Kenya · Private safari
Maasai Mara & Lake Nakuru
Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru
Proposed level: Midrange to luxury
Kenya · Uganda · Rwanda
Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda
East Africa’s Wildlife & Primate Journey
Plains, forest and lake in one journey, with the primate experiences spread out so each one gets its own day.
This is the journey for travellers who want both savannah and forest without choosing between them. The Mara opens the trip, Kibale and Bwindi provide the primate chapters with rest days between, and Lake Kivu gives the whole thing an unhurried ending before the flight home from Kigali.
The route
- Stop 1
Maasai Mara
- Stop 2
Kibale
- Stop 3
Bwindi
- Stop 4
Lake Kivu
Route order as travelled. This is a schematic of the sequence, not a scale map — driving times are given in the itinerary.
The route on a map
4 stops · drag and zoom to explore
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- 01Maasai Mara
- 02Kibale
- 03Bwindi
- 04Lake Kivu
Pins mark the regions in travelling order, not exact camps or lodges. Driving times are given in the day-by-day plan above.
Day by day
14 days · 13 nights across 3 countries
Day01Arrive and settle into Maasai Mara / conservancyMaasai Mara · overnight Maasai Mara / conservancy
You are met on arrival and driven to your first camp. Depending on your flight time, there is a first evening drive or simply time to settle in. Full-day game drives across the Mara’s open grassland, following the wildlife wherever the morning takes you.
- Transfers
- Met at Nairobi (NBO), then a transfer of approximately 5–6 hours by road from Nairobi, or a short scheduled flight to a Mara airstrip.
- Meals
- Dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara / conservancy
- Pace
- Light — settle in, with one short drive if your flight allows
From the safari desk: Send us your flight number before you travel. If you land after 15:00 we move any first drive to the following morning rather than rush you into the park tired.
Day02Maasai Mara — full dayMaasai Mara · overnight Maasai Mara / conservancy
Morning and late-afternoon drives with time back at camp through the heat of the day; plains game, big cats and raptors are all part of the search.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara / conservancy
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day03Maasai Mara — full dayMaasai Mara · overnight Maasai Mara / conservancy
A day in a private conservancy with guided walks and off-road viewing where the conservancy permits it.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Maasai Mara / conservancy
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day04On to Kibale ForestKibale · overnight Kibale Forest
After breakfast you travel on to Kibale. The afternoon is kept light: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest with rangers, plus a swamp walk in the afternoon.
- Transfers
- approximately 5–6 hours by road from Entebbe, or 2–3 hours from Queen Elizabeth. Fly Nairobi to Entebbe, then continue by road to Kibale. Chimpanzee and gorilla permits are checked against your dates before the route is fixed.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Kibale Forest
- Pace
- Half a day in the vehicle, then an afternoon drive
From the safari desk: Where the road allows it we plan the drive to arrive before lunch, so the afternoon is a proper game drive rather than a rushed arrival at dusk.
Day05Kibale — full dayKibale · overnight Kibale Forest
Chimpanzee habituation or a second forest walk, arranged in advance.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Kibale Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day06Kibale — full dayKibale · overnight Kibale Forest
Early morning birding along the forest edge before departure.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Kibale Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day07On to Bwindi Impenetrable ForestBwindi · overnight Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast you travel on to Bwindi. The afternoon is kept light: Gorilla trekking day: a permit-based trek with rangers, lasting from a few hours to most of the day depending on where the group is.
- Transfers
- approximately 8–9 hours by road from Entebbe, or a flight to Kihihi with a road transfer.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Pace
- Half a day in the vehicle, then an afternoon drive
From the safari desk: Where the road allows it we plan the drive to arrive before lunch, so the afternoon is a proper game drive rather than a rushed arrival at dusk.
Day08Bwindi — full dayBwindi · overnight Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
A recovery day around the lodge, or a community visit and forest walk if you would like one.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day09Bwindi — full dayBwindi · overnight Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Optional second gorilla permit, subject to availability, or a gentle village walk.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day10On to Lake KivuLake Kivu · overnight Lake Kivu
After breakfast you travel on to Lake Kivu. The afternoon is kept light: Time by the lake: swimming, kayaking or a boat trip to a coffee island.
- Transfers
- approximately 2 hours by road from Volcanoes or Nyungwe. Cross from Uganda into Rwanda by road at Cyanika, with your guide handling formalities on both sides.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Kivu
- Pace
- Half a day in the vehicle, then an afternoon drive
From the safari desk: Where the road allows it we plan the drive to arrive before lunch, so the afternoon is a proper game drive rather than a rushed arrival at dusk.
Day11Lake Kivu — full dayLake Kivu · overnight Lake Kivu
A relaxed day with an optional walk along the shoreline villages.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Kivu
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day12Lake Kivu — full dayLake Kivu · overnight Lake Kivu
Early morning on the water before the onward drive.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Kivu
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day13Lake Kivu — full dayLake Kivu · overnight Lake Kivu
Time by the lake: swimming, kayaking or a boat trip to a coffee island.
- Transfers
- No long transfer today; game viewing from camp.
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Overnight
- Lake Kivu
- Pace
- Two game drives with a long midday rest
From the safari desk: We go out at first light and again from about 16:00, when the light and the movement are at their best. The middle of the day belongs to you: the pool, a long lunch and your notes.
Day14DepartureLake Kivu · onward travel
Your guide sees you to the airport in good time for check-in. If your international flight leaves late in the day, a day room or an extra night can be arranged.
- Transfers
- A final morning at camp, then a transfer of approximately 2 hours by road from Volcanoes or Nyungwe to Kigali (KGL) for your onward flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Overnight
- Onward travel
- Pace
- Morning only, then onward travel
From the safari desk: We confirm your transfer time the evening before against the live flight schedule, and build in a buffer for road conditions. Late departures can keep a day room.
Crossing between countries
Road in Kenya, a scheduled flight to Entebbe, a long but scenic Ugandan road journey with an optional domestic flight, then a road transfer into Rwanda.
Proposed level
Midrange to luxury accommodation, proposed rather than committed. Specific properties and rates are shared privately in your proposal.
Safaris we sell
Journeys on this route
Each can run on its own, or be joined into the full combination above.
Uganda · Private safari
Gorillas & Lakeside Days
Bwindi → Lake Bunyonyi
Proposed level: Midrange to luxury
Before you decide
- Chimpanzee and gorilla permits are date-specific and quoted separately.
- Uganda’s road days are long; two of them can be shortened by domestic flights.
- Yellow fever documentation is commonly requested at both borders — check current guidance.
Questions about this combination
How fit do we need to be?
Reasonably. The forest treks can last several hours on uneven ground, and altitude makes them harder than the distance suggests.
Can we trek both primates?
Yes, one chimpanzee and one gorilla trek as proposed. A second gorilla trek can be added if permits allow.
Why finish at Lake Kivu?
Because after two forests you will want a quiet place to sit still. It also puts you close to Kigali for the flight home.
