Kenya Safari & Gorilla Trekking Extension in Uganda
Safari through the evocative landscapes of Kenya and trek with the mountain gorillas of Uganda
Days: 13 | From: $15,350/per person
- Includes accommodations at handpicked best in class hotels and lodges
- A range of unique, optional safari activities included at each lodge
- World class safari destinations for ultimate game viewing
Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Nairobi, then fly north to Samburu and experience the vistas and wildlife of this incredible plateau. Head south in search of Africa’s Big 5 in the famed Maasai Mara, and conclude your journey face to face with some of the last remaining mountain gorillas on earth.
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Talk to a Vaya Africa Specialist
We tailor itineraries to your dates and interests, adjusting hotels, excursions and length as desired.
We consistently receive 5 star reviews from our discerning clients.
At a glance
- Nairobi
2 nights: Experience the vibrant culture of East Africa's largest city - Samburu National Reserve
Reserve 3 nights: Take in the stunning views of Mount Kenya as you safari on an exclusive private conservancy - Maasai Mara National Reserve
3 nights: Experience this spectacular reserve with daily game drives and lodge activities for unparalleled game viewing - Entebbe
1 night: Spend the night along the shores of Uganda's Lake Victoria - Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
3 nights: Trek into the rainforest and spend an intimate morning with the mountain gorillas, an unforgettable wildlife experience
All itineraries are fully customizable. We will send you a personalized variation that reflects your interests and travel dates at no extra cost. Call to discuss your travel plans with one of our Specialists who know this region firsthand.
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Sample itinerary
Welcome to Africa!
Arrive to Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city. Nairobi is a bustling modern metropolis with a range of world class hotels, museums, restaurants, and even an urban national park. Your private guide will be waiting to transfer you to your boutique hotel for the evening.
Accommodations: Hemingways Nairobi, 2 nights
Hemingways Nairobi, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the world, is an elegant boutique hotel situated in Nairobi's Karen residential area with magnificent views of the nearby Ngong hills. Sensitively designed for the discerning business and leisure traveller, Hemingways Nairobi offers the full facilities expected in a modern-day luxury boutique hotel. The hotel offers forty-five luxury suites which include the Hemingways suite, The Blixen suite, 19 Executive rooms and 24 deluxe rooms. The Hemingways Nairobi Brasserie serves classic dishes and the very best of local and international cuisine and is open everyday for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
*Includes: BreakfastExplore Nairobi
Navigate the bustling streets of Nairobi with your private guide. Visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a world-renowned rescue and rehabilitation center for orphaned elephants and rhinos that has been a leader in conservation since 1977. Watch as the baby elephants parade down the path for their morning feeding. Ask your Vaya specialist about ‘adopting’ one of these wee ones and we can arrange for a more private foster parent visit instead.
Stop for lunch at the Karen Blixen house and coffee gardens, a lush oasis of calm, and visit the neighboring Kazuri Women’s Beading Collective. Make friends with a giraffe at the Giraffe Center or visit the National Museum in the afternoon. Your time in Nairobi can be curated to suit your interests.
Fly to Samburu to begin your safari
Fly to Kenya’s spectacular northern rangelands, heading for Samburu. Overlooking the vast Kalama Conservancy, your lodge here allows you exclusive access to 200,000 acres of pristine private wilderness. This area is home to huge herds of elephant following ancient migration routes, leopards on rocky outcrops, and rare wild dogs. It is also one of the only places on earth to spot the rare endemic wildlife that only lives north of the equator, like Grevy’s zebra, the reticulated giraffe, Beisa oryx, Somali ostrich, and the long necked genenuk.
Accommodations: Saruni Samburu, 3 nights
Saruni Samburu’s six luxury villas are open and spacious, heralding spectacular views over Kenya’s Northern Frontier District and Mount Kenya. The lodge is celebrated for its innovative, eco-chic design as well as its Italian-inspired cuisine. Guests can enjoy the vast panoramas from the dining and lounge area, the two infinity pools and spa. The warm hospitality makes for an intimate and exceptional experience. Saruni Samburu is the only lodge in Kalama Conservancy, bordering Samburu National Reserve, with over 200,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness teeming with wildlife to explore exclusively. Guided by Samburu warriors passionate about their land and culture, you learn first-hand about their fascinating customs and gain ancient, local knowledge about the land and animals – a truly authentic safari experience.
