Charles, our Director, by our safari van.
Tilman Safaris
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2019)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $150 to $700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Erika | under20 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Leonard (our guide) was super knowledgeable about all the nature.
Regardless of a bit of altitude sickness it was a great hike, good company and nice views! Thank you Leonard :)
CH
Email Carlos and Lea | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Top carriers but not the best guide
We are a really sporty couple who decided to take the challenge and hike Mount Kenya in 3 days up to Lenana.
The first day everything was perfect we got picked up at the hotel in time and we drove all the way through. We met our team and after lunch we started the hike.
The second day (at 3200ms) we had to wait around 20 mins for the guide to pick us up and start the hike.
During the hike we had not so good experiences as he was stopping by himself and saying keep going I will catch up. We ended up losing him for almost one hour. Meeting him after one hour being angry with us. Since then, the whole experience changed. During the hike I experienced altitude sickness and the recommendation from the guide was to “take a nap and drink water”. This is what I did, but I started to feel worse and worse, almost passing out, we were lucky to talk to a medical guy who was there who recommended us completely the opposite: go outside, small walks, dont lay down, drink a bit of coffee and some breathing techniques. He also said that in this condition is impossible to go to the summit the day after and that we should descend as soon as possible.
That night we talked to our guide and we were surprised about him trying to convince us to go to the summit. After a long talk we told him we are not in condition and that we would love to go back.
The last day we started the descent and we were even more surprised about our guide not talking at all to us, going 300-400 meters in front of us the whole way. Specially knowing that we were not in good conditions. It really gave us a bad feeling, that we were not in good hands and that we were not accomplishing anything.
As a summary I would say the food was super nice and the carriers (special mention to Nelson and Taylor), but the guide has sole room for improvement.
I am pretty sure I was not the first and wont be the last having these problems so I would recommend the guide to be informed on what to do in case something like this happens. And also to try to be a bit closer to us, guiding should not be just walking but also ensuring we are save and that we are having a good experience.
Reply from Tilman Safaris
Posted on Feb 19, 2026Dear Carlos and Lea,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your recent Mount Kenya trek up to Point Lenana. We truly appreciate your honesty.
First of all, we are very sorry that your experience did not meet the standards we strive to offer especially on such an important and physically demanding adventure. You deserved to feel fully supported, safe and well guided at every stage of the climb.
We are glad to hear that the pickup, cordination, food and the support from our porters especially Nelson and Taylor met your expectations. We will certainly pass along your kind words to them.
However, we are genuinely concerned about the guiding experience you described. Losing contact with your guide for nearly an hour, feeling unsupported during altitude sickness and experiencing emotional distance during your descent is not the standard of care we expect from our team.
Your feedback regarding the advice you received is taken very seriously. Proper altitude management and client monitoring are critical, and we will be reviewing this internally with the guide involved to ensure improvements are made immediately to prevent such situations in the future.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the parts of your trek that made you feel uncomfortable or unsupported. Your feedback helps us grow and we are committed to improving where needed.
Wishing you both good health and many more successful adventures ahead.
IL
Email Doron | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Good, professional and reliable
Charles of Tilman Safary id collaborative, reliable and responding.
His team of trekking guides and porters did excellent job.
Same for the Safary guide, William.
Great value for our money!
Email Cyrus | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
It was wonderful I really enjoyed to the fullest
I really enjoyed my tour , am looking forward to come back again next . Am very much thankful to our guide Lonard he did a very great job .
Email Jörg | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Great Day Trip on Mount Kenya
Organised by friendly Charles' company I enjoyed a one day hike up Mount Kenya with
my very knowledgeable guide Leonard. Leonard was great company. We had so many interesting conversations. We hiked up to 3900 meters over 17.5 km distance and I learned a lot about fauna and flora of this amazing environment. I had a brilliant day which was best value for what I paid. Reliability of Tilman Safaris ist 100%. 6 Stars for all of them, especially Leonard.
IL
Email Nevo | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A professional operator that delivered a well-organized Mount Kenya trek and safari experience
We recently completed both a Mount Kenya trek and a 1-day safari trip with Tilman Safaris. Overall, the experience was consistently professional and met our expectations.
Communications & Reliability: From the initial inquiry through to the final drop-off, communication was clear and timely. Logistics were handled efficiently, and the team was punctual for all scheduled departures and transitions between the mountain and the parks.
Service & Tour Quality: The guide and porters on the Mount Kenya trek were very friendly, knowledgeable, and focused on our safety. They maintained a steady, manageable pace, which turned a difficult trek into a great experience. During the safari, the vehicle was in good condition, and the guide was patient and highly focused on spotting wildlife.
We can definitely recommend Tilman Safaris for travelers looking for a well-coordinated itinerary in Kenya.
CH
Email David | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Amazing 5-day Mt. Kenya Trek – Highly Recommended!
We had an incredible time on our 5-day hike (Chogoria - Sirimon route). From the very beginning, the communication with Charles was super friendly and smooth, he answered all our questions very quickly.
On the mountain, we were accompanied by an amazing local team of five. Everything was perfectly planned out and the team was always on time, which we really appreciated. Our guide, Leonard, was amazing; he knows practically every plant and animal species on the mountain and we always felt in very good hands with him.
Our cook, George, was always smiling and the food was excellent. They really make sure you eat enough and that the meals are right for the high altitude. A special shout-out to Nelson, who looked after us so well at every camp and all the other porters, who did an amazing job as well.
A huge highlight for us was the Mackinder Valley between Shipton's and Old Moses. The landscape is just stunning. The views and the giant plants there are something you have to see for yourself, very unique nature.
By booking with them, you’re supporting a local, truly hardworking team rather than a big travel agency. All in all, it was an amazing experience and we gained so much from this trip. We would definitely do it again!