Kenya & Uganda Gorilla Trek
Wildlife wonders and adventure camping in East Africa's epic landscapes
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Group Size: Max 22
Trip code: DKGN
Duration: 15 days
With some of the most amazing animal encounters on Earth, this is the wildlife trip of a lifetime! Travel deep into the Ugandan jungle and across the vast Kenyan plains in our overland adventure vehicle, in search of Africa’s most charismatic creatures. See herds of elephants silhouetted against a Maasai Mara sunset, watch as a lion stalks its prey across the savannah, track chimpanzee groups through Kalinzu with a local guide, and feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you catch your first glimpse of a family of endangered mountain gorillas, deep in Bwindi Forest. Pitch camp every night in the most incredible wilderness settings, before spending your evenings under African stars with your new mates. Just incredible.
Trip Highlights
- Come face to face with our closest living relatives as we trek into the lush forests of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in search of mountain gorillas
- See herds of elephants, grazing giraffe, wildebeest, and more on a game drive in Kenya’s top game reserve – the Maasai Mara.
- Watch groups of chimpanzees as they forage, groom, and play in Kalinzu Forest Reserve
- Take a game drive in Nakuru National Park where you’ll see buffalo, hyenas, leopards and huge flocks of bright pink flamingos
- Spend a day kayaking and splashing around in the crystal-clear waters of Lake Bunyoni
- Unleash your inner adrenaline junky with a range of white-knuckle activities in Jinja, East Africa’s adventure sports capital
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- 14 nights’ accommodation
- 13 breakfasts, 1 lunch & 10 dinners
- All camping equipment (exc. sleeping bag/pillow)
- Experienced group leader
- All on-trip transport
- Overland adventure vehicle
- 7 seat 4x4 safari vans
- Driver & cooks
- Masai Mara certified safari guides
- Local guides, expert trackers & armed guards for gorilla trek
- 2 x Maasai Mara safari drives
- 2 x Lake Nakuru safari drives
- Lake Bunyoni swimming
- Bwindi mountain gorilla trek
- Gorilla permits
- Chimpanzee trek
- Tea plantation visit
- Local cafe and gallery visit
- 24-hour emergency support
- Flights
- Airport transfers
- Visas
- Insurance
- Some meals
- Bottled drinking water
- Sleeping bag and pillow
- Optional activities
Our overlanding trips are perfect for travellers with a real sense of adventure. You'll camp in epic settings in the African bush, with nothing but canvas separating you and the wilderness. Some of the campsites are seriously off-grid, and you'll be totally immersed in the natural world. It's the kind of authentic African experience that you would never get staying in a hotel.
Most of the camping is 'participation style', where everybody pitches in to set up, run, and take down the camps. Working together as a team, and getting your hands dirty gives the group a real sense of togetherness. It's a great way to get to know each other.
You'll travel in rugged 24-seat overland safari vehicles that can cope with the most demanding terrains, and have large viewing windows that get you up close to Africa's amazing wildlife. When we're hitting the national parks, we'll often switch to smaller, more nimble safari vehicles, so we can get even more intimate with our surroundings.
Day 1: Jambo Nairobi! Arrive in Kenya’s cosmopolitan capital. Drop your bags at the accommodation and head out to explore before meeting the group and getting excited about the adventures to come. Tonight, we’ve got an optional dinner at the Carnivore Restaurant on offer - BBQ ostrich anybody?
Day 2: Magical Maasai Mara. Hit the road to Kenya’s top game reserve. Take your first safari drive of the trip when we arrive, looking for herds of elephants, grazing giraffe, wildebeest and more. Then enjoy dinner with your new mates before your first night camping under African skies.
Day 3: Maasai Mara Safari. Take your day from a ten to an eleven with an optional sunrise balloon safari before another unforgettable safari drive. See zebras trotting through the grasses, hippos wallowing in mud baths, and maybe even a lion stalking its prey. It doesn’t get better than this.
Day 4: Lake Nakuru National Park. Next stop, Lake Nakuru! Famous for its huge flocks of bright pink flamingos, Nakuru is paradise for nature lovers. We’ll take a safari drive through the park, looking for buffalo, hyenas, and leopards, as well as pelicans, cormorants, and many other bird species.
Day 5: Eldoret. You’ve got another chance to see some of Nakuru’s resident wildlife today as we take another safari drive through the park, before travelling to Eldoret in the Lando. Spend the night in a campsite just outside the buzzing city.
Day 6: Kampala. Get some more ink in your passport as we cross the border from Kenya into Uganda. Our destination today is Kampala, the country’s capital, where we’ll arrive late afternoon. Check into our lodge on the outskirts of the city before a night with the gang.
Day 7: Lake Bunyoni. Hop in the Lando for the journey to Lake Bunyoni. With crystal-clear waters scattered with lush, green islands, Bunyoni is a magical place that’s not on most travellers’ radars. Take a refreshing dip in the lake (it’s croc and hippo free!) before sundowners with a view.
Day 8: Gorilla trek. Head into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with our local guide, looking for family groups of mountain gorillas. Once we find a group, we’ll spend time observing them as they forage, groom, and play. It’s one of the most incredible wildlife experiences on Earth.
