3 Day Aberdare and Ol Pejeta Safari (Treetops or The Ark)

‹›

An Aberdare safari pairs daytime Big Five game drives at Ol Pejeta Conservancy with a night at one of Kenya’s famous tree hotels, watching elephant and rhino at a floodlit waterhole from your room.

The Aberdares are unlike anywhere else on a standard Kenya itinerary, dense montane forest and moorland rather than open savannah, with Treetops and The Ark built specifically to bring wildlife to you after dark rather than the other way round.

We run every Aberdare safari with a private driver guide and a pop up roof 4×4 for the Ol Pejeta portion. Prices below are a guide price per person sharing, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before you pay a deposit.

Highlights

• A night at Treetops or The Ark, Kenya’s original tree hotels
• A floodlit waterhole visible from your room after dark
• Ol Pejeta Conservancy game drives with strong rhino odds
• Dense montane forest scenery, genuinely different from open savannah parks
• The historic Treetops site where Princess Elizabeth learned she was Queen in 1952
• Park and conservancy fees itemised and confirmed in writing before you pay

Day by day plan

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to Ol Pejeta

   Pickup from your Nairobi hotel, driving north past Nyeri, about 3 hours with a stop along the way. You enter Ol Pejeta Conservancy by early afternoon for a game drive with a strong chance of black rhino, lion and elephant. Overnight at a lodge in or near the conservancy.

2. Day 2

   Ol Pejeta to Aberdare tree hotel

   A final Ol Pejeta game drive, then a drive of about 1.5 to 2 hours to the Aberdare foothills, where vehicles are exchanged for a shared lodge transfer up into the forest, since private vehicles are not permitted the final stretch to Treetops or The Ark. Check in during the afternoon, with the rest of the day free to watch the waterhole from your room or the lodge’s viewing deck, day and night.

3. Day 3

   Morning at the waterhole and return to Nairobi

   An early wake up call if anything notable arrives at the waterhole overnight, a Treetops and Ark tradition, followed by breakfast and the transfer back down to the foothills. The drive back to Nairobi takes about 3 hours, arriving by mid afternoon and closing out your Aberdare safari.

3 day Aberdare and Ol Pejeta safari, per person sharing

• Rates include Ol Pejeta conservancy fees, Aberdare National Park fees, 1 night at Ol Pejeta and 1 night at a tree hotel, a private driver guide and all listed game drives.
• The Aberdare National Park fee is about USD 70 per person per day, though some sources quote closer to USD 80; itemised separately in your quote, confirm at booking.
• Treetops and The Ark run on a shared, fixed lodge transfer for the final approach, included at every tier shown.

Get my exact price on WhatsApp

What is special about tree hotels like The Ark and Treetops

Both lodges are built on stilts or raised platforms directly overlooking a floodlit waterhole and salt lick, designed so wildlife comes to you after dark rather than requiring a game drive to find it. Elephant, buffalo, rhino and occasionally leopard are regularly seen from the comfort of your room or a shared viewing lounge.

This makes an Aberdare safari genuinely different from a standard daytime game drive itinerary, since some of the best sightings happen at 2am with a lodge staff member gently waking guests to see what has arrived.

Can children stay at The Ark

Most properties set a minimum age, commonly around 7 years old, for both Treetops and The Ark, since the viewing decks and narrow lodge corridors are not well suited to very young children and the overnight wake up calls can disrupt a small child’s sleep considerably.

Confirm the exact minimum age policy at your chosen property when booking your Aberdare safari, since it can vary and is reviewed periodically by each lodge.

How cold is the Aberdares

Genuinely cold, especially compared with Kenya’s lowland parks. Nighttime temperatures at both tree hotels regularly drop to single digits Celsius given the altitude and dense forest cover, so a warm jacket is essential, not optional, on any Aberdare safari.

Daytime temperatures at Ol Pejeta, lower in altitude, are considerably milder, so pack in layers that let you adjust between the 2 very different climates across your 3 day trip.

How much is an Aberdare and Ol Pejeta safari

An Aberdare safari starts from about USD 950 per person sharing in a group of 6 at the standard tier, rising to around USD 1,850 for luxury at 2 people sharing. Both the Ol Pejeta conservancy fee and the Aberdare National Park fee are itemised separately in every quote.

See our 2 day Ol Pejeta safari page if you want the rhino and chimp portion of this trip without the Aberdare tree hotel add on, or our Kenya luxury safaris page if a higher end tier across the whole trip interests you more.

