This 12-day Uganda, Kenya & Tanzania safari combines three countries in one permit-led route: mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi rainforest, big-cat country in Kenya’s Masai Mara, and the plains of the Serengeti with the Ngorongoro Crater to finish. It is a long, demanding trip that needs the full twelve days, and it suits travellers who want breadth more than depth: three very different East African landscapes in a single itinerary. If you would rather settle into one country and explore it slowly, our Uganda-only and two-country safaris may suit you better, and we will say so plainly when you enquire.
Safari Highlights
- Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with the permit secured first
- Game drives across the open plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya
- Two full days in the Serengeti, explored at different times of day
- A game drive on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater
- Private guiding throughout, with the two border crossings handled by scheduled flights and short road transfers
Why Three Countries in One Safari
Each country contributes something the others cannot:
- Uganda: the gorillas. Trekking to a mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the anchor the whole route is built around, and the reason this safari starts here.
- Kenya: the classic savannah. The Masai Mara’s open plains support lions, cheetahs, elephants and abundant plains game and, depending on the season, parts of the wildebeest migration.
- Tanzania: scale and the crater. Two full days across the Serengeti, then a game drive on the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.
We will be straightforward with you: this is one of the most demanding itineraries in our East Africa range. It involves two border crossings, several flights of different kinds, park fees in three countries, and considerably more time in transit than a single-country safari. Days 1, 4, 7 and 12 are largely travel days. It suits travellers who are comfortable with light aircraft and long transfer days and who want to combine gorillas with classic savannah.
If you would rather spend more time in fewer places, our 11-day Uganda and Tanzania safari covers gorillas and the Serengeti with one fewer border crossing, and our guide to how many days to spend in Uganda sets out Uganda-only options with no crossings at all.
How the Route Works
The safari starts at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda and ends at Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. It uses three kinds of flight:
- Domestic flights within Uganda: a scheduled light-aircraft flight from Entebbe to Kisoro for Bwindi, and back again after the trek.
- A regional international flight: Entebbe to Nairobi, followed by a night in Nairobi.
- Light-aircraft (bush) flights: Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to the Masai Mara and, when the seasonal cross-border connection is operating, from the Masai Mara towards the Serengeti.
The most efficient way from the Masai Mara to the Serengeti is a cross-border connection that operates seasonally, combining light-aircraft flights with a short road crossing at the Kenya–Tanzania border. It can require a minimum number of passengers. Health and entry-document requirements for the cross-border connection are confirmed for your nationality and routing before travel. Outside its operating period, or if it is not running on your dates, the route changes to run via Nairobi and northern Tanzania, which can add an overnight stop and may reduce your time in the Serengeti. We tell you which applies before you book.
Exact routing, airlines, schedules and luggage allowances on every sector are confirmed for your actual dates at the time of booking and can change. Baggage limits on light aircraft are strict, and we confirm the exact limit that applies to your flights before you finalise packing. If you would rather start in Kigali, our comparison of trekking from Kigali versus Entebbe explains how that can reshape the Uganda days.
Start With the Gorilla Permit
The Uganda gorilla permit is the fixed point the entire trip is built around. Permits are issued for a specific trekking date and a specific sector of Bwindi, and they cannot be freely moved once confirmed, so availability for your preferred dates determines everything else. Before we confirm lodges or flights, we check permit availability for your travel window and secure the trekking date first. Only then do we build the rest of the route around it.
The standard foreign non-resident gorilla permit is US$800 per person, set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Government tariffs can change, so we confirm the current rate when we quote. For detail on what trekking involves, read our gorilla trekking guide, our Bwindi destination page and how hard gorilla trekking really is.
Visas and Entry Requirements
Entry requirements depend on your nationality. The East African Tourist Visa covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda; it does not cover Tanzania. Kenya operates an Electronic Travel Authorisation system, with exemptions for some travellers, while Tanzania has separate entry requirements. Check the official immigration authority for each country for the requirements applying to your passport before travel.
Orugano Safaris does not provide immigration advice. As your tour operator we will flag what needs arranging for this route, but the final check of your entry documents is yours.
Day by Day
All drive and flight times are estimates, confirmed at the time of booking; road conditions, weather and flight schedules can change them.
Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe
Your guide meets you at Entebbe International Airport and takes you to your hotel near Lake Victoria.
Overnight: Entebbe
Day 2: Fly to Kisoro and transfer to Bwindi
Take the morning scheduled domestic flight from Entebbe to Kisoro in south-western Uganda, then continue by road to your lodge near your trekking sector. The afternoon is yours to settle in.