Please note: Depending on our dates, the gorilla trek may take place on day 9. A maximum of 8 people per day are permitted to visit any one gorilla family, so we will split into sub-groups, and depending on group size, may do our treks on different days. We cannot guarantee wildlife sightings.
Day 9: Lake Bunyoni. Wake up as the morning mist rises off the lake, before spending the day swimming, canoeing around the islands, or birdwatching. We’ve got some great optional activities on offer, including a nature walk, and a motorboat tour of the lake.
Day 10: Kalinzu Forest Reserve. Travel to Kalinzu Forest Reserve. Known for its amazing chimpanzee trekking and incredible biodiversity, it’s one of Africa’s most important conservation areas. Take an optional boat cruise around Crater Lake before settling into our new camp.
Day 11: Chimpanzee trek & Lake Mburo. Head into Kalinzu with a local ranger to look for chimpanzees. It’s a real goosebumps moment when you catch your first glimpse of a group of these amazing animals. After, stop at a tea plantation before continuing to Lake Mburo.
Day 12: Jinja. Head to Jinja, the adventure sports capital of East Africa. Stop for a traditional Ugandan lunch at a community café and gallery (all proceeds go to AidChild, a non-profit that provides support to young Ugandans living with HIV) before arriving in Jinja in time for dinner.
Day 13: Jinja free day. We’ve got every kind of high-octane activity you can think of on offer today. Get a sweat on with a mountain bike session, go quad biking, kayaking, or whitewater rafting, or go full white-knuckle with a bungee experience. Round off the day with a Nile sunset cruise.
Day 14: Eldoret. After a full day of adventure activities, you’ll welcome the opportunity to kick back and relax in the Lando as we say goodbye to Uganda and head back to Eldoret, Kenya. Enjoy a last night under African stars with your buddies.
Day 15: Back to Nairobi. It’s our last stretch of the trip, so sit back and enjoy the ride. We’ll spend all day travelling through the stunning Kenyan countryside to Nairobi, where we’ll part ways, so there’s plenty of time for naps, and reminiscing about your adventure with your mates. See you next time!
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Day 1 is an arrival day and no activities have been planned until the welcome meeting this evening, so arrive in Nairobi at a time that suits you. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is the biggest international airport serving the city. Airport transfers are not included, so unless you’ve booked one through your travel advisor, you’ll need to make your own way to our starting hotel in the heart of the city. Taxi transfers take 30 – 60 minutes, depending on traffic. We’ll leave a welcome note at reception with details of where and when the welcome meeting will be held (usually between 5 and 7pm). If you’re likely to arrive after this, we’ll leave you a message detailing where to meet the group in the morning.
The trip ends on day 15 back in Nairobi. We’ll spend all day (11 hours) travelling from Eldoret, so we’d recommend that you book an additional night of post-trip accommodation and fly the following day, to allow for delays. Your trip advisor can help you with this. If you must fly today, please do not book your flight before 9pm. Return airport transfers are not included, but your tour guide can book one on your behalf.
Accommodation
All your accommodation is included. This is a super adventurous trip where everybody gets really stuck in, and most nights (11) will be spent participation camping. You’ll also have one night in a hotel, and 2 nights in a permanent tented camp.
About participation camping
Participation camping involves staying on basic campsites, carrying, and pitching our own camping equipment. Campsites are in stunning locations in national parks, and in rural locations outside towns. You’ll get a real taste for the wild, sleeping under the stars, and truly immersing yourself in Africa’s unique landscapes.
We’ll be staying in quality 2-person canvas safari tents, which have a roomy base area of 4 metres. Tents have built-in insect netting and are treated with a waterproofing agent. Tents are dome-shaped and take less than ten minutes to assemble and disassemble.
Campsite facilities vary and are basic but of a good standard. Some camps are more rustic, with simple, or no bathing facilities, and long-drop latrines, and others will have flush toilets, showers (usually outdoors), washing facilities, and electricity for charging. There is hot water at most sites but depending on how many others have used it before you, the temperature is not always guaranteed when you come to use it.
All camping equipment is included (apart from sleeping bag and pillow). This includes comfy camp mattresses, portable camp chairs and cooking equipment.
Please note: Due to high demand for accommodation in the parks, we may have to arrange alternative accommodation. Private accommodation may be available for most nights at an additional cost, with the exception of days 2 and 3. Speak to your travel advisor for more information.
Meals
Most of your meals are included on this trip (13 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 10 dinners), with everything made with fresh local produce. Breakfasts are usually breads and cereals, lunches are lighter meals consisting of sandwiches and/or salads, and evening meals are freshly prepared hot meals, made up of a variety of continental and local dishes.
This trip is designed for those aged 18-39. A good level of fitness is required as this is an adventure style trip, involving high altitude hikes, days in humid rainforest, pitching tents, and some strenuous activities. For the Uganda section of your trip you should be in good physical condition, without any heart problems and prepared to spend days in humid rain forests, steep terrain and high altitude trekking for chimpanzee and gorillas.
British citizens will need a visa to enter Uganda, and this is required before you travel. Entry to Kenya also requires a visa. You’ll need to apply for this before travel using the Kenya e-visa website. Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from entry into each country.
You may be required to show proof of yellow fever vaccine, depending on your travel history. Please seek advice from your travel doctor prior to travel.
Please note: Visa rules and entry requirements are subject to change. You should check with the relevant embassies before travelling.
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