A Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari on one East Africa Tourist Visa: the order of the three countries, the Nairobi flights, the Mara, yellow fever rules and the open Kenya eTA question.
A Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari is the one East African route that a single visa is built to cover. The East Africa Tourist Visa (EATV) costs USD 100, lasts 90 days and lets you move between all three countries, and with no Tanzania leg nothing cuts it short. You trek mountain gorillas in Uganda and Rwanda, then fly to Nairobi and the Mara. This guide sets out the order, the flights, the visa rules and the health notices, checked 11 October 2026.
Written by Paramount Gorilla Expeditions Team East Africa. Facts last checked 11 October 2026.
Flight times are about, and schedules change, so confirm them for your dates.
Most multi-country East African trips fight their own paperwork. A Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari does not. The three countries sit inside the same tourist visa area, so every border you cross, by road or by air, is one the EATV already covers. You apply once, carry one approval, and spend the trip on gorillas and game drives instead of forms. That is why we call a Uganda Rwanda Kenya EATV safari the clean version of the wider East Africa circuit.
The wildlife is just as tidy. Uganda and Rwanda give you two gorilla forests with different characters: Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda, the volcano slopes above Musanze in Rwanda. Kenya then gives you open savanna and big cats in the Mara. Our Uganda versus Rwanda comparison explains how the two forests differ, and the guide to combining Uganda and Rwanda gorilla trekking covers whether you need a trek in each.
Leaving Tanzania out is a choice, not a gap. Tanzania is outside the EATV, has its own eVisa and, from 1 October 2026, its own mandatory inbound insurance. If you want the Serengeti as well, our four-country route guide explains how the route changes, and the Uganda Rwanda Tanzania safari guide covers the version without Kenya. Which combination fits which traveller is set out in our East Africa multi-country safari hub.
Two shorter versions exist: the Rwanda and Kenya guide and Uganda and Kenya together. The three-country version is longer and flight-heavier, but it is the only one that gives you both gorilla countries and the Mara on one visa.
For a Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari, the East Africa Tourist Visa is one visa for three countries: Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda only. The fee is USD 100 and non-refundable. It is valid for 90 days, allows multiple entry within the three countries and is for tourism only. Keep your passport valid for at least 6 months from arrival, with at least two blank pages to be safe: the UK FCDO lists two for Kenya and one for Rwanda, while Kenya's own eTA page says one.
You apply online through the country where you will first enter the three-country area, and you must enter through that country. For an Entebbe start that means Uganda's e-visa portal at visas.immigration.go.ug. For a Kigali start it means Rwanda's Irembo portal, request type "Visa application", visa type "V11 East Africa Visa". Uganda's process also asks for biometrics at an immigration office or border post after approval, so leave time for it.
Do not plan on buying the visa at the airport. Rwanda's pages say it can be issued on arrival, while Uganda tells travellers to apply online first, so we advise applying ahead. The visa cannot be renewed or extended after it expires or after you leave the three-country area, which is why a route with no Tanzania leg is so tidy. Our East Africa tourist visa guide owns the full application steps.
Sometimes, and not for everyone. The table sets the EATV against separate permissions, using published fees. The totals are our arithmetic, not an official quote.
| Item | Published fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| East Africa Tourist Visa | USD 100 | One application, 90 days, three countries |
| Uganda tourist visa, single entry | USD 50 | Uganda immigration page, undated |
| Rwanda visa, single entry | USD 50 | A Rwanda mission page, undated; the UK FCDO notes Commonwealth citizens get a free 30-day visa on arrival |
| Kenya standard eTA | USD 30 | Official portal etakenya.go.ke |
| Separate permissions in total | USD 130 | USD 80 for Commonwealth citizens who use the free Rwanda visa |
We did not re-verify each portal on the day, so confirm before you pay. Totals are our own arithmetic.
