Day 1
Nairobi Arrival
Arrive JKIA.
Private transfer and check-in.
Rest, spa, and an evening at the hotel.
Dinner and full trip briefing.
Itinerary detail
← Back
— HONEYMOON
Gorillas, Plains & Island Nights
Mountain gorillas in Rwanda, big cats in the Mara, and a private island finish.
Duration
12 Nights / 13 Days
Destinations
Nairobi, Volcanoes NP (Rwanda), Lake Kivu, Maasai Mara, Lamu
Group size
2 (couple)
Best months
Jun–Sep, Dec–Feb
Est. budget
$16,000–$32,000 per couple
Highlights
Gorilla trekking, Lake Kivu, Shela Island
Overview
The once-in-a-lifetime version. An hour with a mountain gorilla family in the Virunga foothills, two nights unwinding on Lake Kivu, then back to Kenya for the Mara and a long, slow finish in Lamu — no cars, no schedule, dhows on the water outside your door. Three countries' worth of scenery without a single border crossing by road.
Day by day
Day 2
Fly to Rwanda
Fly Nairobi → Kigali (1h 40m).
Kigali Genocide Memorial and a walk through the Kimironko market.
Drive to Musanze (2 hrs).
Dinner at your lodge with Virunga views.
Day 3
Gorilla Trek
Pre-dawn briefing at Volcanoes National Park headquarters.
Trek to your assigned gorilla family — one hour with them.
Afternoon recovery: hot bath, massage, fireside dinner.
Day 4
Golden Monkeys & Twin Lakes
Morning golden monkey trek in the bamboo forest.
Drive to the Twin Lakes of Burera and Ruhondo.
Canoe on the lake at golden hour.
Dinner at the lodge.
Day 5
Lake Kivu
Drive Musanze → Lake Kivu (2 hrs) along the Congo Nile ridge.
Afternoon boat trip to Napoleon Island.
Sunset over the water, dinner on the terrace.
Day 6
Kivu at Leisure
Coffee plantation tour and tasting on the lakeshore.
Swimming, kayaking, or absolutely nothing.
Private dinner on the jetty.
Day 7
Back to Kenya
Drive to Kigali (3 hrs) with a stop at a weaving cooperative.
Fly Kigali → Nairobi. Overnight in Nairobi.
Dinner.
Day 8
Into the Mara
Fly Wilson → Mara North Conservancy.
Afternoon game drive with a private vehicle and guide.
Sundowner on a ridge.
Dinner served privately.
Day 9
Mara Full Day
Dawn drive with bush breakfast cooked over the fire.
Optional hot air balloon at first light.
Walking safari at dusk.
Star bed sleep-out if conditions allow.
Day 10
Fly to Lamu
Final Mara morning drive.
Fly Mara → Lamu via Nairobi.
Boat transfer to Shela.
Sunset dhow sail.
Dinner at your house on the beach.
Day 11
Lamu Island
Breakfast on the roof terrace above the dunes.
Walking tour of Lamu Old Town — carved doors, the fort, the museum.
Swahili seafood dinner cooked by your house chef.
Day 12
Manda & Takwa
Dhow to Manda Toto for snorkelling and a beach picnic.
Takwa Ruins in the late afternoon light.
Final dinner at Peponi or a private beach setup.
Day 13
Departure
Slow breakfast.
Last swim.
Boat to Manda airstrip, fly Lamu → Nairobi.
Connect to international departure from JKIA.