Start this 9-Day Bwindi Gorillas, Maasai Mara & Serengeti Safari Adventure with an adventurous gorilla trek in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, classic game viewing in Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Parks.
The 9-Day Bwindi Gorillas, Maasai Mara & Serengeti Safari Adventure also takes you to some of the best game reserves on earth – Masai Mara and Serengeti National Reserves in Kenya and Tanzania, respectively.
The Savannah plains of Masai Mara and Serengeti are home to plentiful wildlife, including the Big Five mammals of Africa.
The game reserves are remarkable spots for viewing the Great Migration, romantic landscapes, and the dynamic big cats.
9-Day Uganda Tanzania Kenya Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
- Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park & Late Afternoon Boat Ride
- Day 3: Morning Game Drive & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 4: Morning Game Drive & Transfer to Bwindi
- Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi & Transfer to Kigali for Flight to JRO
- Day 6: Transfer to Serengeti National Park & Sunset Game Drive
- Day 7: Full Day Game Drive in Serengeti
- Day 8: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve & Evening Game Drive
- Day 9: Morning Game Drive & Transfer to Nairobi
Detailed 9-Day Uganda Tanzania Kenya Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali
A representative of our company will be at Kigali International Airport, ready to pick you up from your flight. Refresh with a cup of coffee and visit some of Kigali city’s sites, depending on your arrival time. You may visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial Monument, craft markets, or just head to a shopping mall for shopping. Or just take a stroll around the city.
Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park & Late Afternoon Boat Ride
Wake up in the morning and prepare for a long trip ahead. The guide will be ready to pick you up and embark on a 5-hour journey to Uganda’s smallest savannah park – Lake Mburo National Park.
The transfer will be interrupted by an en route visit to the Equator for a cup of coffee. Continue further southwest to Lake Mburo NP, check in at your lodge, have lunch, and immediately head for a late afternoon boat trip along Lake Mburo.
The boat provides opportunities to explore numerous water animals, including hippos, crocodiles, and different bird species like the Fish Eagle and shoebill stork (seen only occasionally).
Return to the lodge in the evening for a relaxed dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Morning Game Drive & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After an early breakfast, return to the park to explore more of its beauty on a sunrise game drive. Lake Mburo National Park is a sanctuary for the pleasant Burchell’s zebras, Uganda kobs, and huge herds of buffaloes, elands, topis, bushbucks, and impalas.
The game drive lasts for about 2-3 hours, after which you’ll drive out of the park and continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most famous and second-largest protected area after Murchison Falls National Park. It is located in western Uganda, near the border with D.R. Congo, and sits comfortably on the foothills of Mount Rwenzori.
Arrive at your lodge in the early afternoon, check in, and immediately continue to Mweya jetty to catch the Kazinga channel boat cruise.
The boat trip begins at 4 pm and reveals the park’s unique resident birds, mammals, and reptiles. Retreat back to the lodge for a relaxed evening, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 4: Morning Game Drive & Transfer to Bwindi
Wake up to an early breakfast and embark on a game drive within the plain Savannahs of Queen Elizabeth National Park. During this morning game drive, traverse the Kasenyi areas which are the renowned mating grounds for antelopes and other big mammals.
Here expect to spot a good percentage of resident mammals, including elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, impalas, and big cats like lions, leopards, and so much more.
Proceed on your journey to the south of the park and drive through the Ishasha sector – a renowned spot for viewing the rare tree-climbing lions. Undertake a simple game drive here and continue to the Rushaga sector in the east of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi & Transfer to Kigali for Flight to JRO
Wake up with great excitement for the gorilla trek experience! Breakfast at 6:30 am, leave the lodge and transfer to Ruhija park headquarters for a simple pre-trek briefing.
By 8:00 am, the trek begins, passing through the rugged terrain of Bwindi, across the boggy jungles and unclear trails. To some, gorilla trekking is an interesting adventure while to others it’s quite challenging; all depending on the participant’s level of physical fitness.
Continue the trek through dense (though sometimes slippery) jungles, steep slopes, entwined vines, and bushes until you eventually arrive at your allocated mountain gorilla family.
