18-Day Kenya & Uganda Safari

Arrive at JKIA. Our driver meets you and transfers you to the legendary Giraffe Manor for a one-night stay. This boutique hotel is home to a herd of Rothschild's giraffes who peer through the windows at breakfast time. Check in and rest. Evening visit with the giraffes.

Breakfast with the giraffes at Giraffe Manor. Morning activities include a visit to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage (11 a.m. feeding), followed by the Kazuri Bead Factory and craft shopping in Karen. Transfer to your Nairobi hotel for the evening.

Transfer to Wilson Airport for your charter flight to Samburu. The flight makes a scenic stop or two before reaching the remote Samburu National Reserve. Arrive and be met by the lodge's guide for an afternoon game drive. Samburu is home to unique northern Kenya species: Reticulated Giraffe, Grevy's Zebra, Beisa Oryx, Blue-legged Somali Ostrich and the long-necked Gerenuk.

Morning and afternoon game drives along the Ewaso Ng'iro River and across the arid plains. Activities include guided bush walks, local village visits, optional quad biking and a visit to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. Samburu's dramatic red rock landscape, dominated by the flat-topped Mt Ol Olokwe, is utterly distinctive.

After breakfast, drive south through Isiolo to Ol Pejeta Conservancy. Arrive by midday. Afternoon game drive through this biodiverse private reserve. Home to black and white rhino, lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant and the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

Morning and afternoon game drives. Private visit to the rhino sanctuary: including a stop at the enclosure of the last northern white rhinos. Visit the Jane Goodall Institute's chimpanzee sanctuary. Optional night game drive at dusk.

After breakfast, drive south to Lake Naivasha. Arrive for lunch. Afternoon boat ride to Crescent Island for a guided walk with giraffe, zebra and waterbuck. Evening sundowners at the lakeshore. Optional: Hell's Gate cycle or gorge walk.

After breakfast, drive west to the Maasai Mara. Arrive for lunch. Afternoon game drive from 4 to 6 p.m. The Mara's lion prides, cheetah families and enormous herds of zebra and wildebeest make every game drive eventful.

Full-day game drives across the Mara Reserve. In season (July–October), the wildebeest river crossings at the Mara River are one of the most thrilling wildlife spectacles on Earth. Picnic lunch by the river. Optional Maasai village visit ($30/person) or hot air balloon ($480/person).

A second full day in the Mara. Explore the Mara Triangle and the Mara Conservancies bordering the main reserve for a more intimate game viewing experience. Evening: a final sundowner on the open plains of the Mara.

After breakfast, our driver transfers you to the Mara airstrip for your scheduled charter flight to Entebbe. The flight passes through Kisumu for customs clearance before arriving in Uganda. Our Uganda representative meets you at Entebbe International Airport and transfers you to your overnight hotel.

Transfer to Entebbe Airport for an early charter flight to Kasese airstrip. Arrive and drive to Kibale National Park: approximately 2 hours through the lush Rwenzori foothills. Check in at your forest lodge for lunch. Afternoon at leisure or optional nature walk in the chimpanzee forest.

Early morning chimp tracking in Kibale: home to nearly 1,500 wild chimpanzees. Your ranger guides you through the forest to locate the habituated community. You are entitled to one hour with the chimps in the wild. The afternoon is spent at the lodge. Optional: swamp walk at Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for birds and primates.

After breakfast drive south to Queen Elizabeth NP. Arrive and check in for lunch. Afternoon game drive through the Kasenyi Plains. The park is famous for its enormous buffalo herds, lion, elephant, leopard and over 600 bird species.

Morning game drive across the open savannah. After lunch, board a boat for the Kazinga Channel safari: one of Uganda's best wildlife experiences. Hippos, crocodiles, elephants and over 100 water bird species line the banks. Afternoon game drive through the Ishasha sector in search of the tree-climbing lions for which this park is famous.

Check out and visit the Kazinga channel fishing village before heading south toward Bwindi. Stop in Ishasha for a final search for tree-climbing lions in the ancient fig trees of the sector. Continue south and arrive at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by late afternoon. Settle in for dinner and an early night.

The summit of the Uganda safari. After an early breakfast, park rangers brief your group on gorilla trekking etiquette before entering the ancient forest. The trek can take 2 to 6 hours through dense, hilly jungle: but the moment you encounter a mountain gorilla family is worth every step. Spend one precious hour with the gorillas. Return to camp for a celebratory lunch. Afternoon at leisure.

After breakfast, drive to Entebbe International Airport (approximately 8 hours) or take a charter flight from Kihihi airstrip. Arrive in time for evening international departures. End of services: we hope to see you back in East Africa soon.