traveler, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. From the moment I met Wilson, my driver and tour guide, I felt completely safe, comfortable, and well taken care of. He was kind, professional, and incredibly knowledgeable. I especially appreciated his genuine pride in Kenya and his passion for sharing the history, culture, and beauty of his country. For the hike, Peter, the park guide, was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable about Mt. Longonot, the area, and the wildlife, and he did a great job spotting animals along the way. He also took some wonderful photos for me! I highly recommend this tour if you are visiting Nairobi. Wilson and Peter made the entire day safe, enjoyable, informative, and truly memorable. 🇰🇪❤️
Response from the operator: Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a heartwarming and detailed review! Ensuring that solo female travelers feel completely safe, comfortable, and valued is one of our highest priorities, so hearing how well taken care of you felt throughout your journey means the absolute world to us. Wilson’s genuine pride in Kenya and passion for sharing our culture and history truly make him a standout guide, while Peter’s expertise on Mt. Longonot—from tracking wildlife to capturing fantastic photos along the hike—clearly made the day even more special. We will be so proud to pass your glowing praise directly to both Wilson and Peter; they are going to be overjoyed to read your kind words! Thank you again for choosing Perfect Safari and for recommending this trip so highly to fellow travelers visiting Nairobi. We hope to welcome you back to Kenya for another memorable adventure in the future! Warmest regards, The Perfect Safari Team
via Tripadvisor
An excellent day trip from Nairobi
Great experience hiking Mt Longonot with driver Dennis and very knowledgable Guide Joshua. As a solo traveller, I was originally looking for a group hike, and could not find one on TripAdvisor. Generally, it would be nice for local operators to include group outings which could appeal to solo travellers. I was happy to see that at the trailhead I joined another group with the Joshua, which added to the experience. At the same time, it was nice to have a separate driver as I needed to skip the lake and get back to Nairobi. Entire experience went smoothly thanks to Dennis and Joshua. Some tips to others planning to do this hike: - According to Strava, the loop around the crater is 6.2km not 7.2km as indicated on the display at the rim. Not clear to me which is right, but my legs suggest 6.2km. - Bring enough water. We had a cool and overcast day (which was good), but I still needed 1.5L of water. On a hot sunny day, I'd easily recommend twice that much. - Make sure you get there early on weekends, there were large crowds by the time we we ready to walk back down to the car. - Expect traffic to and from the trailhead.
Response from the operator: Hello, Thank you for sharing your positive experience with Perfect Safaris. We are delighted to hear that your entire experience was flawless. It's fantastic that you had an amazing driver, Dennis and guide, Joshua, who made your solo trip memorable. The ascent of Mt. Longonot sounds like incredible experiences, and we appreciate your feedback. We hope to welcome you back for more amazing adventures in the future with us. Regards Susan
via Tripadvisor
Excellent tour to Mount Longonot!
Was a great tour exploring all over Kenya with Stephen. Stephen was very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic then entire tour. Hiked up Mt. Longonot which has breathtaking views. I went with hiking guide Joshua who was extremely patient, knowledgeable and a pleasure to hike with. The weather could not have been any better. The boat ride was really nice and relaxing. Saw hippos and various species of birds up close. Excellent tour and highly recommend especially for photography.
Response from the operator: Hi, Thank you for sharing your experience. We are glad to hear that you had a fabulous time on Mt Longonot and enjoyed hiking and beautiful scenery. We're glad your guides were great and that you had an awesome time on the boat ride, getting to see hippos and birds up close. We are delighted that you had a truly memorable day and hope to welcome you back for more unforgettable experiences in the future. Regards Susan
via Tripadvisor
Incredible hiking day trip
This was a great day trip from Nairobi! The hike was challenging but worth the incredible views. Our guide was great and patient. Would highly recommend for anyone wanting to get out of the city!
Response from the operator: Hello, Thank you for taking time to leave us such a great review and a 5-star rating. We are glad to know that you had a positive experience with us despite challenges. Your feedback is valuable, and we really appreciate. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable tour experience. Regards Susan
via Tripadvisor
Great hike with a great team
I did a trip to Mt Longonot today with Stephen. Stephen picked me up on time from my hotel and drove very safely and on time to Mt Longonot. We arrived to Mt Longonot and met a local guide (Joshua) who accompanied me for the hike. The hike took around 4 hours, including the round trip along the rim. The hike itself is split into a few sections: 1) the hike up to the rim, this is around 3km and is all uphill as you'd expect. It took us around 1 hour. 2) the hike to the summit, again this took around 1 hour. 3) the hike from the summit to the start of the full descent, again around 1 hour. 4) hike down to the gate, once more around an hour. My tour guide was very knowledgeable and knew the answers to all my questions. I then met up again with Stephen and we drove back to Nairobi. On the way back we encountered very bad traffic but Stephen expertly and safely navigated this and remained positive the whole journey, and we arrived back in Nairobi around 3:30pm. I would highly recommend this tour.
Response from the operator: Hello, Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a great review. We gre glad to know that you had a positive experience with us; in the company of Stephen. Your feedback is valuable, and we really appreciate. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable tour experience. Regards Susan
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 9 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- 3+
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $60 to $195
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 14
- Verdict
- Strongly Recommended
Who runs this experience
Operated by Perfect Safaris, who run 28 experiences we rank across 5 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 60.2 and 1 in the 90+ Club.
See everything Perfect Safaris runsWhy this scores 80
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Nairobi.
How much does Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha cost?
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Prices start at $60 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Nairobi usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha take?
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Plan for about 9 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Nairobi is not rushed.
Is Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 80 out of 100, which we label "Strongly Recommended". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.8/5 across 39 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Nairobi, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha suitable for kids and families?
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The operator sets a minimum age of 3. Older children generally do well here, and families should factor in the 9-hour running time when deciding.
How far in advance should I book Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha?
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Around 14 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Nairobi can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Nairobi and add a light layer if any part of the 9-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Private Tour to Mount Longonot and Optional Boat Ride on Lake Naivasha start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Nairobi within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Nairobi?
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On Outty we rank every Nairobi experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include 2 Days Amboseli Safari using a 4x4 Landcruiser jeep(with options), Wild 5-Day Safari: Magical Mara, Nakuru Wonders & Hell's Gate, 3 days group joining safari to Maasai Mara with a Land Cruiser Jeep. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Nairobi?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Nairobi?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
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