The cost of 10-Day Maasai Mara and Rwanda Gorillas Safari

Are you planning a safari that combines the best wildlife experiences in East Africa? This 10-day journey brings together two of the most famous travel destinations on the continent. You will explore the vast savanna of the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the misty forests of Volcanoes and Nyungwe National Parks in Rwanda. You will see amazing animals like rhinos, lions, cheetahs, buffaloes and elephants in Kenya before flying over to Rwanda to stand just meters away from the rare mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.

If you travel between the months of July and October, you have a very high opportunity to witness the great wildebeest migration. This is the moment when millions of wildebeests and zebras cross the dangerous Mara River while giant crocodiles wait for them. This spectacular wildlife event is one of the natural wonders of the world, and it takes place right in front of your safari vehicle.

What Is the Total Cost of this Safari?

The cost for this private adventure is $6,650 per person when two adults travel together and share mid-range accommodations. If you travel with a larger private group of family or friends, the cost per person reduces.

What Is Included in the Tour Price?

Your safari package covers almost every major operational expense to ensure a seamless journey across Kenya and Rwanda.

• Round-trip private road transport using a customized 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof.
• Scheduled flight from Nairobi to Kigali.
• Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking Permits
• Canopy Walk in Nyungwe
• Accommodation (9 Days) and Meals (10 Days)
• Boat excursion on Lake Naivasha and a walking safari at Crescent Island.
• Optional Kigali City Tour – featuring Kigali Genocide Memorial.

What Is Excluded from the Tour Price?

Certain personal expenses and optional activities are not part of the standard package price. You should budget separately for the following items:

• International flights to East Africa and back to your home country are your responsibility. You will pay for Kenyan electronic travel authorization charges.
• Optional hot air balloon safari in the Maasai Mara costs an extra $490 per person. This premium option includes an early morning camp pickup, a one-hour flight, and a champagne bush breakfast.
• Cultural Visits: Adding a Maasai cultural village visit or the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Experience costs $40 per person for each activity.
• Drinks and Tips: Your bill excludes premium drinks like alcohol, sodas, and specialty coffee unless a specific lodge offers them for free. Tips for drivers, boat captains, and lodge staff are voluntary and paid directly by you.
• Insurance Coverage: Medical insurance, baggage protection and have to be arranged independently before you depart.

Where Will You Stay During the Trip?

We select comfortable mid-range properties that offer excellent service, clean rooms, private bathrooms and local hospitality close to the wildlife action.

• Lake Naivasha National Park: Avian Court Hotel
• Lake Nakuru National Park: Sarova Woodlands
• Maasai Mara National Reserve: Sentrim Mara Lodge
• Kigali City: Onomo Hotel
• Nyungwe Forest National Park: Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel
• Volcanoes National Park: Ingagi Lodge

What Will do on each day?

Day 1: Nairobi to Lake Naivasha

Your adventure begins at 08:00 AM with a pickup from your hotel in Nairobi. You will leave the busy capital city behind and enjoy a scenic drive down the dramatic escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Stunning views of the valley floor open up as the vehicle descends along the winding roads. You will arrive at Lake Naivasha in time to check-in into your lodge and enjoy a fresh lunch at the Avian Court Hotel.

The afternoon hours bring a change of pace as you head out for a tranquil boat excursion on the freshwater lake. This boat ride gets you up close to large pods of snorting hippos and a vibrant array of African waterfowl. Your boat captain will drop you off at the shores of the Crescent Island Game Sanctuary for an intimate nature walk. A local guide leads you on foot alongside giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, and impalas. Because predators do not live on this island, you can safely walk right next to these wild animals. You will return to the hotel at sunset for a warm dinner and a restful overnight stay.

Day 2: Lake Naivasha to Lake Nakuru National Park

A relaxed morning breakfast prepares you for a short drive further into the heart of the Great Rift Valley. You will travel past local farming communities to reach Lake Nakuru National Park, an area famous for its birdlife and rhino sanctuary. The drive takes you through changing landscapes before you arrive at the Sarova Woodlands hotel. You can settle into your room, unpack your bags and eat a fresh lunch.

At 03:30 PM, you will head out into the park for an afternoon game drive along the shores of the alkaline lake. Thousands of flamingos sometimes turn the shoreline pink, creating an incredible sight for photography. Your guide will search the acacia woodlands to spot endangered black and white rhinos grazing in the brush. Rothschild’s giraffes stand tall against the trees, while elusive leopards often rest on branches. You will return to the hotel as darkness falls to enjoy your dinner and spend the night.

Day 3: Lake Nakuru to Maasai Mara National Reserve

You will eat an early breakfast before departing Lake Nakuru for an overland journey across the floor of the Rift Valley. This drive takes you through bustling rural towns and vast agricultural landscapes as you head toward Kenya’s premier wildlife destination. The roads turn to dirt as you approach the vast savannas of the Mara region. You will arrive at Sentrim Mara Lodge in time to check into your canvas tented room and enjoy a hot lunch.

At 03:30 PM, the guide takes you out for your first official game drive across the world-famous reserve. Endless rolling plains stretch out to the horizon in every direction. This evening drive gives you a perfect chance to search for the legendary Big Five animals. Lions sleep in the shade, elephants march in family groups, and cape buffaloes stare from the tall grass. You will return to the lodge before dark to gather around the campfire, share stories, and eat dinner.

