Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi
On the first day of the trip, you will be welcomed and picked by Primate Safari Experiences guide who will shortly brief you about the safari and then make a short city tour through Kenya’s capital – Nairobi depending on your arrival time. You will then proceed to the hotel for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Day 2: Transfer to Masai Mara national reserve
Wake up for your breakfast at the lodge and then embark on your journey to Masai Mara national reserve. The park is known for a great wildlife viewing since it hosts the seventh nature wonders on the African continent – Great migration where millions of wildebeests and thousands and gazelles and zebras flock through the park in search of water and pasture. During the drive, you will amazing views of different features like plantation, rolling mountains and valleys and many others. You will have an enroute lunch and reach at the lodge in evening hours. Check in and have some relaxation at the lodge as you wait for dinner.
Accommodation: Kichwa camp, Bateleurs Camp, Zebra plains camp, Mara plains camp
Day 3: Game drive and wildebeest migration
Have your early morning breakfast and go for a full day game drive with your packed lunch in search of different wildlife species including the Africa’s big five. Among the animals in the reserve include African elephants, leopards, lions, African buffalo, warthogs, wildebeests, hartebeest, zebras, elands, gazelles, and many others. Since it will be a wildebeest migration, you will drive towards Mara river where you will see a number of them quenching their thirst as others are crossing towards Serengeti national park of Tanzania. During the evening hours, spot several predators like lions, hyenas, cheetahs and many others. Drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight
Accommodation: Kichwa camp, Bateleurs camp, zebra plains camp, Mara plains camp
Day 4: Wildlife watching
Wake up for your breakfast at the lodge and then prepare for another full day wildlife watching experience with your packed lunch. You will drive through the park tracks as you search for different animals like lions, elephants, waterbucks, zebras, and many others. You will have your picnic lunch along the shores of River Mara as you spot different aquatic like Nile crocodiles, hippos, and others quenching their thirst. Later, you will drive back to the lodge for refreshment, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Masai Cultural experiences
Have your tasty breakfast and then go for a village walk around the nearby villages where you will enjoy a special time with the locals. The people in the area are the Masai who are also believed to be the inhabitants of the area where the park was gazetted. During your time with them, you will enjoy their cultural practices like dances, songs and also teach you different stuffs like bangles, necklaces and many other art and craft items. Later, you embark on your journey back to the lodge for relaxation as you wait for dinner.
Day 6: Game drive and transfer to Nairobi airport for a flight to Kigali
Wake up for the early morning game drive with your packed breakfast and spot the early hunters – lions, leopards, and hyenas as they are getting back to their nests. You will also watch other more animals like elephants, waterbucks, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles and many others. After, you will have your lunch and then drive off to Nairobi International airport for your flight to Kigali.
Day 7: City tour and transfer to Volcanoes national park
Have your breakfast and meet another Primate Safari Experiences’ guide who will take you through the Rwandan safari. You will start off with a short city tour in the beautiful and well-designed Kigali city that will take you to several places like Kigali genocide memorial site. The site is known as a place where thousands of Rwandese were brutally murdered and buried. From here, you will visit different craft shops and markets and later proceed to Volcanoes national park after your lunch.
The drive to the home of primates – Volcanoes from Kigali is roughly 2-3 hours. So, expect to arrive at the lodge of your booking in the late evening hours for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge – Luxury lodge
Le Bambou Lodge – Midrange
Muhabura Hotel – Budget
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience and visit Ellen De Generes Campus
Wake up for your early tasty breakfast, after which your driver guide will take you to the headquarters in the park by 8 am for briefing about the dos and don’ts during gorilla trekking experience. After, you will embark on the amazing adventure which is gorilla tracking which involves hiking through the park rainforests in search of the endangered mountain gorillas. The experience takes about 30 to 6 hours depending on the location of the assigned gorilla group. You will be able to enjoy the apes’ lifestyles like playing, breastfeeding and others. Also, during the experience, trekking hikers will be in line to also see other animals like the golden monkeys, elephants, buffaloes as well as birds.
After gorilla trekking, you will be driven back to the lodge for lunch and refreshments and go to Ellen De Generes Campus for research about the conservation of mountain gorillas. The campus was 2018 to support and continue the works of Dian Fossey – a primatologist who helped so much in the protection and conservation of wild gorillas. While at the campus, you can make optional donations and later drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Golden monkey tracking and transfer to Kigali
Wake up for your breakfast and then meet your drive for the transfer to the park headquarters for registration and pre trek briefing. After, you will be led by a game ranger through the park rain forest and enjoy the cute golden monkeys swing on tree branches as they jump from one tree to another. Later after the experience, drive back to Kigali for your departure.
