Treetops Lodge Tree Hotel Aberdare

Treetops Lodge is a world-renowned, historic game-viewing lodge that holds an extraordinary place in safari heritage. Originally built in 1932 by Eric Sherbrooke Walker as a modest two-room treehouse to provide a secure “machan” hunting platform experience, this legendary lodge-on-stilts has evolved into a magnificent, masterfully refurbished retreat.

Treetops is best known as the place where the then-Princess Elizabeth ascended the British throne. She spent the night of February 5, 1952, at the lodge on her honeymoon, during which her father, King George VI, passed away. Though the original structure was burned down in 1954 by the Kenya Land and Freedom Army during the Mau Mau Uprising, it was rebuilt near the same waterhole. Styled to resemble a ship with four decks and a top viewing platform, the rustic lodge seamlessly fuses comfort and nature, even featuring branches of an ancient tree growing directly through the building’s fabric.

Location & Accessibility

Perched at 1,966 meters (6,450 feet) above sea level, the lodge is strategically hidden in the heart of a dense forest within the Aberdare National Park, an atmospheric, mist-wreathed realm aptly dubbed ‘Scotland with Lions.’

By Road

✓ Travel Time: A convenient 3-hour drive from Kenya’s capital.
✓ Distance from Nairobi: Approximately 163 km to 180 km north of Nairobi.
✓ The Route: Take the A2/Thika Superhighway to Nyeri, proceed along the Nyeri-Nyahururu road toward Mweiga, and turn at the Treetops Gate entrance.
✓ Local Proximity: Located 10 miles (16 km) from Nyeri township and 17 km from its base camp at the Outspan Hotel (where guests traditionally enjoy lunch before journeying to the lodge).

By Air

✓ Flight Time: A brief 40 to 50-minute flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the central highlands.
✓ Transfers: From Mweiga Airstrip, it is only a short 15 to 20-minute transfer by road to the Treetops Gate, allowing you to seamlessly transition from the sky to the forest.
✓ Airstrip Options: The most convenient landing spot is the Mweiga Airstrip (about 7 to 8 km away), which heavily serves private charter flights. Alternatively, the Nyeri Airstrip accommodates light aircraft and charters. For guests using scheduled domestic airlines, Nanyuki Airstrip acts as a common hub, though it requires a longer onward road transfer.

Accommodation

Treetops Lodge offers 36 fully refurbished, wood-paneled en-suite guest rooms (historically referred to as ‘nests’) booked on a full-board basis. All rooms are intentionally designed with large windows to ensure guests can drink in the sight of wildlife at any hour.

Queen Elizabeth Suite (1 Unit)

✓ Layout: The historic crown jewel of the lodge, luxuriously appointed to commemorate the property’s royal legacy

Spacious Suites (2 Units)

Offering significantly more space than standard configurations for stretching out and relaxing.

✓ Layout: Features an extended sitting area with large windows directly overlooking the watering hole, a wardrobe, and a private bathtub with an overhead shower

Standard Rooms (33 Units)

Elegantly appointed rooms blending rustic timber accents with modern comfort.

✓ Layout: Comprises twin beds that can be smoothly converted into a king-size double bed

Accessible Accommodation

✓ Layout: A specially designed, disabled-friendly room is located on the first floor, fully integrated with the lodge’s gradual ramp system

Room Features & Amenities

✓ Free on-site self-parking
✓ Complimentary Wi-Fi connectivity
✓ Large viewing windows in all rooms
✓ Private en-suite bathroom with shower
✓ Extra beds and baby cots available upon request
✓ In-Room Animal Buzzer: An optional nighttime buzzer that alerts die-hard animal lovers when a major wildlife spectacle unfolds at the waterhole

Dining & Culinary Experience

The Contemporary Dining Room

A beautiful, wood-paneled space featuring long tables illuminated by miniature chandeliers, serving authentic local and international delicacies prepared by expert chefs.

