8 Days Uganda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari

The 8 days Uganda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari takes you to the best ultimate African safari destination that offers in terms of wildlife species. During your safari expect to have a great opportunity to see the most Africa’s famous creatures; the mountain gorillas, lions, leopards, elephants, Rhino and buffaloes. Uganda is renown as home to half of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas which are found in two national parks; Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Uganda is also best place in the world to see chimpanzees in the world since it harbors more than 5,000 individuals.

One things about Uganda in comparison to Kenya is the stunning scenery and landscape.  Uganda is relatively greener and with greater biodiversity. Whereas Kenya is not a primate’s destination, though one of the three best place to go for a safari in Africa. Kenya boasts with Maasai Mara National Reserve has one of the most famous wildlife conservation sites in the world. However, Maasai Mara ranks the seventh wonder of the world and is the fourth most visited national park in the world and it is the leading tourist attraction in Kenya home to diversity of mammals including buffaloes, crocodiles, giraffes, hippo’s hyenas, jackals, leopards, lions, rhino, wild dogs, wildebeests, zebras among others. Most travelers planning a visit on safari holiday Kenya destination think of the Maasai Mara National Reserve and it’s the first thing that comes to mind and this is all because of the great wildebeest migration. During this migration, the herbivores are tailed by predators such as wild dogs, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, jackals and vultures from Tanzania Serengeti National Park to the Masai Mara and back. More so, this annual migration wildlife event attracts over 100,000 tourists to Kenya and Tanzania during the months of July all the way to October.

This 8 days Uganda and Kenya safari includes activities like Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park renown as the primate’s capital of the world, note Kibale forest is the best place to track wild chimpanzees in Africa. While tracking the chimpanzees, visitors also get a chance to spot over other 11 small primates including red-tailed monkeys, Colobus monkeys, baboons and Vervet monkeys. And by the end of this 8 days Uganda and Kenya Safari, you would have had great encounters with Africa’s wildlife, people and city tour visit of Kampala Uganda and Jinja town known as an industrial place and great place where the source of the mighty river Nile is located. If you prefer to visit gorillas in Rwanda with a visit to Maasai Mara in Kenya, you can visit our website for this tour package. We also have a fabulous 3 days Maasai Maraa Safari or 3 Days Serengeti Wildlife Safari for those who wish to see only the big five mammals of Africa or experience a great view of wildebeest migration.

Safari Highlight of 8 Days Uganda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari

Day 1: Transfer from Entebbe to Kibale National Park-Visit the Bigondi swamp

Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park & Transfer to Bwindi

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi –Visit the Batwa pygmies

Day 4: Transfer back to Kampala –Evening city tour

Day 5: White water Rafting in Jinja and Visiting the Source of the Nile-Departure to Nairobi

Day 6: Transfer from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara National Reserve-Afternoon game drive

Day 7: Full day game drives in different areas of the Masai Mara game reserve

Day 8: Visit the Masai villages –Return back to Nairobi for departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park-Visit the Bigodi Swamp and Crater Lakes

Depending on your point of location, our professional safari driver guide will pick you up to start the journey to Kibale National Park. You drive passing through beautiful Ugandan countryside and watch peasants in their gardens, market along the roadside and changing landscape with lunch en route in the beautiful town of Fort portal. After proceed to the park and upon your arrival you will check in.

Later on after resting for a while, you will go and visit the Bigodi swamp and Crater lakes. The Bigodi swamp is one of the top birding site in Uganda. It is also home for smaller primates and antelopes like the Sitatunga. You will hike to crater lakes which is an amazing natural creation that resulted from the formation of the East African Rift Valley. The nature is done under the supervision of a guide who leads to discover these amazing places. Have dinner and overnight stay

Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale –Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Wake up early have breakfast. Before you go for activity you should ask your hotel to provide you with light snacks to take with you for the experience in case you get hungry. The Guide will come for you to drive you to the park head offices for briefing. Kibale National Park hosts a population of over 1,500 chimpanzees, it is the best place to see or track wild chimpanzees in the world. The chances of seeing the rare chimpanzees in Kibale Forest is almost 100 percent. While ate the meeting Centre you will find guides who will take you through the briefing notes and advice you on how to act around the chimps.

Chimpanzees behave very differently from great mountain gorillas. For them are more active, stubborn and vocal. They live in larger groups and their fidelity to the dominant alpha male is not as firm as it is in the case of mountain gorillas. Chimps also prefers staying on top of trees for longer periods and they feed meat unlike the mountain gorillas that are vegetarians.  You will also watch that individual chimps have more distinct characters than it is with mountain gorillas. You will be given one hour with the primates to learn about their behaviors. Take this time to watch the group closely, notice more about the group dynamics, adult grooming, feeding and playing many more. After chimp’s track experience, you will hike back to the center and our guide will pick you up and drives you back to the lodge for lunch before starting the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Have dinner and overnight.

