This 12-day Kenya & Uganda journey offers an extraordinary blend of wilderness, culture, and conservation, beginning in the iconic Maasai Mara.
Guests spend five unforgettable days in a private conservancy, far from tourist crowds, with exclusive access to day and night game drives led by experienced Maasai guides. Wildlife sightings are abundant—enhanced by bush breakfasts, cultural exchanges, and peaceful nights under the stars.
In Uganda, the journey shifts to the lush rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for a powerful encounter with endangered mountain gorillas. Beyond trekking, guests engage with local communities through women-led initiatives and a vibrant visit to the Batwa people, the original forest dwellers. The tour concludes in Entebbe, with optional excursions. This itinerary is ideal for travelers who seek unique experiences that go beyond the safari—combining wildlife, tradition, and purpose into a journey worth remembering.
These are the direct websites to applying for your ETA visa in Kenya: etakenya.go.ke and the following is for Uganda immigration.go.ug/services/tourist-visa
Escape to an African Paradise
Day 1 – Arrival in Nairobi, Kenya
Arrive in Nairobi and settle in for your first night in Africa. You’ll receive a warm welcome and a detailed briefing about the journey ahead. Get a good night’s rest—you’ll need it for the wild days to come.
Day 2 – Fly to Maasai Mara Conservancy
Early in the morning, take a scenic domestic flight to the legendary Maasai Mara. Upon arrival, safari vehicles will transport you to your lodge in a private conservancy—one of the most spectacular wildlife areas in Africa. Your adventure begins with an afternoon game drive across golden plains teeming with life.
Days 3–6 – Exclusive Safari in the Maasai Mara
Spend the next four days exploring this pristine wilderness with private and exclusive daytime and nighttime game drives, led by expert Maasai guides.
Wake up to bush breakfasts in the open savanna, dine under the trees with bush lunches, and enjoy evening sundowners as the sky turns gold. Between thrilling wildlife sightings, take part in cultural experiences with the local Maasai community, learning about their customs, daily life, and deep relationship with the land.
Expect close-up encounters with lions, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, and more—without the crowds. At night, guided game drives offer a rare chance to observe nocturnal predator behavior, while the distant roar of lions lulls you to sleep. This is the Maasai Mara as few ever experience it.
Day 7 – Return to Nairobi & Flight to Uganda
After a final morning in the Mara, return to Nairobi for your international flight to Uganda. Upon landing in Entebbe, you’ll be welcomed and transferred to your hotel to unwind and prepare for the next chapter of your journey.
Day 8 – Fly to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Board a morning flight heading straight to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, one of the world’s richest and most mysterious ecosystems in time for lunch at your lodge.
Spend the afternoon engaging with local culture through, women-led social enterprises like Ride 4 a Woman. Choose from a variety of optional activities including: (1) Traditional weaving workshops, (2) Cooking classes with local ingredients, (3) Tailoring and fabric-making, (4) Guided mountain biking through the village, (5) Cultural dance and storytelling sessions and/or (6) Basketry and handicraft workshops.
Your presence contributes directly to women’s empowerment and community resilience.
Day 9 – Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Today marks one of the most powerful and unforgettable experiences of your journey—a once-in-a-lifetime trek to see the endangered mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Your day begins with an early breakfast before heading to the park headquarters, where you’ll receive a ranger briefing about gorilla behavior, trekking protocols, and conservation efforts. The atmosphere is filled with anticipation as you’re welcomed with a cultural performance of traditional dance and song by local community members, setting the tone for a respectful and deeply human encounter with nature.
Accompanied by experienced guides, trackers, and your personal porter, you’ll begin your trek into the dense, mist-covered forest. The hike may take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours, depending on the movement of the gorilla family you’ve been assigned to track. Along the way, you’ll navigate a living, breathing landscape filled with towering trees, tangled vines, and the distant calls of monkeys and exotic birds. Your guide will point out signs of gorilla activity—broken branches, footprints, nests—and share stories about the lives of these incredible primates.
And then, when you least expect it, the moment arrives: you step into a quiet clearing and find yourself face-to-face with a gorilla family in the wild. For a full hour, you’ll stand just meters away, watching as they nurture their young, forage for food, and interact with one another in a way that feels deeply familiar. The eye contact, the expressions, the sheer presence—it’s an emotional, humbling connection that words can hardly capture.
After your descent from the forest, return to your lodge where you can relax, reflect, and enjoy a complimentary massage to soothe your muscles and unwind after the day’s adventure. This isn’t just an activity—it’s a transformative encounter with one of the planet’s most intelligent and gentle species, and a story you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.
Day 10 – Batwa Community Visit & Cultural Activities
One of the most enriching and fun cultural activities in Bwindi is a guided visit to the Batwa community, the forest’s original inhabitants. Known as the “keepers of the forest,” the Batwa people lived for generations within Bwindi’s dense jungle, hunting, gathering, and coexisting with nature in complete harmony.
During this interactive experience, you’ll walk through a recreated forest village guided by Batwa elders and storytellers who share their traditions, survival skills, hunting techniques, herbal medicine knowledge, and spiritual beliefs.
Try your hand at making fire without matches, shooting a traditional bow and arrow, or joining in their vibrant dances and songs—all of which offer a unique glimpse into their ancient way of life.
The visit is not only entertaining and eye-opening, but it also directly supports Batwa-led initiatives aimed at preserving their culture and improving livelihoods in the modern era. It’s an unforgettable cultural highlight that adds depth and joy to your Bwindi experience.
Day 11 – Optional Shoebill Stork Safari or Ngamba Island Visit
Return to Entebbe via a short and scenic flight. You’ll make it in time for an early lunch and choose your final optional activities within Entebbe:
The Mabamba Swamp boat tour is a peaceful yet thrilling 2–3 hour experience just outside of Entebbe, offering one of the best opportunities in Africa to spot the rare and prehistoric-looking Shoebill Stork. Early in the morning, you’ll glide through narrow channels of papyrus and water lilies in a traditional wooden canoe, guided by expert local birders
The swamp is rich with birdlife—African jacanas, malachite kingfishers, pygmy geese, papyrus gonoleks, and more—but the highlight is the Shoebill, a towering, solitary bird known for its massive shoe-shaped bill and slow, deliberate movements. Watching this majestic creature in its natural habitat is a surreal and unforgettable encounter, making the Mabamba tour a favorite final adventure for nature lovers visiting Uganda.
A day visit to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary offers an unforgettable wildlife experience just a short 45-minute boat ride from Entebbe, complete with a scenic crossing of the equator on Lake Victoria. Upon arrival, guests are welcomed to the lush island habitat where they can observe the rescued chimpanzees during their feeding sessions, tossing fruits and vegetables from a raised viewing platform while learning about the individual stories and behaviors of each chimp.
Day 12 – Departure from Entebbe
Depending on your flight time, enjoy a peaceful morning by the lakeshore or schedule a final visit to local markets or gift/artisan shops in Entebbe. Transfer to the airport for your departure.
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