Safari Overview.
The 20 Days Uganda Rwanda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Kenya, Tanzania Migration safari takes you on an extensive 3-week journey in East Africa. Expect to hop between top National Parks and Reserves while appreciating their natural endowments. Uganda and Rwanda offer the best of gorilla and chimpanzee trekking adventures. The Great Migration safari experience will be enjoyed in Kenya and Tanzania.
The 20-day safari introduces you to East Africa’s top destinations including Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kibale National Park. In Rwanda, you will have a chance to explore Volcanoes National Park. The Great Migration safari and the Big 5 game tour will be enjoyed in Kenya’s Maasai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Pick up & drive up to the hotel in Kampala / Entebbe
A safari expert will be present at the Entebbe International Airport where you will be transferred to the pre-booked hotel in Kampala/Entebbe City. Check-in your hotel for relaxation and also meet our officials to take you through the itinerary.
Day 2: Entebbe/Kampala to Murchison Falls Park with Rhino Trek en-route
Leave your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala and head to Murchison Falls National Park, about 6-7 hours’ drive. Enroute to Murchison Falls NP, expect to branch off to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where a guided rhino trek will be enjoyed. After tracking the rhinos and taking their pictures, you will proceed to the park via the Kichumbanyobo gate. Continue on a scenic drive to the safari lodge for you to relax.
Day 3: Game drive plus Boat Cruise
A game drive will be enjoyed along the Northern wildlife tracks in Murchison Falls National Park with the presence of an experienced guide. It will be a 2-3 hour game viewing session and expect to come across different savanna wildlife species. The wildlife to expect to encounter include lions, African elephants, leopards, the Rothschild giraffes, waterbucks, warthogs, hartebeests, and many birds.
Return from the game viewing session to settle for a leisurely lunch at the lodge. After lunch, you will proceed to the Paraa Jetty where you will begin your boat cruise excursion which will take you on the Victoria Nile River.
The boat cruise on the Victoria Nile River comes with surprising encounters with aquatic species including hippos, crocodiles, and water birds, and breathtaking views of the Murchison Falls. At the base of the Murchison Waterfalls, you may dock and proceed with a hike to the top of the falls.
Day 4: Exit Murchison for Kibale forest
Leave Murchison Falls National Park after a leisurely breakfast. Today, you will navigate via the Hoima-Fort Portal tourism city route to Kibale National Park. En route, appreciate the breathtaking landscape views of the countryside escarpments and homesteads, etc. At Fort Portal, you will have a leisurely lunch and later, you will connect to the lodge to check-in.
Day 5: Kibale chimpanzee trekking plus Bigodi Sanctuary visit
After the leisurely breakfast, you will be transferred to the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre to meet the park official for you to clear and later join the briefing session. Get to know the set rules and regulations for chimpanzee tracking regulations. An experienced guide from Kibale will be allocated to take you on a search for chimpanzees and the morning session begins at around 8:00am. It will take between 2 and 4 hours which covers an hour for up close and personal encounters.
Other primates and birds will also be spotted. A maximum of 1 hour will be availed for you to have a face-to-face interaction with a habituated chimp community.
The afternoon activity includes the Bigodi swamp visit. The Bigodi wetland is a perfect place around Kibale for you to explore more primates and also appreciate the community-based tourism initiative. After the enriching experiences in Bigodi, return to the lodge to relax.
Day 6: Leave Kibale for Queen Elizabeth NP
Depart from Kibale for Queen Elizabeth National Park and have a great moment at the Crater-dominated area. Enjoy the stunning views of the Crater Lakes and surrounding plus also the Rwenzori Mountains. After you have crossed Kasese town, expect to make a stopover at the Kikorongo Equator crossing for photography and relaxation then proceed to the park to check in the lodge.
Day 7: A game drive + Boat cruise
Leave your safari lodge with an experienced guide to start your morning game drive through the Kasenyi plains. The Kasenyi game drive session will take about 2-3 hours and expect to come across lots of buffaloes, elephants, butterflies, Uganda Kobs, and other species of antelopes.
Return from the morning game drive to enjoy a leisurely lunch.
In the afternoon, you will have a great time along the Kazinga channel as you explore the aquatic species from hippos, crocodiles, and aquatic birds.
