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Menengai Crater
Best time to visit
The crater rim, at 2,278 meters, offers the clearest views before 9 a.m., when the two lakes in the valley are still fully visible before the fog rolls in. The dry season between June and September guarantees the widest horizons.
Budget tips
Entrance tickets cost around 300 Kenyan shillings for locals and 1,000 shillings for foreign tourists, not including vehicle parking. Save money by sharing a taxi or joining a group tour, and bring your own drinking water because prices at the stalls at the top jump two-fold.
Recommended for
Hikers and nature walkers, Landscape photographers, Lovers of geology and folklore, Couples seeking sunrise panoramas
Plan your visit
2-3 hours
About
Quick facts: This caldera, 12 kilometers wide with vertical walls 300 meters high, was formed by a violent eruption around 8,000 years ago. The Maasai people of old believed the crater floor was inhabited by evil spirits, and they threw fallen warriors into it as a final burial.
Highlights: White steam rising from cracks in the crater floor shows the mountain is still "alive," and its geothermal heat is being tapped to generate 400 megawatts of electricity. The crater rim at 2,278 meters rewards visitors with a panorama of two lakes, Nakuru and Elementaita, which look miniature from above.
Insider tips
- Bring a thick jacket and a hat because the crater rim is very windy and temperatures can drop drastically at an altitude of 2,278 meters.
- When the fog rolls in, wait 20-30 minutes in the shade, as the wind usually clears the fog and opens up the view again.
- The most dramatic photo spot is the edge near the parking area, where the caldera wall drops vertically hundreds of meters to the crater floor.
- For a memorable experience, hire a local guide to hear the stories of the Maasai people while walking the trail to the viewpoint.
Practical info
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