The 3-week road trip starts in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Enjoy the moments of safaris and life in Kenya, then cross through western Kenya and drive to Uganda. Will arrive at Nairobi International Airport and depart from Entebbe International Port. The 21 days will involve watching a variety of wildlife, and among them are the most famous and unique Wildebeest herds, the Big Five, hiking, bird watching, rafting, boat cruising, gorilla trekking, and chimpanzee tracking. Every person embarking on the drive to the defined destination must start with a breakfast, then have lunch in the afternoon hours and dinner to crown the day.
Trip Summary
• Day 1: Arrival at Nairobi
• Day 2: Driving to Amboseli National Park
• Day 3: Amboseli National Park
• Day 4: Transfer to Masai Mara National Park
• Day 5: Masai Maara National Park
• Day 6: Transfer to Nairobi National Park
• Day 7: Transfer to Lake Naivasha National Park
• Day 8: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park
• Day 9: Transfer to Jina (Uganda)
• Day 10: Explore Jinja (Rafting, Bungee, and Boat Ride)
• Day 11: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
• Day 12: Murchison Falls National Park
• Day 13: Transfer Kibale Forest National Park
• Day 14: Chimpanzee Tracking and Community Visits
• Day 15: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Day 16: Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha
• Day 17: Gorilla Trekking
• Day 18: Lake Bunyonyi
• Day 19: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
• Day 20: Horse Ride and Boat Ride, Transfer to Kampala
• Day 21: Kampala City drive and fly back home
Detailed Trip
Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi
Arrival in Kenya via Niarobi International Airport and transfer to your booked lodge or hotel. If time allows, you can take a drive across Niarobi City and enjoy the activities and various attractive spots within the capital.
Dinner and Overnight at: The Concord Hotel and Suites
Day 2: Driving to Amboseli National Park
Today, we will take a drive southward to Amboseli National Park. This park is home to the largest herds of elephants; expect to watch a full list of the big five games, among others. With lunch en route, we will reach the park in the afternoon hours. Then we will take an afternoon game drive through the park, which will provoke you to watch countless animals, including lions, leopards, buffalos, elephants, antelopes, and giraffes, among many other species.
Dinner and overnight at Tawi Lodge
Day 3: Amboseli National Park
Today we will enjoy the morning boat launch on Lake Amboseli. This is a golden opportunity to have another experience of the park on the waves of the lake. It’s rewarding with a lot of wildlife species, all land mammals, aquatic life, and many bird species. Then, in the afternoon hours, alongside your lunch en route, you will take an afternoon boat ride at Lake Amboseli.
Dinner and Overnight at: Tawi Lodge
Day 4: Transfer to Masai Mara National Park
Today we will transfer to Masai land, specifically to the Masai Mara National Reserve. You will reach by afternoon hours and visit the Masai community to experience the local and traditional life of the tall masai people. While at the community, you will engage in and enjoy the dancing and singing sessions and stories.
Check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight: Enchoro Wildlife Camp
Day 5: Masai Maara National Park
On these days, enjoy all about Masai Mara National Reserve. We will start with a morning game drive exploring the reserve’s magnificent plains and seeing several animals, such as lions, leopards, gazelles, wildebeests, and elephants, among others.
Maasai Mara National Reserve is a 1510 square-kilometer protected area with incredible wide-open landscapes, fertile riverine woodland, and an abundance of wildlife living in the savannah plains. In Maasai Mara national reserve, you will be able to see several animals, such as Masai giraffe, baboons, and warthogs; bat eared foxes; grey jackals; spotted hyenas; topis; impala; hartebeests; and wildebeests. Elephants, buffaloes, zebras, and hippos, among others, After the lunch sessions, you can consider an afternoon or evening guided nature walk.
Dinner and Overnight: Enchoro Wildlife Camp
Day 6: Transfer to Nairobi National Park
Today we will transfer to the nearest Nairobi National Park; it’s almost a unique park that can be easily accessed within the capital city. We will do a game drive to view countless wildlife species, including lions, herds of elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, among others, and many bird species. Then, in the afternoon hours, you will visit the Giraffe Manor Sanctuary to watch several giraffes who even come close to share meals with you.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Naivasha National Park
This morning, we will leave the capital park and continue northward to Lake Naivasha National Park. Reaching the park in the afternoon hours, we will take an afternoon warm nature walk, watching as many animals and birds as possible. In the evening, drive to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Dinner and Overnight at Lake NaivashaSopa Resort
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park
Today we will continue on the drive through central Kenya to the rich ecosystem of Lake Nakuru National Park. Lake Nakuru National Park is a fabulous tourist destination with stunning nature rewards. This park has a rich biodiversity encompassed by wetlands, lakes, and savannahs that accommodate several species of wildlife, including animals like warthogs, antelope species, buffalo leopards, white and black rhinos, crocodiles, hippos, and many bird species. The flamingo is the prime of the bird species in the park. Upon reaching your destination, you will do an afternoon game drive around the park and rest for dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 9: Transfer to Jinja (Uganda)
Today, make an early morning refreshment from your lodge at Nakuru, then embark on a long day drive across the borders of Kenya and Uganda at Busia. It’s roughly 350km drive will can take about 7 hours of driving. With lunch en route, you will drive, have dinner, and stay overnight in Jinja.
Dinner and Overnight at the 2Freinds Hotel Jinja
Day 10: Explore Jinja (rafting, bungee, and boat ride)
Today, after energizing yourself, you will drive to the Adrift Center and get briefed on the rafting guidelines. Then, we will drive to the Nile River for this amazing adrenaline adventure. Rafting in Jinja is a world class activity where rafters have a chance to experience the rapids up to grade five. After the rafting, you can consider taking another thriller of Bungee jumping, and in the evening hours, you will take a boat ride to the source of the Nile point on Lake Victoria.
