Overview.
For 8 days, you can have an impressive safari to trek Uganda’s gorillas besides witnessing the Great Migration in Tanzania. The epic tour experiences are enjoyed in 2 UNESCO World Heritage sites. A gorilla trek will be in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwest Uganda. You will locate and see the critically endangered mountain gorillas in the wild.
Meanwhile Serengeti National Park is in the northern part of Tanzania and renowned for the Great Migration. You will see wildebeests, gazelles and zebras in thousands moving from or towards the Masai Mara National Reserve. This is an annual event where these angulates traverse the Conservation Area looking for better pasture and water.
The 8 days Uganda gorillas and Serengeti Migration safari begins in Uganda and ends in Tanzania. From Entebbe to Arusha/Kilimanjaro International Airport. You will enjoy road trips and an international flight. On road, you will be driven by experienced guides from Monteero safaris. They will ensure you are comfortable in tough 4X4 safari land cruisers.
The itinerary also incorporates your accommodation, transport, guides, meals, entrance and tour activities while exclusively on this safari. You can also have an equator crossing experience in Uganda. There is a massive opportunity to encounter the big five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and buffaloes).
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Pick up from Entebbe International Airport and drive to the hotel
On the first day, you will be picked up by our driver guide from Entebbe International Airport after your arrival flight. First, the driver guide will brief you about your captivating 8 days Uganda gorillas and Serengeti Migration Safari. You will be taken to your booked hotel either in Entebbe or Kampala. This is where you will check in, have your dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Wake up early in the morning and have a wonderful breakfast at your hotel. Your guide will transfer you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This scenic journey takes 9-10 hours. You will stop in Kayabwe, Mpigi district where the Equator crosses for you to have a lovely time taking photos. You will have an enroute lunch in Igongo Cultural Center in Mbarara.
Proceed and arrive in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the evening. Check in at your booked lodge. You will have dinner and overnight stay to rest for the next day of gorilla trekking in the jungle.
Day 3: Gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
On this third day, wake up and take an early morning breakfast. Carry your picnic lunch in your daypack. Your driver will take you to the trailhead as early as 7:00 AM. A crucial short meeting will be held by a park ranger before your adventure starts. The gorilla trekking rules will also be given. You will be included in a group of 8 to track a particular habituated gorilla family.
A ranger guide and armed ranger will lead you into the dense forest to track the gorilla family. Other primates, wild animals, birds, amphibians and insects will also be seen while on the gorilla trails. Encountering the mountain gorillas will be a dream come true. You will spend an hour seeing them behave in their natural habitat. Take photos as well for cherished memories.
You will then be led back to the trailhead for an award of a certificate for successfully tracking the mighty mountain gorillas. The entire trek generally takes a duration of 2-6 hours. Your ability to hike and the location of the gorilla family are key in determining the duration taken. Your driver will return you to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Return to Kampala/Entebbe
On this forth day of the 8 days Uganda gorillas and Serengeti Migration safari, wake up for the morning breakfast. Before you start your long journey back to Kampala, check out of your lodge. You will have an enroute lunch in Mbarara and continue to Kampala. You will either be taken to your booked hotel here or in Entebbe.
Day 5: Fly to Kilimanjaro International Airport and Arusha city tour
On this fifth day you will check out of your hotel and immediately taken to Entebbe International Airport. You will board a direct flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. This flight on Uganda Airlines will take 1 hour and 15 minutes. Another representative from Monteero Safaris will meet you and take you to Arusha which is a 1-and-a-half-hour drive.
You will then have a city tour with an enroute lunch. This is a chance to see the Arusha Declaration Museum and the central market. Explore plenty of unique food spices. Interact with the local people and learn about their way of life. Learn how to speak in Swahili to make the people feel excited. You will check in at your booked hotel, have dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Serengeti National Park and Masai cultural encounter
After your goodnight sleep, take your morning breakfast. Your guide will drive you to Serengeti National Park. This scenic trip takes 5-6-hours through Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This is an opportunity to spot the remarkable big five. You will arrive in Serengeti National Park where you will check in at your accommodation. Have lunch and relax.
In the evening, you will visit the renowned Maasai people. This is an unforgettable opportunity to gain deeper understanding of their lifestyles and vibrant history. Witness and appreciate their dressing, house construction, language, cultures, community organisation and much more. They also provide entertainment in terms of singing and unique dancing moves. Return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Great Migration in Serengeti National Park
After your early morning breakfast, get a packed lunch from the lodge. You will be taken to a perfect spot in Serengeti where chances of witnessing the Great Migration is much greater. You will notice that the wildebeests, gazelles and zebras are either moving inside the park or migrating away towards Masai Mara. This depends on the month of the year you have come.
You will also see predator species such as lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, cheetahs and crocodiles etc hunting them. Taking photos is acceptable and you can take as many as you can. You will return to your lodge, freshen up and spend the rest of the day recapping your once in a lifetime experience to fellow visitors. You will have your delicious dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Departure and drop off at Kilimanjaro International Airport
On this last day, wake up at leisure for the wonderful morning breakfast. Check out and immediately start your journey to Arusha City. You will arrive there and either driven to your booked hotel or dropped off at Kilimanjaro International Airport. This will mark the end of your 8 days Uganda Gorillas and Serengeti Migration safari. You will fly back to your home.