This experience is highly unpredictable but can take between 1 to 7 hours! You are only permitted to be amidst the gorillas for a maximum of one hour while observing them as they feed, play together, and go about their daily routine.
Coming face-to-face with these gentle giants of the forest is candidly a sensational and memorable experience.
Retreat to the starting point, eat your box lunch, check out of Bwindi National Park, and set off to Kigali city via the Katuna border in the southwest of Uganda after Kabale town.
Check in at the border and continue into Rwanda while traversing through the most beautiful regions of the country often referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Africa.’
You will view the sweeping countryside, marked with great views over the Virunga ranges, rolling landscapes, and sweeping valleys. Arrive in Kigali later in the evening, check in at the airport, and catch a connecting regional flight to Arusha or Kilimanjaro airports in Tanzania. Overnight stay in Arusha town.
Day 6: Transfer to Serengeti National Park & Sunset Game Drive
Wake up to a beautiful sunrise in Arusha, have a delicious breakfast, and soon hit the road to begin a 5-hour journey to Serengeti National Park. With a picnic lunch, the safari driver will choose the best possible route based on the weather, season, and the kind of animals you’d like to spot because the opportunities for sighting Serengeti’s diverse wildlife along the way are endless.
Arrive at the lodge in Serengeti National Park, check in, and get ready for evening magic! As the sun sets over the Serengeti horizon, you get on your jeep to be mesmerized by Tanzania’s best national reserve.
The evening game safari presents endless chances to see predators in action as they take advantage of the setting sun and cooler temperatures to pounce on a retreating antelope for an early dinner.
It’s a perfect time to spot lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas in action, as well as other herbivores retreating in huge herds back to their kraals for the night. Another option would be to take to the skies with a luxurious hot air balloon safari that offers 360-degree views of the Serengeti’s sweeping plains. As night sets in, retire back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 7: Full Day Game Drive in Serengeti
Wake up to a lovely sunrise and a hearty breakfast, ready to take on the day with vigor and anticipation. On today’s menu is a fantastic full day of epic game viewing in Africa’s most scenic plains. Serengeti itself means “vast plains,” and so it is here in Tanzania’s most undisturbed ecosystem. The reserve harbors an incredible concentration of wildlife, sweeping valleys, seasonal rivers, amazing birdlife, culture, and towering hills.
During this full-day game drive, among other activities you can do include a morning luxurious balloon safari with bush breakfast, huge herds of elephants synonymous with the Serengeti, buffaloes, and big cats. Retire from the park late in the evening, and drive at leisure back to the lodge for dinner and a stunning campfire as you gaze at the African skies.
Day 8: Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve & Evening Game Drive
After breakfast, depart to Masai Mara National Park, driving for about 5 hours. Maasai Mara National Reserve is an extension of Serengeti into Kenya and presents just the same kind of views as the Serengeti. Cross via the Isebania border, clear immigration procedures, and proceed with your safari to the other side of Kenya.
Do not miss epic game viewing along the way to the Masai Mara, as it is Kenya’s most populated wildlife park. Arrive at the lodge for early check-in, and if there’s time, you can do a short evening game drive to discover the park’s permanent wildlife residents, bird life, lush vegetation, and rolling hills.
Day 9: Morning Game Drive & Transfer to Nairobi
Rise before dawn for a once-in-a-lifetime moment and wildlife extravaganza within the Masai Mara game reserve. After a quick cup of coffee or cappuccino, you’ll set out into this wildlife-filled reserve to watch the sun rise over the Mara River, attracting thousands of game to graze on the shores.
Another option would be to take to the skies with a luxurious hot air balloon safari with a champagne breakfast, offering 360-degree views of the Mara’s sweeping plains. Watch all the action from the skies and land on a popular spot where the carnivores lie waiting to pounce on their unsuspecting prey. Watch all this action happening right before you!
You’ll then return to your lodge for an early lunch, check out, and begin your journey to Nairobi – Kenya’s capital. The guide will drop you off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to catch your outbound flight.
This marks the end of your 9-Day Bwindi Gorillas, Maasai Mara & Serengeti Safari Adventure.
