Self-Launched Grand East African Safari: Gorillas, Masai Mara & the Serengeti

Land at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) and take a cheap boda-boda or shared taxi into town. Settle into a lakeside guesthouse, sort a Ugandan SIM card with data at the airport (MTN or Airtel, ~£5 for 10GB), withdraw Ugandan shillings, and confirm your gorilla permit booking with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Spend the afternoon at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (~£6) or wandering the Botanical Gardens on the lake shore. Book a morning bus ticket to Kabale/Kisoro for tomorrow.

🚌Boda-boda or shared taxi from EBB airport to town (~£2-3)

🛏Lakeside guesthouse or hostel dorm in Entebbe (£12-18)

• →Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (self-booked entry)
• →Lake Victoria Botanical Gardens walk
• →Buy Ugandan SIM card and withdraw cash
• →Confirm gorilla permit via UWA

An early start: take the bus or shared 9-seater 'matatu' from Entebbe/Kampala to Kabale (~8-9 hours, ~£10-12), then a shared taxi or boda-boda on to Buhoma or Rushaga at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Alternatively, book a seat on a Kampala–Kisoro minibus and hop off at Butogota. This is a full transit day — arrive, have a briefing-style orientation from your guesthouse on tomorrow's trek, rent gaiters and a walking stick (~£3), and get an early night.

🚌Bus/shared minibus Entebbe–Kabale (~£10-12) + shared taxi to Buhoma (~£4-6)

🛏Community guesthouse or budget lodge near Bwindi gate (£15-22)

• →Long-distance bus/matatu ride south through the hills
• →Rent trekking gaiters and walking stick locally
• →Guesthouse briefing on gorilla trek logistics

The highlight of the trip. Pre-book your gorilla permit directly through the Uganda Wildlife Authority (USD 800 non-resident, ~£620 — do this months ahead as permits sell out in peak season). Meet at the trailhead at 7:30am for the ranger briefing, then trek 1-6 hours through dense forest to spend one unforgettable hour with a habituated gorilla family. Hire a porter (~£10) — it supports the community and they'll carry your bag up the steep stuff. You'll get a certificate afterwards. Afternoon recovery at the guesthouse.

🚌Walk or short boda-boda to trailhead (~£2)

🛏Community guesthouse or budget lodge near Bwindi gate (£15-22)

• →Mountain gorilla trekking with UWA permit (self-booked, ~£620)
• →Porter hire and ranger-guided forest trek
• →Bwindi community craft market

Travel back to Kabale early and take a bus to Kigali, Rwanda (~4 hours, ~£6), or from Kisoro take a boda to the border and onward to Kigali. Fly Kigali (KGL) to Nairobi (NBO) — the commercial equivalent of the tour's included Kigali–Nairobi flight. Budget carriers and RwandAir run this route from around £110-160 booked in advance. In Nairobi, take the airport bus or Bolt into the city centre or Westlands. Evening at your hostel, plan your Masai Mara departure and grab a cheap nyama choma dinner.

🚌Bus Bwindi/Kabale–Kigali (~£6) + domestic/regional flight KGL–NBO (~£110-160) + Bolt into city (~£8)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Nairobi (£15-20)

• →Cross into Rwanda and transfer to Kigali airport
• →Optional Kigali Genocide Memorial visit if time allows (free)
• →Evening in Nairobi's Westlands food scene

Take a shuttle van from Nairobi to the Masai Mara (~5-6 hours, ~£25-35 one way, book through any Nairobi safari outfitter or your camp) — the standard local route leaves early morning from the city centre. Alternatively fly from Wilson Airport to a Mara airstrip (~£150) if you want to save time. Arrive at a budget tented camp or camp outside the reserve, then head out on an afternoon game drive with a shared safari vehicle, catching elephant, giraffe and lion in the golden hour.

🚌Shared shuttle van Nairobi–Mara (~£30) + shared game-drive vehicle

🛏Budget tented camp just outside the reserve (£20-30)

• →Shared shuttle Nairobi–Masai Mara
• →Afternoon game drive in Masai Mara National Reserve
• →Sunset at camp with Maasai staff

A full day of game driving in a shared 4x4 or pop-top van with other travellers (join-in safaris from Mara camps typically cost ~£60-90 per person per day including park fees of USD 100). Head to the Mara River if you're travelling July–October for the wildebeest migration and possible river crossings. Look for the Mara's famous big cat prides, cheetah and rhino. Picnic lunch in the reserve. In the evening, optionally visit a Maasai village (~£15-20, agree the price upfront).

