Tour Overview
Experience four remarkable East African countries on this 10 Days Uganda Rwanda Gorilla Trekking, Maasai Mara & Serengeti Safari with Tavira Africa Safaris. The journey combines two unforgettable gorilla trekking experiences with the classic savannah wildlife of Kenya and Tanzania.
Your safari begins in Uganda with a scenic journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, where you trek through ancient rainforest in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family. You then cross into Rwanda and continue to Volcanoes National Park for a second gorilla encounter among the dramatic Virunga highlands.
From Kigali, fly to Nairobi and continue into Kenya’s Maasai Mara, one of East Africa’s most famous wildlife landscapes. Travelers can explore more regional options through Tavira’s Kenya safaris collection.
The final section crosses into Tanzania through Isebania and continues into Serengeti National Park. Tavira’s Tanzania safaris combine the Serengeti with other classic northern-circuit destinations for travelers wishing to extend the journey.
Migration note: The Great Migration is a natural year-round movement through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Exact herd locations and river crossings depend on rainfall, grazing conditions and wildlife movement, so no specific crossing can be guaranteed for a particular date.
Cost Includes
- Uganda Gorilla Trekking Permit
- Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Permit
- National Park and Reserve Entrance Fees
- Safari Accommodation for 9 Nights
- Meals stated in the itinerary
- Professional English-speaking Driver / Guides
- Safari Transportation in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania
- Game Drives stated in the itinerary
- Cross-border Transfers stated in the itinerary
- Kigali to Nairobi Regional Flight as quoted
- Airport and Hotel Transfers stated in the itinerary
- Drinking Water during safari drives
Cost Excludes
- International Airfare
- Visa and Immigration Fees
- Travel and Medical Insurance
- Optional Activities not listed as included
- Tips and Gratuities
- Alcoholic and Premium Beverages
- Laundry and Personal Expenses
- Any service not specifically listed as included
Tour Plan
Your safari begins when a professional Tavira Africa Safaris driver-guide meets you at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. After a safari briefing, begin the scenic drive toward southwestern Uganda and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The journey takes you through central Uganda and into the rolling landscapes of the southwest. Depending on the day’s route, you may stop around the Equator for photographs and continue with suitable refreshment and lunch stops along the way.
As you approach Bwindi, the scenery becomes increasingly mountainous and green, with terraced hills, small communities and forested ridges. Arrive at your selected lodge, check in and relax before the following day’s gorilla trek.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to the appropriate Bwindi trekking sector for registration and a ranger briefing. Depending on the confirmed permit, your trek may begin from Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga or Nkuringo.
Enter the rainforest with an experienced guide and trackers. The walk may range from moderate to physically demanding depending on the location of the assigned gorilla family. Once the gorillas are located, enjoy the regulated viewing period observing their behavior, family relationships and interactions.
Mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda.
After the trek, return for lunch and some time to relax. Later, you may take part in a guided Batwa community experience where local hosts share aspects of traditional forest knowledge, songs, dances and historic ways of life.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, leave Bwindi and travel toward the Uganda-Rwanda border. Your Tavira Africa Safaris guide will assist with the cross-border travel process before continuing through Rwanda’s beautiful highland countryside toward the Volcanoes National Park region.
The route reveals cultivated hills, small towns and increasingly dramatic views of the Virunga volcanoes as you approach Musanze.
Check in at your selected lodge and enjoy a relaxed afternoon or evening. This slower period gives you time to prepare trekking gear and rest before your second gorilla experience.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge near Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to Volcanoes National Park headquarters for registration and a detailed ranger briefing. Continue to the assigned trailhead and begin trekking into the forested slopes of the Virunga volcanoes.
Trained guides and trackers lead the trek to your assigned habituated mountain gorilla family. Once located, enjoy the regulated observation period watching the gorillas feed, rest, play and interact in their natural habitat.
Mountain gorilla in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda.
Return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. Later, visit the Gorilla Guardians cultural village for an introduction to local traditions, performances, crafts and community-based conservation initiatives.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge near Volcanoes National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, leave the Volcanoes region and travel south toward Kigali. Depending on the confirmed flight schedule, you may include a short Kigali city experience before heading to Kigali International Airport.
Continue to the airport for your regional flight to Nairobi. On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, meet your Tavira Africa Safaris Kenya representative and transfer to your selected Nairobi hotel.
The evening is kept relaxed so you can rest before driving into the Maasai Mara the following day.
Accommodation: Selected Hotel in Nairobi
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch; Dinner according to hotel arrangement
After breakfast, meet your Kenya safari driver-guide and begin the journey from Nairobi toward the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Travel through the Great Rift Valley region and continue into Narok County as the landscape opens into the grasslands of the greater Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.
Arrive at your selected lodge or tented camp and enjoy lunch before setting out for an afternoon game drive. Search for lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes and wildebeest, with cheetahs and leopards also possible.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge or Tented Camp in the Maasai Mara area
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Spend a full day exploring the Maasai Mara with your professional safari guide. The reserve is famous for large concentrations of wildlife and provides opportunities to search for the Big Five as well as cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, hippos and numerous antelope species.
During the seasonal Great Migration period, your guide will use current wildlife information to locate concentrations of wildebeest and zebra. When conditions are suitable, the safari may focus on areas around the Mara River, where dramatic crossings sometimes take place.
Great Migration in the Maasai Mara, Kenya.
Depending on the day’s plan, enjoy a picnic or bush-style lunch before continuing with afternoon wildlife viewing. Later, you may visit a Maasai community to learn about traditional homesteads, livestock culture, beadwork, songs and dances.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge or Tented Camp in the Maasai Mara area
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
After breakfast, leave the Maasai Mara and travel toward the Kenya-Tanzania border at Isebania. This is a substantial cross-border travel day, but it allows the safari to connect two of Africa’s most famous wildlife regions by road.
Complete immigration formalities at the border and continue into Tanzania with the appropriate safari arrangements. The scenery changes as you enter the northern reaches of the Serengeti ecosystem and continue toward your accommodation.
Depending on road conditions, border procedures and the location of your lodge or camp, there may be opportunities for wildlife viewing as you travel through the Serengeti landscape.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge or Tented Camp in or near Serengeti National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Dedicate the day to exploring Serengeti National Park. Your guide will plan the game-drive route according to the season, wildlife reports and the location of your accommodation.
The Serengeti’s vast plains support lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, hyenas and many other species.
Male lion in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
When the migrating herds are within accessible sections of the park, part of the day can focus on the Great Migration. Depending on the month, wildlife may be concentrated in different areas of the wider ecosystem.
Wildebeest migration in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
Enjoy lunch according to the day’s safari arrangement and continue wildlife viewing through the afternoon before returning to your lodge or camp.
Accommodation: Selected Lodge or Tented Camp in or near Serengeti National Park
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge or camp before beginning the final journey toward Arusha. Depending on your routing, accommodation location and onward arrangements, you may enjoy additional wildlife viewing while leaving the Serengeti.
The transfer gives you a final opportunity to appreciate Tanzania’s changing landscapes after an extraordinary journey linking mountain gorilla forests with the savannahs of Kenya and Tanzania.
Upon arrival in Arusha, Tavira Africa Safaris will transfer you to your hotel or arrange the appropriate connection for your onward travel. You may also extend the safari to Ngorongoro, Tarangire, Zanzibar or another East African destination.
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch, depending on onward arrangements
End of Safari.
Note: Gorilla permits, accommodation, regional flights, border procedures and exact activity order are subject to availability. Migration herd locations and river crossings are natural and cannot be guaranteed.