If Kenya's exemption for EATV holders is confirmed, the EATV costs USD 100 against USD 130 and saves USD 30. If you still need the eTA, the two cost the same. For Commonwealth passport holders the separate route can be the lower total. Convenience also counts: one approval letter is easier than three, and multiple entry helps if your Uganda Rwanda Kenya itinerary crosses the same Uganda and Rwanda border twice.
The Kenya eTA question is the one open item on an otherwise settled Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari. Kenya replaced most visas with an electronic travel authorisation, the eTA, in early 2024. The Kenya eTA question is whether an EATV holder needs one as well.
Some official embassy pages say EATV holders do not need a separate eTA, but Kenya's own eTA portal does not confirm it yet, so confirm with Kenya's immigration helpdesk before you rely on it. The portal lists an "East African Tourist eTA" as coming soon and says nothing about the exemption or about re-entry. One operator document from January 2026 goes further and says Kenya takes no EATV applications, so a Kenya-first route cannot be covered. We could not verify that either way.
Write to Kenya's helpdesk about your Uganda Rwanda and Kenya trip, with your passport nationality and your EATV details, and keep the reply. The eTA portal's FAQ page lists WhatsApp +254 110 922 064 and phone +254 717 436 070. If Kenya is on your route and you cannot get a clear written answer before you fly, a standard eTA costs USD 30 on the official portal and removes the risk of a problem at check-in. Airlines may refuse boarding to a passenger without an approved authorisation.
Kenyan citizens and residents, East African Community citizens (up to 180 days), many African nationals and airside transit passengers are exempt from the eTA. Everyone else should treat it as a live decision. Our Kenya eTA guide owns the fee, the steps and the common mistakes.
The order of the three countries is the first real decision for a Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari, and four things drive it: where your gorilla permits fall, which country must issue the EATV, where your long-haul flight lands, and where you want the trip to end. The table sets out the five orders we consider.
| Order | Fly in, fly out | EATV issued by | Why choose it | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya | Into Entebbe, out of Nairobi | Uganda | Gorillas first with fresh legs, one forward flow, Mara as the finale | The eTA question lands at the end of the trip |
| Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya | Into Kigali, out of Nairobi | Rwanda | Shortest first leg: Kigali to the park area is 2 to 3 hours by road | Bwindi back to Entebbe is a long road day, or a light-aircraft flight |
| Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda | Into Entebbe, out of Kigali | Uganda | The Mara sits between two forests and the Rwanda trek is the finale | An extra Nairobi to Kigali flight and a Nairobi night |
| Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda | Into Kigali, out of Entebbe | Rwanda | The same shape reversed | Mara to Entebbe goes through Nairobi |
| Kenya first | Into Nairobi | Kenya would have to issue it, unconfirmed | Many long-haul itineraries land at Nairobi | We would not plan this on the EATV without Kenya's written confirmation |
Entry logic from Uganda Immigration, Rwanda mission pages and the Kenya eTA portal; the order choices are our planning reasoning.
If the trip begins in Entebbe or Kigali, we put the trek first, because it is the physical day, the permit date is the one fixed point, and a relaxed Mara follows. If it begins in Nairobi, the logic reverses and gorillas come last. That is our reasoning, not a rule, and operators disagree. Our gorillas first or last guide lays out both sides.
Permits decide the dates. Rwanda charges USD 1,500 per foreign visitor on the RDB portal, and Uganda's published tariff is USD 800 for foreign non-residents. Operators report USD 600 in April, May and November 2026 for low-season Uganda permits that cannot be rescheduled, so confirm the rate for your date. Each permit is for one person, one trek and one date, the minimum age is 15 in both countries, and peak dates sell out months ahead.
The first-entry rule means the country you enter first issues the visa. If Kenya is first, Kenya would have to issue it, and we found no Kenyan page that confirms it does. A Kenya-first Uganda Kenya Rwanda safari may still work with separate permissions, and our planners will say so, but the one visa for three countries is the first thing it loses.
