Uganda & Kenya · 13 days · 12 nights · Year-round · driest Jun – Sep & Dec – Feb
13-Day Uganda Gorillas & Maasai Mara
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.
From $8,631 per person
Specimen itinerary for planning purposes only — not a confirmed booking document.
Logistics & transport
- Pickup
- Confirmed 24 hours before departure on WhatsApp
- Guide language
- As selected at booking
- Group
- Private / small group · max 12 guests
Where you'll stay
Lodging varies by trip — tented camp, safari lodge, beach hotel, or city hotel as your package requires. The property for this package is confirmed in writing after you book — ask us on WhatsApp if you want options before paying.
Included in your package price — exact camp, lodge, or hotel confirmed after booking.
Indicative schedule — day by day
Planned rhythm for your trip — your guide may adjust on the day for conditions, light and wildlife.
Day 1: Nairobi → Maasai Mara
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.
Day 2: Full day in the Maasai Mara
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.
Day 3: Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru
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.
Day 4: Lake Nakuru → Eldoret → Mbale
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.
Day 5: Mbale → Equator → Jinja
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.
Day 6: Jinja → Fort Portal → Kibale Forest
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.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale → Queen Elizabeth
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.
Day 8: Crater lakes → Queen Elizabeth National Park
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.
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth game drive & Kazinga Channel
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.
Day 10: Queen Elizabeth → Ishasha → Bwindi
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.
Day 11: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
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.
Day 12: Bwindi → Kampala
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.
Day 13: Kampala → Entebbe Airport
After breakfast you are driven to Entebbe International Airport for your flight home. Allow plenty of time for the journey before your departure.
Trip inclusions
- 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
Trip exclusions
- 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
Preparation & packing
Before you go
- This section is general Kenya travel guidance — not a substitute for official advice or your doctor.
- We confirm trip-specific details (property, pickup times, park rules) with you on WhatsApp before departure.
- Questions about 13-Day Uganda Gorillas & Maasai Mara? Message us anytime — we'd rather you ask than guess.
Visa & entry
- Most visitors need a Kenya eTA before travel — apply at etakenya.go.ke and check the current fee and rules.
- Passport usually needs 6+ months' validity and blank pages — verify with your airline and immigration.
- Keep a printed copy of this itinerary and your eTA approval for border control.
Health
- Yellow fever certificate may be required depending on where you are travelling from — check Kenya's latest entry rules.
- Malaria prevention is commonly recommended for safari areas — ask your doctor well before you fly.
- Travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is strongly recommended.
- Bring personal medication in original packaging.
Weather & clothing
- Safari mornings and evenings are often cooler than midday — layers work better than one heavy coat.
- Neutral colours (khaki, olive, beige) are standard for game drives.
- Rain can appear in any season — a light waterproof layer is worth packing.
- We send a short weather note for your dates once your trip is confirmed.
Packing list
- Comfortable closed shoes for walking + sandals for camp or lodge
- Sun hat, sunscreen, sunglasses
- Binoculars if you have a pair (optional — ask us if you'd like a recommendation)
- Power bank + travel adaptor (Kenya commonly uses Type G plugs, 240V)
- Soft bag often works better than a hard suitcase if your trip includes light-aircraft legs — we'll confirm luggage limits for your routing
- Some cash in USD (clean, newer bills) or KES for tips and small purchases
- Insect repellent
Money & connectivity
- Cards work in Nairobi and at many properties; cash is still useful for tips and markets.
- M-Pesa is widely used in Kenya — we can walk you through it on arrival if helpful.
- Wi‑Fi varies by property (lodge, camp, or hotel) — signal on game drives is usually limited.
- Tipping customs vary by property and guide — we share current guidelines for your trip before you travel.