Join a game drive through Nairobi National Park aboard an overland truck, watching for wildlife around waterholes with the city skyline in the distance. It is a striking contrast: protected grassland and bush so close to Kenya’s capital.

The park offers a chance to look for animals without leaving the Nairobi area, though sightings always depend on wildlife movements. This game drive is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

View Murchison Falls from above and watch the Nile surge through a narrow gorge before dropping into the river below. The viewpoints bring you close to the sound, spray and force of one of Uganda’s defining natural landmarks.

Seeing the falls from the top complements the river-level view: here, the drama lies in watching a broad current compressed into a tight passage. Bring a camera for the contrasts between rushing water, dark rock and the surrounding green landscape.

Visit a Maasai village near the Maasai Mara to meet community members and learn about their traditions. This hosted encounter offers an opportunity to hear local perspectives in a region where Maasai culture remains closely connected to the landscape.

Ask questions and learn about aspects of community life directly from your hosts, rather than relying on the safari scenery to tell the whole story. The village visit is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Trek through Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with local guides and trackers in search of a wild mountain gorilla family. Forest trails can be steep or muddy, and the length of the trek depends on where the gorillas are roaming.

Once the family is found, spend one hour observing the gorillas as they feed, rest and interact. Bwindi protects one of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla populations, making this a closely managed encounter with a remarkable and vulnerable species.

Follow local guides through Kalinzu Forest in western Uganda, listening for chimpanzee calls and watching the canopy for movement. The walk offers a chance to spot wild chimps climbing, feeding or travelling through the trees; sightings cannot be guaranteed.

This protected forest is also home to other primates and abundant birdlife. Its dense trails offer a distinctly different wildlife experience from Uganda’s open savannah parks: one shaped by rustling leaves, distant calls and careful observation.

Travel through Queen Elizabeth National Park on a wildlife drive, watching the grasslands for elephants, buffalo and antelope. Stops for sightings and photographs turn the route through the reserve into an opportunity to observe animals in their natural surroundings.

Western Uganda’s varied landscapes bring forest, crater lakes and open savannah close together. Wildlife appearances are unpredictable, but that shifting scenery makes even a transit drive rewarding for travellers keen to see the country beyond its forests.

Stand at the Equator near Kikorongo for a photograph on the line dividing the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The marked crossing offers a simple, tangible way to place Uganda’s landscapes on the map.

Kikorongo lies near Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the Equator passes through western Uganda’s wildlife country. This named landmark is a brief but distinctive stop: a chance to put one foot in each hemisphere and capture the moment.

Enter Murchison Falls National Park on a wildlife drive, scanning the landscape for giraffes, elephants, buffalo and antelope. The journey through the reserve includes opportunities to pause for animal sightings and photographs.

Uganda’s largest national park is shaped by the Nile and a mosaic of grassland and woodland. This drive offers an introduction to its wildlife-rich terrain, where the animals you encounter depend on their movements and the conditions of the day.

Search Murchison Falls National Park at sunrise for lions, elephants, giraffes and antelope while the light is soft and wildlife may be active. Keep watch for more elusive animals, including leopard, as your safari drive crosses the park’s open country.

Early morning brings cooler air and long shadows across the savannah. No particular sighting is assured, but the changing light and the chance to observe animal behaviour make this a distinctive time to explore Uganda’s largest national park.

Cruise the Nile towards the base of Murchison Falls, watching the riverbanks for hippos, crocodiles and birds. The water offers a different perspective on the national park, with wildlife often visible along the shore.

At the falls, the river is forced through a narrow gap before plunging downstream. Approaching by boat reveals the scale of the waterway and the force of the cascade, while giving you time to take in the sounds and movement of life along the Nile.

Explore Murchison Falls National Park after dark on a night game drive, looking for wildlife beyond the hours of a daytime safari. The experience offers a chance to notice different movements and sounds as the park settles into darkness.

Night drives reveal another side of the savannah, although sightings depend on wildlife activity and conditions. With attention focused on the bush rather than distant scenery, even a glimpse of movement can become a memorable moment of observation.

Track rhinos on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary with experienced rangers, approaching from a safe distance for a close view of these powerful animals. Walking through the bush makes this encounter feel very different from spotting wildlife from a vehicle.

