Gorillas & Masai Mara Flying Safari | Itinerary to Uganda & Kenya (10 Days)
View the primates in Uganda and Maximize your time in Masai Mara Game Reserve with this 10 Days Gorillas and Masai Mara Flying Safari journey that includes gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi Forest National Park and Game Drives in the Masai Mara wilderness. You will start your unforgettable Gorillas and Masai Mara safari Tour in Uganda where you will trek with the habituated mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park plus the Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga National Park and you will be marveled at how humbling and emotional this experience is! You will then fly back to Entebbe from where you will connect onto a small light aircraft plane to Kenya’s Masai Mara. Your local safari guide will meet you on arrival at the airstrip and it’s from here that you will begin your game drive to the lodge. You will spend 5 nights on safari in this exceptional park enjoying morning and afternoon game drives.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe and Transfer to Your Hotel
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will meet and greet with your private local driver/guide who will transfer you to your hotel in Entebbe. You will spend the night in a luxury, boutique hotel where you can rest your head after your long-haul flight. You will feel revitalized and refreshed ready to start your Uganda adventure tomorrow.
Accommodation Options: Best Western Premier Garden Hotel
Day 2: Morning Flight from Entebbe to Kisoro Airstrip and Transfer by Road to Bwindi
Today, you will catch an early morning flight with Aero link airline from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip. On arrival you will meet with your driver who will transfer you by road to Rushaga Sector in Bwindi where on arrival you will check in to your lodge and enjoy your breakfast as you wait for your lunch. In the afternoon you may choose to take a nature walk through the near communities from where you will learn how the locals live their day to day lives and you may choose to volunteer among them.
Accommodation: Four Gorillas Lodge
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking Experience
After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters arriving in time for the gorilla trekking briefing. The briefing point is so near to Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge. After the gorilla briefing session which usually starts at 8:00 am, you will be assigned the gorilla group that you will be trekking with other trekkers and you will be escorted into the impenetrable jungle with two gun-baring rangers and a tracker with a machete to lead your way.
Once you have found the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour with them and you are advised to keep your camera in silence and observe a 10 meters distance from the gorillas with your mask on at all times. The time of your stay in the jungle cannot be pre-determined as every day is different from that previous. Return to the lodge for lunch, relaxation and later dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Four Gorillas Lodge
Day 4: Golden Monkey Tracking
Today is your day for another endangered primates’ encounter this time tracking the golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. After breakfast you will transfer to the Mgahinga National Park headquarters for briefing and later begin the hike over the volcanic terrain in search for golden monkeys in the bamboo forests.
The Golden Monkey may not be the most well-known primate, but is certainly an enjoyable, little creature that is worth visiting. It is a small curious monkey golden in color and loves to scamper around the trees. Golden monkeys are named after their golden-orange fur and like mountain gorillas are also considered endangered species. After tracking the golden Monkeys you will transfer back to the lodge for lunch, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Four Gorillas Lodge
Day 5: Flight to Masai Mara and Game Drives
After a breakfast at the Lodge, you will be transferred to the airstrip to fly to Entebbe. You’ll be escorted and guided through Entebbe airport, to connect onto a flight to the Masai Mara in Kenya. This national reserve really is one of the best locations for wildlife, with impressive sightings year-round. From leopards to cheetah, buffalo to elephant – the Masai Mara has an exceptional collection of species. You will spend 5 nights in a luxury safari Lodge, with all of your meals, park fees and safari activities included every day.
Accommodation Options: Mara Serena Safari Lodge or Similar
Day 6: Full Day in the Masai Mara
Today after breakfast, you head out and spend the rest of the day with game drives and activities in the Mara. In between the game drives, a short lunch will follow and then you will continue with game drives as you look out for wildlife and explore the rich landscapes of the Conservancy. You will wind up your evening with a sundowner before heading back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation Options: Mara Serena Safari Lodge or Similar
Day 7: Another Full Day in the Masai Mara
Today you will spend another full day with a picnic lunch exploring the Masai Mara and you will soon realize why this reserve is so highly regarded as the best reserve in Africa. Every year, millions of wildebeest, zebra, and Thomson’s gazelle pound their way across the savannas in an instinctual survival of the fittest. Another big draw card to the Masai Mara is its dense population of predators, which include lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard which sometimes requires a trained eye to spot. Return to the lodge in evening for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Options: Mara Serena Safari Lodge or Similar
Day 8: Another Full Day Exploring the Masai Mara
Today you will enjoy morning and afternoon game drives and wind up you day with a sundowner. The “Sundowner” is an essential part of safari life and dates back to the time of the great game hunting safaris of the 1920s when cocktails were always served as the sun began its descent. Arriving at our sundowner site as the light turns to gold (ideal for photography), you can sip your drink and enjoy our inspirational selection of canapés as the sun slowly drops below the horizon. It typically leaves the sky streaked in shades of lilac, pink and gold. This is a sight never to be forgotten and an event not to be missed. Return to lodge for dinner before falling asleep under the African sky.
Accommodation Options: Mara Serena Safari Lodge or Similar
Day 9: Full Day at the Lodge
Today you will take time to enjoy your unparalleled surroundings at Mara Serena Safari Lodge. You may choose to visit the Masai Village or treat yourself to a relaxing massage session in the comfort of your tent (at an extra cost book with reception). In the evening watch as the sun sets over the horizon with a sundowner drink at the sundowner bar which is open for just an hour each day at sunset. The bar is located high above the plains on Lookout Hill with magnificent panoramic views and equipped with a blazing campfire, a safari bar, a hot canapé-counter, Maasai warriors and a guitarist.
Accommodation Options: Mara Serena Safari Lodge or Similar
Day 10: Flight from Masai Mara National Reserve to Wilson Airport
After breakfast, you will have a laid-back break as you pack your personal belongings and thereafter enjoy your lunch. After lunch you will be transferred to the airstrip with a game drive en-route. Reach the Air Strip in time for your scheduled flight, arriving in time at Wilson Airport for a transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to catch your onward international flight. Kwaheri!!!
Accommodation Options: N/A