Overnight: Bwindi (Orugano Bwindi Lodge for Nkuringo permits)
Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
After breakfast you head to the Uganda Wildlife Authority briefing point for your sector’s morning briefing. The time needed to locate the gorillas varies because the families move through the forest. The walk can be relatively short or extend for several hours, over steep and sometimes muddy terrain. Once the gorillas are located, standard trekking permits allow up to one hour with the habituated family, subject to your ranger’s instructions. Porters are available to carry day packs and help on steep sections. Gorilla sightings are not guaranteed.
Overnight: Bwindi
Day 4: Kisoro to Entebbe, then fly to Nairobi
Take the scheduled domestic flight from Kisoro back to Entebbe, then a regional flight to Nairobi. Where the flight schedules for your dates leave too little time between the two, we plan a night in Entebbe instead and fly to Nairobi early on Day 5, and we confirm which applies before you book.
Overnight: Nairobi
Day 5: Fly to the Masai Mara
A morning light-aircraft flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport takes you to the Masai Mara, with your first game drive that afternoon.
Overnight: Masai Mara
Day 6: Masai Mara
A full day of game drives, usually in the early morning and late afternoon when wildlife is most active. Expect big cats, elephants, giraffes and plains game across open country; depending on the time of year, parts of the wildebeest migration may be in the Mara.
Overnight: Masai Mara
Day 7: Masai Mara to the Serengeti
When the seasonal cross-border connection is operating, you travel from the Mara into the Serengeti by light aircraft, with a short road crossing at the Kenya–Tanzania border. Outside its operating period the route runs via Nairobi and northern Tanzania, usually with an overnight stop, and you continue into the Serengeti on Day 8. Exact routing and schedules are confirmed at booking.
Overnight: Serengeti (or northern Tanzania when the route runs via Nairobi)
Days 8–9: Serengeti National Park
Game drives at different times of day across different areas of the park. The Serengeti’s scale is the point: you explore separate areas rather than repeating the same tracks. We choose the area and your camp according to the season and your routing, rather than promising a particular moment of the migration.
Overnight: Serengeti
Day 10: Serengeti to the Ngorongoro highlands
A final morning in the Serengeti, then the drive into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area with game viewing on the way.
Overnight: Ngorongoro highlands
Day 11: Ngorongoro Crater
Descend to the crater floor for a game drive among its grassland, swamps and lake. Elephant, buffalo, lion, hippo and plains game live here, and it is one of the places where black rhino may be seen. Time on the crater floor is regulated by the conservation area.
Overnight: Ngorongoro highlands
Day 12: Departure
After breakfast you drive through Arusha to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your international departure. We time the transfer against your flight schedule.
What Shapes the Price
We do not publish a package price for this safari. Each quotation is built around your dates and choices, and the total depends mainly on:
- Gorilla permit date and availability: US$800 per person at the standard foreign non-resident rate set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Government tariffs can change, and we confirm the current rate when we quote. Your permit date sets the travel window for the whole trip.
- Season: camp and lodge rates are higher in peak months, and the Mara–Serengeti cross-border connection operates seasonally.
- Confirmed flight routing: the domestic, regional and light-aircraft flights for your dates.
- Accommodation level: in Bwindi, the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro highlands, from comfortable mid-range camps to high-end lodges.
- Park and conservation fees in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.
- Group size: vehicle and guiding costs are shared, so the cost per person falls as the group grows.
- Vehicle and guiding requirements in each country.
Prices are based on current park fees, permit costs and accommodation rates. They may change if government permit fees or supplier rates are revised. Contact us for a personalised quotation and live permit availability.
What’s included
- One Uganda gorilla trekking permit per person
- Park entrance and conservation fees for the parks and conservation areas in your itinerary
- Game drives and activities described in your itinerary
- Professional guides and driver-guides in each country
- Accommodation as confirmed in your itinerary
- Road transfers and ground transport described in your itinerary
- Meals as specified in your itinerary
- Drinking water during activities
Domestic, regional and bush flights are included only where specified in your confirmed itinerary and quotation.
What’s not included
- International flights to Uganda and home from Tanzania, unless explicitly arranged
- Any flight not specified in your confirmed itinerary and quotation
- Visa and entry costs for Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania
- Travel insurance
- Drinks, tips and personal expenses
- Optional activities not listed in your itinerary, such as hot-air balloon safaris
Accommodation is based on carefully selected lodges of the stated standard. Specific properties may vary depending on availability, but any substitutions will be of an equivalent or higher category unless agreed otherwise.