Day 8: Transfer to Ishasha for a game drive & depart for Bwindi
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and your safari expert will take you up to Ishasha in the Southern end of Queen Elizabeth Park. At Ishasha, look out for the tree-climbing lions, plus other wild animals like topis, birds, and many other mammals. After the Ishasha game drive, continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 9: Bwindi gorilla trekking
Enjoy a hefty breakfast and after, you join others for briefing at the trailhead in Bwindi National Park. The 30-minute briefing also includes the allocation of guides and families to guests. At around 8:00 a.m., expect to begin your gorilla trek with an expert. Today’s gorilla trekking session will run for 2-6 hours which includes 1 hour for you to take pictures and observe how mountain gorillas behave.
Get back to the briefing region for you to get your gorilla trekking certificate. Expect to proceed to the lodge to relax. In the afternoon, expect to spice up your day experiences with the Batwa cultural tour.
Day 10: Border crossing to Volcanoes National Park
After a hefty breakfast, you will be picked up at the safari lodge in Bwindi and transferred to Volcanoes National Park through the Cyanika or Katuna border. Get to Volcanoes National Park early for you to have a long day of relaxation.
Day 11: Gorilla trekking / Golden Monkey Tracking
Depart from the lodge for Kinigi where you will find the park officials to take you through the briefing about gorilla trekking or golden monkey tracking. The actual trekking adventure begins at 8:00 am and expect to spend about 2-6 hours for gorilla trekking or 2-4 for golden monkey tracking. You will enjoy a maximum of one hour with a troop of golden monkeys or a group of mountain gorillas.
Get back to the lodge after a cheerful adventure. In the afternoon, you will be accompanied by the local expert to Iby’Iwacu village to learn more about Rwandan cultures, traditions, and practices.
Day 12: Dian Fossey tomb trek & drive to Kigali
After a hefty breakfast, catch up with the morning hike to the Dian Fossey tomb site. An experienced guide from Volcanoes National Park will be present to lead you. Today’s journey brings you inspirational stories about Dian Fossey’s gorilla conservation efforts. The tomb site lies at Karisoke Research Center Dian Fossey was buried.
When you return from the Dian Fossey trek, expect to have some lunch and relaxation before you check out. Your afternoon will be used to connect to Kigali where you will be dropped at the hotel.
Day 13: Depart for Arusha
Following a leisurely breakfast, you will transfer to Kigali Airport. At Kigali, expect to fly to Arusha in Tanzania. At Arusha, drive up to the hotel for you to have adequate time to chill.
Day 14: Arusha-Lake Manyara National Park
Leave Arusha early morning for Lake Manyara National Park. At Lake Manyara National Park, you will have guided game drive in the afternoon. The park is known for its incredible wildlife encounters, especially the tree climbing lions, zebras, buffaloes, elephants, and many birds.
Day 15: Travel to Serengeti Game Park
After breakfast, you will be picked up by the safari guide. From Lake Manyara National Park, drive to Serengeti National Park. Serengeti is an extensive savanna protected area also most popular for the Migration safaris and Big 5 encounters.
Day 16: Serengeti full day game tour
Enjoy a full day game viewing session in Serengeti National Park with the presence of an experienced guide. The key focus will be witnessing the Serengeti Migration safari experience which is perfectly enjoyed around July to October. Your long day may also come with great sights of the Big 5 game plus antelopes. A picnic lunch will be enjoyed and you only return to the camp or lodge late in the afternoon.
Day 17: Balloon tour with bush breakfast & Game drive in the afternoon
Catch up with a rewarding hot air balloon safari in Serengeti –the perfect aerial game viewing excursion which comes with a bush breakfast or champagne. The afternoon game drive will be enjoyed after the lunch break and is best for you to search for more wildlife.
Day 18: Depart for Masai Mara
Today’s morning involves early departure to the Maasai Mara National Reserve –one of the best places to witness the Great Migration and Big 5 game. Use the Isebania border to drive to Masai Mara from Serengeti.
Day 19: A full day in Maasai Mara
Embark on a full-day wildlife excursion in the Masai Mara National Reserve. Expect to witness the Great Migration (anytime from July to October) and the Big 5 game in their natural habitat.
You will be expected to travel with a picnic lunch and then the afternoon game viewing. Besides wildebeests and Big 5, Maasai Mara is also most popular for its other diverse wildlife including zebras, giraffes, warthogs, cheetahs, aardvark, common elands, coke’s hartebeest, monkeys, and crested porcupines. Other species of wildlife giant gazelles, impalas, dik-diks, plus bird species like ostriches.
Day 20: Drive to Nairobi
A hefty breakfast will be served to you early morning and after, proceed to Nairobi. It will be a long 5-6 hours on the road and on arrival, you will be dropped off at the hotel or airport for departure back home.
End of safari
