Experience the magnificent 12-day Kenya and Uganda Safari! This journey perfectly combines wildlife viewing adventures in Kenya (like the Big Five) with thrilling primate viewing in Uganda (including gorilla trekking). Get started booking your ultimate East African adventure now!
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to the hotel
Your magnificent 12-Day Kenya-Uganda safari begins! Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta Airport (NBO), an expert safari guide will warmly welcome you, provide a quick briefing, and then drive you to your Nairobi hotel for dinner and the night
Day 2: Travel to Masai Mara game reserve
After a delicious breakfast, your driver-guide picks you up from the hotel and transfers you to the magnificent Maasai Mara Game Reserve. En route, we make a rewarding stop at the Great Rift Valley viewpoint for photos and incredible scenic views. The Mara is celebrated as Africa’s most famous wildlife viewing destination, boasting undulating hills and rolling grasslands that sustain incredible biodiversity.
Arrive in time for lunch at your camp. Later that afternoon, you’ll head out on your first game drive to explore the Mara’s abundant wildlife. Look for massive populations of lions, elephants, cheetahs, giraffes, and buffalos, alongside herds of wildebeest and gazelles. This area is also a spectacular stopping point for birders. Drive back to the camp for dinner and overnight rest.
Day 3&4 : Full day at Masai Mara
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before embarking on a full-day game drive through this rewarding reserve, which forms the northern extension of Serengeti National Park. The Maasai Mara supports Africa’s largest population of big cats and other predators. We will pause to enjoy a thrilling picnic lunch near the Mara River, often witnessing animals quenching their thirst at the water’s edge.
Throughout your full-day game drive, you will actively search for the Maasai Mara’s most impressive residents. Expect incredible sightings, including herds of elephants, majestic lions, elusive leopards and cheetahs, towering giraffes, and massive herds of zebras and wildebeest. You will return to the lodge in the evening for well-deserved dinner and overnight rest.
Day 5: Transfer to lake Nakuru national park
Enjoy a delicious breakfast, and then we depart for Lake Nakuru National Park. We’ll stop for en-route lunch in Narok town. Midway, you’ll have an optional stop at Lake Naivasha to enjoy an hour-long boat ride on the lake. Finally, we continue to Lake Nakuru, arriving in time for dinner and your overnight stay.
Day 6: Morning Game drive and transfer to Uganda
After breakfast, embark on a remarkable game drive through the open savannah of Lake Nakuru National Park. This Park is renowned for hosting millions of seasonal pink flamingos and diverse aquatic birds. Furthermore, you’ll be rewarded with sightings of rhinos, zebras, gazelle, buffalos, leopards, and waterbucks during your drive.
After breakfast, we depart from Lake Nakuru and drive through Nakuru town and Eldoret. Subsequently, we cross the border from Kenya into Uganda. Finally, we drive to Jinja, the Source of the Nile, where you’ll enjoy the refreshing breeze of the River Nile at your hotel before dinner and overnight rest.
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale game park
After a delicious breakfast, we depart and drive south via Hoima toward Kibale Forest National Park.En route, the stunning tea plantations around Fort Portal will amaze you; we stop here for lunch. Following lunch, it’s just a one-hour drive to your lodge. Arrive, check in, and enjoy a relaxing evening before dinner and overnight rest.
Day 8: Chimpazee trekking at Kibale National park
Enjoy a delicious morning breakfast, then transfer to the Kibale Forest National Park headquarters for a vital briefing on chimpanzee trekking rules. Subsequently, you’ll meet your expert park ranger and head straight onto the forest trails in search of these incredible great apes. Once located, you have one unforgettable hour to observe them feeding, playing, and socializing, allowing plenty of time for pictures and videos!
Kibale National Park hosts the world’s highest concentration of primates, including over 5,000 chimpanzee individuals in Uganda. It boasts 13 total primate species; look for the famous chimpanzees, black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, and olive baboons. The chimpanzee tracking typically lasts 2 to 3 hours. Afterward, return to the lodge for lunch. Later that evening, embark on the popular Bigodi Swamp Walk where you’ll look for diverse bird species and smaller mammals. Dinner and overnight follow.
Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today, we journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, catching scenic views of the Rwenzori Mountains along the way. We arrive and immediately dive into an afternoon game drive to spot elephants, buffalos, Uganda Kob, and various antelope species. Lunch at the lodge precedes the main event: a memorable 2-hour Kazinga Channel boat cruise. This channel is a wildlife hotspot, guaranteeing close encounters and stunning photographs of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and over 600 bird species. You return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10: Morning game drive in Ishasha sector and transfer to Bwindi national park
Enjoy breakfast before transferring to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This area is a special highlight, famously known for its tree-climbing lions. Upon arrival, we head out for a dedicated game drive, expecting to encounter these unique lions perched in the fig trees, in addition to sightings of topis, buffalos, and elephants.
Following your game drive, we exit the park and drive toward Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The transfer is highly scenic, taking you through the magnificent Kigezi Highlands. En-route, the iconic terraced hillsides and winding mountain roads will captivate you. . Arrive in the evening at your lodge for dinner and overnight rest.
Day 11: Gorilla trekking and tranfer to lake Bunyonyi
Begin your biggest adventure with an early breakfast and grab your packed lunch. Then, your guide transfers you to the Bwindi headquarters for a vital briefing on gorilla trekking rules. Subsequently, meet your park ranger, collect your walking stick, and venture onto the forest trails in search of the magnificent gorillas. Once you find them, you’ll have one unforgettable hour to spend observing their family life. Note that the trek duration varies significantly, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes up to 7 hours, depending on the gorillas’ movements.
Once the trek is complete, return to the park headquarters to receive your official Gorilla Trekking Certificate. From there, you will meet your driver-guide for the transfer to the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi. Upon arrival, you have the afternoon free to visit several islands—a prime spot for bird watching—or embark on a peaceful nature walk along the lake’s scenic shores.
Day 12: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe
Today, following breakfast, we depart the park and begin the long but memorable drive back toward Kampala. Midway, we make a classic stop at the Uganda Equator line for photos and souvenirs. We’ll enjoy lunch along the way, then complete our transfer to your final destination. You will arrive in Kampala or Entebbe in the evening.
