7 Day Kenya Safari and Rwanda Gorillas

A Kenya and Rwanda safari puts the Maasai Mara’s open plains and a wild mountain gorilla family into one single trip, without needing two separate holidays months apart.

This 7 day route spends 3 days in the Mara, then flies you to Kigali for a short transfer to Volcanoes National Park and a full day of gorilla trekking, before returning home from Kigali or back through Nairobi.

We run every Kenya and Rwanda safari with a private driver guide in Kenya, a full USD 1,500 Rwanda gorilla permit arranged ahead of time, and a guide price per person confirmed in writing before any deposit.

Highlights

• 3 days of Mara game drives plus a full gorilla trekking day
• Rwanda’s USD 1,500 gorilla permit secured in advance
• A short Nairobi to Kigali flight, no long overland transfer
• Private driver guide throughout the Kenya leg of your trip
• Volcanoes National Park lodges within easy reach of the trailhead
• Every price itemised and confirmed in writing before you pay

Day by day plan

1. Day 1

   Nairobi to the Maasai Mara

   Pickup from your Nairobi hotel or the airport, driving or flying to the Mara depending on your preference. You reach camp in time for an afternoon game drive, the first leg of your Kenya and Rwanda safari.

2. Day 2 to 3

   Full days in the Mara

   Dawn and afternoon game drives across the Mara’s plains, tracking lion, elephant and, in season, the Great Migration’s river crossings. Two full days give a genuine feel for the reserve before you head to Rwanda.

3. Day 4

   Mara to Nairobi to Kigali

   A morning game drive, then the return drive or flight to Nairobi in time for your onward flight to Kigali, landing by evening and transferring to your hotel.

4. Day 5

   Kigali to Volcanoes National Park

   A scenic drive of about 2 to 3 hours north to the Volcanoes National Park area, with time to settle into your lodge and rest before an early start the next morning for gorilla trekking.

5. Day 6

   Gorilla trekking day

   An early ranger briefing, then a trek that can run from under an hour to several hours depending on where the gorilla family has moved, followed by a full hour in their presence, the highlight of your Kenya and Rwanda safari.

6. Day 7

   Return to Kigali and fly home

   A relaxed morning before the drive back to Kigali for your international flight home, closing out a trip that combined 2 completely different East African wildlife experiences in one week.

7 day Kenya and Rwanda safari, per person sharing, gorilla permit included

• Rates include the USD 1,500 Rwanda gorilla permit, the Nairobi to Kigali flight, park fees, driver guide, vehicle and full board accommodation.
• The gorilla permit is fixed per person regardless of group size, so larger groups mainly save on the Kenya leg’s vehicle and camp costs.
• Peak season, Jul to Oct and the festive period, runs about 10 to 15 percent above the rates shown.

Get my exact price on WhatsApp

How Do I Fly from Nairobi to Kigali

Several direct flights run daily between Nairobi and Kigali, typically under 2 hours in the air, making the connection between the two legs of a Kenya and Rwanda safari straightforward rather than a logistical headache.

We book this flight as part of your package and build a comfortable connection time into your Day 4 schedule, so you are never rushing between the Mara and the airport.

Should I Do the Gorillas Before or After the Mara

Most guests on a Kenya and Rwanda safari do the Mara first, since it eases you into safari life before the more physically demanding gorilla trek, which suits most travel fatigue patterns better.

Some prefer the reverse order, tackling gorilla trekking while fresh off a long haul flight and saving the more relaxed game drives for the end of the trip. Either order works, tell us your preference when booking.

How Much Is a Kenya and Rwanda Safari

A Kenya and Rwanda safari starts from about USD 3,150 per person sharing in a group of 6 at the budget tier, rising to around USD 4,050 for luxury at 2 people sharing, gorilla permit included.

The Rwanda permit alone accounts for a large share of this figure, since it is fixed at USD 1,500 per person no matter which tier or group size you choose.

What Is the Best Month to Combine the Mara and Gorillas

Jul to Oct lines up Great Migration season in the Mara with Rwanda’s drier trekking months, a strong combination if you want both experiences at their best within the same window.

Jan to Feb also works well, drier in Rwanda and quieter in the Mara, with lower rates on both legs of the trip. See our Great Migration calendar for the exact monthly detail behind this recommendation.

