12 Days Gorillas and Maasai Mara Uganda and Kenya Safari

Welcome to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. On arrival at Entebbe International Airport you are met by your Bespoke Safaris representative and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you can rest after your international flight or take a gentle introduction to Entebbe, a lakeside town on Lake Victoria, with a walk by the waterfront or a meal at a local restaurant.

Your guide briefs you on the journey ahead, reviews your gorilla trekking arrangements and explains the logistics for travelling on to Kenya. Dinner and a restful first night in Uganda.

After breakfast you travel to south-western Uganda and the rainforest landscapes of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. To save time and cut the long drive, a domestic flight from Entebbe to a suitable airstrip near Bwindi can be arranged, followed by a road transfer to your lodge. If you prefer to see more of Uganda’s countryside, a private road journey can be organised instead.

The scenery changes from busy towns and farmland to rolling hills, deep valleys and forested mountains. On arrival you settle in at your lodge in the trekking sector assigned to your confirmed permit and have lunch or refreshments. Your guide explains the trekking process, what to wear and what to expect when entering the gorillas’ habitat.

Today is the highlight of your time in Uganda. After an early breakfast you go to the park headquarters for registration and a briefing by the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides. You then enter the rainforest to look for a habituated mountain gorilla family. Bwindi’s thick vegetation, steep terrain, towering trees and birdlife make the trek an adventure in itself.

The search can take several hours, depending on where the gorillas are and the state of the trails. Once the family is found, you normally have up to one hour to watch them feed, groom, rest and care for their young. The encounter gives a rare close view of mountain gorillas and shows why protecting their habitat matters.

After the trek you return to your lodge for a well-earned meal and rest. The trek can be physically demanding, so reasonable fitness is recommended. Gorilla sightings are not guaranteed, and permits must be confirmed for your travel date.

After breakfast you enjoy a more relaxed day around Bwindi and the communities beside the forest. Depending on your interests, you can join a guided community visit to learn about local traditions, farming, crafts, music and everyday life in south-western Uganda. A Batwa cultural experience can also be arranged with a recognised local host, offering insight into the Batwa people’s heritage and their historical relationship with the forest. These visits let you meet local people and support community-led tourism.

If you prefer nature, you can choose a guided forest-edge walk or a birdwatching outing, subject to availability and park regulations. You return to the lodge for lunch and a free afternoon in the cool mountain air. This extra night also gives you time to recover from the trek before the journey to Kenya.

After breakfast at the lodge you begin the return from the Bwindi region to Entebbe. Where suitable domestic flights operate, you transfer to the airstrip for a flight back to Entebbe, which cuts the road time. If you use road transport, the journey is much longer, with possible stops on the way.

On arrival you check in at your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure. This overnight stay is a practical buffer before the flight to Kenya and avoids a tight connection after leaving the gorilla trekking region. Your guide reconfirms tomorrow’s flight details and the onward arrangements to Nairobi.

After breakfast you transfer to Entebbe International Airport for your flight to Nairobi. On arrival your Kenyan representative or driver meets you and takes you to your hotel. Nairobi is a striking contrast to Uganda’s forested mountains, a modern city with a strong connection to wildlife and conservation.

Depending on your arrival time, you can relax at the hotel or arrange a short city outing. If your schedule allows and you want to add something, options include the Karen area, local craft shopping or a visit to a cultural attraction, arranged around flight times and opening hours. Your guide briefs you on the next stage and confirms your transfer or scheduled light-aircraft flight to the Maasai Mara. Dinner and overnight in Nairobi.

After breakfast you transfer to the Nairobi airstrip for a scheduled light-aircraft flight to the Maasai Mara region, subject to your camp and flight availability. From the air you see Kenya’s landscapes change as the city gives way to open countryside and wide savannah.

A camp representative welcomes you at the airstrip and takes you to your lodge or tented camp. After lunch and a short rest you set out on your first game drive across the Mara’s grasslands with an experienced guide, looking for elephants, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes and the predators of this rich ecosystem. Lions may be resting in the grass or crossing the plains, and other sightings depend on the season, weather and animal movements.

You return to camp around sunset for dinner and the sounds of the African night.

You rise early for breakfast or a light bite before a morning game drive, when wildlife is often active and the plains are in soft golden light. You explore different parts of the reserve for lions, elephants, spotted hyenas, giraffes, topis, gazelles and other grazing animals. Your guide interprets animal behaviour, explains the relationship between predators and prey and shows how the seasons shape the savannah.

You return to camp for brunch or lunch and rest through the warm part of the day, then go out again in the afternoon to explore another section of the reserve. Depending on the season, you may meet large herds of wildebeest and zebras on their annual migration. Its timing and location vary, so large herds and river crossings cannot be promised. Dinner and overnight at camp.

You spend another day in the Maasai Mara, with the flexibility to focus on the wildlife and landscapes that interest you most. An early game drive may offer chances to look for cheetahs on open grassland, leopards resting in trees or lions in their territories, though these sightings are never guaranteed. Depending on your camp’s location and wildlife activity, your guide may explore riverine woodland, open plains and areas favoured by grazing herds.

You can return to camp for a relaxed lunch and head out again for an afternoon drive as temperatures fall. If you are interested in local culture, a visit to a Maasai community can be arranged separately, subject to availability and extra cost where applicable, to learn about traditional livelihoods, beadwork, homestead life and how pastoral communities relate to the landscape. Dinner on your last full evening in the Mara.

After breakfast at camp, a short morning game drive is possible if your flight schedule allows. You then transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled flight back to Nairobi. A road transfer can be arranged instead, though it is a much longer journey and leaves less time for other activities.

In Nairobi your driver meets you and takes you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or enjoy an optional dinner out. If you want to learn more about Kenya’s wildlife conservation, ask about attractions such as the Nairobi National Park area or other wildlife-related visits, subject to timing, entry fees and availability. After several days in the bush, enjoy the comfort of the city before the final part of your journey.

This is a flexible day to suit your interests and departure plans. You can discover more of Nairobi, browse craft markets, visit cultural attractions or simply relax at your hotel.

Alternatively, consider an excursion to Lake Naivasha in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, known for its scenic water, birdlife and surrounding landscapes, which offer a different view of Kenya from the Mara’s savannah. Depending on the activities chosen and the time available, it can include a boat trip for hippos and waterbirds or a guided nature walk at a nearby wildlife area. Lake Naivasha is a substantial drive from Nairobi, so arrange this in advance and check it against your flight schedule. If you would rather stay overnight at Lake Naivasha, the itinerary and accommodation plan should be adjusted rather than treating it as a rushed day trip.

If you follow the standard itinerary, you return to Nairobi for your final night.

After breakfast at your hotel, and depending on your departure time, you may have time for a last coffee, a little souvenir shopping or a relaxed morning before your transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Your driver allows enough time for check-in and departure formalities.

As your twelve days end, you carry memories of two very different wildlife habitats: the mist-covered rainforest of Bwindi, where you met mountain gorillas, and the open grasslands of the Maasai Mara, where game drives brought you close to Africa’s iconic savannah wildlife.