Who we are

A small Kenyan team running trips we'd want to go on ourselves.

We started Tai Trails in 2016 because the standard of hiking operators in Kenya wasn't matching the standard of the trails. Eight years on, we've grown carefully — same founders, same standards, same fair-pay crew.

/ 01 — Story

Hiker silhouetted against breaking clouds and sun above Mount Kenya senecios

Summit sign at Oldonyo Lesatima Peak 4001m ASL

Misty crags of Oldonyo Lesatima with hikers in the foreground

We were guiding before we were a company.

Wanjiru grew up on the western slopes of the Aberdares. Kibet started life as a long-distance runner in Iten. We met on Mount Kenya in 2014 — both of us on summit night, both of us watching a guided group struggle with a route that should have been manageable. The conversation that began at Shipton's camp became Tai Trails two years later.

We've grown carefully since. Same two founders. A team of twelve full-time guides plus a regular crew of cooks and porters. We turn down work when our calendars are full because running fewer trips well matters more than running more trips badly.

Today, Tai Trails has guided over 9,400 hikers across Kenya and East Africa. We've been featured by Lonely Planet, National Geographic and the BBC. We've maintained a 4.9 rating on TripAdvisor across nearly a decade of operating. We're proud of the work and the people doing it.

8+: Years guiding in Kenya
120+: Trails mapped
9,400: Hikers led to summits
4.9★: Average TripAdvisor rating

/ 02 — Principles

Four things we don't bend on.

These aren't poster-on-the-wall values. They're the filter we run every operational decision through.

Safety is the floor, not the ceiling.

Oximeters, satellite communicators, certified first responders, full medical kits. Every trip, every season.

Fair pay, fair tips, every time.

Guides and porters earn above industry rates with transparent tip pools. Our crew comes back to us.

Leave the trail better.

Pack out everything we pack in, including human waste above 4,000m. Conservancy fees go to communities, not us.

Small groups, real attention.

We cap group sizes for the experience and the trail. Sometimes we turn business away because we won't dilute either.

/ 03 — Crew

The humans you'll meet at trailhead.

No sub-guides. The crew on your trip is on staff at Tai Trails.

Wanjiru Mwangi

Co-founder & Lead Guide

Wanjiru grew up on the western slopes of the Aberdares and has been leading hikes professionally for 14 years. Certified KPSGA Bronze guide and Mountain Medicine first responder.

Kibet Cherop

Co-founder & Operations

Kibet ran two seasons in the Iten elite training camps before pivoting to mountain logistics. Manages crew, gear and safety operations across every Tai Trails trip.

Dr. Aisha Noor

Medical Lead

Aisha is a Mombasa-based emergency physician. Designs our altitude protocols and trains our guides in WFR-level first aid. Climbed Lenana six times.

Daniel Kiprop

Senior Mountain Guide

Kili specialist. 80+ summits across Machame, Lemosho and Rongai. Speaks Swahili, English and Maa.

Achieng' Otieno

Bookings & Client Care

Most likely the first person you'll speak to at Tai Trails. Knows every itinerary inside out and remembers your kid's name from the inquiry email.

Lemayian ole Saruni

Loita Community Lead

Iltepes elder and our partner on every Loita cultural trek. Carries five decades of stories from the Loita forest.

/ 04 — Field log

From the last 90 days on the trail.

4,001 m. Hongera — congratulations from the top of the Aberdares

Pre-dawn at the trailhead, the mist deciding whether to lift

Scale check beneath Batian, Mount Kenya

Sun, senecios, summit clouds — Mount Kenya at altitude

Acacia country — the Rift Valley floor

Fresh snow on the upper slopes of Mount Kenya

Inside the Aberdare bamboo and hagenia forest

First light hits Batian and Nelion

A plains zebra mid-grass, somewhere in the Mara conservancies

Kilimanjaro from the Amboseli plains — the classic view

Forest trail outside Limuru — easy starter routes

Late light over the Aberdare canopy

4,001 m. Hongera — congratulations from the top of the Aberdares

Pre-dawn at the trailhead, the mist deciding whether to lift

Scale check beneath Batian, Mount Kenya

Sun, senecios, summit clouds — Mount Kenya at altitude

Acacia country — the Rift Valley floor

Fresh snow on the upper slopes of Mount Kenya

Inside the Aberdare bamboo and hagenia forest

First light hits Batian and Nelion

A plains zebra mid-grass, somewhere in the Mara conservancies

Kilimanjaro from the Amboseli plains — the classic view

Forest trail outside Limuru — easy starter routes

Late light over the Aberdare canopy

/ 05 — Visit

Stop by the Karen office.

We do gear checks, briefings, trip planning and the occasional fireside debrief here. Coffee is on us.

Karen Hardy Shopping Centre

Langata Road

Nairobi, Kenya

Mon – Fri: 8:00 – 18:00
Saturday: 9:00 – 15:00
Sunday: Closed (trails only)

Ready when you are

Have an itinerary in mind? Let's walk it together.

Tell us what you want — a Mount Kenya summit, a Maasai cultural trek, a custom photography expedition. We'll send a tailored quote within 24 hours.

Plan my trip +254 712 345 678