8 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari & Maasai Mara

Pick-up from Entebbe International Airport or Kampala. Charter or scheduled flight to Kihihi/Kisoro airstrip (approx. 1 hour 10 minutes) — recommended — or scenic road transfer via Mbarara (approx. 8–9 hours).

Lodge check-in on the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park forest edge. Evening gorilla etiquette briefing: porter hire, waterproof layers and tomorrow's sector headquarters.

Drive/flight time: 1 hr 10 min flight; 8–9 hrs by road
Meals: 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's montane forest — 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 on return.

One hour with the habituated family — silverback displays, juveniles tumbling through vegetation. Afternoon rest at the lodge or optional community coffee walk in the Kigezi highlands.

Relaxed morning drive to Lake Bunyonyi (approx. 1–2 hours) — 29 islands, terraced hillsides and cool highland air without malaria-risk mosquitoes.

Safari activity | Dugout canoe & community walk

Afternoon canoe among the islands and optional terraced-hillside community walk — Uganda's classic post-gorilla recovery stop.

Afternoon dugout canoe and terraced-hillside community walk. Bunyonyi is the ideal buffer before the Kenya leg of this primates-then-predators route.

Morning at leisure on the lake — optional birding or zip-line. Fly Kihihi–Entebbe (approx. 1 hour), connect regional flight to Nairobi. Meet Kenya guide, overnight near Wilson Airport for tomorrow's Mara flight.

Routing via regional flights avoids a gruelling 2-day road transfer through the Busia border. Your guide confirms Kenya eTA and flight connections.

Morning scheduled flight from Wilson Airport to a Mara bush airstrip (approx. 45 minutes). Met by camp guide and transferred to your tented camp on the plains.

Safari activity | Maasai Mara afternoon game drive

First game drive en route to camp on the Maasai Mara plains — lion, cheetah, elephant and seasonal wildebeest herds.

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

Dawn and afternoon 4×4 game drives on the Maasai Mara plains — lion prides, cheetah territories, elephant herds and seasonal wildebeest crossings at the Mara River (July–October).

Safari activity | Full-day Mara predator tracking

Picnic breakfast on the plains, Mara River zone exploration, and predator tracking with your camp guide — vultures and alarm calls lead to kills and cat movement.

Picnic breakfast on the plains. Your guide reads vulture activity and hyena calls to locate predator movement. Optional hot-air balloon safari at dawn (supplement, USD 450+).

Explore Mara River zone or a private conservancy (Naboisho, Olare Motorogi if booked) for off-road driving and lower vehicle density. Afternoon optional authentic Maasai village visit — we book only community-run programmes.

Safari activity | Mara conservancy & Maasai culture

Off-road game drive in a private Mara conservancy with lower vehicle density, then optional community-run Maasai village visit — the savannah finale after Uganda's gorilla highlands.

Second full day maximises big-cat encounters after the gorilla trek. Leopard in acacia woodland and cheetah on the open plains are the target species today.

Sunrise game drive or camp breakfast on the terrace. Fly Mara–Nairobi (approx. 45–60 minutes) for international connection from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Your guide confirms all domestic flight vouchers and park fee receipts. Primates first, predators second — a proven East Africa combination in eight days.