Who This Safari Is Ideal For
- Travellers who want the breadth of East Africa (gorillas, savannah and the crater) in one trip
- Wildlife and nature lovers with the fitness and patience for long transfer days
- Couples and small groups travelling privately; a minimum age applies to gorilla trekking
- Travellers comfortable with light aircraft and moving between countries
- If you would rather spend more time in fewer places, our shorter or two-country itineraries will suit you better, and we will recommend one when you enquire
When to Travel
The region has two main dry periods, roughly June to October and December to February. These suit both gorilla trekking and classic game viewing: trails are firmer, grass is shorter and wildlife concentrates around water. The wetter months bring fewer vehicles, greener scenery and strong birding, but muddier trekking trails and thicker grass for game viewing. Because the Mara–Serengeti connection is seasonal, your travel dates can also change the routing between Kenya and Tanzania; we confirm it when we quote.
On the wildebeest migration, we would rather be honest than precise: the herds’ timing and location vary from year to year, and the Mara River crossings cannot be pinned to a calendar date. If a crossing is your priority, plan with us and we will tell you which months give the best chance.
Comfort, Guiding and Logistics Across Three Countries
In Uganda, if you are trekking from the Nkuringo sector of southern Bwindi, we recommend our own Orugano Bwindi Lodge, a boutique lodge about a 10–15-minute walk from the Nkuringo gorilla trekking briefing point. We recommend it specifically for Nkuringo trekkers rather than as a base for every Bwindi sector; where another sector suits your permit, we match you to a lodge near that trailhead instead. Our guide to where to stay in Bwindi explains how the four sectors differ.
Orugano Safaris and Orugano Bwindi Lodge are under common ownership. That means your accommodation, permits, transfers and trekking logistics in Uganda can be coordinated directly by one team.
Orugano Safaris coordinates the full itinerary. In Kenya and Tanzania, the guiding, vehicles and ground services are delivered by trusted local partners and licensed guides; we would rather tell you that plainly than blur it.
How This Compares With Our Other Safaris
- 11-Day Gorillas, Ngorongoro & Serengeti Safari: the two-country alternative, Uganda and Tanzania only, with one fewer border crossing. If Kenya is a nice-to-have rather than a must, this is usually the calmer trip.
- 12-Day Ultimate Uganda Wildlife, Primate & Nature Safari: a Uganda-only product. It shares the number of days, not the shape of the trip: no border crossings, and all twelve days within Uganda.
- If your heart is set on Kenya, run this route as designed, or ask us about adding Kenya as an extension to a Uganda trip rather than compressing either country.
Browse all of our East Africa safaris, or talk to us about adjusting this route.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need separate visas for Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania?
Entry requirements depend on your nationality. The East African Tourist Visa covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda; it does not cover Tanzania. Kenya operates an Electronic Travel Authorisation system, with exemptions for some travellers, while Tanzania has separate entry requirements. Check the official immigration authority for each country before travel. Orugano Safaris does not provide immigration advice.
How fit do I need to be for the gorilla trek?
The time needed to locate the gorillas varies because the families move through the forest. The walk can be relatively short or extend for several hours, over steep and sometimes muddy terrain. Porters are available, and your guide sets the pace. Tell us about any mobility concerns when you enquire.
Are gorilla sightings guaranteed?
No. Gorilla sightings are never guaranteed. Trackers locate the habituated families ahead of the trekking groups, which makes an encounter likely, but the gorillas are wild and move freely through the forest.
Is this trip too rushed?
It is an ambitious itinerary, and we say so. Twelve days work if you accept that Days 1, 4, 7 and 12 are largely travel days and that you will be moving between countries rather than settling in one place. If you prefer a slower pace, we can drop Kenya and run the 11-day Uganda and Tanzania version, or add days.
What is the best time to travel?
The drier months, roughly June to October and December to February, suit trekking and game viewing best. The wetter months bring fewer vehicles and greener scenery, but muddier trails. Because the Mara–Serengeti connection is seasonal, your dates can also change the routing between Kenya and Tanzania.
Can this safari be done privately?
Yes. This safari runs privately as standard, with routing confirmed around your gorilla permit date. Small groups travelling together are welcome, and we adjust the pacing to your group.
Start Planning Your Safari
Send us your travel dates, arrival airport, group size and preferred comfort level. We will then:
- check gorilla permit availability for your dates;
- verify the flight routing between the three countries for those dates;
- build your final route;
- send your quotation with a clear breakdown.
Booked guests have an emergency contact while travelling with us. Start planning your safari with us.
Related Safari Ideas
- 5-Day Golden Monkey & Gorilla Safari: gorillas plus golden monkeys in a short format.
- 4-Day Bwindi Gorilla & Batwa Safari: gorilla trekking combined with a Batwa cultural experience.
- 3-Day Bwindi Gorilla Safari: a short gorilla-focused option from Entebbe.
- 6-Day Uganda Gorilla Habituation Safari: for trekkers who want longer with a gorilla family in the process of habituation.