A Uganda Rwanda Kenya itinerary has two kinds of air leg: the hops between capitals and the light-aircraft flights inside a country. No scheduled flight links Kigali or Entebbe directly to the Mara, so everything reaches the Mara through Nairobi.
| Leg | Carriers listed | Time (about) | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entebbe to Nairobi | Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines, Jambojet, Safarilink | 1 hour 30 | Several flights a day in the sample week we read; Jambojet restarted on 1 October 2026 |
| Kigali to Nairobi | Kenya Airways, RwandAir | 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 50 | Kigali's clock is one hour behind Nairobi's; morning and evening departures appear |
| Entebbe to Kigali | RwandAir | 1 hour 5 | Uganda Airlines announced a daily service from 18 November 2026; not operating on 11 October |
| Entebbe to Kisoro or Kihihi | Aerolink | 1 hour 15 | About 15 kg soft bag; confirm |
| Nairobi Wilson to the Mara | AirKenya, Safarilink, Governors Aviation | About 1 hour | Morning and afternoon departures; 15 kg soft bag |
| Kigali or Entebbe to the Mara | None found | Not applicable | Always routed through Nairobi |
Confirm every flight for your date.
Entebbe to Nairobi takes about 1 hour 30 and closes two of the five orders. Jambojet restarted Nairobi to Entebbe on 1 October 2026, but sources disagree on its departure time, so ask for the current timetable. The wider picture is in our safari flight logistics guide.
Kigali to Nairobi takes about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 50 on published schedules, although some pages quote anything from 40 minutes to three hours. Our default for the Mara is a Nairobi night. Operators report that Nairobi's main airport to Wilson Airport takes an hour or more and that bush-flight check-in closes about an hour before departure, so a same-day link works only when you land early in the morning. A buffer night also protects you when cloud, wind or wet strips delay light aircraft.
The Uganda to Rwanda link is the one overland section of the Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari, and it is shorter than most travellers fear. There are two land crossings, and the right one depends on which gorilla sector you sleep in. Our Uganda Rwanda border crossing guide owns the detail, so here is the working summary.
Allow 30 to 60 minutes at the post itself. Published opening hours conflict for both crossings, so confirm them and plan to cross in daylight. We found no closure of either crossing in 2025 or 2026, but that is an absence of news, not proof. Rwanda closed the Gatuna crossing in February 2019, and it reopened fully in 2022.
With the EATV in hand you need no new visa at the crossing, since both countries are inside the area, but carry your passport and approval letter. If your safari vehicle crosses, it needs a COMESA Yellow Card, a letter from the owner, the logbook and the licence, and Uganda drives on the left while Rwanda drives on the right. We found no source for a driver-guide handover rule, so your operator confirms whether the vehicle crosses or you change vehicle at the border.
RwandAir flies Entebbe to Kigali in about 1 hour 5. For Bwindi, Entebbe or Kampala to the forest is 8 to 10 hours by road, or about 1 hour 15 by light aircraft to Kisoro or Kihihi. Our Bwindi sector guide helps match the sector to the route.
Kenya is the grassland finale of a Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari. From Nairobi's Wilson Airport the Mara is about 1 hour by light aircraft, or about 6 hours by road. The airlines flying it are AirKenya, Safarilink and Governors Aviation, and your camp decides which airstrip you use: Keekorok, Serena, Musiara, Kichwa Tembo, Olare Orok, Mara North, Angama, Siana and Ol Seki all appear in operator lists. Our Maasai Mara National Reserve guide compares the sectors and conservancies, which usually mean fewer vehicles, and the Kenya safari guide covers other parks.
Three nights is our default. Two nights is the minimum that gives a real chance at the herds. Herds usually reach the Mara from late July, August and September are strongest, and some herds leave in October. Rain shifts the timing by weeks, so river crossings cannot be scheduled, and our guide to crossing timing explains why. From December to February there are no crossings, but the Mara remains good for lions, cheetahs and elephants.
Health paperwork is where a Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari surprises people, because the three countries do not agree. The test is the country you arrive from, so Uganda dropping its own rule changes nothing for Rwanda or Kenya.
