Ultimate 16 days' Gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari
Gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari overview
16 days gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari starting from Uganda to Kenya or vice versa is a multi-nation safari that grants you a full Africa’s big 5 experience and wildlife tour coupled with with the last great apes on the planet for example mountain gorillas, chimpanzees. Various activities on these Africa safaris for example game drives, chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking, birding, photography, lakes and rivers among others will notably spice up your wildlife adventure.
Arrival & departure: Kigali/Entebbe – Nairobi
- Day 1- arrive, travel to Bwindi
- Day 2- gorilla trekking and Batwa community
- Day 3-4- Queen Elizabeth N.P wilderness
- Day 5- Kibale forest chimpanzee tracking
- Day 6-7- Murchison falls N.P
- Day 8- Kampala city tour and night life
- Day 9-10- source of the River Nile
- Day 11- transfer to Nakuru
- Day 12- l. Nakuru, Ol Pejeta
- Day 13- Nairobi np, city tour
- Day 14-16- masai mara to departure
What to see on a Kenya- Uganda gorilla trekking, river Nile & Masai Mara safari
Starting from Uganda to Kenya or vise versa on a gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari is indeed one of the most amazing travel style tours for seeing the numerous wild animals in the savannah grasslands and tropical forests in Africa. On this multi-nation safari, you will see several unique game and features that will include;-
- Mountain gorillas- A type of eastern gorillas and cousins to the eastern lowland gorillas only found in the Virunga massif & Bwindi impenetrable forest which has the highest number of mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas have more hair than the lowland gorillas and a special character of living in the montane tropical forests. Mountain gorillas are in fact the largest living apes.
- Chimpanzees- Another type of large apes are the chimpanzees with Uganda having the highest concentration of chimpanzees in its tropical forests.
- Wildebeest migration- A huge herd of more than 1.5 million ungulates (wildebeests, zebras, topis, water bucks, antelopes) traverse from the southern Serengeti game park to the Masai Mara game reserve happens annually as the world’s largest mammal movement searching for fresh pastures thus guarantying amazing scenic savannah sightings.
- Murchison water falls- Are the world’s strongest water falls on the course of the river Nile and is a key anchor of the Murchison falls national park.
- Source of the river Nile- Getting to source of the ancient river Nile in Jinja, Uganda is another great highlight on this Gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari expedition.
- Flamingos- Thousands of flamingos paint pink the shallow ends/ shores of lake Nakuru making it one of the world’s top bird destination therefore qualifying the park a bucket list for bird lovers.
- Africa’s big 5 game- A great deal of herds and prides of Africa’s big5 (lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos) are another great sightings that you should expect on this Gorilla trekking, river Nile & Masai Mara safari.
Detailed Gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari itinerary
On arrival on this day, you will embark on a road trip heading to Bwindi impenetrable national park for one of the world’s greatest expedition of endangered species. Along the way, you will moreover experience many natural geographical features, mammals, birds and the different African cultural setups of the local people.
Accommodation: Buhoma lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Beginning the second day of gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari, you will have a briefing on the gorilla behaviors, livelihoods and how to handle their reactions to the human presence. Tracking gorillas high into the tropical montane forests which can meanwhile last for up to 2 hours or less before meeting the gorilla family you are assigned to and you will be allowed to follow and spend an hour with that gorilla family. Getting to find the mountain gorillas on a trek in Uganda is in fact a 99% chance backed up by the gorilla population in this region. Thereafter the trek, you will also have an experience with the Batwa people who have for all their life time co-existed with the forest and its species.
Accommodation: Buhoma safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Starting with the Kazinga channel (a river connecting lakes Edward and George) for a morning boat cruise through queen Elizabeth national park, this experience will notably have you glance at the world’s largest concentration of hippo pods which are numbered above 5,000 at the Kazinga channel, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, highest concentration of birds per square km on the African continent, elephants, lions and other land wild game like water bucks, giraffes, kobs, kudus among others also coming in onto the banks of the Kazinga channel to quench their thirst.
After the boat cruise, you will furthermore embark on a game drive around this channel and beyond into the vast savannah grassland to enjoy more game viewing and scenic views of the snow capped mountain Rwenzori and its slopes. On this day, you will also once again come across the equator landmark as it crosses through queen Elizabeth national game park.
Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Kibale national park is specifically known for chimpanzee tracking backed by the highest population & concentration of chimpanzees in world numbering above 1,500 individuals in the park. Afternoon tracking session starts at 14:00 and takes 2-5 hours with 99% chances of meeting the chimpanzees; a forest walk that will thereafter come along with numerous sightings of more than 370 bird species of grassland, forest, swamp and Albertine rift region endemics, 350 tree species and 71 mammal species. Other notable primates in the park include the L’hoest monkeys, colobus monkeys, blue monkey, olive baboon, red tailed monkey, vervet monkeys.
Accommodation: Kibale forest lodge
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Game drives in the Murchison falls and walking treks up to view the magnificent Murchison falls from above and watch the strongest falls on the planet, gashing 3,000 cubic liters of water per second through an eight-meter corridor cascading down a 43-meter height into the “the devil’s caldron” forming a white mist and a signature rainbow producing a loud sound from the powerful force of the water of the river Nile. Murchison falls game park also has the highest number of rothschild’s giraffes in the world, more than three- quarter of the total world population and numerous elephant and lion families, waterbucks, impalas, kobs, warthogs, hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, leopards, hyenas, jackals among other mammals and more than 450 bird species recorded in the park.
