9-Day Gorilla Trekking & Great Migration Safari
Rwanda's Mountain Gorillas and the Masai Mara in One Journey
Overview
Two of the continent's greatest wildlife encounters, stitched into one trip. You begin in Rwanda, tracking a mountain gorilla family on the forested slopes of the Virunga volcanoes — an hour on foot through the bamboo and then an hour sitting a few metres from a silverback and his group. Then you fly east to Kenya's Masai Mara, timed for the Great Migration, when well over a million wildebeest and zebra move through the reserve and mass on the banks of the Mara River to cross. Gorilla permits, the internal flights between Kigali, Nairobi and the Mara, every game drive and every meal on safari are arranged end to end, with qualified guides throughout.
The two halves of this trip suit each other well. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park can be done in any month, while the Mara's river crossings run from roughly July to October, so a mid-year departure lets you line up both at their best — though the Mara holds strong resident game and good plains herds all year. There is a single gorilla trek on the Mid-Range tier, with a second trek (a different family, a different forest sector) included on the Luxury and Exclusive tiers for those who want to go back. If you would rather pair the gorillas with Tanzania's Serengeti than Kenya's Mara, or add Uganda's Bwindi for a second gorilla population, we build those routings too — just ask. Rwanda sets a daily limit of eight visitors per gorilla group and one hour with them, which keeps the encounter calm and the forest uncrowded.
Who It's For
Built for travellers who do not want to choose between gorillas and the migration, photographers after both forest and open-plains work in one trip, and repeat safari-goers ticking off the two encounters that sit at the top of most East Africa lists.
Package Highlights
Mountain Gorilla Trekking
An hour with a habituated gorilla family in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park
The Great Migration
Three full days in the Masai Mara for the herds and the Mara River crossings
Flights Arranged End to End
Kigali to Nairobi and the light-aircraft hop to the Mara airstrip all included
Gorilla Permit Included
Your Rwanda gorilla permit built into the price, second trek on higher tiers
Big Cats of the Mara
Lion, cheetah and leopard on some of the richest predator ground in Africa
All Meals & Drives on Safari
Every game drive and every meal from arrival in the Mara included
Day-by-Day Itinerary
You land at Kigali International Airport, are met and transferred to a hotel in the city. Kigali is clean, calm and easy to move around, and there is time in the afternoon for the Kigali Genocide Memorial, which gives honest context to the country you are travelling through. Your guide runs through the days ahead over dinner.
🏨 Accommodation: Kigali city hotel
🍽️ Meals: Dinner
Your Route
Tap a marker to see each stop on your journey.
Featured Lodges & Accommodation
Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge
📍 Kinigi, edge of Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
A well-run lodge a few minutes from the park headquarters at Kinigi, which makes the early trekking start easy. Timber cottages with log fires and private verandas look out at the volcanoes, and the kitchen turns out hearty meals to come back to after a day on the mountain.
From $320 per person per night
Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel
📍 Musanze, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
A boutique base near Musanze with generous rooms, a spa for tired legs after the climb, and a dining room that leans on produce from the surrounding hills. A comfortable middle ground between the simpler lodges and the exclusive houses on the park boundary.
From $520 per person per night
One&Only Gorilla's Nest
📍 Kinigi, foot of Mount Bisoke, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
Set in a stand of towering eucalyptus at the base of Mount Bisoke, this is the exclusive end of the Volcanoes lodges — large stone-and-timber lodges, a spa, and a resident troop of golden monkeys that drift through the grounds. The closest luxury base to the trailheads.
From $1,850 per person per night
Governors' Camp
📍 Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
A classic tented camp in a prime position on the Mara River inside the reserve, where elephant and hippo pass through the grounds and the crossings are a short drive away. En-suite tents under the trees, open-air dining and a long safari pedigree.
From $560 per person per night
Angama Mara
📍 Oloololo Escarpment, overlooking the Masai Mara, Kenya
Glass-fronted suites strung along the top of the Oloololo Escarpment, looking out over the whole of the Mara Triangle hundreds of metres below. The view is the headline, but the guiding and the private Mara Triangle access are what make it hold up as a safari base.
From $1,450 per person per night
Mara Plains Camp
📍 Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Masai Mara, Kenya
A small, exclusive tented camp in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy on the Mara's northern boundary, where off-road driving and night drives are allowed and the vehicle density is kept low. Seven raised tents, excellent guiding and some of the best big-cat ground anywhere.
From $2,100 per person per night
Pricing & Options
All prices per person sharing. Customize any tier to your preferences.
Mid-Range
(~$1,119/night)
One gorilla permit and trek, comfortable lodges at Volcanoes and a classic tented camp in the Mara, scheduled flights, all game drives, all meals and park fees on safari
Get QuoteLuxury
(~$1,738/night)
Two gorilla permits and treks, a boutique Volcanoes lodge and Angama Mara, private transfers, a balloon flight over the Mara and premium beverages included
Get QuoteExclusive
(~$2,488/night)
Two gorilla permits and treks, One&Only Gorilla's Nest and Mara Plains Camp, a private vehicle and guide throughout and all-inclusive beverages
Get QuoteWhat's Included & Excluded
✓ Included
- ✓ Eight nights' accommodation — Kigali, three nights at Volcanoes National Park, three in the Masai Mara and one in Nairobi (chosen tier)
- ✓ Rwanda gorilla permit and trek (a second permit and trek on the Luxury and Exclusive tiers)
- ✓ All game drives in the Masai Mara in an open 4x4 with a qualified guide
- ✓ Flights Kigali–Nairobi and the light-aircraft flights to and from the Mara airstrip
- ✓ All meals on safari — full board from Day 2 to Day 8
- ✓ Masai Mara reserve and conservancy fees
- ✓ All road transfers, including Kigali to Musanze and return
- ✓ Airport meet-and-greet and 24/7 on-trip support from Beyond Africa Safaris
✗ Excluded
- ✗ International flights into Kigali and out of Nairobi
- ✗ Rwanda and Kenya visa fees and any required park entry on free days
- ✗ Travel and medical insurance (mandatory)
- ✗ Hot-air balloon flight over the Mara (included on the Luxury tier)
- ✗ Porters and gorilla-trek walking-stick hire (nominal, paid locally)
- ✗ Premium imported champagne and spirits on lower tiers
- ✗ Gratuities for guides, trackers and camp staff (guidelines provided)
- ✗ Zanzibar, Kenya coast or Serengeti extensions (gladly arranged on request)
Photo Gallery
Best Time to Travel
Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park runs all year, with the drier months of June to September and December to February making for firmer trails. The Masai Mara's river crossings peak from July to October, so a departure in that window lines up both encounters at their strongest, while the Mara's resident big cats and plains game reward a visit in any month.
Why Choose This Package
Two Headline Encounters, One Trip
Mountain gorillas and the Great Migration are the two experiences most East Africa travellers want most. This itinerary puts both in a single nine-day journey instead of two separate trips.
The Permit Is in the Price
Your Rwanda gorilla permit is built into every tier, with a second trek on the higher tiers — no 'enquire for price' on the one thing that matters most.
Timed for the Crossings
We steer departures toward the July-to-October window so the Mara leg catches the river crossings, and tell you honestly when the herds are elsewhere.
Flights Handled Across Two Countries
Kigali to Nairobi and the light-aircraft hops into the Mara are all arranged, so the only booking you make is your international flights in and out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Experience the 9-Day Gorilla Trekking & Great Migration Safari?
From $8,950 per person | 9 Days / 8 Nights
⚡ Limited availability for peak season 2026 — book early to secure your dates
