Lion are the reason most people book a first safari. The Mara, the Serengeti, Ruaha and the Kasenyi plains hold the prides worth travelling for.
Each of these is somewhere we run watch A Pride Of Lions, with its own page.
Kenya
The Mara is the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem, and the single best place in Africa to watch big cats hunt. Between July and October around a million and a half wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River into it. The rest of the year it is quieter, cheaper, and still holds the highest density of lion, cheetah and leopard in Kenya.
Kenya
Amboseli is where you photograph elephants with Kilimanjaro behind them. The swamps fed by meltwater off the mountain hold big herds year round, the plains are open and dusty so nothing hides, and it is close enough to Nairobi to be worth three days on its own.
Tanzania
Fourteen thousand square kilometres of plains, and the stage for the whole wildebeest migration — which is not an event but a year-round circuit the herds never stop walking. Where they are depends on the month, so the Serengeti rewards planning more than any other park in East Africa.
Uganda
Uganda's most visited park, and the one with the most variety: a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel past hundreds of hippo, the Kasenyi plains for lion, and the Ishasha sector in the south where the lions lie in the fig trees. The Rwenzori mountains stand behind it on a clear day.
Uganda
The Kasenyi plains are the open grassland sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and the reason you set an alarm for 5.30am. The park's lions hunt Uganda kob here, and a dawn drive across the plains is the most reliable big-cat hour in the country.
Prices are per person. Any of these can be adjusted to give the activity more time.
Observe the regal beauty and social dynamics of lion prides with our Watch a Pride of Lions experience in Kenya and Tanzania. Join our guided safaris for a front-row seat to the lives of these majestic big cats. Witness the interaction between cubs, the power of the dominant males, and the grace of lionesses in their natural habitats. Join us for a lion-watching experience, where each roar echoes the majesty of the African wilderness.
Navigate through the grassy plains of the Serengeti or the acacia-studded landscapes of the Maasai Mara, where lion prides establish their territories. Our expert guides use their knowledge of lion behavior to position you for optimal viewing, ensuring a respectful and educational encounter. Gain insights into the critical role lions play in maintaining the ecological balance of East Africa's ecosystems. Our Watch a Pride of Lions experiences are more than wildlife safaris; they're glimpses into the intricate social structures and captivating lives of Africa's most iconic big cats.
Say so when you get in touch and we will build the route around it, rather than squeezing it in on an afternoon when the light is wrong.