Ziwa is central to efforts to restore rhinos in Uganda after they disappeared from the country’s wild populations. Rangers share the conservation story behind the sanctuary, adding context to the rare opportunity to see rhinos in this protected landscape.

Meet the team at Mirror of Hope during a visit to Kibera in Nairobi. Learn directly about their work supporting women and children in the community and the initiatives they have developed in response to local needs.

Kibera is a neighbourhood shaped by its residents, organisations and everyday enterprise. This hosted visit centres the perspectives of people doing the work, offering a more grounded understanding of community life than a view from the road.

Explore the Maasai Mara on a wildlife safari, scanning its grassy plains and rolling hills for lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and other animals. A picnic lunch in the reserve lets you linger in the landscape between wildlife-viewing opportunities.

The Mara is part of the wider Serengeti ecosystem and is renowned for its concentration of wildlife. At certain times of year, you may also encounter the Great Migration, though its timing and location vary with the animals’ movements and rainfall.

Raft the Nile’s white-water rapids near Jinja for an active way to experience the river. This choice suits travellers who want the rush of paddling through moving water in a town known as East Africa’s adventure hub.

Jinja sits near the source of the Nile, where the river has long drawn visitors for water-based activities. This is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour; availability and suitability may depend on local conditions and operator requirements.

Take a boat cruise to the Source of the Nile at Jinja for a gentler way to spend time on the water. Watch the river scenery from the boat and learn where the Nile begins its long journey north from Lake Victoria.

The source has drawn explorers and travellers for generations, giving this relaxed cruise a sense of geographical significance as well as riverside atmosphere. It is an optional experience at additional cost, bookable on tour, offered as an alternative to white-water rafting.

Visit the Sheldrick elephant nursery in Nairobi to watch young elephants play and bathe while hearing about their rehabilitation. The visit brings you close to the daily care behind efforts to help orphaned elephants recover.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is known for its elephant rescue and conservation work in Kenya. Seeing the nursery’s young residents offers a personal perspective on that mission. This visit is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour, subject to availability.

Head into the Maasai Mara for an additional morning game drive and another chance to watch its wildlife. Scan the plains for animals you may not have seen elsewhere, or spend more time observing a sighting that catches your attention.

Every drive through the Mara is different: light, weather and animal movements continually reshape what there is to see. This final wildlife outing is optional, at additional cost and bookable on tour.

• 10 Breakfast (B)
• 3 Lunch (L)
• 7 Dinner (D)
• 1 Picnic Lunch (PL)

• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Venture deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in search of mountain gorillas. With expert guides leading the way, you’ll trek through thick jungle before spending one incredible hour observing a gorilla family up close.
• Kalinzu Forest: Step into Kalinzu Forest with local trackers and listen out for the calls of wild chimpanzees. You’ll hike through dense jungle before watching these clever primates swing, climb and do their thing in the wild.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park: Our drive from Kalinzu Forest to our accommodation for the night means we get to do a scenic drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park. It may be a simple ride through the reserve, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to spot wildlife along the way, with stops made for animal sightings and photos as we journey through Uganda’s famous savannah landscapes.
• Queen Elizabeth National Park: Snap the classic Equator photo near Kikorongo and casually stand in two hemispheres at once.
• Murchison Falls National Park: Enter Murchison Falls National Park with a scenic transit game drive to our home for the next two nights. Keep watch for giraffes, elephants, buffalo and antelope as we roll through Uganda’s largest national park.
• Murchison Falls National Park: View the top of Murchison Falls – watch the Nile force its way through a narrow gorge before crashing below, with viewpoints that absolutely earn their place on the camera roll.
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: Follow expert rangers through Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a seriously special encounter with Uganda’s only wild rhinos. You’ll learn how these legends are being protected, then spot them in the bush from a safe distance.
• Nairobi: Meet the dedicated team and see for yourself the work being done to help the women and children who live here in the Kibera slum.
   
• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Known for its grassy plains and rolling hills, home to lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras and hippos, the Maasai Mara is a jewel in Africa’s wildlife crown, so don’t miss your chance to explore it from sunrise to the afternoon, with a picnic lunch in the wild.