✓ Breakfast: 6:30 AM – 9:00 AM
✓ Lunch: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM
✓ Dinner: 7:00 PM onwards (Full-board)

The Bar & Lounge

✓ A cozy, relaxed atmosphere offering a wide selection of premium beers, cocktails, fine wines, and spirits. The lounge features a sports-dedicated television, a pool table, and comfortable seating arranged for fireside relaxation or stargazing

Bonfire & Bush Dining

✓ Guests can arrange for special outdoor culinary experiences within the campgrounds, including scenic bush breakfasts, sundowner drinks, and atmospheric bush dinners set beside a warm, crackling bonfire

Lounge & Common Areas

✓ Gift Shop: An on-site boutique stocked with souvenirs and safari essentials
✓ Top Floor Viewing Deck: A strategic, semi-open observation area providing completely unobstructed views of the landscape and distant Mount Kenya
✓ Ramp Access: Uniquely constructed on stilts, the entire building is navigated via a gradual internal ramp, making all floors and public spaces completely wheelchair accessible
✓ Photographic Hides: Features two specialized photographic hides, one located on the rooftop viewing deck and an underground hide (viewing pit) at ground level, allowing photographers to safely capture close-up images of wildlife

Experiences & Activities

The lodge lies directly along an ancient elephant migratory route between the Aberdare Ranges and Mount Kenya National Park, guaranteeing unparalleled wildlife viewing.

Included / On-Site Activities

✓ Family Fun: Thrilling on-site treasure hunts perfect for families and groups, alongside peaceful forest relaxation walks
✓ Lodge Heritage Talks: Nightly lectures detailing the fascinating 80-year history of Treetops, its royal connections, and local ecology
✓ Waterhole Wildlife Viewing: Front-row viewing at two floodlit waterholes active day and night, regularly visited by elephants, buffalo, rhinos, lions, bushbucks, and waterbucks

Optional Safari & Adventure Activities

✓ Highland Adventures: Trout fishing in cascading streams, horseback riding, and guided mountain hiking across the Aberdare range
✓ Escorted Nature Walks: Guided foot exploration through scenic trails accompanied by an expert resident hunter or naturalist to study the flora and over 250 recorded bird species
✓ Game Drives: Guided 2-hour game drives through the lower slopes (‘The Salient’) or full-day excursions into the upper moorlands to spot leopards, black rhinos, serval cats, baboons, giant forest hogs, and the rare bongo antelope

Nearby Attractions

✓ Mau Mau Caves: A historical freedom fighter hideout nestled within the Narumoru Forest, ideal for hiking
✓ Thunguma Museum: A cultural center focusing on historical Kikuyu artifacts, traditions, and live animals
✓ Baden Powell Museum: Located at the Outspan Hotel complex, dedicated to the history of the Boy Scout Movement

Highlights of Treetops Lodge

✓ Ancient Migratory Crossroads: Sited directly on an ancient elephant migratory corridor between the Aberdares and Mt. Kenya
✓ Living Tree Architecture: A brilliant architectural fusion where a living tree grows straight through the heart of the timber-built hotel
✓ Unmatched Royal History: The iconic site where Princess Elizabeth stayed as a princess and acceded to the British throne as Queen in 1952
✓ Ground-Level Hides: Underground viewing pits providing safe, eye-level proximity to elephants and rhinos for exceptional wildlife photography
✓ The Interactive Night Buzzer: An innovative in-room notification system ensuring guests never miss rare wildlife arrivals at the waterhole, even at 3:00 AM
✓ Full Accessibility: Built completely with a gradual ramp system and a dedicated first-floor room, ensuring the entire treehouse experience is accessible to disabled guests
✓ Highland Climate Note: Situated at 6,450 feet, the lodge experiences a crisp, temperate highland climate (around 20°C) that can become very chilly at night, particularly during the winter months of June to September; warm layers are highly recommended. Available to guests over the age of five to preserve a silent wildlife environment