Rwanda vs Uganda Gorilla Permits on This Route

Rwanda’s permit, at USD 1,500, costs nearly double Uganda’s USD 800 fee, but Rwanda’s shorter drive from Kigali and generally easier trekking terrain appeal to travelers who want a smoother add on to a Kenya trip.

See our Uganda versus Rwanda gorilla trekking guide and our 3 day Uganda gorilla trekking via Kigali page if the lower Uganda permit fee matters more to you than trekking distance.

What a Gorilla Trekking Day Involves

An early ranger briefing at park headquarters, then a trek of variable length depending on where trackers last located the gorilla family, followed by a strictly timed hour in their presence once you find them.

It is physically demanding, steep terrain and thick vegetation, but porters are available for a small fee and the reward, standing metres from a wild silverback, is what most guests remember most from their whole Kenya and Rwanda safari.

Photography is allowed without flash, and rangers will ask you to keep a set distance from the family for both your safety and theirs, since these gorillas remain genuinely wild despite being habituated to respectful human visits.

Extending Beyond 7 Days

Some guests add a Lake Kivu relaxation day or a Nyungwe Forest chimpanzee trek onto the Rwanda leg, or extend the Kenya side with an Amboseli or coast add on before flying home.

See our Kenya safari and beach holiday page and our 12 day Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda safari page for longer combined options if a week feels too short for everything you want to see.

What to Pack and Health Notes

Pack layered clothing for the Mara’s cool mornings and Rwanda’s cooler, higher altitude forest, plus sturdy waterproof boots and gardening gloves for the gorilla trek itself.

Yellow fever vaccination proof is required for Rwanda entry, and malaria prevention is recommended for the Kenya leg. See our vaccinations and malaria guide and packing checklist before you travel.

Who This Kenya and Rwanda Safari Suits

This trip suits travelers who want a genuine bucket list wildlife pairing in one trip rather than 2 separate holidays, and who are comfortable with a moderately paced week that mixes vehicle game drives and one demanding trekking day.

It is less suited to guests who want a slow, single destination trip, since the itinerary necessarily moves through 2 countries and a flight connection within the week, so travelers who dislike frequent packing and unpacking may prefer a longer single country option instead.

Booking Your Kenya and Rwanda Safari

Tell us your preferred travel month and group size on WhatsApp, and we will check gorilla permit availability before sending a written quote with every cost itemised, the permit, flight, accommodation and vehicle all shown separately.

Book at least 2 to 3 months ahead, since Rwanda issues a limited number of permits per gorilla family each day and popular months sell out early, especially Jul to Oct and the festive period.

Why Combine These 2 Countries Instead of Doing 2 Trips

Flying between Nairobi and Kigali takes under 2 hours, so folding both experiences into one Kenya and Rwanda safari costs far less in time and money than 2 separate long haul trips from home months apart.

You also only pay for one set of international flights, which meaningfully lowers the total cost per experience compared with returning to East Africa a second time purely for gorilla trekking, since a dedicated return flight alone can cost close to what the entire Rwanda leg of this trip adds.

Guests who have already done a standard Mara safari sometimes worry a second Kenya visit feels repetitive, but adding the gorilla leg gives the trip a genuinely new centerpiece rather than simply repeating a past holiday.

Group Size and Private Vehicles on This Route

Every Kenya and Rwanda safari we run uses a private vehicle and driver guide on the Kenya side, and a private vehicle in Rwanda too, so your pace is never dictated by a larger shared group’s preferences.

Couples and solo travelers pay a higher per person rate since fixed costs, the vehicle, driver and permit, are shared across fewer people, while families and groups of 4 to 6 bring that per person figure down noticeably, shown clearly in our price table above.

See our Kenya private safaris page for more on how private vehicle pricing works if you are comparing this against a shared group joining option instead.

How to book your Kenya and Rwanda safari

Booking your Kenya and Rwanda safari with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.

1. Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
2. Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
3. Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
4. Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
5. Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.

What every trip with us includes

Every Kenya and Rwanda safari plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box, and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.

We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

We share payment details in writing only, and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.

Why book with a Nairobi team

We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos, and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good Kenya and Rwanda safari into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 5.0 from 46 reviews, and we plan to keep it that way.

Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.

Questions people ask

Official information: Rwanda Development Board tourism.

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