12-day Kenya and Uganda grand safari

Overview

Twelve days lets you do the thing the shorter itineraries cannot: add a second primate. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest is a genuinely different experience from gorilla trekking — faster, noisier, more chaotic — and doing both in one trip is the strongest argument for choosing Uganda over Rwanda.

It also opens with Amboseli, which sits south of Nairobi and gives you Kilimanjaro before you head west.

Highlights

• Elephant herds beneath Kilimanjaro in Amboseli
• Three nights in the Masai Mara
• Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest
• Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
• A recovery day after the trek rather than a same-day departure

Day by day

1. Arrive NairobiMet and transferred to your hotel.

2. Nairobi to AmboseliRoad transfer of about four hours, arriving for an afternoon game drive with the mountain behind the herds if the cloud lifts.

3. AmboseliFull day. Early morning and late afternoon are when Kilimanjaro is clearest, so drives are timed around it.

4. Amboseli to the Masai MaraFly via Nairobi rather than driving the length of it.

5. Masai MaraFull day of game drives.

6. Masai MaraA second full day, with the river in migration season or the conservancies otherwise.

7. Mara to Nairobi to EntebbeFly back and on to Entebbe. Overnight on the lake.

8. Entebbe to Kibale ForestThe drive west through tea country to Fort Portal and Kibale.

9. Chimpanzee trackingMorning tracking in Kibale, which is quicker and far less strenuous than a gorilla trek. Afternoon at the Bigodi wetland for birds and other primates.

10. Kibale to BwindiSouth through Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Ishasha sector, watching for tree-climbing lions, arriving at Bwindi in the evening.

11. Gorilla trekkingBriefing at 07:00, into the forest, one hour with the family. Afternoon at the lodge.

12. Bwindi to Entebbe and departureCharter back to Entebbe and connect onward, with the trek day behind you rather than beneath you.

Accommodation

Nairobi, Amboseli, Masai Mara, Entebbe, Kibale, Bwindi. Twelve days across six locations, named in your written itinerary once availability is confirmed.

Fitness and difficulty

Chimpanzee tracking is considerably easier than gorilla trekking — generally shorter and on flatter ground, though chimps move fast and you may have to keep up. The Bwindi trek is the hard day. Long road sections in Uganda, comfortable but full.

Best time

July to September or late December to February. Kibale and the road sections are both better in the drier months.

Included

• Uganda gorilla permit and chimpanzee tracking permit, booked in your name
• All park and reserve entry fees in both countries
• Accommodation as specified, with meals as noted
• Flights Amboseli-Nairobi-Masai Mara-Nairobi-Entebbe as itinerary
• Charter Bwindi-Entebbe
• Private vehicle with driver-guide throughout road sections

Not included

• International flights
• Visas and entry authorisations
• Travel insurance covering non-refundable elements
• Porters and tips
• Drinks, laundry, personal items