13-Day Uganda Gorillas & Maasai Mara
A long overland journey from Nairobi to Entebbe: the Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru first, then across the border into Uganda for chimpanzees in Kibale and mountain gorillas in Bwindi.
13 days · 12 nights · Year-round · driest Jun – Sep & Dec – Feb
About this experience
This trip links Kenya's best-known reserve with Uganda's primate forests in one continuous road journey. You start with two nights in the Maasai Mara and a night at Lake Nakuru, then cross into Uganda for the source of the Nile at Jinja, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale and game drives and a Kazinga Channel cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The trip builds to a gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before a final night in Kampala. Expect long driving days and a border crossing, rewarded with a huge variety of landscapes and wildlife.
Best for
- Kenya and Uganda in one trip
- Primate lovers
- Overland travellers
Trip features
- Private vehicleYour own 4x4 and driver-guide
- Starts any dayPick your own date, 7+ days ahead
- Can be tailoredChange lodges, add days or parks
- Ages 15+Minimum age on this trip
- Pickup in NairobiAirport or your hotel
- EnglishGuide language
Signature experiences
Optional extras we can add to this trip. Prices are per person and confirmed when you book.
Lift off at dawn over the plains, drift silently above the herds, and land to a champagne bush breakfast. The definitive Mara morning.
Spend an hour in a working manyatta — the jumping dance, fire-making, and a look at daily Maasai life, hosted by the community itself.
A lantern-lit table set out under the stars, your own chef and a crackling fire — the safari dinner people remember for years.
After dark on a private conservancy, a spotlight picks out leopard, aardvark, bushbaby and the animals you never see by day.
Day by day
What each day looks like, from pickup in Nairobi to drop-off.
After an early breakfast you leave Nairobi and drive to the Maasai Mara, arriving at your lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon you head out on your first game drive across the reserve's open grassland. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Sopa Lodge (or similar) · Full board
An early start puts you on the plains while the animals are most active and the air is still cool. Your guide spends the day searching for lion, cheetah and leopard among the antelope and other plains game. You return to the lodge in the evening for dinner.
Sopa Lodge (or similar) · Full board
You leave the Mara after breakfast and drive to Lake Nakuru National Park, game viewing on the way and inside the park. Lunch is a picnic at the Hippo Pool, a good spot for hippos, crocodiles and birds. You check in to your lodge for the evening.
Lake Nakuru Lodge · Full board
A morning game drive in Lake Nakuru looks for rhino, buffalo, zebra and waterbuck, with the lake's flamingos and waterbirds below the viewpoints. After lunch in Nakuru town you head west via Eldoret to the Uganda border, where the crossing can take a while. You continue to Mbale for the night.
Mbale Resort · Full board
You drive on through eastern Uganda, stopping at the Equator for photos and a browse of the craft stalls. In Jinja a boat trip on the Victoria Nile takes you to the point where the river leaves Lake Victoria. The night is spent at a riverside resort.
Jinja Nile Resort · Full board
A full travel day takes you west past tea plantations, with lunch in Fort Portal and stops to stretch your legs. You reach Kibale Forest National Park in the late afternoon. After dark, listen out for the frogs and night sounds of the forest.
Primate Lodge · Full board
You set off at 6:30am to track chimpanzees through Kibale, and may also see red colobus, black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey and L'Hoest's monkey along the way. If you would rather spend the whole day with a chimp group, the habituation experience is an optional alternative. In the evening you continue to Mweya Safari Lodge.
Mweya Safari Lodge · Full board
A walk among the crater lakes is followed by a drive south with the Rwenzori Mountains on the horizon. After lunch in Kasese and a quick stop at the Equator, you enter Queen Elizabeth National Park. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Mweya Safari Lodge · Full board
A morning game drive looks for elephant, buffalo, hyena and warthog, with flamingos possible on the salt lakes. In the afternoon a three-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, the 36km waterway between Lake George and Lake Edward, brings you close to hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds. You return to the lodge for the evening.
