Map of Kenya › Amboseli and Chyulu Hills
Amboseli’s open plains sit directly under Kilimanjaro, and that combination of flat ground and a single dominant landmark is exactly what makes it good fly-camping country. The Chyulu Hills, a volcanic ridge just north, add a second, wilder fly-camp trek to the same circuit. This map shows both, with the airstrips and roads that get you there.
Dark green is Amboseli National Park, the second green shape north is the Chyulu Hills, and the grey block southeast is Kilimanjaro National Park across the Tanzania border. Blue pins are airstrips. Switch on roads to see the routes in from Nairobi.
The interactive map could not load on this connection.
You can still use the guide and tables below, or open the area on Google Maps.
Amboseli’s swamps and open plains keep elephant herds visible against Kilimanjaro’s backdrop for most of the day, and the flat terrain makes it straightforward to pitch a one or two-night satellite camp away from the main lodges. The Chyulu Hills, a volcanic ridge running north from the park, are steeper and far less visited — a proper trek-in fly-camp on high grassland rather than a plains stop.
| Circuit | Terrain | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Amboseli fly-camp | Open plains and swamp edges | Elephant herds, Kilimanjaro views |
| Chyulu Hills fly-camp trek | Volcanic ridge, montane grassland | Walking, solitude, wide views over Tsavo |
Both run as add-ons to each other — most guests fly-camp Amboseli for the elephants and Kilimanjaro light, then trek into the Chyulu Hills for a night with almost no one else around. See the Chyulu Hills Fly-Camp Trek for that half of the circuit on its own.
Amboseli sits 240 km from Nairobi, a 4-hour drive via Namanga or Emali, or a 45-minute flight from Wilson Airport onto the Amboseli or Tawi airstrip. The Chyulu Hills are reached by vehicle from the same route, then on foot for the final approach to a fly-camp site. Clearest Kilimanjaro views tend to come early morning, before the afternoon cloud builds over the peak.
A fly-camp is a light, one or two-night satellite camp pitched away from a fixed base, usually reached at the end of a game drive. In Amboseli it puts you closer to the elephant herds and the best Kilimanjaro light than a permanent lodge can.
Yes, and most guests do — fly-camp Amboseli for the plains and elephants, then trek into the Chyulu Hills for a quieter, higher-altitude night on the same circuit.
Wilson Airport to the Amboseli or Tawi airstrip, about 45 minutes. By road it’s 240 km and roughly 4 hours via Namanga or Emali.
June to October and January to February are driest, with the clearest Kilimanjaro views typically in early morning before afternoon cloud builds over the peak.
Tell us your dates and whether you want to add the Chyulu Hills trek, and we’ll build the circuit around it.
Plan Your Amboseli SafariPark and reserve boundaries © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under ODbL. Basemap © OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Satellite imagery © Esri. Terrain tiles by Mapzen and AWS Open Data. Boundaries for Chyulu Hills National Park from UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2026), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), Cambridge, UK. Available at protectedplanet.net.