Uganda's immigration notice, posted 2 October 2026, says a yellow fever vaccination certificate is no longer mandatory for entry. It gives no effective date or conditions, the ministry letter behind it is known only through press reports, and several pages still say it is required. The notice is days old, so carry your card anyway.
| Leg | Does the entry country ask for a card? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Into Uganda | Not mandatory since the 2 October notice | Uganda immigration notice; the notice is new |
| Uganda to Rwanda | Yes: Uganda is on Rwanda's list | Rwanda Biomedical Centre note, 22 May 2026 |
| Kenya to Rwanda | Yes: Kenya is on Rwanda's list | Same note |
| Uganda to Kenya | Yes: Uganda is on Kenya's list, and transit of 12 hours or more counts | Kenya Airports Authority page, undated |
| Rwanda to Kenya | Rwanda is not on Kenya's list | Same page |
Lists can change, and the Kenya page is undated, so confirm before you travel.
Rwanda's note says a traveller without a card is vaccinated on arrival at their own cost and quarantined until the certificate is 10 days old, and refusing the measures means denial of entry. Kenya's airport clinics vaccinate on arrival, with Ksh 3,500 quoted on an undated page. Emergency vaccination is a fallback, not a plan. A certificate is valid for life from 10 days after the injection; the details are in our yellow fever certificate East Africa guide. Whether to be vaccinated is a medical question for your doctor, covered in our vaccination guide.
The Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is centred on the DR Congo, with 8,728 confirmed cases to 6 October 2026 in WHO's update of 8 October. Uganda declared its own outbreak over on 27 August 2026. Kenya confirmed its first imported case on 6 October, and press reports of 7 October describe a health declaration and screening at Nairobi's main airport for flights from ten countries, including Uganda and Rwanda. The CDC table of 7 October reported no cases in Rwanda. Rwanda's notice of 22 May 2026 refuses foreigners who were in the DR Congo within 30 days; we could not confirm its current status.
WHO advises against travel restrictions. Advisory levels differ by government and some pages lag behind events, so we do not quote them. Read the live pages from WHO, the CDC, the UK FCDO pages for Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda, and the US State Department. Our hub tracks dated notices under health alerts.
Month-by-month detail belongs to our best time for a four country safari guide, so here is the short version for a Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari. Rwanda's long dry season runs from June to mid-September, with a short dry spell from December to February. Uganda's Bwindi is dry from about May or June to September and from December to February. Mara crossings run from about July to October and peak in August and September.
The strongest overlap is late July to September: dry forests, and herds in the Mara. December to February keeps the gorillas dry but has no crossings. March to May is the hardest window, with long rains across the route.
Uganda's reported low-season permit months (April, May, November) apply to 2026 only; we found no 2027 confirmation.
A Uganda Rwanda and Kenya trip suits travellers who want both gorilla countries and the Mara without the extra paperwork of a fourth country. It suits couples and small groups who have the days for the flights (our days guide covers length), guests who prefer to land in Entebbe or Kigali and finish in Nairobi, and anyone who wants the visa decision made once. Every gorilla trekker must be at least 15. It suits less well anyone who wants the Serengeti, dislikes light aircraft, or holds a Commonwealth passport and would rather price the Rwanda visa separately. East African citizens and residents use a different pass and should not use the EATV.
Several pages quote Kigali to Nairobi at about one hour or even 40 minutes, while schedules show about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 50. Some say the EATV covers Tanzania, which it does not. Others cite a 2015 Rwanda visa fee, or say Kenya and Uganda ask a yellow fever card of every traveller, which the 2 October notice and Kenya's own list contradict. Almost none connects the first-entry rule to the order of the three countries, which is the decision that matters.
For a Uganda Rwanda Kenya safari, start with the gorilla permit dates, then the visa, then the flights. Our planners in Entebbe and Kakindu can confirm the flight days, the Kenya position and the crossing for your dates in writing. We plan this Uganda Rwanda Kenya tour to order, and two packages show the building blocks:
For packing, see our East Africa safari packing list, and for cover, travel insurance and medical evacuation.
