8 Days Kenya Safari & Gorilla Trek

Meet at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or Wilson Airport and transfer to your Nairobi hotel. Safari briefing covers the Kenya–Uganda routing: Mara flights, Entebbe connection and Bwindi gorilla permit confirmation.

Depending on arrival time, optional afternoon visit to the Giraffe Centre in Karen or the Karen Blixen Museum. Early night recommended — tomorrow's Mara flight departs from Wilson at dawn.

Morning scheduled flight from Wilson Airport to a Mara bush airstrip (approx. 45–60 minutes) — spectacular views over the Great Rift Valley and Mara plains on descent. Met by your camp guide and transferred to your tented camp.

Safari activity | Maasai Mara afternoon game drive

First 4×4 game drive on the Mara plains — lion, cheetah, elephant, topi and Thomson's gazelle among acacia woodland and open grassland.

Afternoon 4×4 game drive on the plains — lion prides, cheetah territories, elephant herds and topi. Sundowners on the savannah before returning to camp for dinner under the stars.

Dawn and afternoon game drives with picnic breakfast on the plains. July–October aligns with wildebeest migration river crossings when herds reach the Mara River — one of nature's greatest spectacles.

Safari activity | Full-day Mara predator tracking

Explore Mara River zone, predator territories and acacia woodland leopard habitat — lion, cheetah, hyena and vultures on the migration trail when herds are present.

Explore Mara River zone, predator territories and acacia woodland leopard habitat. Your guide reads vulture activity and alarm calls to locate kills and cat movement across the reserve.

Sunrise game drive on the plains — predators are most active at first light. Return to camp for late breakfast, then fly Mara–Nairobi (approx. 45–60 minutes).

Safari activity | Kenya–Uganda air corridor transfer

Morning Mara game drive, then regional flight Nairobi–Entebbe — crossing from Kenya's savannah big-cat country into Uganda's gorilla highlands without a gruelling Busia border road transfer.

Connect afternoon regional flight to Entebbe International Airport, Uganda. Meet your Uganda guide, transfer to lakeside hotel on Lake Victoria. Kenya eTA and Uganda visa stamps confirmed.

Charter or scheduled flight to Kihihi or Kisoro airstrip (approx. 1 hour 10 minutes) — recommended to preserve energy for tomorrow's gorilla trek. Road alternative via Mbarara takes 8–9 hours if flights are unavailable.

Lodge check-in on the Bwindi forest edge with views into the impenetrable canopy. Evening gorilla etiquette briefing and porter arrangements. Uganda gorilla permits are around USD 800 (UWA foreign non-resident).

Drive/flight time: 1 hr 10 min flight; 8–9 hrs by road
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Bwindi sector lodge

07:00 UWA briefing and allocation to a habituated mountain gorilla family. With rangers and trackers, trek into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park — trekking can take 2–8 hours depending on the family's location.

Safari activity | Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Track a habituated gorilla family through Bwindi's montane forest with UWA rangers — one hour on contact, then your gorilla trekking certificate. Optional afternoon Batwa cultural visit.

One hour with the habituated family, certificate on return. Afternoon rest at the lodge or optional Batwa pygmy cultural experience — the forest's original inhabitants share traditional skills and dance.

Relaxed morning drive to Lake Bunyonyi (approx. 1–2 hours) — 29 islands, terraced hillsides and cool highland air. Uganda's classic post-gorilla recovery stop.

Safari activity | Dugout canoe on Lake Bunyonyi

Afternoon paddle among the islands — terraced hillsides, birdlife, and optional community visits on Uganda's most scenic highland lake.

Afternoon dugout canoe excursion among the islands. Optional visit to a Bakiga community or simply recover from gorilla trekking with views across the lake.

Breakfast overlooking the lake, then return drive to Entebbe (approx. 7–8 hours) via Mbarara and the Equator at Kayabwe for photos and lunch. Alternatively, fly Kihihi–Entebbe if schedule permits.

Airport drop-off for evening international flights, or overnight in Entebbe if you prefer not to drive after a long transfer day. Your guide confirms Kenya and Uganda visa stamps are in order.