Wild dreams come true on a 13 Days Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya Safari. Venture into the world of rare mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and spend a day tracking and observing these endearing creatures. See sombre reminders of Kigali’s devastating past, watch local life play out on the streets and witness a beautiful country that’s continuously striving to move forward.
Explore the vast plains of the Masai Mara from the comfort of four-wheel drive Land cruisers, with an expert local leader at the helm, meet Maasai warriors and learn about their way of life. This unforgettable journey is sure to stay etched on your mind forever.
Summary
Day 1: Kigali, Rwanda
Day 2: Kigali
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 6: Kigali
Day 7: Nairobi, Kenya
Day 8: Lake Naivasha / Lake Nakuru
Day 9: Lake Nakuru National Park
Day 10: Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 11: Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 12: Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 13: Nairobi
Details
Day 1: Kigali
Welcome to Rwanda’s capital, Kigali and the starting point for your 13 Days Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya Safari adventure. You will be picked from the Kigali International Airport (KGL) and transferred to your overnight hotel.
Your place of stay for the next two nights is no ordinary accommodation – the Hotel des Mille Collines is famous for sheltering and consequently saving more than 1000 people during the horrific genocide that happened in Rwanda in 1994.
If you arrive early in Kigali city, perhaps take to the streets to explore this thriving city in the midst of a great revival. Tour Nyamirambo, the Muslim quarter, to try some giant grilled tilapia, or visit a local cafe and discover why Rwandan coffee is considered some of the world’s best.
Other Accommodation Options
Luxury: The Retreat/Kigali Serena Hotel/Heaven Boutique Hotel
Midrange: Hotel Chez Lando
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 2: Kigali
Wake up to a healthy breakfast and head out of the city for a sobering visit to the Ntarama Church. Your leader will explain how this memorial marks the location where 5000 people were tragically killed during the Genocide. Reminders of lives lost are still in the church, including clothes and even bones. Proceed to the Nyamata Genocide Memorial Centre, a former church where an incomprehensible 50,000 people were murdered. Your guide will tell you how the Tutsis sought refuge in churches, only for them to turn into death traps.
After that, you will visit the Kigali Genocide Museum, a powerful yet confronting experience and important in understanding the tragedy and the resilience of the Rwandan people. This afternoon, you can re-energize with some local Rwandan food before taking a tour of the beautiful city and its vibrant market with your guide. The evening is free for you to enjoy.
Accommodation Options
- Hotel des Mille Collines
- The Retreat
- Kigali Serena Hotel
- Heaven Boutique Hotel
- Hotel Chez Lando
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Enjoy a delicious breakfast at your hotel in Kigali and then leave Kigali. Take a scenic drive of about 4 hours across the border to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda.
Upon arrival, check into the Gorilla Heights Lodge, where you will spend the following three nights. The lodge, which is perched above Nteko Ridge, provides breathtaking views of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. Take in the view of the jagged Virunga Volcanoes that straddle Uganda’s borders with Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Gorilla Heights Lodge uses solar energy and works closely with the local community. You’ll experience genuinely warm Ugandan hospitality. There is no better spot for soaking in your wild surroundings and searching for mountain gorillas.
In the evening, you will have a truly special experience as you are joined by a field veterinarian from the Gorilla Doctors for a fireside chat. This organization is devoted to saving the mountain and eastern lowland gorilla species using veterinary medicine and science. They offer medical interventions to protect these endangered apes from human-induced or life-threatening trauma or disease. You will learn more about their fascinating work during this unique and exclusive experience.
Other Accommodation Options
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge/Gorilla Forest Camp
Midrange: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Haven Lodge Buhoma
Budget: Gorilla Conservation Camp/Buhoma Community Lodge
Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Have an early breakfast and take a short walk to the park office where you will be briefed on today’s gorilla trekking adventure by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guides.
The gorilla trek can be relative difficult, wet and uncomfortable at times but the exceptional biodiversity of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and the chance to see rare mountain gorillas in their natural environment makes it so worthwhile. We recommend hiring local porter who can carry your pack and offer expert, local one-on-one assistance during the trek. Not only does it make for a more comfortable trek, it also offering valuable employment opportunities to locals and boost their confidence in sustainable tourism.
