2-Day Safari from Mombasa: Taita Hills & Tsavo game drives
Watch wildlife from a lodge built over a watering hole where animals drink at dusk
A two-day safari from Mombasa combines game drives in Ngutuni Sanctuary and Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, with an overnight stay at either Taita Hills Lodge or Salt Lick Lodge: the latter built on stilts overlooking a waterhole where you can watch animals arrive to drink. Shared 4x4 game drives happen during peak wildlife hours. Meals, park entry and hotel pickup are included. Children from age 7 are welcome. The route is not suitable for travelers with spinal injuries or certain cardiovascular conditions.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Mombasa to Taita Hills Safari
- Meet driver and depart hotel at 6am
- Drive north towards Nairobi
- Enter Ngutuni Sanctuary for game drive
- Lunch at Ngutuni Lodge by waterhole
- Proceed to Taita Hills Sanctuary
- Arrive at Salt Lick Lodge
- Afternoon game drive in Taita Hills
- Dinner at lodge
Day 2: Taita Hills to Mombasa Return
- Early morning game drive in Sanctuary
- Return to lodge for breakfast
- Short game drive after breakfast
- Lunch at Taita Hills Lodge
- Drive back to Mombasa hotel
What’s included
- Overnight accommodation at Taita Hills Lodge or Salt Lick Lodge.
- shared game drives in a 4x4 safari vehicle on both days.
- lunch at Ngutuni Lodge, dinner and breakfast at your overnight lodge.
- park entry fees and government taxes.
- hotel pickup and drop-off in Mombasa.
- English-speaking driver and guide throughout.
Times
- Tuesday and Friday 06:00
Before you book
Operated by ARP Travel Group
Prices and times updated 5 days ago
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The experience
You leave your Mombasa hotel around 6am and drive north along the main highway toward Nairobi, following the old railway line built in the nineteenth century. The road climbs out of the city warehouses and workshops, and soon the vast Tsavo plains open ahead with the Taita Hills visible on the horizon. The drive itself is part of the journey: the landscape shifts as you move inland, and your English-speaking driver narrates the route and the history of the region, including the railway's construction and the area's past.
By mid-morning you enter Ngutuni Sanctuary, which borders Tsavo East National Park, for your first game drive in a shared 4x4 vehicle. You stop for lunch at Ngutuni Lodge overlooking a waterhole, then continue in the afternoon to Taita Hills Sanctuary. Your overnight lodge choice shapes the rest of the day: Taita Hills Lodge sits on the main sanctuary grounds where you can relax by the pool, or Salt Lick Lodge, built on stilts directly over a watering hole where you watch animals arrive to drink at dusk. Around 4pm you're out on a second game drive through the sanctuary, where lions, elephants, giraffes and zebras move through the rolling hills. Dinner is at your lodge.
On day two, an early morning game drive takes you out when animals are most active. On clear days Mount Kilimanjaro appears on the horizon. You return for breakfast, do a short mid-morning game drive, then drive back to Mombasa in the afternoon, arriving at your hotel in the evening. The two sanctuaries together mean you see more diverse wildlife than a single reserve would offer, and the overnight stay lets you experience the nocturnal activity around the lodges: the sounds and movement of animals at the watering holes after dark.
Is this one for you?Choose this safari if you want to see two wildlife reserves in one trip and experience animals at the watering holes when they're most active: the overnight stay and fixed schedule mean the route, timing and logistics are all arranged, so you focus on the wildlife instead of building the itinerary yourself.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): free.
What animals will I see on the game drives in Taita Hills?
Taita Hills Sanctuary hosts lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras and varied bird species. The game drives happen during the hours when animals are most active, and Salt Lick Lodge's position over a watering hole means you can watch animals arrive to drink, especially in the late afternoon and evening.
Do I have to choose between Taita Hills Lodge and Salt Lick Lodge before I book?
Yes, Salt Lick Lodge is a separate purchase option. Both are overnight stays in the sanctuary with meals and game drives included. Salt Lick is built on stilts overlooking a watering hole where you observe wildlife up close, while Taita Hills Lodge sits on the main sanctuary grounds with pool access and a nearby WWI Museum to visit.
How long is the drive from Mombasa to Taita Hills?
The drive north from Mombasa follows the main highway toward Nairobi and takes several hours. You stop for a game drive and lunch at Ngutuni Sanctuary along the way, so the full journey from hotel departure to lodge arrival spans the morning and early afternoon.
Is hotel pickup included in Mombasa?
Yes, your driver picks you up at your Mombasa hotel around 6am on day one and drops you back at your hotel in the evening on day two.
What's included in the price?
Overnight accommodation at your chosen lodge, shared game drives in a 4x4 vehicle, lunch, dinner, breakfast, park entry fees and government taxes are all included. Filtered water is available in the safari vehicle. Bring your own reusable bottle for refilling. Alcoholic drinks and souvenir photos are available to purchase.
2-Day Safari from Mombasa: Taita Hills & Tsavo game drives
2d · EN
from US$ 435 per person
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