About this trip
Sixteen days overland through Kenya and Uganda, camping your way between game parks and forest reserves in a purpose-built truck. The heart of it is tracking a wild gorilla family on foot through dense, muddy forest, but there is plenty of classic safari too, with game drives across savannah, lakes and woodland in search of lions, rhinos, leopards and hippos.
This is a hands-on, participatory trip. You pitch your own tent, help with camp chores, and sometimes go without facilities in the bush, alongside a knowledgeable local leader who knows where to find the wildlife.
Expect early starts, long travel days, and plans that shift with weather and roads. The gorilla trek itself is the physical high point, a strenuous few hours of climbing through humid forest before the payoff of standing near a silverback and his group.
What you'll do
- Track a habituated gorilla family on foot through Ugandan rainforest
- Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Maasai Mara Reserve
- Watch for lions, leopards, rhinos, hippos and antelope in their habitats
- Camp overland-style, pitching your own tent along the route
- Option to add a second gorilla trek where permits allow
- Gorilla trekking involves up to four hours of steep, muddy walking, so a reasonable level of fitness helps
- Participatory overland style — you help set up camp and take on chores, with basic facilities at times
- Early starts are common, either for prime wildlife viewing or to beat traffic on long drive days
Worth it if you're prepared for 5 days of heavy bus travel and can negotiate activity pricing. Think twice if you need comfort, hot water reliability, or a knowledgeable guide.
- Gorilla permits and game drives genuinely exceptional value; most felt trip was well-organised and staff like Victor, Dan, Becky were top class.
- Expect 8-10 hour bus days arriving at camp an hour before dark; 5 of 16 days spent driving, longer than itinerary states.
- Pre-booked activity pricing inconsistent and inflated; golden monkeys charged USD180 advance vs USD100 locally. Pricing varies by nationality.
- Camping facilities unreliable: sporadic hot water, non-functioning showers. Guide quality variable; some offered little country information or engagement.
Distilled from real traveller reviews on TourRadar — we don't edit out the bad bits.
The same-vibe trips, side by side — price, value per day, and how each is moving. Only we can lay two operators' trips out honestly.
Sorted by fit — never by who paid. Price moves and availability come from our own daily tracking.
Departing in Aug is cheapest — from £2,460, about 33% below the priciest month (Nov).
Getting there
Opens Trip.com, pre-filled — one-way so you can book your return whenever. Prices & booking shown there.
Where to stay
A night before your tour in Nairobi · 28 Aug – 29 Aug
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