Gorilla trekking is highly controlled. There are few gorilla trekking permits available every day. Once you find a family of gorillas you will be allowed to stay with them for one hour – watch them groom each other and play, all under the watchful eye of a giant silverback.
Coming face to face with wild gorillas is sure to be a life-changing experience that will be etched on your mind forever. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the lush rainforest wilderness. The rest of the day is for you to relax at the lodge, along with a chance to reflect on a memorable day. Freshen up with a hot shower and enjoy a hearty dinner by the crackling fireplace.
Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast on the terrace overlooking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The day is free for you to do as little or as much as you want – your guide will be able to help tailor a day that best suits your interests. If you are interested in another encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas, there is the option for a second day of gorilla trekking. You may wish to just relax at the lodge, take in the views from the outdoor swimming pool, or enjoy a luxurious spa treatment. This evening, enjoy dinner at the terraced restaurant overlooking the Virunga Mountains.
Day 6: Kigali
After breakfast, you will leave Bwindi and start the journey to cross back over the border into Kigali. After arriving at the capital, your afternoon is free to relax or explore as you please.
Day 7: Nairobi
Enjoy a good breakfast today and then transfer to Kigali International Airport for your flight to Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. You will be picked up from the airport for a short transfer to your pre-booked hotel. If you arrive early, you can spend the afternoon exploring the artistic and cultural displays at Nairobi Gallery, or relaxing by the swimming pool at your home for the night – a swish central hotel complete with bold pan-African art, a sauna and steam room, and super friendly staff. After some rest, you will head out with your guide to a colourful local restaurant offering traditional favourites with a modern touch. Enjoy platters and tasty sides like samosas, fried plantains and tilapia.
Accommodation: Sarova Panafric Hotel or similar
Day 8: Lake Naivasha / Lake Nakuru
After Breakfast, head off to Great Rift Valley of East Africa. Your first stop will be at the Eden Project, a nonprofit NGO that works in developing countries to rebuild natural landscapes destroyed by deforestation. Eden works closely with communities experiencing extreme poverty resulting from the deforestation and destruction of the land that sustains them. Visit the site for an hour. Learn how they work alongside the local community to produce, plant, and protect tens of millions of trees every month, creating jobs to support them in restoring their local environment and economy long-term.
Next, make your way to Elsamere, the former home of the writer Joy Adamson, whose 1960 book ‘Born Free’ helped bring wildlife conservation into the mainstream. The house is a veritable museum dedicated to the works of Joy and George Adamson, with several photos of Elsa, the lioness that started it all. Take on a boat cruise on Lake Naivasha, the highest lake in the Great Rift Valley and home to many hippos. Later, enjoy a high tea lunch on the very grounds Joy cherished for so many years, with the lake as a serene backdrop.
After lunch, proceed to your Lake Nakuru lodge, arriving in the early evening. From your lodge, admire the remarkable views of Lake Nakuru and the surrounding park, alive with the call of birds and rich in wildlife. What better way to take it all in than from your lodge’s infinity pool.
Accommodation: Sopa Lodges Nakuru or similar
Day 9: Lake Nakuru National Park
Savour a scrumptious breakfast and explore Lake Nakuru National Park by four-wheel drive vehicle (4×4) – the park’s lake is its stunning centrepiece.
Mornings can be cold here so you are advised to bring warm clothes. You might see why this great soda lake has been described as the world’s greatest ornithological spectacle; great seas of flamingos often turn the landscape a sweeping shade of pink.
Flooding in recent years has unfortunately caused a decrease in birdlife; however the park boasts considerable numbers of other wildlife species, including waterbuck, bushbuck, reedbuck and gazelle. African Leopards are also to be found here, and the chances of sighting one are significant. After a morning game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, you will head back out for another game drive. Keep your eyes open for one of the most endangered creatures of Africa, the elusive black rhino. While white rhino sightings are fairly common, spotting a black rhino is a real treat.