Day 4: Full Day Game Drive in the Maasai Mara

This entire day is dedicated to exploring the vast expanse of the reserve to maximize your wildlife viewing opportunities. You will set out as early as 6:30am after a warm breakfast to catch active predators while the morning air remains cool. Big cats like cheetahs, leopards, and lions prefer hunting before the midday sun becomes too hot. You will track massive herds of zebras, wildebeest, giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, hyenas and gazelles moving across the plains.

At midday, your safari guide will find a designated safe site under a classic acacia tree to set up a scenic picnic lunch. Eating outdoors allows you to stay deep in the bush without disrupting your wildlife viewing to drive back to the lodge. The afternoon hours bring further exploration of different riverine and savanna habitats within the reserve. You will watch hippos splash and crocodiles bask along the banks of the Mara River. As the sun sets, you will return to your lodge for a relaxed evening, a delicious dinner, and sleep.

Day 5: Maasai Mara to Nairobi and Fly to Kigali

You will enjoy a final relaxed morning in the heart of the African bush. A leisurely breakfast at the camp allows you to soak in the sights and sounds of the surrounding wilderness one last time. You will check out of Sentrim Mara Lodge and begin your drive back to the capital city. The journey takes you up the Rift Valley escarpment, arriving back in Nairobi around 02:30 PM.

Your driver will drop you off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your scheduled regional flight to Rwanda. This international flight takes you across the border to Kigali International Airport. Upon arrival in the clean capital city of Rwanda, a local representative will assist you. You will transfer to the Onomo Hotel to check in, eat dinner, and rest up for the second leg of your safari.

Day 6: Drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park

Your guide from Iconic Africa Safaris will meet at your hotel in Kigali and make you comfortable in 4×4 Land Cruiser. After breakfast, you will drive across Rwanda’s beautiful southern highlands, passing through rolling hills, valleys and terraced farmlands – a journey of about 6 – 7 hours. On arrival at Nyungwe, you will check into your lodge. In the late afternoon, you may choose to relax at the lodge or take a short-guided visit to the surrounding tea plantations, where you can walk through endless rows of lush green tea bushes and learn how tea is grown and harvested.

Day 7: Chimpanzee Trekking and Canopy Walk

You will wake up early between 5:30 – 6:30am and get ready for the breakfast before heading to park headquarters for a 7:30am briefing. During this briefing, rangers take you through the rules and regulations for chimpanzee trekking as well as dividing the trekkers into small groups to keep the experience intimate. At 8:00am, you will join rangers and enter Africa’s oldest mountain rainforest in search of habituated chimpanzees. The trek can last 1 – 4 hours. Once found, you will watch these fascinating animals swing through the treetops, call loudly to each other, groom, feed and play – all within close range. You will have exactly 1 hour with them. After returning from the forest, you will head back to your lodge for lunch and rest.

In the late afternoon, you will enjoy the famous canopy walk, where a suspended bridge takes you high above the forest floor. You are likely to see black-and-white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys and owl-faced monkeys. Birds like the great blue turaco and Rwenzori turaco are commonly spotted here.

Day 8: Drive to Volcanoes National Park via Lake Kivu

After breakfast, you will leave Nyungwe and begin the 6 – 7 hour drive to Volcanoes, with a scenic stop at Lake Kivu for lunch and a short walk along the shore of one of Africa’s largest and most beautiful lakes. Afterwards you will continue with your journey and arrive at Volcanoes in the evening, check into your lodge for overnight rest.

Day 9: Gorilla Trekking and Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village

This is the day most travelers are ever waiting for – probably the highlight of your adventure in Rwanda. You will wake up between 5:30 – 6:30am for breakfast, then head to Kinigi headquarters for a 7:30am briefing. During briefing, trekkers are taken through the gorilla trekking rules and regulations. Trekkers are also divided into groups of eight people per gorilla family. At around 8:00am, ranger guides will lead you into the bamboo-covered slopes of the Virunga Mountains. The hike can last 1 – 5 hours depending on the movements of the gorilla family you have been assigned. Once found, you spend 1 full unforgettable hour observing a gorilla family – watching silverbacks beat their chests to show strength, mothers nurse their babies, and young ones tumble and play in the vegetation.

In the afternoon, you will visit Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village, where local communities will welcome you with traditional drumming, dancing, storytelling and craft demonstrations that bring Rwanda’s rich heritage to life.

Day 10: Drive Back to Kigali for Departure

After breakfast, you will make the 2 – 3 hour drive back to Kigali. During your city tour, you will visit Kigali Genocide Memorial to pay your respects and reflect on Rwanda’s painful history and remarkable recovery of 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. Afterwards, if time allows you can also visit Kimironko Market, a vibrant local market where you can browse and buy handmade crafts, colourful fabrics, jewellery, and souvenirs to take home before your departure.

How Can You Book This Adventure?

Booking this safari is simple, and a travel consultant will respond to your request within twelve hours. You can choose from three different communication channels to start planning your trip:

• Email: This option works best for travelers who want to write out specific requests. You can send your preferred travel dates, group size, and dietary needs to info@iconicafricasafaris.com.
• WhatsApp: This channel offers the fastest route for quick questions. You can message our team directly at +256767585369 or click the green icon on the bottom right corner of your screen.
• Booking Form: An online form is available right below this post. Our team will follow up with a detailed quote as soon as you submit your details through the portal.

Whichever method you choose, our team will walk you through permit availability and secure your dates. Because mountain gorilla and chimpanzee permits are strictly limited and sell out months in advance, reaching out early gives you the strongest chance to lock in your preferred trekking date.