8-day Masai Mara and Bwindi gorilla safari
Our most-booked shape. The 7-day itinerary plus the one extra day that changes it most — a recovery day after the trek instead of flying out the same afternoon.
Overview
The single most common regret we hear about short gorilla itineraries is flying out on the afternoon of the trek. You come out of the forest tired, elated and muddy, and then you are in a vehicle to an airstrip.
This itinerary adds one day, and spends it at Lake Bunyonyi — a deep, quiet lake about an hour from the southern Bwindi sectors. It also gives you the option of a second gorilla trek instead, which most travellers who do it say was the better of the two.
Highlights
- Three nights in the Masai Mara, with river crossings in season
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi, with the option of a second trek
- A recovery day at Lake Bunyonyi rather than a same-day departure
- Long legs flown throughout
Day by day
Arrive NairobiMet at the airport and transferred to your hotel.
Nairobi to the Masai MaraLight aircraft from Wilson Airport, about 45 minutes, then an afternoon game drive en route to camp.
Masai MaraFull day of game drives. In migration season the day is built around the Mara River.
Masai MaraA second full day, with the option of a conservancy for walking or a night drive.
Mara to Nairobi to Entebbe to BwindiMorning flight to Nairobi, scheduled service to Entebbe, then the charter to Kisoro and a road transfer to your lodge in the southern sectors.
Gorilla trekkingBriefing at 07:00, then into the forest. One hour with the family. Back at the lodge by mid-afternoon with the evening free.
Lake Bunyonyi, or a second trekEither transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for a day on the water, or take a second gorilla permit and trek again with a different family. We will discuss which suits you when we quote.
Return to Entebbe and departureCharter back to Entebbe and connect onward.
The second trek option
A second permit costs another USD 800, or USD 600 in the discounted months. Travellers who do two treks almost always report the second as better — the first is spent absorbing the shock of the encounter, and the second is when you actually watch. If the budget stretches, it is the best value extra on this trip.
Accommodation
Three nights Masai Mara, two nights Bwindi, one night Lake Bunyonyi. Properties are named in your written itinerary once dates are confirmed and availability checked.
Fitness and difficulty
Bwindi treks run from thirty minutes to eight hours on steep, often muddy ground. Hire a porter at the trailhead. Minimum age fifteen, enforced at the gate.
Best time
July to September for the Mara crossings and drier forest. Late December to February as the alternative. November if you want Uganda's USD 600 permit rate without writing off the Kenyan half.
Included
- Uganda gorilla permit, booked in your name
- All park and reserve entry fees
- Accommodation as specified, with meals as noted
- Light aircraft Nairobi-Masai Mara-Nairobi
- Scheduled flight Nairobi-Entebbe
- Charter Entebbe-Kisoro-Entebbe
- Private vehicle with driver-guide for road sections
- All transfers
Not included
- International flights
- Visas and entry authorisations
- Travel insurance covering non-refundable elements
- Second gorilla permit, if taken
- Porters and tips
- Drinks, laundry, personal items
This page needs expansion before launch
Per-person price and named accommodation to be added once verified. Owned photography needed, particularly Lake Bunyonyi.
Plan your Kenya and gorilla safari
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and how long you have. We will send a written itinerary and a quotation.