Kenya to Uganda Overland Safari with Participation Camping
- Tour code
KENUGAADV01
- Start
Nairobi
- End
Nairobi
- Min. age
16 years old
- Group size
Max 6-16 travellers
- Trip style
Classic
- Trip pace
Challenging
- Language
English
This is a true overland journey. You travel in a sturdy overland vehicle and camp along the way, which keeps you close to the landscapes you've come to see, and over fifteen days the road runs from Nairobi across western Kenya and into Uganda, then loops back.
It opens in Kenya with game drives in the Masai Mara and at Lake Nakuru, known for its birdlife and rhinos, before the border crossing to Kampala. Uganda brings the big encounters: a trek into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to find endangered mountain gorillas, and an early chimpanzee tracking walk in Kalinzu Forest, followed by a tea plantation visit and a stop at Lake Mburo.
Free days at Lake Bunyonyi and in Jinja leave room to canoe, hike or try optional rafting on the Nile before the long road back to Nairobi. Two lunches on the road are at community-supporting cafés, one in Kenya and one in Uganda.
This is participation camping: after the first night in a Nairobi hotel and two nights in a permanent tented camp in the Mara, the group pitches in with setting up camp and helping around the site. Days on the road can be long, and the reward is waking up beside a lake or on the edge of a national park rather than in a city.
Why This Journey
Gorillas in Bwindi and chimpanzees in Kalinzu are two of the most sought-after wildlife encounters in Africa, and both depend on permits, rangers and timing that are hard to arrange on your own. Here they sit inside a single route that also takes in the Mara and Lake Nakuru, so one trip covers savanna, rift valley lakes and montane rainforest.
It suits travelers who are comfortable with early starts, long drives and simple camp life, and who would rather share the work and the campfire with a small group than watch East Africa through a hotel window. You come home having crossed two countries by road, with a clear sense of how the landscapes and communities change from one side of the border to the other.
Where You'll Stay
Nairobi (1 night, Day 1): Sarova Stanley, in the city centre. Proposed accommodation (or similar), subject to confirmation. Masai Mara (2 nights): a permanent tented camp. The remaining 11 nights are participation camping at campsites around Lake Nakuru, Eldoret, Kampala, Lake Bunyonyi, Kalinzu Forest, Lake Mburo and Jinja.
Getting There
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travelers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Fly into Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in Nairobi; the trip ends in Nairobi on Day 15. Arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
What you will see and do
Look for the Big Five on game drives in the Masai Mara
Trek through Bwindi's rainforest to meet endangered mountain gorillas
Track chimpanzees in Kalinzu Forest and cross East Africa by overland vehicle
What's included
All activities mentioned on the itinerary
Accommodations in double rooms
Experienced Soca Islands Host with you throughout the trip
One farewell group activity when possible
Arrival and departure airport transfers
Group transportation
What's excluded
- International flights (travelers arrange their own)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Meals not included in the trip's meal plan (13 breakfasts, 11 lunches, 10 dinners)
- Optional activities, such as rafting on the Nile, mountain biking or the Lake Mburo boat cruise and walk
- Single room supplement (single rooms on request, subject to availability)
- Accommodation in Nairobi after the trip ends on Day 15
- Extra hotel nights before or after the trip
Group itinerary
Arrive in Nairobi whenever suits you and transfer to the hotel to check in. If you land early, the afternoon is free to rest after the flight or take a first look around the city centre.
Your first group moment is an evening briefing with your guide and the other travelers, covering the route, the camping set-up and what to expect on the road. Afterward, stay on for an optional dinner together at the hotel if you'd like to get to know everyone straight away.
The drive west crosses the Great Rift Valley, with wide views over the valley floor on the way down.
You'll reach the Masai Mara Reserve in time for an afternoon game drive, your first look at one of the continent's great wildlife areas, before settling in at the camp.
A whole day for the Mara. Game drives across the open grassland give you chances at the Big Five, along with the plains game, hyenas and birds of prey that make the reserve so rewarding to explore.
The afternoon is for taking it easy back at camp, sorting photos or simply watching the light change over the savanna.
Leave the Mara and rejoin the overland vehicle. Lunch is a farm-to-table meal at a café supporting its community, a chance to eat food grown nearby and see how the project works.
Then it's on to Lake Nakuru, where the national park is yours for an afternoon drive. Tonight is the first night of participation camping, so expect to help set up.
An early drive around Lake Nakuru, famous for its birds and its rhinos, starts the day while the animals are most active.
Then the road runs through the Kenyan countryside, past farms and small market towns, to Eldoret in the western highlands.
Today brings the Uganda border. Crossing by road takes time, so keep your passport and visa paperwork to hand and expect some waiting.
On the far side, the drive continues to Kampala, the capital, arriving late in the afternoon with the evening free to settle in.
Heading south, you cross the Equator, a natural stop for a photo, and climb into the hills of southwestern Uganda.
You arrive at Lake Bunyonyi, a calm lake ringed by terraced hills and scattered with islands. Use the time to relax, look around or go for a swim. This is home for the next three nights.
The day many travelers wait years for. With experienced rangers, you'll trek into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, working through thick rainforest to find the endangered mountain gorillas that live there.