*Includes: All InclusiveSafari in Samburu
Set out with a Samburu warrior who will expertly guide you through the bush while sharing their authentic local knowledge, ancient traditions, and customs from one of the oldest remaining tribes in Africa. You have a range of activities on offer during your stay here, from exceptional safari game drives to bush walks and exploring nearby caves.
You may also choose to relax and soak in the views from your luxury villa or the infinity pool, visit the nearby Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, snap photos in the photographic hide perfectly situated on the edge of a waterhole, or stargaze at night with a guided tour of the skies.
Another day in Northern Kenya
Watch the sunrise over the bush as you prepare for another day on safari. You have the power to tailor your experience and activities here to suit your interests perfectly.
Fly to the Maasai Mara
Take a safari flight to the Maasai Mara. This famed reserve is situated in the southwest of Kenya and is separated from the Serengeti by the mighty Mara River. Home to an incredible concentration of game year round, this reserve also plays host to the millions of wildebeest, zebra and other antelope that comprise the Great Migration in late summer and early fall. Situated along the Great Rift Valley, the Maasai Mara is a land of breathtaking views, endless plains and abundant wildlife.
Accommodations: Governors’ Il Moran Camp, 3 nights
Il Moran Camp is hidden in the cool shade of the riverine forest that follows the bends of the Mara River. Each tent enjoys a private location from which to enjoy the beautiful and serene setting. Hippos wallow in the river waters below, elephants wander through camp, and the nighttime is punctuated by hyena whoops and lion calls.
Each canvassed suite is expansive and newly furnished to a superior standard. Beautiful old wood furniture and muted natural tones are a natural extension of the environment around. Each stylish bathroom boasts a Victorian style bath and his & her vanities. A large verandah is designed for relaxing in comfort in the peaceful surroundings.
Small and supremely personal in nature, Il Moran is a chic and intimate retreat in the best wildlife location in Kenya and arguably Africa. A brand new dining and lounge area set along the riverfront is beautifully furnished and a superior team of chefs create dishes that tantalize the eyes and taste buds.
*Includes: All InclusiveSafari in the Maasai Mara
Rise before the dawn, with fresh coffee or tea delivered to your room, and before you know it you are whisked away on the safari vehicle and ready for what the morning might bring. This is the best time of day to see wildlife as it wakes for the day or settles down after a night of hunting. Awaken your senses with the sights and sounds of the bush as the bird calls swell with the rising of the sun.
Twice daily game drives with an expert safari guide and a range of optional lodge activities are at your disposal during your stay in this exceptional reserve.
Safari in Maasai Mara
Get your camera ready for another day of safari. With your knowledgeable guide you will explore new and varied areas of the reserve each day, heading further afield in search of warthogs, topis, giraffe, elephants, zebras, impalas, buffalo, and other grazing herbivores. Home to a variety of prey animals, the Maasai Mara is a haven for large predators like lions, cheetahs, leopards, crocodiles and other stealthy, powerful hunters. The area also hosts more than 450 winged species, including 57 birds of prey.
Leisure time at your safari camp can be spent relaxing on your private deck, making use of the comfortable main areas, heading out for a fascinating bush walk with your ranger, and, depending on your lodge, taking a dip in the pool or booking a spa treatment.
Depart for Uganda
Take an early morning game drive and enjoy breakfast back in camp, then board your flight to Uganda. Your private driver will be waiting to take you to your stylish boutique hotel, set in the leafy suburbs of Entebbe.
Accommodations: Hotel No. 5
Nestled in the leafy suburbs of Entebbe, is the new and stylish boutique hotel, Hotel No.5. From the moment you arrive, you are warmly welcomed and cared for. With luxurious rooms opening onto the garden and swimming pool, this is a great option for guests looking for an intimate stay in a tranquil setting.
