6 Days Maasai Mara & Gorilla Trekking Safari

6 Days Maasai Mara & Gorilla Trekking Safari

This 6 Days Maasai Mara and Gorilla Trekking Safari is a well-thought out Package meant to fulfill your Perfect desires for an African Safari Experience. This Safari will start from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and end in Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport.

Safari destinations

Maasai Mara National Reserve

Located in the South Western region of Kenya along the Great Rift Valley area in Norok County Kenya adjacent to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Maasai Mara National Reserve was established in 1961 as a wildlife sanctuary covering an area of 520sqkm of the current Mara Triangle.  Later it was converted into a Game Reserve and by 1984 the park had a total area of 1510sqkm. The park is dotted with acacia trees, shrubs and bushes and has 2 draining rivers which are Maasai Mara River and Talek River. A unique wildlife conservation haven famous for its Natural diversity of wildlife like the Big 5 mammals which are Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffaloes and Rhinos in large numbers as well as other mammals like Cheetahs, zebras, wildebeests, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, duikers, impala hartebeests, roan antelopes, topi, wildebeest and Thomson’s gazelles.

Also boosts of over 500 bird species like Bateleur, Secretary bird, Schawlow’s turaco, Abdim’s stork, Hammerkops, Temminck’s courser, Southern ground hornbill, Usambiro barbet, Saddle-billed stork, Giant kingfisher, Woolly-necked stork, Black-headed heron, Giant kingfisher, African jacana, Crowned lapwing, Malachite kingfisher, Grey-headed kingfisher among others. . Maasai Mara National Reserve is also famous for its annual Wildebeest Beast Migration where Millions of these creatures migrate from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park which occurs between July and October making it one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

One of Uganda’s oldest rainforests with more than 25000 years of age. The park is home to almost half of the World’s population of Mountain Gorillas which gives a great opportunity for Gorilla Trekking and Habituation in the park’s sectors like Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija and Rushaga. The park harbors 120 mammal species like Elephants, duikers,  yellow-backed duiker,  buffaloes, golden cats, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, black-fronted Duiker, clawless otter, side-striped jackal, civet, numerous bats, rodents and 350 bird species like handsome francolin, purple sunbird, red headed blue bill, African blue cuckoo, regal sunbird, breasted sunbird, Ruwenzori turaco, Shelley’s crimson among other bird species.

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Pick up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport – Transfer to Maasai Mara National Reserve – Evening Game Drive

The 6 Days Maasai Mara and Gorilla Trekking Safari will begin with a pick up from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by our Professional driver guide from Paradise Adventure Vacations who will meet and greet you, he will then brief you about your journey and thereafter embark on about 6 hours drive with scenic views of the highlands and the great rift valley below to Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve located in the extreme boarder with Tanzania.

Upon arrival, you will check in for a delightful lunch and have rest as you await an evening game drive in the dry savannah plains of the Mara. You will relax as you feed your eyes with Maasai Mara’s wildlife offerings including giraffes, duikers, impala hartebeests, roan antelopes, topi, wildebeest, Elephants, Buffaloes, Rhinos, Thomson’s gazelles and if lucky enough you might spot lions in search for prey. Later you will return to your lodge for a freshly prepared dinner as well as a blissful overnight.

Location: Maasai Mara National Reserve 

Accommodation Option:

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 2: Maasai Mara National Reserve – Full day Game Drive 

After your delicious breakfast, you will embark on a full day game drive with your packed lunch  which will give you an encounter with mammal species like zebras, wildebeests, hippos, giraffes, duikers, impala hartebeests, roan antelopes, topi, wildebeest and Thomson’s gazelles, rhinos, buffaloes, elephants and if lucky you will as well spot leopards, lions, hyenas. Later in the evening hours, return back to your lodge with an amazing evening game drive with an armed park ranger as well as spotlight torches to help you easily spot the nocturnals in the night as they hunt and feed on their prey for example the lions, leopards, hippos, hyenas, cheetahs among others. You will then return back for your dinner and an overnight.

Location: Maasai Mara National Reserve 

Accommodation Option:

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 3: Early Morning Game drive – Fly to Entebbe International Airport

On this day of your Safari, you will have a lovely breakfast and check out of your lodge, you will then head out to the Mara plains for your last encounter with the mammals as you exit the Reserve. This game drive will give you an opportunity to search for the species you failed to spot on your previous game drives. You will then drive back to Nairobi for your flight to Entebbe International Airport. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your lodge from which you will dine on a freshly prepared Ugandan meal and then later have your relaxed overnight.

