Mount Suswa caves & crater
An old volcano a couple of hours from Nairobi with lava tubes you can walk into, bats overhead and a crater rim that drops away beneath your feet. Run with the local Maasai community.
Suswa is one of those places people in Nairobi have heard of but very few have actually been to. The volcano is riddled with lava tubes, tunnels left behind when molten rock drained away. Some of them are big enough to walk through upright. One chamber is known locally as the Baboon Parliament, after the troops that shelter there at night.
Your guide comes from the community that looks after the mountain. Torches go on, you duck under roots hanging through the ceiling, and the temperature drops. Later we drive up to the crater rim, where the inner crater and its wooded island are laid out below you.
The last stretch of road is rough and slow, so we use a 4×4. Stay overnight and you get the crater at sunset and a sky full of stars.
Highlights
- Walk through lava tube caves with a local Maasai guide
- The Baboon Parliament chamber
- Views into Suswa’s double crater
- Option to camp on the rim overnight
Itinerary
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7:00 am · Leave Nairobi
Down the escarpment past Mai Mahiu, with a stop at the Rift Valley viewpoint.
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Late morning · The caves
Meet our community guide, collect helmets and torches, and explore two or three of the lava tubes.
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Afternoon · Crater rim
Lunch, then up to the rim for the view into the crater.
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Evening · Home or camp
Day-trippers are back in Nairobi after dark. Campers set up on the rim for dinner by the fire.
Included
- 4x4 transport from Nairobi
- Community conservancy fees
- Local cave guide
- Helmets and torches
- Lunch and water
- Tents and camp meals (2-day option)
Not included
- Sleeping bag (available to hire)
- Personal travel insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Drinks and personal shopping
Questions travellers ask
Is it scary inside the caves?
Some sections are low and dark, and there are bats. Nobody is made to go further than they want — the guide picks caves to suit the group, and there are easy options for children.
What should I bring?
Closed shoes with grip, clothes you do not mind getting dusty, a warm layer for the evening, and a head torch if you have one.
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