The history behind an Aberdare safari at Treetops

Treetops holds a genuine piece of royal history, since Princess Elizabeth was staying there in February 1952 when news reached her that her father, King George VI, had died, meaning she left the lodge as Queen. A framed account of the event is displayed at the property to this day.

This history adds an extra layer of interest for guests on an Aberdare safari beyond the wildlife itself and staff are usually happy to point out the specific room and details on request.

Aberdare National Park beyond the tree hotels

The wider Aberdare National Park covers dense montane forest, bamboo zones and high open moorland above the tree line, home to elephant, buffalo, the rare bongo antelope and, at altitude, unusual bird species not found in Kenya’s lowland parks.

Most Aberdare safari itineraries focus on the waterhole lodges rather than a full park game drive, though a guided moorland drive can be added for guests with an extra day and a genuine interest in the park’s less visited upper reaches. Our Big Five in Kenya guide covers where the bongo and other less common species fit into a wider Kenya wildlife trip.

Private safari or group joining

Most guests take this as a private Aberdare safari for the Ol Pejeta portion, with the tree hotel stay itself naturally shared since Treetops and The Ark operate communal viewing decks and dining regardless of how you book.

Ask us on WhatsApp about group joining options for the Ol Pejeta game drives specifically if you want to lower the per person cost on that portion of the trip. See our Kenya group joining safaris page for how fixed departure dates work across our wider range of itineraries.

How far is the Aberdares from Nairobi

About 150 kilometres to the foothills gate, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours by road, with Ol Pejeta a further 1.5 to 2 hours beyond that. Combined, this route covers a genuinely varied slice of central Kenya in a single 3 day Aberdare safari.

Private vehicles are exchanged for a shared lodge shuttle for the final stretch up to either tree hotel, a security and road condition measure rather than an inconvenience and it is included in every quote. Our Nairobi to Maasai Mara by road versus flight guide covers similar road logistics for comparison if you are weighing several routes at once.

Treetops versus The Ark: which should you choose

Treetops is the older, more historic property, smaller and simpler, with its royal history as a genuine draw. The Ark is larger and somewhat more modern in its facilities, with a slightly bigger viewing deck and dining room.

Both deliver essentially the same core experience, a floodlit waterhole and salt lick below your room, so the choice often comes down to whether history or slightly more modern comfort matters more to you on this Aberdare safari.

Best season for this route

Jun to Oct and Jan to Mar are the driest months at Ol Pejeta, giving easier game viewing and drier roads. The Aberdares themselves see rain in most months given their altitude and forest cover, so weather here matters less to your planning than at the lowland parks.

Waterhole activity at the tree hotels happens year round regardless of season, since animals visit for salt and water rather than following any seasonal migration pattern.

Who an Aberdare safari suits best

An Aberdare safari suits travelers who want something genuinely different from a standard game drive itinerary, couples and families drawn to the novelty of the tree hotel format and repeat Kenya visitors looking for a new experience beyond the Mara or Amboseli.

It is less suited to guests chasing the classic open savannah photograph, since the Aberdares’ forest and moorland scenery looks nothing like Kenya’s better known plains parks. See our lodge versus tented camp versus camping guide for how a tree hotel compares with our other standard accommodation types.

What to pack and health notes

Pack genuinely warm layers for the Aberdares, a fleece, a warm jacket and closed shoes, alongside standard lighter safari clothing for the Ol Pejeta portion of your trip. Malaria prevention is recommended for the lower altitude sections and a Kenya ETA is required for most visitors before arrival.

See our packing checklist and our vaccinations and malaria guide for a fuller list before you travel.

How to book your Aberdare safari

Booking your Aberdare safari with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.

1. Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
2. Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
3. Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
4. Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
5. Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.

What every trip with us includes

Every Aberdare safari plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.

We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.

Why book with a Nairobi team

We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good Aberdare safari into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 46 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.

Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.

Questions people ask

Official information: KWS park fee schedule.

You may also like

2 Day Ol Pejeta Conservancy Safari2 days, 1 nightFrom USD 420Ol Pejeta Day Trip from Nairobi1 day, no overnight, about 10 to 12 hours totalFrom USD 260Nanyuki Getaway Packages (Ol Pejeta and Mount Kenya, KES)2 to 4 days, flexibleFrom KES 13,500Kenya National Park Entry Fees 2026 (KWS, Mara, Samburu, Ol Pejeta)Read time 10 minFrom USD 50Where to See the Big Five in KenyaRead time 10 minFrom USD 850Kenya Family Safaris: Kid Friendly Tours and Lodges5 days recommended, extendableFrom USD 1,150