Mweya Safari Lodge · Full board
You drive to the Ishasha sector in the south of the park for a game drive among topi and elephant, keeping an eye on the fig trees for lions. The road then climbs from savannah through farmed hills and villages into the forested mountains of Bwindi. Dinner and overnight at your lodge near the trailhead.
Bwindi Lodge · Full board
You leave at about 7:45am with a packed lunch and water for the ranger briefing, then follow the trackers into the forest to find a gorilla family. Depending on where the gorillas are, the trek can take a few hours or most of the day, and once you find them you have an hour in their company. You return to the lodge for dinner.
Bwindi Lodge · Full board
A long drive through rolling hills and villages takes you to Kampala, Uganda's capital. You arrive in the late evening and check in to your hotel for a hot meal and a rest.
Red Chilli Hotel · Full board
After breakfast you are driven to Entebbe International Airport for your flight home. Allow plenty of time for the journey before your departure.
Where you'll stay
Lodges we book on this trip. If one is full on your dates, we'll offer a comparable property before you pay anything.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation in the lodges and hotels named in the itinerary (or similar)
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day
- All national park and reserve entry fees
- Private 4x4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof and an experienced driver-guide
- 24/7 WhatsApp support from the Bookara team
Not included
- Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits (confirmed and quoted when you book)
- International and domestic flights
- Kenya eTA (government fee — we help you apply)
- Uganda visa (government fee — we help you apply)
- Travel insurance
- Tips for guides, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional activities such as the chimpanzee habituation experience
- Drinks and personal expenses
Route & pickup
Where the trip goes, and where we meet you.
- 01 NairobiDay 1 · City
- 02 Maasai MaraDay 1 · National park & reserve
- 03 Lake NakuruDay 3 · Lake
- 04 JinjaDay 5 · Lake
- 05 Kibale ForestDay 6 · National park & reserve
- 06 Queen ElizabethDay 7 · National park & reserve
- 07 BwindiDay 10 · National park & reserve
- 08 KampalaDay 12 · City
- 09 EntebbeDay 13 · City
Good to know
A 30% deposit holds your dates, and the balance is due 45 days before you travel (book closer than that and you pay in full). Cancel 90+ days before departure for a full refund, 60–89 days before for 50% back. Full terms.
Common questions
Where does the trip start and finish?+
It starts in Nairobi and finishes at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, so book an open-jaw flight. You cross from Kenya into Uganda by road on day 4, and the border formalities can take a while.
Is there a minimum age for gorilla trekking?+
Yes. The Uganda Wildlife Authority sets a minimum age of 15 for gorilla trekking. The trek itself can mean several hours of steep, muddy walking, so a reasonable level of fitness helps.
Is this a private trip?+
Yes. You have your own vehicle and guide throughout, and nobody else joins. The route and lodges can be adjusted on request, so message us and we'll quote it.
Book on WhatsApp
Your chat opens with the trip pre-filled — no payment needed now. Our team replies between 7am–10pm EAT.
Request saved
WhatsApp is opening with your details pre-filled — just hit send.
- 1 Send the pre-filled messageYour trip details are already written for you.
- 2 Confirm in chat — or pay the deposit onlineSame reference either way. Our team replies 7am–10pm EAT.
- 3 Instant confirmationWhatsApp message + email receipt the moment your deposit lands.
Your request ref becomes your booking reference once the deposit is paid.
Book direct with the operator
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Licensed & certified
Kenya-registered operator in Nairobi with experienced driver-guides.
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Run from Nairobi
We plan and run your trip ourselves, with driver-guides we know, and stay reachable on WhatsApp throughout.
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Secure payment
Card or Apple Pay through Paystack (USD). Taxes and park fees are in the price you see.
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Flexible cancellation
Full refund up to 90 days before departure; a 30% deposit holds your dates.
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