Ngong Hills Hike Kenya Nairobi 2023

The Ngong Hills hike in Kenya is an easy day trip from Nairobi and a spectacular scenic walk. The Ngong Hills have far-reaching views over the Rift Valley, Nairobi National Park, Mount Suswa volcano, the Nairobi skyline and the Maasai land that reaches down to Lake Magadi. On a good day, you can see both Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya from the Ngong Hills

The Ngong Hills can be seen all over Nairobi. From a distance, these sinuous humps signal your arrival into Kenya’s capital. From the south, the hills form the side of the Rift Valley, the forested mountain towers 1000 metres above the Maasai lands. These hills in Kenya were made famous in Karen Blixen’s book ‘Out of Africa’ and the subsequent film. Ever since Meryl Streep uttered her immortal line celebrating her farm ‘at the foot of the Ngong Hills’, the have hills signified the romance of Africa. In real life, the hills are just as romantic. A gentle giant in this land of volcanic valleys and sulphurous lakes. The Ngong Hills meander upwards, a Tellytubby daydream looming above a barren landscape. The hills are more akin to the gentle slopes of England’s South Downs than anything I have seen elsewhere in Africa.

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Despite their mellow appearance, the slopes of the Ngong Hills can prove a challenging hike. Sleepily innocuous at first, the gradients prove hard even if the terrain is not. The Ngong Hills Nature Reserve is a sanctuary for animals, inhabited by impala, zebra, porcupine and dik-dik, and the more fearsome leopard, buffalo, hyena and, until recently, lion. The Ngong Hills forest covers an area of 3077 hectares giving Kenya’s predators plenty of space to lurk. The Ngong Hills reach a high point of 2460 metres, the altitude means that the flora differs slightly to that in the surrounding area. The middle peaks are the highest and have the densest bush, at this point ferns waved their furred fingers and moss hangs from sandalwood, cypress and croton trees, like ghostly spectres in the frequent mists.

Ngong Hills Hike

The Ngong Hills hike comprises a series of peaks, (the word means knuckles in the Maasai language) which takes you from one end to the other. The hills start in Kona Baridi and end in Ngong Town (or visa versa depending on which way you choose to hike). There are various trails on the hills, a side trip to the grave of the infamous Finch Hatton and some mountain biking routes, but it’s safest to stick to the main route, which is impossible to miss. The Ngong Hills hike is fairly strenuous but not technical, it can easily be done in 4 – 5 hours. Most people take public transport allowing them to just hike one way rather than a 10-hour return journey. To make the route shorter you can hike half way, roughly the highest peak, or simply walk as far as you wish and turn around. There is no obvious circuitous route so it’s there and back.

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Running or biking the Ngong Hills

The hills are popular with elite runners, jogging those hills at altitude is something I can aspire to but will honestly never achieve. There are excellent mountain biking trails particularly in the Kibiku Forest along the Ngong Hills ridge and to the windmills at the top. I’m, no mountain biker but my MIB buddies tell me there are some pretty good technical trails and some easy (if steep rides) for the intermediates Google mountain biking Ngong Hills to find a bunch of mountain biking companies who can take you up there if you aren’t confident going alone.

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Picnic on the Ngong Hills

The hills are the perfect place to picnic. The foothills at the entrance are easy to walk, covered in soft grass and have sweeping views towards Nairobi city and the Rift Valley. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect place for sundowners in Nairobi.
It is possible to drive your car a little further than the official car park and picnic at the bottom of the hills just past the windmills on the Ngong side.

Ngong Hills Hike – To armed guard or not to armed guard?

It is highly recommended that you use a guide on a Ngong Hills hike. This is because of infrequent opportunistic robberies and the occasional confrontation with a wild animal. Rich tourists and their multitude of watches, cameras and phones, are easy and tempting pickings for the people that live on a dollar a day in neighbouring Ngong Town. When we went we didn’t take an armed guard. On a weekend morning, the hills were crowded and it seemed entirely unnecessary. The path for the first few hills is completely open with no bushes or trees, it was only as we progressed along the ‘knuckles’ that the forest crowded in, the paths grew thin and I wondered if we had made a mistake. While I would never want to be the reason someone was robbed or attacked I would venture to say that if you are just on the Ngong Hills for a short walk or picnic, or in a large group, then you are fine to walk alone. If you are hiking the Ngong Hills the whole way then pay for a guard.
Askari’s are available at the entrance to the hills and cost approx. 1500 KSH local and 2000 KSH ($20) foreigner.

Climate in Nairobi for a Ngong Hills Hike

The short rains fall between October and December, and the long rains fall between March and May. Nairobi and the Ngong Hills are in the highlands above the rift and are considerably cooler than the lowlands of Kenya. The wind can pick up on the hills even on a hot and sunny day. I would advise bringing a sweater or coat even if the weather appears fair. The rainy seasons in Nairobi can render the ground a muddy swamp, think long and hard about hiking the hills if the weather has been wet.

Important things to remember on a Ngong Hills hike.
• Stop to allow wildlife to move off the tracks before you pass.
• Do not feed wild animals.
• Do not start fires in the forest.
• Do not take away animals, animal products, plants or plant parts.
• Do not mark or deface tree stems, stones and other features.
• Avoid noise as it disturbs both wildlife and other visitors.
• Be careful as animals here are wild and can be dangerous.
• Take all the litter that you brought away with you.
• Keep to the designated tracks and paths when walking and always be sure of where you are headed to

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What to bring on a Ngong Hills hike

Comfortable shoes or trainers.
Loose-fitting clothing cool clothing with a sweater or coat for warmth if the wind or rain picks up.
A camera and binoculars, although if you are hiking without a guard you may want to rethink your valuables.
Money for the entrance fee to the Ngong Hills Nature Reserve.
Drinking water, snacks.

Where are the Ngong Hills located in Kenya?

Ngong hills Nature Reserve is located in the northern tip of Kajiado County about from Nairobi city. From our home in Karen, it took us just 25 minutes to reach the Ngong Hills car park.
There are two options for hiking the Ngong Hills. You can go from the east side at Kona Baridi or the west at the Ngong Hills power station. Most people choose to go from the Ngong town side.

How to get to the Ngong Hills hike

Public Transport

Ngong Hill side board matatu no.111 from railways matatu terminus and alight at Ngong town. You can either walk to the car park at the power station or take a Boda Boda motorbike

For Kona Baridi entry point board matatu no.112 from railways matatu terminus and alight at Kiserian town which is about two kilometres to Koa Baridi entry point. One can choose to walk or take a Boda Boda that will cost 100 KSH

Private Transport

Taxi from Nairobi city centre to Ngong entry point is approximately -Ksh 2000
Taxi from Nairobi city centre to Corner to Baridi entry point is approximately – Ksh 2500
Taxi from Ngong town to Ngong entry point is approximately Ksh – 500
Taxi from Kiserian town to Corner Baridi entry point is approximately Ksh-500

Self-drive

Drive along Ngong Road, through Ngong Town and follow signs for the power station. There are a series of car parks, you can drive right up to the start of the trial or if you don’t have a 4×4 then park at one of the lower car parks and walk up.

Visiting hours

Visiting time is from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm and entry tickets are found at entry points. Those wanting to make visits earlier than this time can make arrangements to obtain tickets a day before.