Treetops Hotel Aberdare Non-Resident Accommodation Rates Per Night Include

Standard Room (Full Board meal plan includes lunch, 4 pm Tea/Coffee, dinner (1st day), and breakfast (2nd day)

Notes

* Extra Meals are charged 25 US Dollars per person
* Check-In time is 12 noon, and Check-out time is 10 am latest
* 3rd Adult sharing (Triple) is charged 50% Single room rate. Suite/Deluxe supplement is 30 US Dollars 
* Half Board meal plan must be requested in advance, and the rate is Full Board less 15 US Dollars  per person
* Easter Friday to Sunday Festive Day supplement Rate is applicable on Easter Friday to Sunday, 24th to 26th December, and 31st December. Rates are 50 US Dollars per person per day 
* Beverages purchased elsewhere and consumed in hotel premises will be eligible for a penalty Corkage fee of 25 US Dollars and 2 US Dollars for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage bottles, respectively
* Self-drive to Treetops is Mandatory, and check-in is in time for lunch or before 6 pm.“Walk-in” or non-lodge residents are not permitted without prior written authorization. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Parks: Aberdare National Park regulations, including no entry/exit after 6 pm, apply. Entry fees are payable directly to KWS by the Buyer

Excursion Description

* Nature / Bird walk – 20 US Dollars Per Person
* Game Drive – Solio Game Reserve 4 Hours – Minimum 4 People – 130 US Dollars Per Person
* Game Drive – Aberdare National Park Salient 2 Hours – Minimum 4 People –  90 US Dollars Per Person
* Game Drive – Aberdare National Park Moorlands Full day – Minimum 4 People – 130 US Dollars Per Person
* Game Drive & Sundowner – Aberdare National Park afternoon – Minimum 4 People – 80 US Dollars Per Person

Children Policy

* Infants below 3 years of age are accommodated free of charge
* Children’s rates are applicable from the age of 3 years and non-commissionable. Adult rates are applicable from the age of 13 years
* Children occupying their own room are charged 80% of the adult rate, while Children sharing adults room are charged 50% of the adult rate
* The maximum number of children sharing an adult room permitted is two, and one for a single and double adult room, respectively. Children below the age of 3 are NOT allowed in Treetops

Treetops Hotel Aberdare Resident Accommodation Rates Per Night Include

Standard Room (Full Board meal plan includes lunch, 4 pm Tea/Coffee, dinner (1st day), and breakfast (2nd day))

Notes

* Extra Meals are charged 2,500 Kenya Shillings per person
* Check-in time is noon, and Check-out time is 10 a.m. at the latest
* 3rd Adult sharing (Triple) is charged 50% Single room rate. Suite/Deluxe supplement is 3,000 Kenya Shillings
* Half Board meal plan must be requested in advance, and the rate is Full Board less 1,500 Kenya Shillings  per person
* Easter Friday to Sunday Festive Day supplement Rate applies on Easter Friday to Sunday, 24th to 26th December, and 31st December. Rates are 5,000 Kenya Shillings per person per day 
* Beverages purchased elsewhere and consumed on hotel premises will be eligible for a penalty Corkage fee of 2,500 Kenya Shillings and 250 Kenya Shillings for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage bottles, respectively
* Self-drive to Treetops is mandatory, and check-in is in time for lunch or before 6 pm.“Walk-in” or Non-Lodge Residents are not permitted without prior written authorization. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Parks: Aberdare National Park regulations, including no entry/exit after 6 pm, apply. Entry fees are payable directly to KWS by the Buyer

Excursion Description

* Nature / Bird walk – 500 Kenya Shillings Per Person
* Game Drive – Solio Game Reserve 4 Hours – Minimum 4 People – 8,000 Kenya Shillings Per Person
* Game Drive – Aberdare National Park Salient 2 Hours – Minimum 4 People-  3,000 Kenya Shillings Per Person
* Game Drive – Aberdare National Park Moorlands Full day – Minimum 4 People – 8,000 Kenya Shillings Per Person
* Game Drive & Sundowner – Aberdare National Park afternoon – Minimum 4 People – 4,000 Kenya Shillings Per Person

