Treetops Lodge Kenya: History, Wildlife and What to Expect 🌍
Treetops Lodge is the tree hotel where a young Princess Elizabeth went up a ladder in February 1952 and came down the next morning as Queen of England. That single night gave Treetops Lodge a place in world history that no other property in Kenya can claim, and more than seventy years later people still book a stay here as much for that story as for the wildlife. At Trunktrails Safaris, guests ask us regularly whether Treetops Lodge is worth adding to a Kenya itinerary, so here is an honest look at the history, the wildlife, and what a night at this tree tops safari lodge in Kenya actually involves.
This guide covers where Treetops Lodge sits inside Aberdare National Park, how the historic 1952 event unfolded, what the waterhole wildlife viewing is really like, and how it compares to nearby lodges. Real numbers, named places, no invented figures. Everything you need to decide if this fits your tours and safaris plans.
Where Is Treetops Lodge Located?
Treetops Lodge sits inside Aberdare National Park, a 767 km² protected area on the eastern slopes of the Aberdare mountain range in central Kenya. The lodge itself is built on stilts directly above a floodlit waterhole and salt lick, a design chosen specifically so guests can watch elephant, buffalo, and forest wildlife come to drink through the night without leaving their rooms.
Guests do not drive straight to Treetops. The traditional check-in point is the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri town, where visitors have lunch before being driven the final stretch into the forest and up to the lodge itself. This two-stage arrival is part of the Treetops experience and has barely changed since the 1950s.
The Night Treetops Made History
Treetops Lodge first opened in 1932 as a simple two-room platform in a giant fig tree, built by Eric Sherbrooke Walker of the Outspan Hotel as a way for guests to watch game at the waterhole after dark. On the night of February 5 to 6, 1952, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip were staying at the lodge on a Commonwealth tour when her father, King George VI, died in his sleep at Sandringham in England. She climbed the ladder to Treetops as a princess and left the next morning as Queen Elizabeth II, a moment now marked by a plaque at the lodge.
The original tree lodge was burned down by Mau Mau fighters in 1954, during Kenya’s independence struggle, and rebuilt in a larger form on a nearby site in 1957. The current Treetops Lodge is that rebuilt structure, expanded and modernized over the decades but still carrying the same waterhole-facing design and the same royal history that first put it on the world map.
What to Expect: Rooms, Style, and the Waterhole
Treetops Lodge is not a luxury camp in the modern safari sense, and Trunktrails Safaris tells guests this upfront so expectations match reality. The lodge has 35 rooms in total, made up of 32 standard twin or double rooms and 3 suites, along with a small number of triple rooms suited to families. Rooms are simple and comfortable rather than opulent, built around the core purpose of the property: proximity to the waterhole, not five-star finishes.
The main draw is the viewing experience itself. A floodlit waterhole and salt lick sit directly below the lodge, and an alarm buzzer system in each room lets staff wake guests during the night if elephant, rhino, or other notable wildlife arrives to drink. Guests can also watch from a ground-level viewing bunker connected to the lodge by tunnel, which puts you at eye level with animals at the water’s edge, a rare vantage point most safari lodges cannot offer.
Getting to Treetops Lodge: Distances and Transfers
| Route | Distance / Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi to Outspan Hotel, Nyeri (check-in point) | Approx. 150-165 km, about 2.5-3 hours by road | Traditional check-in and lunch stop before the final transfer |
| Outspan Hotel to Treetops Lodge | Approx. 16-17 km | Lodge vehicle transfer, included in most packages |
| Nairobi (Wilson Airport) to Mweiga airstrip | Approx. 40-50 minutes by light aircraft | Fastest option; scheduled flights vary by season |
| Mweiga airstrip to Treetops Gate | Approx. 15-20 minutes by road | Short road transfer after landing |
Indicative figures only. Always confirm current transfer schedules and road conditions with your safari operator before travel.
Aberdare National Park Facts
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Park size | 767 km² |
| Elevation range | Roughly 1,830 m to over 3,990 m at Ol Doinyo Lesatima |
| Non-resident park entry fee (indicative) | Approx. USD 60-70 per adult per 24 hours |
| Treetops Lodge total rooms | 35 (32 standard, 3 suites) |
| Original lodge built | 1932 |
| Rebuilt after fire | 1957 |
| Distance from Nairobi (via Outspan) | Approx. 150-165 km |
Park fees and rates change with KWS policy and season. Confirm exact current figures with Trunktrails Safaris before booking.