Make yourself at home – unwind beside the swimming pool, pamper yourself with a spa treatment, or work up a sweat in the hotel gym. Enjoy one of the best dining experiences in Entebbe, carefully planned menus are paired to an international wine list, and served with pride.
Attention to detail and an attentive guest experience are synonymous with Hotel No. 5, making it the perfect choice for a restful stay in this busy town.
*Includes: BreakfastFly to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Board your charter flight south toward the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, with views of lush rainforest greeting you as you land. Transfer you to your luxe lodge for the evening, where you have time at leisure to relax and enjoy the view.
Accommodations: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, 3 nights
Picture this: You are sitting high atop a stunning ridge, above the clouds, looking across to the Virunga volcanoes. Behind you is the primordial, mysterious and impenetrable forest that is Bwindi. As you sit there, drinking your chilled wine, or your freshly brewed coffee, or your freshly squeezed juice or your amber coloured whisky you smile. You smile because you know that your personal butler is lighting the fire in your cottage and setting out your freshly laundered clothes. In the kitchen a gorgeous meal is being prepared, and tomorrow after breakfast you will walk from the lodge to the Nkuringo trailhead and track the gorillas.
*Includes: All InclusiveTrek with the Mountain Gorillas
Meet the mountain gorillas of Uganda. Heading to the park, meet with your team of Uganda Wildlife Authority guides and trackers for a quick briefing on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. Hiking poles in hand, venture into the forest to find the gorillas. The hike can take from 1 to 6 hours and can climb to altitudes of 7,500 feet. Although it is physically demanding at times, the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make it worthwhile.
Once the gorillas are located, all fatigue is forgotten. Observation of the gorillas has been described as one of the most profound natural experiences in the world. You will spend up to an hour with these amazing creatures, glimpsing intimate moments of their daily lives.
A final day in the forest
Today you may wish to embark on a second gorilla trek to spend time with a different family group for a more in-depth experience. You also have the option to relax at your lodge and take in the spectacular views, or visit a local tea processing plant and learn more about this ancient drink, hike to a secret waterfall, or spend some time in the local village interacting with friendly locals.
Farewell Africa
This morning head back through the forest to board your plane to Entebbe, where you can catch your connecting flight home or onward to your next destination. Should you have a long layover we are happy to arrange for lunch and a day room so you can relax and freshen up before your long flight home.
Popular Ways to Customize This Itinerary
Choose from a range of hand-picked hotels and lodges to ensure your safari experience is perfectly tailored to you.
Arrange a hot air balloon ride and float silently above the savannah for the most unique take on game viewing.
Adopt an orphaned elephant and get up close and personal with a foster parent visit in Nairobi.
Combine this trip with some time in neighboring Tanzania, home of the Serengeti, The Ngorongoro Crater, and Mount Kilimanjaro.
Have dinner with a gorilla doctor. Learn from these conservation heroes as they host you for a private dinner at your lodge and tell stories about the trials and tribulations of protecting these incredible creatures.
Add a beach extension and spend some relaxing downtime on the pristine white sand of the Indian Ocean. Whether along the Kenyan coast, on neighboring Zanzibar, or with a short flight to Seychelles, stunning beaches are just a short connection from this itinerary.
Speak to your destination specialist about authentic and culturally sensitive ways to engage and interact with friendly local communities.
Contact us to learn about more options for designing and customizing your trip.
Why Travel with Vaya?
We're TRUE specialists
We’ve not only traveled there, we’ve lived there. Our smart and engaging specialists are all current or former expatriates with years of experience in the region.
Uplifting service
From the first phone call to after you get back, we're here for you every step of the way. We listen, create, customize and advocate for you, and design experiences that go beyond the expected.
Thoughtful travel
Our discerning sensibility and good taste go beyond just choices in hotels and top guides; we have a walk the walk commitment to the environment and are genuine leaders in conservation efforts.