The Ngong Hills are 7 peaks in a ridge along the great rift valley located in Nairobi, Kenya. During the years of colonial rule, the area around the Ngong Hills was a major farming region, and many traditional colonial houses are still seen here. It opens from 8am and closes by 5pm, also if you wish to visit before the opening hours and as early as possible you can even book your tickets a day before. We went for Ngong Hills Day Trip recently and can suggest this as one of the best hiking trails around Nairobi. If you are planning for a visit to Ngong Hills and looking for all answers then you have come to the right place. In this blog we will cover all the following questions – How far is Ngong Hills from Nairobi, How much is Ngong hills entrance fee, How to go to Ngong Hills from Nairobi, What to do in Ngong Hills, How long is Ngong hills Hike and Places to visit near Ngong Hills in Nairobi.
Its a climb of lush green small hills which can be perfect place to spend a weekend with friends and family and arrange a small picnic.
For us its already been 3years in Nairobi, but somehow could not make our way to explore the serene Ngong hills. So finally made up our mind of ending the last day of Jan 2021 in the heart of 7 hills.
How far is Ngong Hills from Nairobi : Ngong Hills Day Trip
We started by 8am From Nairobi and it took us approx 1hr(25kms) to reach the entrance of Ngong hills. Also it depends upon traffic conditions at times. It is definitely possible to self drive till the main gate and up to the designated parking and mostly all cars are convenient for the drive.
How much is Ngong hills entrance fee : Ngong Hills Day Trip
The entry fee for citizen is 200ksh, residents is 464ksh and 600ksh for foreigners. You can make your payment by cash or by M-pesa at the gates on arrival.
How to go to Ngong Hills from Nairobi
Residents can easily self-drive till the main gate of Ngong hills. However if you are a foreigner it would be convenient for you to reach by directly booking a cab from uber/ bolt app.
What to do in Ngong Hills Day Trip
Mostly people comes here for an amazing hike which overlooks the Nairobi plains from the top. The entire city looks gorgeous from the 3rd and 4th hill seriously. Beside you can also see many windmills around which are really fascinating to watch.
Also there is no need for any armed guide to escort you throughout the hike because few say there are wild buffalo’s which might be harmful (cant be seen now) but honestly we don’t think its required. Why to waste money paying for rangers!
You can also visit Ngong hills for:
- Picnic with friends and family.
- For hiking all the 7 hills.
- Bird watching
- Zip lining( 1000 ksh per person)
- Nature walk
How long is Ngong hills Hike
The Ngong Hills stretches for 11.5 kilometres and takes about 5-6 hours to walk from one end to the other and also depending on your speed and number of breaks. Make sure to wear comfortable hiking or sport shoes and don’t forget to carry water you would definitely need it. If possible take some munching items as well. As there are no local vendors inside the hills.
Places to visit near Ngong Hills in Nairobi
There are multiple places where you can visit after your hike at Ngong hills, if you wish to explore in and around Nairobi city.
- Elephant Orphanage (7.3kms)
- Karen Blixen Museum (3kms)
- Giraffe Centre (5kms)
- Nairobi National Park (8kms)
- Oloolua Nature Trail (4kms) – Read our experience to everything about Oloolua Nature Trail Here