Trekking times vary with where the gorilla family is that day, and the terrain can be steep and muddy, so good footwear and rain gear matter. Once the group finds them, the time spent watching the gorillas is closely managed by the rangers. Return to Lake Bunyonyi afterward.
A free day on the lake. Paddle a canoe between the islands, hike the hillsides, go birding or just sit by the water after yesterday's trek.
Meet the group again in the evening to swap stories from the day.
Head north through rural Uganda, past banana plantations and small villages, to the Kalinzu Forest Reserve.
The afternoon is free to enjoy the surroundings and rest up for tomorrow's early start.
Set off early to track chimpanzees in Kalinzu Forest with a guide. Chimps move fast through the canopy, so you'll often hear them before you see them.
Afterward, visit a tea plantation to see how the leaf is grown and picked, then continue to Lake Mburo, a national park that offers an optional boat cruise or a walk on foot.
Cross the Equator again, stopping on the way to eat lunch at another café that supports its local community.
You'll reach Jinja, known as Uganda's adventure capital and sitting where the Nile leaves Lake Victoria, in the evening.
A free day with plenty of options. Raft the Nile's white water, ride a mountain bike, or keep it low-key and enjoy the town and the riverbank (activities are optional and at your own cost).
In the evening the group comes back together for the last nights of the journey.
The border crossing takes you back into Kenya for a long, scenic drive west to east.
Tonight's campsite is close to Eldoret; arrive in the evening and unwind beneath the stars on the last night of camping.
The last stretch runs through Kenya's countryside and back down past the Rift Valley to Nairobi, where the trip ends on arrival.
Arrival times in Nairobi depend on the road, so we recommend booking your flight home for the following day or adding a night in Nairobi.
Accommodations
Here's a glimpse of the hotels we selected for this adventure.
Sarova Stanley
Nairobi's oldest hotel, opened in 1902, on the corner of Kenyatta Avenue and Kimathi Street in the city centre. Its Thorn Tree Café, long a meeting point for travellers crossing East Africa, is where Ernest Hemingway once wrote.
It works well as a starting point for an overland journey: rooms are well equipped, there are meeting rooms for a group briefing, and the central location makes it easy to find for arrivals at different times.
Rooms are 23–39 m² (248–420 ft²), with twin or double beds.
Hotel websiteRooms
You'll stay at Trip Hotel.
- Included
Shared double
Shared with the person you book with, or a fellow traveller of the same sex.
- +$1,518 per person
Single room
A room to yourself, subject to availability.
Room prices are per person for the May 7, 2027 departure and can differ on other dates. You choose your room when you book.
Tour FAQS
Fly into and out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi (NBO). The trip starts and ends in Nairobi.
Proposed accommodation for the first night in Nairobi is Sarova Stanley (or a similar hotel), subject to confirmation. You then spend 2 nights in a permanent tented camp in the Masai Mara and 11 nights participation camping, where everyone helps set up camp.
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travelers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
Yes. Arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
13 breakfasts, 11 lunches and 10 dinners are included, including lunch at two community-supporting cafés on Days 4 and 12. Other meals, and any meals during free time, are at your own cost.
Extra nights can be requested, subject to hotel availability; contact our Customer Experience team for a quote.
There are no scheduled activities on the final day, so feel free to book your departure at your own convenience.
We recommend arriving before 3 pm on Day 1 to make it in time for the welcome event. But don’t worry no matter when you land, we’ll have an airport transfer ready for you.
Please Refer to your government’s travel advice or consult your local consulate. Remember, passport and visa requirements can change, so make sure to stay updated.
Excluding alcohol, we suggest budgeting around USD $40.00 per day for extras.
While we’re not medical professionals, we want to help you prepare for a safe and healthy adventure. Here are some tips:
- Consult with a healthcare professional: Schedule an appointment with your travel nurse or doctor at least eight weeks before your adventure to get any necessary vaccines or medications.
- Up-to-date medical advice:
- US residents: Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- UK residents: Visit the NHS Fit For Travel website.
- Australian residents: Refer to the Smart Traveler Health website.
3. Government travel advice:
- US residents: Consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
- UK residents: Check the FCDO Travel Advice.
- Australian residents: Visit the Smart Traveler website.
4. Medication tips: If you take prescription medication, bring enough to last the entire trip, plus a few extra days in case of delays. Carry a copy of your prescription in case you need to visit a clinic abroad.
We hope this helps you prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Please keep in mind that our itinerary, activities, and hotels might change. These adjustments could happen with little notice due to factors like availability, weather conditions, seasonal shifts, or other circumstances beyond our control. Rest assured, we always aim to minimise any impact on your experience. Occasionally, we may tweak the itinerary to try out fresh ideas and keep the adventure exciting.
We believe solo travelers shouldn’t have to pay extra to explore the world. That’s why our group trips are designed around shared accommodation and do not include a single supplement. Solo travelers joining our group trips are paired in twin or multi-share rooms with another traveler of the same sex for the duration of the trip.
Some of our Independent trips are structured differently. For these itineraries, solo travelers will need to book at the single occupancy rate.
Tips are not included in the cost of this tour. Remember, tipping is entirely at your discretion and based on what you feel comfortable with.
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