8 days Masai Mara safari and Uganda gorilla trekking

You will arrive in Entebbe, Uganda and will be met by the company representative at the airport and shall transfer you to your hotel.

Accommodation options to choose from:

Midrange: 2 Friends Beach Hotel

Luxury: Hotel No. 5

Meal Plan: Dinner

You will be picked up at 7am and start the long drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park the home of the gorillas. The is drive 7 – 8 hours. A long drive but not boring as you enjoy lovely scenes of the countryside, and you will make some stops at landmarks such as the Uganda Equator.

Optional: Alternatively, if you do not like the long drive we can consider a local flight to southern Uganda near the gorilla park.

Accommodation options to choose from:

Midrange: 4 Gorillas Lodge

Luxury: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

Early rise, have breakfast by 6.30am, pick your lunch pack and transfer to the park office by 7am. You will gather with the rest of the gorilla trekkers for briefing about the gorillas and the rules, after which you shall be allocated a gorilla group that you shall track. No more than 8 person can track one gorilla group. After allocating the gorilla groups you shall set off into the jungle to find the gorillas and you will spend one hour with the gorillas after finding them.

Return the lodge and relax away the rest of the day.

Optional activity:

Gorilla habituation experience: If you want opportunity to spend more than one hour with the gorillas you can do the The gorilla habituation experience instead of the standard gorilla tracking. The gorilla habituation experience lasts up to 4 hours of tracking down the gorillas from the point the gorillas were last seen and within these 4 hours you have a chance to be with the gorillas longer than one hour if you find them fast enough. The gorilla habituation experience is also more exclusive as only four slots are available in a day.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After early breakfast, you shall drive back to Entebbe where you will take the evening flight to Nairobi the capital of Kenya. Dinner and overnight in Nairobi.

Optional: Again, if you do not like the long drive we can arrange the local flight back from southern Uganda

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

You will be picked up from your hotel in Nairobi at 7am to start the road trip to Masai Mara National Reserve. The drive from Nairobi to the Mara is about 6 hours which includes stops along the way to take in the beautiful views of the rift valley, and at curio shops to catch a cup of coffee/tea or simply to marvel at the many beautiful African crafts that you can purchase.

You will arrive in the Mara and transfer to lodge for lunch and enjoy some relaxation while taking in the lovely views of the savannah.

Later at around 3pm you will set off into the Mara for your first bush adventure in the beautiful plains. You will spot quite a number of animals and learn a bit about the Mara.

At sunset you will make your way back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Midrange: Pride Inn Mara Camp

Upmarket: Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

You will be up by 6am for your breakfast, grab your lunch pack and set off into the Mara for a full day enjoyment of the African savannah. You will explore the game rich areas of the park and the migration corridor incase you are visiting during the migration season. You will be looking to tick off all the Big Five; lions, leopard, buffalo, elephant, rhino. Watch thousands of wildebeest and zebra strolling through the plains, observe and learn the different species of antelopes, enjoy brilliant views of the majestic Masai Giraffes. For the keen birder, you will be in for a treat as you will quickly see the massive Secretary bird, Ostrich, several birds of prey especially vultures at carcasses, and the striking Lilac-breasted Roller and Superb Starling are a constant find throughout the park.

Optional activity:

Early morning Balloon safari: The balloon safari offers wonderful arial views over the Mara plains and also provide a chance to see more wildlife in places the car won’t reach. The rhino is a difficult to see in the Mara and the balloon safari increases the chance to spot in the hills and thickets which are unreachable by car.

The balloon safaris start from about 5am, and the flight is about one hour. After the balloon safari you would continue with the game drive.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will go back in the Mara for another game drive. You can never get enough of the Mara as each presents a different experience with different wildlife encounters and sightings. You will explore more areas of the park and look to tick off more animals and birds you will have missed in the previous game drives.

Later in the day you will visit a Masai cultural village to learn about the way of life of the Masai people who have lived in the wild for ages. The Masai will welcome you with their epic warrior dance before their leader will take you around the village explaining the life of the Masai and show you their cultures and traditions.

After the Masai village tour will make your back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After your breakfast you shall drive back to Nairobi to catch your flight or overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch