This is the journey most first-time East Africa visitors dream of. And the one Edgar is most frequently asked to design. Gorillas first, savannah second — the logic is deliberate.
You begin in the dense, misty Afromontane rainforest of Rwanda's Virunga volcanoes, where the encounter with mountain gorillas is unlike anything else on earth. Then you emerge into the open golden plains of the Masai Mara — a landscape so different from what preceded it that the contrast becomes part of the experience itself. Ten days. Two countries. One operator with genuine expertise across both borders.
Arrival in Kigali. Optional city orientation. Briefing dinner.
Transfer northwest to the park buffer zone. Virunga views. Lodge dinner and ranger briefing.
5:30am departure. One hour with a habituated gorilla family. Return by afternoon.
Morning golden monkey trek. Transfer to Kigali for the Nairobi flight.
Flight to Nairobi. Connect to Wilson Airport. Domestic flight to the Mara. First game drive. Sundowner.
Pre-dawn big cat drive. Mara Triangle. River drive afternoon. Crocodile, hippo, wildebeest crossing (Jul–Oct).
Private conservancy. Walking safari option. Maasai cultural visit. Evening campfire.
Two full drives. Balloon safari option at dawn. Cheetah and elephant focus. Farewell dinner in camp.
Morning fly-out. Optional: Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi National Park. City dinner.
Transfer to JKIA for your homeward flight.