Treetops Lodge vs Other Aberdare Lodges
| Lodge | Style | Waterhole Viewing | Rooms | Indicative Rate (per person/night, all-inclusive) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treetops Lodge | Historic tree lodge, simple rooms | Floodlit waterhole + ground viewing bunker | 35 | USD 250-400 |
| The Ark | Modern tree lodge, similar concept | Floodlit waterhole + hide | 60 | USD 300-450 |
| Aberdare Country Club | Colonial-style ground lodge, base camp for The Ark | No direct waterhole | 50 | USD 200-320 |
| Sangare Tented Camp | Tented camp on a private conservancy near Aberdare | Private waterhole, quieter setting | 12 | USD 300-500 |
Figures are indicative ranges only, drawn from typical published rate brackets, and change by season. Confirm exact current pricing with Trunktrails Safaris or the lodge directly before booking.
The pattern is straightforward. Treetops trades modern comfort for history and a more intimate scale, The Ark offers a larger, more contemporary version of the same waterhole concept, and conservancy options like Sangare buy privacy away from the shared national park hides.
Wildlife You Can Expect at the Waterhole
Aberdare National Park is one of the few places in Kenya where black rhino, forest elephant, and the rare bongo antelope share the same ecosystem, and the Treetops waterhole is a reliable place to see a slice of that diversity without a game drive. Elephant and buffalo are the most consistent visitors after dark, often arriving in family groups to drink and take mineral salts from the lick. Giant forest hog, various antelope species, and occasionally leopard also pass through, particularly during quieter overnight hours.
Because the waterhole sits inside dense Aberdare forest rather than open savannah, sightings here feel different from a Masai Mara or Amboseli game drive. Animals emerge from tree cover into floodlight rather than being spotted across open plains, which makes for a slower, more suspenseful style of wildlife watching that suits travelers who enjoy patience over pace.
Best Time to Visit Treetops Lodge
The dry months from June through September and again from late December through February bring the clearest forest tracks and the most predictable waterhole traffic, since wildlife concentrates around remaining water sources. The Aberdare highlands sit at altitude, so nights are cold year-round regardless of season, and warm layers matter more here than at most Kenya safari destinations.
The long rains in April and May thin out visitor numbers and can make forest roads slower, but the waterhole itself still draws consistent wildlife activity since water is never scarce at this elevation. Travelers planning tours and safaris around Aberdare should treat Treetops as a one or two night addition to a wider itinerary rather than a stand-alone destination, since the surrounding park has limited game-drive road access compared to open savannah reserves.
What to Know Before You Book
- Luggage taken to Treetops is limited to a small overnight bag, since larger bags stay at Outspan Hotel or Aberdare Country Club during your stay.
- Rooms are simple and mostly share the same modest standard, so this is not the property to choose for five-star finishes.
- Pack warm layers. Nights at this elevation in the Aberdare forest drop well below what most guests expect from a Kenya safari.
- Ask whether your rate includes the alarm buzzer wake-up service and access to the ground-level viewing bunker, since both are part of the core Treetops experience.
- Confirm park entry fees and transfer logistics with Trunktrails Safaris ahead of time, since Aberdare National Park rules differ from open reserves like the Masai Mara.
The Trunktrails Advantage
Booking Treetops Lodge independently means navigating a two-stage transfer system, confirming which rooms include which views, and working out how a night here fits into a wider Kenya itinerary, details that are easy to get wrong from outside the country. Trunktrails Safaris builds tours and safaris that place Treetops Lodge inside a full route, paired with the right lead-in stop at Outspan Hotel or Aberdare Country Club and matched to your season and budget.
As a Kenyan-owned operator, Trunktrails Safaris works directly with lodges across the Aberdare region to confirm current rates, room availability, and transfer timing before you commit. That means your night at this tree tops safari lodge in Kenya is planned around what actually happens on the ground, not a generic package built for a different property.
Further reading
More safari planning resources
- Nairobi to Maasai Mara route guide from Valley Safaris
- Best time to visit Kenya on Touring Insights
- Big Five safari collection on FindMySafari
- Kenya tour packages from Valley Safaris
Ready to Plan Your Treetops Stay?
A night at Treetops Lodge works best as part of a wider Kenya itinerary that pairs Aberdare’s forest wildlife and royal history with other parks on your route. Trunktrails Safaris can build that itinerary around your dates, your budget, and how much history versus open savannah you want in your trip.
Reach out to Trunktrails Safaris on WhatsApp at +254 113 208888 or email info@trunktrailssafaris.com to check current availability and start planning your tours and safaris around Treetops Lodge today. ✨