🚌Shared game-drive vehicle (~£40-70 including park fees)

🛏Budget tented camp just outside the reserve (£20-30)

• →Full-day game drive with shared vehicle
• →Mara River migration viewing (seasonal, Jul-Oct)
• →Optional Maasai village cultural visit

Retrace your steps to the Kenya-Tanzania border at Isebania or Namanga, then onward by shared shuttle/taxi to Musoma or Bunda and up to the Serengeti's western or central gate. In practice most independent travellers book a two- or three-day join-in Serengeti/Ngorongoro safari from Arusha or Mwanza — the cheapest route is a bus from Nairobi to Arusha (~£20, 8 hours) then a shared safari departing Arusha. Budget for a 3-day/2-night join-in camping safari at roughly £350-450 per person including park fees and meals.

🚌Bus Nairobi–Arusha (~£20) or shared transfer + join-in safari vehicle

🛏Camp inside or just outside the Serengeti (included in join-in safari)

• →Border crossing Kenya–Tanzania at Namanga/Isebania
• →Bus transfer to Arusha or Mwanza
• →Join a small-group camping safari

A full day of game driving across the Serengeti plains with your small-group safari — Seronera Valley for leopard and lion, the Gol and Moro kopjes for big cats sunning on the rocks, and the Seronera River for hippo and crocodile. Picnic lunch in the park (bring your own water and snacks to keep costs down). If you're here in migration season, the herds may be in the north or west — your guide will know where to head.

🚌Join-in safari 4x4 with other travellers

🛏Camp inside or just outside the Serengeti (included in join-in safari)

• →Full-day Serengeti game drive
• →Seronera River and kopje wildlife viewing
• →Picnic lunch in the park

Drive out of the Serengeti via Nabi Hill gate and descend into the Ngorongoro Crater — the world's largest intact volcanic caldera and one of the best places in Africa to see all of the Big Five in a single day. Black rhino, lion, elephant and flamingo on Lake Magadi. The crater descent fee (USD 300 per vehicle plus USD 70 per person conservation fee) is normally bundled into your join-in safari price. Overnight at a camp on the crater rim or in Karatu.

🚌Join-in safari vehicle

🛏Budget camp or guesthouse in Karatu / crater rim (£18-28)

• →Full game drive en route via Nabi Hill gate
• →Ngorongoro Crater descent and Big Five safari
• →Viewpoint stop on the crater rim

Travel from Karatu to Arusha (~2 hours by bus, ~£5), then take the shuttle or shared taxi across the Namanga border to Nairobi or directly toward Amboseli (~£15-25). From Emali or Namanga, connect by matatu to Kimana gate and on to your camp near Amboseli. It's a long travel day — book a budget camp outside the park and arrange an afternoon game drive with your camp's shared vehicle (park fee USD 60/day). Elephants against Kilimanjaro's backdrop are the reward.

🚌Bus Karatu–Arusha (~£5) + shared shuttle to Amboseli (~£20) + matatu

🛏Budget camp or guesthouse near Amboseli gate (£20-30)

• →Local bus Karatu–Arusha and onward shuttle
• →Border crossing at Namanga
• →Afternoon game drive in Amboseli

A full day exploring Amboseli's five distinct habitats — the swamps fed by Kilimanjaro's underground streams, the dried lake bed of Lake Amboseli, open plains, woodland and scrub. Amboseli is famous for its big-tusker elephant families and for the classic photo of elephants walking beneath Mount Kilimanjaro (clearest in the early morning). Join a shared game drive or rent a spot in a camp's vehicle. Optional Maasai village visit nearby (~£15).

🚌Shared game-drive vehicle (~£40-60 including park fees)

🛏Budget camp or guesthouse near Amboseli gate (£20-30)

• →Full-day game drive across Amboseli habitats
• →Elephant and Kilimanjaro viewpoint stops
• →Optional Maasai community visit

Morning game drive or a relaxed breakfast with Kilimanjaro views, then take a matatu from Kimana/Emali to Nairobi (~4 hours, ~£6-8). If your international flight is late, spend a couple of hours at the Nairobi National Museum (~£8) or the Giraffe Centre (~£12). Head to Jomo Kenyatta International (NBO) for your onward flight. International flights are not included in either the original tour or this estimate.

🚌Matatu Emali–Nairobi (~£7)

🛏None (departure day) or one final hostel night in Nairobi (£15-20)

• →Morning game drive or camp breakfast
• →Matatu to Nairobi
• →Optional Nairobi National Museum or Giraffe Centre