The fixed fees on this route are two gorilla permits, one tourist visa and the Mara fee. Our four country safari cost guide lists them and shows how longer routes add up.
Tell us your dates, your group and how many gorilla permits you need. We will check the flights, the visa and the Kenya position, and send the route in writing.
Plan my tripWritten by Paramount Gorilla Expeditions Team East Africa. Facts last checked 11 October 2026.
Late July to September is the best time for a four country safari across Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. See the month by month table, the second window and the 2026/27 rain caveat.
Read the guide →Trek gorillas in both countries on one trip: what two permits cost, which Bwindi sector links to Rwanda, which direction to travel and how to protect a rest day between treks.
Read the guide →What an East Africa safari really costs: the four price drivers, official permit and park fees in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania, our from-prices and how to read a quote.
Read the guide →The East Africa tourist visa covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda for USD 100 and 90 days, but not Tanzania. Fees, first-entry rule, Kenya eTA question and the Tanzania eVisa, dated.
Read the guide →The fixed part of a four country safari cost: permits, park fees, visas and Tanzania insurance, added up for six routes, plus the ten lines to compare in any quote.
Read the guide →Should gorilla trekking come at the start or end of a long safari? Both sides, the tie-breakers, buffer nights and what to do if a trek is cancelled, with a five-step method to choose.
Read the guide →Work out how many days a Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania safari needs: a nights-per-stop ledger, the transfer days you cannot skip, and what 10 to 21 days really give you.
Read the guide →The Kenya eTA for safari guests: official USD 30 fee, about three working days to process, 90 days validity, who is exempt, transit rules and the open question for regional visa holders.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Rwanda Kenya Tanzania safari that starts in Kigali: route order, flights, the Mara to Serengeti link, entry rules and the gorilla permit.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Rwanda and Kenya safari: start in Kigali, trek once, fly to Nairobi, then the Mara. Flights, how to split your days and the entry rules for both countries.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Rwanda and Tanzania safari: one gorilla trek, RwandAir's three-day-a-week flight, the Serengeti by air or road, and Tanzania's eVisa and insurance rules.
Read the guide →How flights really work between safari countries: international routes, bush flights, the 15 kg baggage limit, the Mara to Serengeti link, overland times and a realistic transit day.
Read the guide →Safari luggage weight limits by carrier: the 15 kg soft bag rule, who allows 20 kg, excess and freight seat prices, storing luggage at the gateway and packing for the multi-country trap.
Read the guide →Tanzania now requires foreign visitors to hold government inbound travel insurance. See what is verified, reported and unknown: cost, exemptions, Zanzibar, buying and enforcement.
Read the guide →The route we recommend for a Uganda Kenya Tanzania safari: the best order, how many days it needs, the best months, how you move between countries and what to check before you book.
Read the guide →Two land posts link Rwanda and Uganda for gorilla trips. Learn which suits your sector, what to carry, how long to allow and why hours differ, checked 11 October 2026.
Read the guide →How to plan a Uganda Rwanda Kenya Tanzania safari: the four route directions compared, the flight chain, how the East Africa Tourist Visa interacts with the order, and what to check.
Read the guide →A planner's guide to a Uganda Rwanda Tanzania safari: Entebbe or Kigali start, the border or flight between the forests, Kilimanjaro flights, visas and Tanzania's insurance.
Read the guide →Visa rules for Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the Seychelles change often. Here is how to check them properly and what to prepare before you travel.
Read the guide →Not sure where to start? Choose by what matters most: the migration, gorillas, a beach, budget or a first African trip. Here is how.
Read the guide →Uganda dropped its yellow fever entry certificate on 2 October 2026, but Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania still ask. Journey table, 12 hour transit rule and border outcomes, dated.
Read the guide →Tell us your dates and interests — a destination specialist replies within 24 hours.
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