A trip to Nanyuki to see the Equator marker in Kenya - What to expect

After trips to Egypt and Morocco, I really wanted to experience another country in Africa and at the start of 2026, I paid a visit to Kenya, and more specifically, Nairobi.

For those who haven’t been, Nairobi is something. It’s very busy, and difficult to walk around as there are cars and bikes everywhere, coupled with a distinct lack of pavements, or at least consistent pavements. 

The people are so friendly though, and there is plenty to do (I did a day safari which was really cool which I will write about shortly), and I liked the energy around the city, even if it is a bit chaotic.

While deciding to visit Kenya, something popped into my mind about the equator being in the country (shout out high school geography lessons), so I started doing some research on how I could make a trip there happen.

Who did I book my Equator trip with?

I checked Get My Guide, and nothing, so I did some research online, and eventually found a couple of tour companies that offered a trip that included an equator stop (along with Mount Kenya visits). I just wanted to do the equator though, and the quoted price of $250 felt like way too much considering I didn’t need the extra things they offered.

My second option was interestingly enough, Uber. In Nairobi they offer cheaper rides in smaller cars via the Uber app (Look for the Chapchap option), and I worked out I could do a return trip to Nanyuki for around 12,000 Kenyan Shillings (£69.47/€80.30/$92.84 - as of March 2026). I was tempted, but my friend wasn’t as enthused as she had a fear that we might be stranded in the middle of the country without a way to get back to Nairobi. Perfectly fair.

Our next step was to message our AirBnb host, and see if she knew any private drivers that would be able to help us out. Spoiler, she did! She sent over a contact number, and I was able to get a same day return trip to Nanyuki for 18,000 KSH (£104.21/€120.45/$139.26). More than the Uber, but it was nice to know we had a trip there and back with someone our host knew. 

I think Uber would be fine, as I imagine they would just stay in Nanyuki while you check out the equator (there isn’t much to do there), and bring you back, but it’s definitely worth checking in with your AirBnb host or your hotel to see if they have a driver contact.

How long does the journey take?

So we had the driver booked, but on the day things didn’t run as smoothly as hoped, as he showed up an hour later than agreed. I am not a morning person, so the extra time in bed would have been more than welcome. I also had work later that day so I was worried about getting back in time as it’s a long journey, but thankfully everything worked out well.

As mentioned, my friend and I were coming from Nairobi, and it took us 3.5 - 4 hours each way. Leaving early (we were picked up at around 8.30am) means that the usual Nairobi traffic isn’t as bad, and when we were out of the city, it was all pretty straightforward. 

What should you expect at the equator in Nanyuki?

Honestly, not much. I had done some research, and knew to pretty much just expect a sign and some shops, and that’s really all there was.

We jumped out of the car, and we were immediately approached by people wanting us to go into their shops (more on this to come), but we were here for the Equator sign, and that was where we went.

There were a group of people already there when we arrived, but it doesn’t take long for you to get an opening to get your photos. As mentioned, there isn’t a load to do, it really is just two signs, so people and groups move on pretty quickly. We were able to get some really cool photos, and getting to have a foot in both hemispheres was a fun\slightly nerdy experience. 

I did read about the water experiment people offer there, and that was something I was interested in. There’s no official company or anything that offers this, it’s just locals on the side of the signs, but here is how much I paid, and how much it cost to get the ‘official’ equator certificate.

How much should you pay for the Coriolis water experiment at the equator?

You’ll see people with tubs of water at the side of the equator sign, and as soon as someone offered to show us, I asked how much money it would cost straight away (I recommend doing this at the beginning rather than after to avoid awkwardness).

Our lovely experiment lead, William, said 500 KSH (£2.89/€3.35/$3.87 - as of March 2026) and that was fine for me. It only takes a few minutes in total, but it still felt like good value. He’ll show you the way the water spins on both sides of the equator, and you get to throw in objects to illustrate this and to make it easier to visualise, and he was very cool with us filming him as well.

The water not spinning either way on the actual equator was very cool/super trippy, so that alone made the 500 KSH cost worth it.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/4ecfcf_9ac30e90513a41e38b8a79dd022c9c05/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

The water not spinning either way at the line of the Equator was really cool to witness

How much does the equator certificate cost?

Our man William came prepared and also had a certificate we could purchase. It felt like a fun way to commemorate our trip to the equator, and you add your name and signature so it's a bit more personalised. He also signs it and adds a stamp, and then you take a couple of photos that look like you’ve just signed a football contract.

Feels like I've just signed for my first house

It was sweet though, he was very nice and also took some additional photos of my friend and I which was welcome. We paid 500 KSH each for the certificate, so the total for two of us for the certificates, and the water experiment was 1500 KSH (£8.68/€10.04/$11.61), which honestly, didn’t feel too bad.

The shop experience at the equator in Nanyuki:

This was probably the worst moment at the equator for me. I hate feeling pressured into going into places on my travels. If I want to go in to a place, I will, but obviously I needed some fridge magnets, so he led us into the shop.

This was in shop number 2 at Nanyuki (they’re all numbered), and the guy was clearly hoping for a huge sale, and seemed slightly disappointed we only wanted small things. When you travel pretty much full-time, you’ll soon realise space is limited, so in the end we picked up two fridge magnets, and a bracelet.

Now comes the haggling. He mentioned straight away this is what happens, and even though I’ve gotten better, as someone from the UK, haggling is not in my nature. He grabs some paper and a pen, and writes down his first figure for the three items.

His first price? 15,000 KSH!

This was nearly $120, for two fridge magnets and a bracelet that while nice looking, would be cheap to make and one you could find for a few dollars elsewhere. Update: The bracelet broke after my friend wore it once.

Your boy was shook. I don’t know if this ever works and there are some tourists who just accept it, but wow. You then have to counter the offer by writing down what you would pay. My counter, 10% of what he suggested, 1500 KSH (nearly 12 dollars). I travel a lot, fridge magnets are not that expensive. We eventually settled at around 20 dollars which still felt like way too much, but hey ho.

He threw in a free wooden gift at the end, probably as he could sense I was pissed, but yeah it wasn’t the best experience as it felt like he was trying to rip us off, so just be prepared. 

Are there any food options at the equator?

Not many to be honest. We walked up the hill a little bit and found a local butcher that served hot food (a plate of beef and fries) for 500 KSH each. This was fine, but your best bet might be to stop at one of the many service/petrol places on the way to and from the equator and load up on snacks, or bring Sandwiches along with you.

Would I recommend a trip to Nanyuki to see the equator?

I think ultimately we had 8 hours of driving pretty much for 30 minutes or so at the equator. Still though, I’d recommend checking it out. It is just a sign on the side of a busy road, but let’s be real here, it’s one of the coolest signs in the world.

To get to walk from each side of the hemisphere in seconds, have a foot in both hemispheres at the same time, plus getting to experience the water experiment (a real highlight) was a lot of fun, even if you’re not there for too long. The certificate was also a nice touch, even if yes, it’s a little cheesy. 

The only slight downside for me was the rip off attempt in the shop, but ultimately 20 dollars or so for four items isn’t as bad as it could have been, and we were told the money supports the local people there, and I hope that is the case.

Don’t expect too much besides the signs, there are no museums or anything, but for what it is, it was a really fun experience.

If you have any other questions on a trip to the equator in Kenya, feel free to message or comment and I will do my best to help!