Towns and places. Updated November 2026. 4 min read.
Nanyuki sits on the equator, at the foot of Mount Kenya, and it is the town where Kenya's north begins. Ranchers, climbers, safari guides, British soldiers and Laikipia farmers all do their shopping on the same main street, with the snow on the mountain behind them on a clear morning.
For travelers, Nanyuki is three things: the photo stop on the equator, the airstrip and road junction for Ol Pejeta and the Laikipia conservancies, and the base for the Sirimon and Naro Moru routes up Mount Kenya. It is also a good town for a night on the road north, with comfortable places to stay and some of the best cafes outside Nairobi. This page covers the town: where to eat, where to sleep, how to get in and out. For the plateau and its conservancies, read our Laikipia page.
The equator stop
The equator crosses the main road from Nairobi just south of town, marked by a sign, a row of curio shops and men with a basin of water. They will show you water swirling one way a few steps north of the line and the other way a few steps south. It is a fun show, not science: the Coriolis effect is far too weak to steer water in a basin, and the trick is in how it is poured. Take the photo with a foot in each hemisphere, tip the demonstrator if you watched, and bargain politely in the shops.
Where to eat
- The Cape Chestnut: a garden cafe and restaurant in town, a favourite for breakfast, coffee and long lunches
- The Trout Tree: a restaurant built in the branches of a huge fig tree above a trout farm, a short drive south of town, with colobus monkeys in the trees; order the trout
- Town cafes and the market: good coffee, Kenyan lunches, and fresh fruit and vegetables from the Laikipia farms
- The supermarkets: Nanyuki has large ones, the place to stock up on snacks, water and anything you forgot before heading north
Where to stay
Choose by what the night is for. In and around town there are comfortable hotels, guesthouses and garden cottages, good for a first night out of Nairobi or before a climb. On the lower slopes of the mountain, a few historic lodges offer gardens, views and a slower pace. If wildlife is the point, sleep inside Ol Pejeta instead, 20 to 30 minutes away, where the camps range from good value to luxury; our Laikipia stay guide lists them with prices.
Getting there and away
| From | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi | Road via Thika, Karatina and Naro Moru | About 3 hours |
| Nairobi (Wilson Airport) | Scheduled light-aircraft flight to Nanyuki airstrip | About 45 minutes |
| Nyeri | Road | About 1 hour |
| Samburu | Road north via Isiolo | About 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Lewa | Road via Timau, or a short flight | About 1.5 hours by road |
The airstrip is just outside town, next to a Kenya Air Force base, so expect security checks and do not photograph the military side. Flights connect Nanyuki with Wilson, the Mara and the northern airstrips, which makes it an easy hinge between a Laikipia stay and the rest of a trip. Our Wilson Airport guide explains the light-aircraft flights from Nairobi.
The base for Mount Kenya
Two of Mount Kenya's main routes start near Nanyuki. The Sirimon gate is northeast of town toward Timau, on the drier, gentler northern side; the Naro Moru gate is to the south, the shortest and steepest way up. Climbers usually spend a night in Nanyuki before and after, to organize gear, meet the guides and porters and, afterwards, eat a large lunch. Above the town, the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy runs an animal orphanage and a breeding program for the mountain bongo, one of Kenya's rarest antelopes.
The town's mix
Nanyuki has long been a garrison town. The British Army has a training unit here, and the Kenya Air Force has a base by the airstrip, so you will see soldiers in town and hear the occasional helicopter. Add Laikipia's ranching families, conservation workers, climbers and a steady stream of safari guests, and Nanyuki is one of the most cosmopolitan small towns in Kenya. It is also an ordinary Kenyan market town, with a busy open-air market and matatus heading north.
How long to stay, and how it fits a trip
Most travelers spend one night here or none, passing through on the way to Ol Pejeta, Lewa or Samburu. Stay two or three nights if you want to use the town as a base for day trips to Ol Pejeta, Solio and the Mount Kenya forest, which can save money compared with a conservancy camp, or if you are climbing. Our 14-day loop passes through Nanyuki between Samburu and the Rift Valley.
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.