Location: Kampala   

Accommodation Option:

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 4 of the 6 Days Maasai Mara and Gorilla Safari will start with a delicious breakfast and thereafter you will embark on a scenic drive for about 8 to 10 hours to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park including two stopovers at the Equator line at Kayabwe where you will participated in the water experience and also take memorable pictures. You will also stopover at Ajip Motel or Igongo Cultural Centre in Mbarara for a mouth-watering lunch. Later you will continue with the drive to Bwindi where you will have your dinner as well as an overnight.

Location: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park 

Accommodation Option:

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park – Gorilla Trekking – Batwa Community Encounter – Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi

Upon waking up by the beautiful sounds of the birds singing in the sky, you will start your day 5 of the Safari with an early morning breakfast. Wear appropriate clothing for the day like a long sleeved shirt, a pair of karky or jean trousers, a round cap, water proof boots to protect you against the falling tree branches of the Impenetrable forest and also in case of bad weather,  Pack some snacks and water to help in keeping you hydrated during the trek.

Gorilla Trekking

Proceed to the park’s headquarters for a briefing on the Do’s and the Don’ts while you are with the mountain gorillas, you will also be assigned a park ranger who will guide you during the trek and also a gorilla family to look out for and then start the search for the mountain gorillas which will take about 1 to 7 hours depending on their location. During your trek, you will encounter various primate species like the black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey mangabeys, and blue monkeys. As your gaze meets the gentle eyes of Africa’s dark-furred Great Apes, you will be allowed to spend a maximum of 1 hour with these majestic creatures as you watch and capture every moment while they go about their day to day activities.

During this time you will learn about their ways of life and also try to relate with them so they become used to human presence, your guide will be available to answer any questions you need to know. You will also stand a chance to see many forest dwellers you meet on your way during the search of gorillas including different species of birds, elephant, and antelopes. If lucky, you can as well see chimpanzees. Bwindi is one of the parks where gorillas and chimpanzees coexist in the same environment, you will then return back to your accommodation for a delicious lunch.

Batwa Community Encounter – Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi

Later you will visit the Batwa community who were the early inhabitants of the ancient Impenetrable forest before it became a National park and also a UNESCO World heritage site in 1992 and learn about their social ways of life, how they hunt for food in their ancient ways, visit a Batwa homestead to watch how they dance and also hear ancient legends and their folk songs and then you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi where you will have relaxation as you await your dinner and an overnight.

Location: Lake Bunyonyi 

Accommodation Option:

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 6: Transfer back to Entebbe International Airport or your Hotel

Upon waking up on your final day of the Safari, You will have a heavy delicious breakfast and then prepare for an 8 to 10 hours drive back to Entebbe International Airport or your Hotel which will include lunch and coffee stop overs. You will also buy some souvenirs on your way to help you keep memories about your time in Uganda. The 6 Days Maasai Mara and Gorilla Safari is an unforgettable experience that combines two of the most awe-inspiring Safari destinations in Africa; Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve as well as Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest which is home to the World’s remaining population of Mountain Gorillas. Thank you so much for specifically choosing Paradise Adventure Vacations on the 6 Days Maasai Mara and Gorilla Trekking Safari and we hope to see you again!!!

Location: Kampala

Accommodation Option: No

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

The Safari Package Includes:

• Return airport transfers (pick up and drop off)
• Private transport for 6 days in a well-modified safari Extended land-cruiser (4WD,air-conditioned and pop-up roof)
• Fuel for 6 days
• English safari driver guide for 6 days
• Mid-range accommodation for 5 nights on full board (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
• All en-route meals and bottled mineral water throughout your tour
• All activities and park entrance fees and all applicable government taxes
• Game Drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve
• 1 Gorilla Trekking Permit per person in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
• Batwa Community Encounter in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
• Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

The Safari Package Excludes:

• International and Domestic flights
• Country entry visa
• Personal travel insurance
• Items of personal nature/laundry/telephone charges
• Souvenirs and gifts, Tips
• Alcoholic and other soft drinks (sodas, special juice order at the lodge and wines)