Towns and places. Updated November 2026. 4 min read.
Most visitors see Mount Kenya from the west, from Nanyuki and the Laikipia side. Drive round to the east and the mountain changes character: the slopes below Embu and Meru are a patchwork of tea, coffee, bananas and miraa, the towns are busy and proudly local, and below them the land falls away to the hot, wild country of Meru National Park.
For travelers, the east side does three jobs. It is the route to Meru National Park, the quiet, river-laced park where Joy and George Adamson raised Elsa the lioness. It is where the Chogoria route, the most beautiful way up Mount Kenya, begins. And it is home country for many Kenyans in the U.S. with roots among the Embu, Mbeere, Meru and Tharaka. Our Meru and Embu county pages have the county data; this page is the visitor's guide to the two towns and the road between them.
Getting there and around
| From | To | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | Embu, via Thika and Sagana | About 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Embu | Chogoria | About 1 hour |
| Chogoria | Meru town, via Chuka | About 1 to 1.5 hours |
| Meru town | Meru National Park, Murera Gate, via Maua | About 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Meru town | Nanyuki, round the north of the mountain via Timau | About 1.5 hours |
| Meru town | Isiolo and Samburu | About 1 hour to Isiolo |
The road from Embu to Meru curves along the mountain's lower slopes through Chuka, crossing river after river in deep green valleys. Driving it is one of the pleasures of this side of Kenya; allow time for fruit stops.
Embu
Embu is a county capital and university town on the south-east slopes, known for the jacaranda trees that turn its streets purple late in the year. It makes a good first night out of Nairobi on a loop round the mountain. Nearby, Ndunda Falls and the Njukiri Forest have waterfall walks and a canopy walk, Mwea National Reserve is a quiet spot for water birds and elephants on the Tana, and the Seven Forks dams spread across the lowlands to the east. Our Embu people page tells the community's story.
Chogoria and the mountain
Chogoria, a small town between Embu and Meru, is the trailhead for the Chogoria route up Mount Kenya. It climbs through bamboo forest to Lake Ellis, then along the rim of the Gorges Valley past Lake Michaelson and the Hall Tarns to Point Lenana, and most climbers call it the most beautiful valley on the mountain. Allow about five days; many trekkers go up the Sirimon route and come down Chogoria. Our Mount Kenya climbing pages cover the routes, costs and altitude.
Meru town and miraa country
Meru is the largest town on the east side, a busy commercial centre for the Meru people. In town, the Meru Museum, run by National Museums of Kenya, introduces Meru culture and the Njuri Ncheke, the council of elders that still settles disputes; its shrine at Nchiru, north of town, is a place of deep respect. Lake Nkunga, a sacred crater lake in the Imenti forest, and the area's tea and coffee factories make good half-day trips.
North-east of town, the Nyambene Hills around Maua are miraa country. Miraa, also called khat, is a leaf chewed as a mild stimulant, grown here for centuries and trucked at high speed each morning to markets across Kenya and abroad. It is legal in Kenya, and you will see it everywhere. It is illegal in the United States, so do not bring any home.
Meru National Park
Meru National Park, below the Nyambene Hills, is crossed by 13 rivers, with palms, riverine forest and open bush. It is where the Adamsons returned Elsa, the lioness of Born Free, to the wild, and Elsa's grave is in the park. It also has a fenced rhino sanctuary, lions, elephants and the northern species of Samburu, with a fraction of the visitors. Our Meru National Park page covers it in full.
Where to eat and stay
Both towns have business hotels, guesthouses and a few older country hotels, comfortable for a night on the road. Meru National Park has lodges, a tented camp and KWS bandas; our park page has the options. Eat the food of the mountain: mukimo and githeri, bananas and avocados from roadside stalls, Meru tea and coffee, and nyama choma at the town's grills.
How long to stay, and how it fits a trip
Give the towns a night each at most, and Meru National Park two or three nights. The east side fits a loop round Mount Kenya: Nairobi to Embu, along the slopes to Meru, down to Meru National Park, north to Isiolo and Samburu, and back via Nanyuki. Climbers add Chogoria. Diaspora families can add home visits in Embu, Meru or Tharaka-Nithi without adding long drives.
Why plan with us: Kenya Experience is Kenyan-led, with two U.S. companies behind it and Kenyan guides on the ground. You can pay in full or monthly with no deposit, and a specialist replies within two business days.