Meal plans: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi-Visit the Batwa pygmies

After an early morning breakfast, wait for the guide to drive you to the park office for briefing. We recommend visitors to request the hotel chef to prepare for you packed snacks just in case you get hungry while trekking the gorillas. The briefing is led by the park guides who will share information about Mountain gorillas, and conservation. The park guides will let you know about the rules for gorilla tracking and what to pack along with you during the trek.  After briefing, the park guide will group you into 8 persons to each gorilla family assigned to. You will be led by the ranger to track through thick forest, valleys and hills.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes between 30 to 6 hours on average. While trekking, you will be able to encounter other forest creatures including small primates, birds, butterflies and rare plants. Note, gorilla family is led by dominant silverback who keeps the group members in check. One hour is allowed to observe their behaviors and taking of enough photos. You will realize that mountain gorilla behave just like we humans.

After viewing the gorillas in their nature habitant, you will be led back to the pack offices to get your certificate of completion. Then guide will take you back to the hotel for lunch and refreshments.

In the evening, the driver guide will lead you to visit the Batwa pygmies. The Batwa pygmies lived in the forest of Bwindi for thousands of years before they were evicted for better management of the park. You will enjoy their historic life on how they lived as forest gathers and hunter with no knowledge about how to survive in a competitive world. After their eviction, they had to learn how to face challenges of the world. Some see their eviction from the forest without compensation as one of the negative effects of wildlife conservation. More so, the Batwa have failed to adapt to a competitive world because the time they had in forest did not give them time to learn farming or business. Dinner and overnight stay.

Meal Plan; Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Transfer back to Kampala –Igongo cultural Centre- Equator crossing –City Tour in the Evening

You will wake up at your leisure and wait for the Guide to set off back to Kampala. You will drive using different routes back to Kampala. The easiest route goes to Kabale and Kisoro. The scenery is reward with beautiful forests, highlands and village drive. You will have lunch in the Mbarara ‘’Igongo Cultural Centre’’ or at Equator crossing in Kayabwe in Masaka districts.  Have an amazing stopover at the Equator where you will be offered an opportunity to take photos at a point where the earths northern hemispheres and southern hemispheres meet.

You will be dropped to your hotel in Kampala for relaxation ,shower and refreshment. Later on, the guide will take you for an evening tour of Kampala city tour where you will be able to view of the few landmarks. Dinner and Overnight stay.

Meal Plan; Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 5: Whitewater rafting in Jinja –Visiting the Source of the Nile –Transfer to Nairobi.

Wake up have morning breakfast served at the hotel before beginning the journey to Jinja. Jinja is   a famous place that boast some of the ultimate adrenalize raising activities in Africa. More so it is also a thrilling place for relaxation after along tour of Uganda. While in Jinja, you will drive back to town tour and visit to the source of the Nile. Then after visiting the source of the Nile, you will go for whitewater rafting in Jinja. After completing all your activities in Jinja, the driver will drive you back to Entebbe so that you are in time to catch your flight to Nairobi. Dinner and Overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Transfer from Nairobi to Masai Mara National Reserve –Afternoon Game drive

On the 6th day of your 8 Days Uganda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari, After an early morning breakfast, you will set off the journey from Nairobi to the western part of Kenya. You will arrive at the Maasai Mara National Reserve check in to your hotel, have lunch and rest as you prepare for evening game drive. Maasai Mara National Reserve is Kenya’s most visited wildlife reserve and home to all the big5 mammals of Africa as well as dik dik, wildebeest, hartebeest, Masai giraffe and the Thompson’s gazelle many more other species. The game drive ends at sunset after drive back to the lodge for rest. Have dinner and overnight.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day7: Full day of Balloon Safari in the Mara –Game Drive –Exploring the Maasai Mara National Reserve

After an early morning breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from your lodge to take you deep into the reserve. The Maasai Mara is relatively well organized game with good road networks which allow for close viewing of animals and rewardable photography. On this day, you will start with morning game and then engage over the remarkable savannah on a hot air balloon. You will be able to have an aerial view of all of the big five mammals like lions, leopards ‘’can be spotted if you are lucky’’, Rhino, elephants and buffaloes.  You will also be able to spot other animal species like foxes, Jackals, Zebras, Impala, hyenas and cheetah has many more other fabulous creatures. During the middle of the day, you will enjoy picnic lunch at the hippo pool while watching crocodiles and hippos many more.

Day 8: Visit the Maasai Villages – Transfer back to Nairobi

On your last day 8 Uganda and Kenya Safari, wake up at your leisure and take breakfast as you prepare to check out the hotel. The driver will drive you to visit the Maasai warriors and nomadic herdsmen. The Masai are one of Africa’s most exciting tribes. The Masai people ‘’warriors’’ live within and outside the reserve taking care of their domestic animals for survival. On your visit to the Maasai, you will learn about their cultural heritage from the elders and you will learn why they are so important to the tribe. After your time encounter with the Maasai people, you will drive back to Nairobi Capital of Kenya to be dropped at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or at your hotel.

End 8 Day Uganda Gorilla Tour and Maasai Mara Safari

Tour costs includes;

Gorilla trekking permits $700pp

Chimpanzee permits $200

Park entrance fees

Cultural visits to the Batwa and Masai people

Accommodation with meals

Transport in an open roof car for wildlife viewing

An experienced and English speaking driver-guide

Water and lunch while traveling on safari

Domestic flight from Uganda to Kigali

Airport transfers

Tour excludes;

Visas and international flight before and after the tour

Expenses that are considered personal in nature like laundry, beverages, souvenirs and telephones

Tips to the driver, guides, wardens, rangers and hotel staff

Travel and Medical insurance