Children Policy

* Infants below 3 years of age are accommodated free of charge
* Children’s rates are applicable from the age of 3 years and non-commissionable. Adult rates are applicable from the age of 13 years
* Children occupying their own room are charged 80% of the adult rate, while Children sharing an adult room are charged 50% of the adult rate
* The maximum number of children sharing an adult room permitted is two, and one for a single and double adult room, respectively. Children below the age of 3 are NOT allowed in Treetops

Treetops Lodge Tree Hotel Aberdare: The famous Treetops is unique. Originally built in 1932, Treetops is renowned as where the then-Princess Elizabeth learned of her father’s death and ascended to the British Throne in 1952.

Styled to resemble a ship, the lodge comprises four decks and a top viewing deck. Timber built, it is raised on stilts overlooking a water hole and salt lick while living tree branches form part of the fabric of the building itself. Dedicated solely to game viewing, the accommodation is compact.

At 6450 feet above sea level it can also be chilly at night at all times of the year (especially during the Kenyan winter, from June to September). Typically guests take lunch at the Outspan Hotel in Nyeri before journeying to Treetops. Upon arrival, they are met by a ranger for a briefing on optimum safety and game viewing.

Treetops Lodge Tree Hotel Aberdare Location
Treetops is located just inside the gates of the Aberdare National Park, overlooking a waterhole and saltlick.

The Aberdare National Park

Highlands, moorlands, peaks, and falls, aptly dubbed ‘Scotland with Lions’, this atmospheric park showcases the chill, wild and beautiful moorlands of the Aberdare mountain range. An often mist-wreathed realm where elephants roam through lichen-hung forests; spectacular waterfalls plunge into churning pools, and trout-filled streams cascade through mossy dells, it offers matchless views of the glittering coronet of Mount Kenya and the sparkling lakes of the Great Rift Valley.

Believed by the Kikuyu to be one of the homes of Ngai (God), the area became known as the ‘White Highlands’ in the 1920s, due to the large numbers of Europeans who settled there. During the 1950s, the dense forests and bamboo thickets were the scene of intense guerrilla warfare between the British and the ‘Mau Mau’ freedom fighters of Kenya, while the famous ‘Treetops’ Hotel was where the young Princess Elizabeth heard she had become Queen Elizabeth II of England.

Treetops Lodge Tree Hotel Aberdare Accommodation
The 36 guest rooms (called ‘nests’) are small and dark paneled in wood – they do not offer private bathrooms. Communal bathrooms are down the hall. Two suites (with private shower rooms) are also offered.

Dining and bars
The wood-paneled dining room features long communal tables and bench seating. There is also a lounge and bar. The waterhole is traditionally visited by rhinos, elephants, buffalo, lions, bushbuck, and waterbuck.

Child-friendly
The club welcomes children over the age of five. Due to the proximity of the wildlife and the necessity for a silent environment, the lodge is not considered suitable for children under this age.

What to see and do
The lodge offers nightly talks on the flora, fauna, avifauna, and history of the park. 2-hour game drives are also offered in the ‘Salient’ of the Aberdare National Park (the lower slopes of the range), and full-day game drives take in the upper slopes or the moorlands area. The lodge has a gift shop.

Treetops Lodge Tree Hotel Aberdare activities include; trout fishing, nature walks, horse riding, banqueting, sundowners, and game drives. These two photographic hides were on the ground level and on the rooftop viewing deck where guests enjoy close-up photography of animals.

Wildlife highlights: colobus monkey, leopard, lion, serval cat, elephant, warthog, black rhino, giant forest hog, reed and bushbuck, buffalo, duiker, suni, eland and the rare bongo antelope. Birds: 250 recorded species.

Mobile: + 254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com