Uganda Gorillas & Masai Mara: 18 Day Tour (Accommodated)

Day 1. Nairobi to Lake Nakuru National Park Highlights. Great Rift Valley. Lake Nakuru, Kenya. Accommodation. Punda Millias.

We leave Nairobi early this morning and descend into the Great Rift Valley as we make our way to Lake Nakuru. Situated on the valley floor, Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Africa's smaller National Parks, but don't be fooled by its size - this park is a haven for wildlife despite its size!

The rich nutrient lake offers a feeding ground for over 2 million flamingo's that flock here annually. Nakuru is also home to a variety of other birds and wildlife - including buffalo, black & white rhino, lion, leopard, antelope, warthog, baboon and more. We enjoy an afternoon game drive seeking out these animals in their lovely natural surroundings.

3 images Great Rift Valley

3 images Lake Nakuru, Kenya

8 images Punda Millias

Day 2. Lake Nakuru to Eldoret Highlights. Equator. Accommodation. Naiberi Camp.

We travel northwest onto the higher lying plateau and tea country, crossing from the Southern- to the Northern Hemisphere at the equator and en-route to the town of Eldoret.

Eldoret is the 5th largest town in Kenya with an approximate population of 194,000 people living here.

3 images Equator

6 images Naiberi Camp

Day 3. Eldoret to Kampala, Uganda Highlights. Kampala, Uganda. Accommodation. Red Chilli Hideaway, Kampala.

Today we make the crossing from Kenya to Uganda and experience our first bustling African border. From here we hit the road again and head to Uganda's busy capital city - Kampala.

Sprawling across five hills, Kampala is the commercial hub of Uganda and is home to a population of just over 1.5 million people. We head to our camp on the outskirts of the city where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

3 images Kampala, Uganda

7 images Red Chilli Hideaway, Kampala

Day 4. Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park Accommodation. Simba Camp, Uganda.

Leaving Kampala early, we travel west through the Ugandan countryside and villages to the Queen Elizabeth National Park. We again cross the Equator, and head through fertile green terraced tea plantations, tangled forests, steep mountains and villages. Our accommodation for the evening is set in a tranquil setting just outside the park. Relax with a good book or, if time allows, take one of the many optional activities on offer.

4 images Simba Camp, Uganda

Day 5. Queen Elizabeth National Park Highlights. Chimpanzee Trek, Kyambura Gorge, Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Accommodation. Simba Camp, Uganda.

Today we enter the Queen Elizabeth National Park and enjoy the picturesque views of the mountains and the wonderful wildlife. This magnificent park hosts over 500 bird-species, over 100 mammal species and if we are lucky, we may get to spot these en-route to Kyambura Gorge for the chimpanzee trek.

Chimp trekking permits are issued by the wildlife authority in groups of up to 8 people at a time, per group. Depending on our group size, this means that we may trek on the afternoon of day 4, the morning and afternoon of day 5 and possibly the morning of day 6.

3 images Chimpanzee Trek, Kyambura Gorge, Uganda

3 images Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

4 images Simba Camp, Uganda

Day 6. Queen Elizabeth National Park to Lake Bunyoni Highlights. Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda. Accommodation. Lake Bunyonyi Camp.

Leaving Queen Elizabeth National Park, we journey to Lake Bunyonyi 'Place of many little birds'. This breathtaking lake is 27km long and 7km wide with a depth of nearly 900m in places - making it the second deepest lake in Africa.

Twenty-nine islands are dispersed throughout the lake and can be visited by local boats. A great place to unwind, relax and explore on the days that we're not on our trek to see the mountain gorillas.

3 images Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda

5 images Lake Bunyonyi Camp

Day 7-8. Lake Bunyoni - Gorilla Trek Highlights. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda. Mountain gorillas. Accommodation. Lake Bunyonyi Camp.

Lake Bunyoni is our base for trekking the mountain gorillas that inhabit the surrounding forested Bwindi and Magahinga National Parks.

