Koitobos Peak hike: Mt Elgon's highest point in Kenya

Section by section

• The drive up: from Chorlim Gate, the park tracks climb through forest, bamboo and heath for roughly 27 km to the road end, above 3,500 m. The track is rough and needs a 4x4 and dry conditions. Our map starts at the road end.
• The valley: the path crosses into a shallow valley with a stream and follows it gently uphill over open moorland, among giant groundsels and lobelias. It is well defined, but muddy and boggy in places.
• The saddle: the valley leads up to a saddle at about 4,050 m below Koitobos, on the rim of the caldera.
• The summit: from the saddle the path climbs the peak, working round bands of cliff with some ups and downs, to the flat top at 4,222 m. You look down into the caldera and across to the higher peaks on the Ugandan side. You come back the same way.

Terrain and how hard it is

Koitobos is a walk, not a climb, and the gradient is mostly gentle: from the road end you gain only about 700 m. Hikers can reach the top in about two hours from the road end.

What makes it serious is the altitude and the remoteness. You walk at 3,500 to 4,200 m, the weather can change quickly, and help is a long drive away. If you have not been high recently, take it slowly.

On our map the line from the road end to Koitobos Peak covers about 5.8 km one way.

Best time of year

Mt Elgon is wet, with over 1,270 mm of rain a year. The drier seasons run from June to August and from December to March, although it can rain at any time.

The dry seasons matter even more for the drive: the 4x4 track to the road end is only passable in dry conditions.

What to bring

• Warm layers, a hat and gloves: it is cold above 4,000 m.
• A waterproof jacket and trousers.
• Hiking boots with good grip for the bog and the rock.
• Drinking water and food for the day.
• Sunscreen, sunglasses and insect repellent.
• A first aid kit.
• Camping kit and food if you plan to stay overnight in the park.
• No single-use plastic: Kenya's national parks are plastic-free.

Getting there, entry and fees

From Kitale, follow the signposted murram Endebess road to Mt Elgon Lodge and Chorlim Gate, the main gate and park headquarters. Kitale airstrip is 30 km from the park and Eldoret airport about 70 km. KWS says park gates open at 6:00 am and close at 6:00 pm, unless you are staying overnight, so plan an early start for the drive up and the hike.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) lists these daily entry rates for Mt Elgon National Park, effective from 1 October 2025: East African citizens KES 500 per adult and KES 250 per child; Kenya residents KES 675 per adult and KES 350 per child; African citizens USD 20 per adult and USD 10 per child; non-residents USD 50 per adult and USD 25 per child. KWS runs the Koitoboss Guesthouse, the Kapkuro Bandas and several campsites, including Chorlim, Rongai and Nyati.

The KWS park page does not say a guide or ranger is required for Koitobos, but ask at Chorlim Gate about current rules, and we strongly recommend going with a guide who knows the mountain. Official page: kws.go.ke/park/mt-elgon-national-park

Checked on 8 November 2026 against the official KWS website; confirm current fees before you go.

Keep the climb

We print the route on the real terrain, so Elgon's great caldera spreads across the wall in 3D, with your line raised in colour to Koitobos on its rim. Add your names and the date you reached Kenya's second-highest peak.