Moreover while on the boat cruise, you will have scenes of various water birds like the shoebills, raptors, geese among others, hippos and a great number of huge nile crocodiles and many more mammals that approach the river banks to quench their thirst like buffaloes, elephants and the scenes are endless on this gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari.
Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
The Kampala tour will get you to various historical administrative, economic and cultural sites and centers in the city have affected the development of Uganda as a country such as the Kasubi tombs, King’s palace, Rubaga cathedral, Namirembe cathedral, Kaddafi mosque, Baha’i temple among others. Food and commodity markets around Kampala are so interesting and thus have a great reflection of how the county’s population survives; these will get you have some taste on fresh fruits, vegetables grown in the country and street food delicacies like the Rolex (an egg omelet rolled in chapatti). Later on in the evening, you will eventually have a nightlife experience in the bars and lounges of Kampala city till resting time as you wait for the next day.
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Beginning section of the river Nile has numerous water falls for example Owen falls, Ripon falls, Itanda falls, Busowoko falls among others. Clean and white waters of the river Nile at this point are the most entertaining of the river course throughout Africa indeed offering the best bungee jumping point, water rafting, horse riding at the river banks, water surfing, swimming, canoeing, river boarding, quad biking around the river banks among others. River banks also host numerous bird species that can be experienced on nature walks thus being some of the best birders’ destinations in the region. You will also take a boat to reach the source of the Nile where 30% of the water emanates from underground streams and 70% from Lake Victoria.
Accommodation: Nile safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
On this day, you will embark on a road trip to Lake Nakuru national park across Uganda’s border into Kenya to continue with the Gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari.
Accommodation: Lake Nakuru lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Bird watching at lake Nakuru which is notably one of the world’s highest bird concentrated areas with more than a million flamingos, storks, geese, ducks among others residing at this shallow lake. Shallowness of lake Nakuru easily exposes algae which acts as food to greater and lesser flamingos and other water birds thus making it a favorite place for them to stay. Pink colored flamingoes flying and settling in huge numbers make this lake one of the most colorful destinations in the world to visit. Along the birds are mammals such as buffaloes, kobs, water bucks, antelopes, giraffes, baboons, monkeys, reptiles among others.
Ol Pejeta conservancy
At Ol Pejeta conservation area which has the highest number of protected black and white rhinos and also the only 2 remaining northern white rhinos in the world. Ol Pejeta offers both drives and walking safari experiences to its visitors as they interact with rangers sharing with them knowledge about the sanctuary and the animals therein. It is also a sanctuary to many more rescued species especially from hands of poachers and this is also the only place in Kenya where you can find chimpanzees.
Accommodation: Sweet waters Serena camp (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
On arrival at the airport, you will be picked up by our guide and get you to your booked hotel for a brief rest and there after head out through Nairobi city to Nairobi national park which is just 7km outside the city. You will therefore have an exciting tour of wild game while gazing at skyscrapers of the city. Nairobi game park has numerous bird species and numerous migrant species especially during the time between June and September adding to the more than 400 resident species making it a true birding haven in Africa. Nairobi park will give you a unique scenery of the existing interdependency of nature and its wild with modernity.
Accommodation: Royal Tulip (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Masai Mara game reserve park offers different safari experiences such as air balloon safaris, game drives, horse riding safaris and walking safaris with the masai people. Masai Mara is a vast green grassland anchored by woodland, swamps, forest species, acacia and the mara river that have actually maintained an effective eco-system that is a habitat to huge number of wild game. Most famous and eye catching phenomena of the park is the great wildebeest migration that occurs around the park between June to September every year championed by the wildebeests and zebras against other predators in the park and residential Nile crocodiles in the Mara river for their survival battle. Towards the end of the third day you will head back to Nairobi to catch up with your departure flight.
Accommodation: Mara Simba lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Inclusions
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee tracking permits
- Park entry fees
- Domestic flights
- Airport transfers
- Laundry
- Transport 4×4 safari landcruiser
- All excursions indicated in the itinerary
- Driver & guide
- Bottled drinking water/ refreshments
- Government taxes
- Cross border fees
Exclusions
- International flights
- Visa fees & processing
- Travel insurance
- Extra activities, meals, alcohol/ liquor
- Extra luggage on domestic flights
- Tipping & gratitude
- Souvenirs & snacks
- Any changes to the itinerary
- Accommodation after the end of the trip
- Anything not mentioned
When is the best time to visit Africa for a gorilla trekking, river Nile & Masai Mara safari?
Best time for a gorilla trekking- river Nile & Masai Mara safari is during the area’s summer/ dry season months starting from June to September for a perfect timing of the wildebeest migration herds as they traverse the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya. Other dry months are from December to February though this time finds the wildebeest migration back in the Serengeti national park plains. Start speaking with our experts at Travitude safari tours and plan your safari itinerary that will suite your wildlife inspiration and adventure.
Your safari route plan
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