Dinner and overnight at the 2 Friends Hotel
Day 11: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
This morning, still using the Kayunga route, I will drive north of Uganda through the Gulu road to Murchison. However, I will consider an afternoon en route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track the only rhinos in Uganda. Then continue to Masindi town for your overnight.
Dinner and Overnight at the Masindi Hotel
Day 12: Murchison Falls National Park
We will drive early to Murchison Falls through Kinyumbonyobo Gate and drive to the northern section to do a late morning game drive. The game drive can last for a rough 3 hours and comes with an experience of a variety of wildlife, including some of the big five like lions, elephants, leopards, and buffalos. It also hosts the largest herds of antelopes and giraffes, among others. Then, in the afternoon hours, we will take a boat cruise to the bottom of the Murchison Falls, watching how the huge rapids force into a narrow gorge to form such thunderous humus roars. It’s roughly 3 hours on the cruise, and you will have to visit the top of the falls before driving back to your lodge.
Day 13: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
It’s a long day of driving, which takes about 6 hours, to reach Fort Portal, one of the top tourism cities in Uganda. With lunch en route, we will have a city drive and walk, and in the evening hours, we will transfer to Kibale at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Dinner and overnight:
Day 14: Chimpanzee Tracking and Community Visits
Breakfast, we will drive to Kanyachu Center for a briefing about tracking etiquette. We will group 8 people to track a single habituated chimpanzee community, and then with an armed ranger guide, we will roll into the forest to start a search for the apes. The track can last between 30 minutes and 3 hours to find the tracked community. Finding the apes, you are limited to an hour in their presence. Then, you will walk back to the starting point and drive back to your lodge to relax and refresh. In the afternoon hours, you will visit the Bigodi community and see how people around the chimpanzees are benefiting from the tracking initiatives. They have a variety of souvenirs, among which you can also buy. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Midrange: Kyaninga Lodge
Day 15: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today will take a morning drive visit to the accustomed Amabere Caves in Fort Portal. These stalagmite caves hold a rich history of the Bachwezi dynasty. Following this amazing walk, we will drive to Queen Eliabeth National Park, reach it in the afternoon hours, and refresh with lunch en route. They can take the afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, which is an opening to watching more animals. Several animals are seen coming to the channel banks to draw water, and aquatic life is seen either socked in water or lousily relaxed at the banks.
Dinner and Overnight at Kaseny Wild Camp
Day 16: Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha
This morning will then a drive through Ishasha savannahs watching some of the rare tree climbing lions alongside numerous animals. Afterwards transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with lunch en-route reach the park in the evening hours via Buhoma gate.
Dinner and overnight at: Bwindi Forest Lodge
Day 17: Gorilla Trekking
Breakfast: at 7:30 a.m., be at the starting point, be briefed, and get grouped within the limits of 8 per group. Under the company of an armed ranger guide, they will embark on a search for the gentle giants. The trek lasts for about 30 minutes to about 4 hours to find your assigned habituated gorilla family. Gorilla trekking is about walking through unmade paths, moist, thick jungles, hikes, and slopes through hills and valleys. On finding the gorillas, it’s a tiresome moment—a moment with the apes. The tiresomeness is forgotten, and you have a full hour before them. If time allows, you will visit the Batwa community around the Buhoma community to get a feel for their real lives.
Dinner and overnight at Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Day 18: Lake Bunyonyi
Today, take an early morning drive to this gorgeous historical lake, Bunyonyi. This lake is the 2nd deepest lake in Africa, and it has a simple and unique landscape view. Reaching the lake, you will take a boat ride to one of the islands. Then we will check in at your lodge and relax under the melodies of many small birds, as the name suggests.
Dinner and overnight at Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Day 19: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
This morning, you will transfer from Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda to Lake Mburo National Park. Along the drive, you will consider an en-route to Mbarara town for lunch and then continue to the park. Upon reaching the park, you will relax and wait for a night game drive to have a chance to watch the park’s nocturnal species.
Dinner and overnight: Eagle Next Camp
Day 20: Horse Ride and Boat Ride, Transfer to Kampala
This morning, take the morning boat ride on Lake Mburo. It’s one of the most rewarding adventures to take while at Lake Mburo, which leads to watching a variety of wildlife. Then, in the early afternoon, take a sunny horse ride; this will bring you close to nature. This is a guided horse adventure where you’re brought to nature. Then, in the late afternoon hours, we will embark on a drive back to Kampala and reach Kampala late in the evening.
Day 21: Kampala City drive and fly back home
This marks your last day of the 21 days of exploring Kenya and Uganda, and you will love having this kind of adventure arrangement. You will visit certain sites in the capital of Kampala, and these can be the Buganda Trail of Mengo Palace, the largest mosque in East Africa, and Entebbe International Airport for your flight back home.
4×4 Car Hire FAQ
When is best month for Self drive Safari in East Africa?
For the best game viewing self-drive safari, mid -June, July, August, September October are ideal months.
April to May (the ‘long rains’) and November to December (the ‘short rains’).
How much does a self drive safari cost in East Africa?
A budget 4×4 self drive safari is from USD 1000 to USD 2000.
Is it safe to drive in East Africa?
Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania are more Safer. With taking standard precautions Uganda too is safe.
What comes with my camping gear?
- Roof Top Tent
- Sleeping Pads with a Pillow
- Camping Stove
- Cookware and Utensils
- Storage box / Cooler
- Lanterns/Flashlights
- Portable Chairs and Table
- Camping Lights/Headlamps
- First Aid Kit
4×4 camper vehicle rental price
Prices Include: Rooftop Tent | Camping Gear | Spare Tire | 24/7 Road Side Assistance | Vehicle Replacement