Day 10: Masai Mara National Reserve
After a hearty breakfast today, travel southwest to the Masai Mara, one of Africa’s finest game reserves. Cross the Great Rift Valley floor and pass by the remote region of Loita Hills, home of the legendary Maasai people. This is one of the few places where they still practice their traditional way of life with little influence from the western world. Stop at Tepesua Village where you will be welcomed by Maasai Warriors through traditional song and dance.
Meet your Maasai guide, take a walk around the community village and enjoy a captivating talk full of insights into this ancient Maasai culture. The Tepesua Village offers support, safety and economic growth through the ‘Tepesua Widows Income Project’. Here, widowed women sew eco-friendly handicrafts that they sell to locals and visitors. Learn about African rural village life and be shown around a traditional Maasai home and cattle enclosure.
After that, continue to your lodge in Masai Mara National Reserve where you will stay for the next three nights. Here, you can watch beautiful sunsets and share stories over the bonfire – or cocktails in the plush lounge area – before retiring to your luxury digs.
Accommodation: Sopa Lodges Masai Mara or similar
Day 11: Masai Mara National Reserve
Today, you will discover more of Masai Mara by 4×4 with further game drives from morning to the afternoon. You will depart for an early morning game drive with your packed picnic lunch at hand since you will drive to the furthest part of the game reserve.
Witness the wonderful variety of wildlife that inhabits the Mara. Zebra, Wildebeest, and Gazelle are plentiful, and you might even spot predators (Lions, Hyenas, Cheetahs and Leopards) keeping a casual eye on their movements. Giraffes, Elephants, and Elands are also commonly seen, along with plenty of bird life. Masai Mara is known for its rolling plains and riverine woodlands.
As the sun starts to set, stop and take a moment to soak it all in with a drink in hand – there is few better ways to wrap up a day of wildlife viewing in one of the world’s most magical places. As dusk falls, a variety of animals might be visible in the vicinity of your lodge also. You will return to lodge late in the evening and freshen up before settling in for dinner.
Day 12: Masai Mara National Reserve
The morning is yours to do as you please. You may like to sit back with a cup of coffee on your private deck, keeping an eye out for animals in the game reserve, or forgo a sleep-in in favour of an early morning game drive or walking safari.
If you would like to view the Mara from a different perspective, a sunrise hot air balloon safari is a truly unforgettable experience. A hot air balloon ride can be booked ahead of time or on the ground if available and the suppliers are committed conservationists, with a portion of the incomes from every flight going straight to worthy conservation projects within the park. You will be collected before dawn and glide through the sunrise, sometimes at tree height, making the most of the amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you’ll ascend to get an overview of the vastness of the Masai Mara plains and the early-morning movements of the teeming animal herds. In the afternoon, regroup for another exciting 4×4 game drive in the park.
Day 13: Nairobi
Depart Masai Mara and return to Nairobi. You can expect to arrive in the late afternoon, at which point your adventure will come to an end. If you would like to extend your stay in Nairobi, additional accommodation can be booked in advance.
End of 13 Days Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya Safari
Safari Inclusions
- Meals: 12 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 10 dinners
- Transport: 4WD vehicles, Plane, Boat, Private Vehicle
- Accommodation: Hotel (3 nights), Eco-Lodge (3 nights), Lodge (3 nights), Permanent Tented Camp (3 nights)
- Arrival airport transfer
- 24/7 on-ground support
- Kigali city and genocide Memorial Centre tour
- Bwindi – Gorilla Doctors Veterinarian Educational Talk
- Bwindi National Park – Mountain Gorilla Permit & Trek
- Lake Naivasha – Boat trip
- Lake Naivasha – Elsamere Conservation Centre
- Kiambu Tigoni – Eden Reforestation Project
- Lake Nakuru – Afternoon 4×4 Game Drive
- Lake Nakuru – Morning 4×4 Game Drive
- Loita Hills – Cultural talk and village visit
- Masai Mara – Sundowner and snacks
- Masai Mara – Full Day 4×4 Game Drive
- Masai Mara – Afternoon 4×4 Game Drive
Safari Inclusions
- International flights
- Visa fees
- Travel Insurance
- Tips
- Optional activities