Your permit allows you one trek and gorilla viewing (time limited to one hour). However because the authorities maintain strict limits on the number of visitors allowed to view the gorillas each day; we may spend several days in the area while all passengers in our group complete the trek and viewing.

If not trekking, today is free to explore the surrounding area, discover the nearby islands by boat, or relax back at camp catching up on some well deserved rest and relaxation.

3 images Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

3 images Mountain gorillas

5 images Lake Bunyonyi Camp

Day 9. Lake Bunyonyi to Kampala Accommodation. Red Chilli Hideaway, Kampala.

From Lake Bunyonyi we make our way back across the Equator to Kampala - passing the northern reaches of Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake). Once settled in and time permitting, explore the city's nightlife and the local cuisines.

7 images Red Chilli Hideaway, Kampala

Day 10. Kampala to Jinja Accommodation. Nile River Explorer.

This morning we leave Kampala and travel a short distance to the small town of Jinja on the banks of Lake Victoria and the Nile.

Our accommodation for the next few days is situated on the grassy banks overlooking the Nile River. At a 4132mile course, the Nile begins in Uganda and flows through Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.

7 images Nile River Explorer

Day 11-12. Jinja Highlights. Jinja, Uganda. Accommodation. Nile River Explorer.

The next two days are yours to enjoy at your leisure.

Explore the town of Jinja, relax on the river's edge or enjoy some of the many optional activities this magnificent area has to offer.

You could tackle the rapids white water rafting, take a leap of faith over the Nile bungy jumping, head off-road quad biking, or even volunteer at a community school project.

3 images Jinja, Uganda

7 images Nile River Explorer

Day 13. Jinja to Eldoret, Kenya Accommodation. Naiberi Camp.

Today we leave Uganda, retracing our steps across the border to Kenya and on to the town of Eldoret.

Our accommodation for the evening is located outside of Eldoret - in a tranquil setting. The lodge's iconic cave restaurant offers great entertainment and a central fire pit for those cold winter days.

6 images Naiberi Camp

Day 14. Eldoret to Nairobi Accommodation. Wildebeest Eco Camp, Nairobi.

Crossing the equator back to the southern hemisphere, we make our way to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi - where we spend the the night - why not head out to explore the local nightlife!

4 images Wildebeest Eco Camp, Nairobi

Day 15. Nairobi Highlights. Nairobi. Accommodation. Wildebeest Eco Camp, Nairobi.

Today is a free day allowing you to explore the city's local optional excursions. Visit the Nairobi National Park, National Museum of Kenya, Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Centre, enjoy the local cafe culture, restaurants, markets and shops, or just some 'down-time'.

3 images Nairobi

4 images Wildebeest Eco Camp, Nairobi

Day 16. Nairobi to Maasai Mara Accommodation. Enchoro Wildlife Camp, Masai Mara.

We set off early this morning in specialised safari vehicles across the Great Rift Valley to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. We spend two nights in a tented camp on the edge of the reserve with time to explore the parks on morning and afternoon game drives in search of the 'Big5' - elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard and lion.

Famous for the annual migration, the Maasai Mara offers a wildlife spectacle where 2 million wildebeest and zebras cross the 'Mara' (around July to October) to greener pastures.

3 images Enchoro Wildlife Camp, Masai Mara

Day 17. Maasai Mara National Reserve Highlights. Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Accommodation. Enchoro Wildlife Camp, Masai Mara.

Today we have a full day of game driving around this reserve. We keep our eyes peeled for the 'big 5' - buffalo, leopard, elephant, lion and rhino, that all call the reserve home.

The landscape offers rolling hills, open savanna and we spend the day seeking out the wildlife that inhabits the reserve. During the migration there are vast herds of wildebeest, gazelle and zebra clustered around the reserve. Outside of the migration, there is still much to see including the resident herds, the big cats, elephant, giraffe and more.

3 images Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

3 images Enchoro Wildlife Camp, Masai Mara

Day 18. Maasai Mara Nairobi

We bid farewell to this wildlife wonderland and slowly make our way back over the dirt-track-roads to Nairobi where our tour ends upon arrival in the city.