Top 10 Viewpoints in Kenya
Kenya is split by the Great Rift Valley, a vast geological trench running the length of the country, flanked by escarpments, volcanic peaks and soda lakes. Beyond the rift lie the snow-capped equatorial summit of Mount Kenya, the endless savannas of the Maasai Mara and the coast of the Indian Ocean. Its viewpoints take in some of the most iconic African landscapes. These ten capture Kenya's rift, mountains and wildlife country.
Great Rift Valley viewpoint, Escarpment
The classic viewpoint over the Great Rift Valley is from the escarpment on the old road north-west of Nairobi, where the land drops away dramatically to the valley floor 600 metres below. The view takes in the volcano of Mount Longonot and, on clear days, the soda lakes shimmering in the distance. It is the definitive introduction to the rift.
Point Lenana, Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa at 5,199 metres, has glaciers almost on the equator. Point Lenana, the trekking summit at 4,985 metres, is reached by a multi-day climb and gives a sunrise view over the jagged main peaks of Batian and Nelion and the surrounding moorland. The high-altitude ascent is a serious undertaking.
Mount Longonot crater rim
The dormant volcano of Mount Longonot rises to 2,776 metres in the Rift Valley near Lake Naivasha. A trail climbs to the crater rim, and the full circuit around the rim gives constantly changing views down into the forested crater and out over the rift and Lake Naivasha. It is one of the most rewarding day hikes near Nairobi.
Maasai Mara escarpment
The Oloololo (Siria) escarpment forms the western edge of the Maasai Mara, rising above the endless savanna. Viewpoints from the escarpment look out over the plains where the great wildebeest migration crosses each year, with herds visible to the horizon. It is one of the most evocative wildlife landscapes on earth.
Hell's Gate
Hell's Gate National Park near Lake Naivasha is a dramatic landscape of cliffs, gorges and volcanic columns, including the Fischer's Tower rock pillar. Viewpoints from the cliffs and the gorge frame the rift scenery, where it is possible to walk and cycle among the wildlife. The towering cliffs inspired animated film landscapes.
Lake Nakuru viewpoint (Baboon Cliff)
Lake Nakuru, a soda lake in the Rift Valley, is famous for the flamingos that gather in vast pink flocks. The Baboon Cliff viewpoint looks down over the lake, the flamingos and the surrounding national park, with rhinos and other wildlife on the plains below. It is one of the finest elevated lake-and-wildlife viewpoints in Kenya.
Lake Magadi
In the southern Rift Valley, Lake Magadi is a soda lake whose surface forms vivid pink and white salt crusts. Viewpoints from the surrounding road and hills frame the otherworldly coloured flats, often with flamingos. The extreme, mineral-stained landscape is one of the most striking in the rift, baking under the equatorial sun.
Aberdare viewpoints
The Aberdare Range rises to over 4,000 metres, a high moorland of waterfalls and forest. Viewpoints along the park road and at the Karuru Falls — among the highest in Kenya — frame the moorland, the deep valleys and the distant peak of Mount Kenya. The cool, misty highland is a contrast to the savanna below.
Amboseli and Kilimanjaro
Amboseli National Park, on the Tanzanian border, gives the classic view of Mount Kilimanjaro — Africa's highest peak at 5,895 metres, across the border in Tanzania — rising above herds of elephants on the plains. Viewpoints from Observation Hill within the park frame the mountain and the wildlife. Dawn, when the snow cap is clearest, is the prime time.
Nairobi National Park skyline
Unique among capital cities, Nairobi has a national park on its doorstep where viewpoints frame wildlife on the savanna against the city skyline behind. The juxtaposition of lions and skyscrapers is found nowhere else. The park's viewpoints capture this striking meeting of wild Africa and urban Kenya.
Explore on the map
From the Great Rift Valley escarpment to the summit of Mount Kenya and the plains of the Maasai Mara, every viewpoint above is plotted on the interactive map. Use it to see which require a multi-day climb or a safari drive, which are escarpment overlooks or crater rims, and plan a route across the rift and wildlife country of Kenya.