The 17 Days Kenya Tanzania Rwanda and Uganda Safari is a well-curated safari package that is that combines four of the top tourist destinations in East Africa. Offering the most interesting primate tours including Chimpanzee trekking, Mountain gorilla trekking, and Golden monkey tracking only done in Uganda and Rwanda, combined with a wildlife safari in the Lake Nakuru national park and Masai mara national reserve in Kenya plus a visit of the Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This tour is best done during the peak season when you will be able to witness the great wildebeest migration of the Masai Mara and Serengeti corridor on the Mara River.
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Transfer to Lake Nakuru national park – evening game drive
Day 2: Game drive and transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve
Day 3: Full day in Masai Mara
Day 4: Transfer to Serengeti national park – Northern Serengeti
Day 5: Wildebeest Migration experience in Northern Serengeti
Day 6: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Day 7: Transfer to Arusha – Fly to Rwanda (Own booked flight)
Day 8: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest national park (6-7 hours’ drive)
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
Day 10: Transfer to Volcanoes national park (6-7 hours’ drive)
Day 11: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
Day 12: Golden monkey tracking – Dian Fossey Museum
Day 13: Transfer to Uganda – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 14: Gorilla trekking experience and Batwa community tour
Day 15: Transfer to Kibale national park – Bigodi swamp nature walk
Day 16: Chimpanzee Habituation experience
Day 17: Transfer to Entebbe and Departure
Detailed itinarary
Day 1: Transfer to Lake Nakuru national park – evening game drive
Depending on your location in Nairobi, you will be met by our company representative/safari guide to transfer to Lake Nakuru national park. Lake Nakuru national park is best known for its large masses of flamingo birds. It’s a 5-6 hours’ drive with en-route lunch. On arrival at the park, connect for a game drive to find some of the animals that will be available. Later connect to your lodge to refresh, relax, and have dinner and overnight stay at Lake Nakuru Lodge for mid-range option/ Punda Milias Tented Camp for budget
Day 2: Game drive and transfer to Masai Mara national reserve
After breakfast, connect for a morning game drive before you proceed your journey to Masai Mara national reserve, which is along the floor of the magnificent rift valley for unlimited game drive and land of the Masai people, en-route lunch and Masai community market where you will can buy masai products like jewellery, clothing and other products. Enter the park and connect to check-in your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Zebra Plains Lodge for mid-range/ Mara Sentrim Lodge for Budget
Day 3: Full day in Masai Mara
After breakfast, connect for your morning game drive in the Masai plains with your packed lunch in search of its popular Masai Mara residents, The Masai Mara plains are full of wildebeest during migration season early July to end September, zebra, impala, topi, giraffe, Thomson’s gazelle are regularly seen, leopards, lions, hyenas, cheetah, jackal and bat-eared foxes. Black rhino are a little shy and hard to spot but are often seen at a distance if you are lucky. Hippos are abundant in the Mara River as are very large Nile crocodiles, which lay in wait for a meal as the wildebeest cross on their annual quest to find new pastures. Later Meals and overnight at lodge as above
Day 4: Transfer to Serengeti national park – Northern Serengeti
After breakfast, then check-out and embark on your journey to Serengeti national park in Tanzania with your packed lunch. You will have a game drive on your way to Isebania border where you will be crossing to Tanzania. Cross via Olololo gate in Mara west.
Upon crossing the border and finalising with the customs office with clearance, proceed to enter Serengeti National Park and continue to your accommodation with en-route game drive as you enjoy the plains of Serengeti. Serengeti national park is a home of the big five game and other wildlife and it is best known for its wildebeest migration that happens every year. Dinner and overnight at your booked accommodation at Mara Heritage Lodge for budget/Mara River Lodge for mid-range/Mara Mara River Lodge for luxury
Day 5: Wildebeest Migration experience in Northern Serengeti
Have early breakfast, get parked lunch and go for a full day game drive we start from far North around the Mara river in case you came on the opposite month when the migration will start from Serengeti after missing it from Mara Kenya side now this will be you turn to enjoy the best. Spend the whole day looking for these animals like Hippos, Elephants, Buffalos, Giraffes, Lions, Hyenas, Cheetahs, Antelopes, Hartebeest, zebras mention but a few. Later evening drive to Central Serengeti, check-in at your booked lodge for dinner and overnight at Serengeti Heritage Safari lodge for mid-range option/ Tukaone Serengeti Camp for budget
Day 6: Transfer to Ngorongoro Conservation Area
After your breakfast, transfer to Ngorongoro conservation area, which is about 4-5 hours’ drive depending en-route game viewing stopovers. Upon arrival, connect to enter the park for a game drive into the Ngorongoro Crater, descend to over 600 meters into the crater to view wildlife for a half day’s safari tour. The crater is supported by a year round water supply and fodder, hence it has a variety of animals, which include herds of wildebeest, Zebra, Buffalo, Eland, Warthog, Hippo, and Giant African Elephants. Others include; lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs and the ever-elusive leopard. Check-in for dinner and overnight stay at Hhando coffee Lodge for budget/Tloma Lodge for mid-range
Day 7: Transfer to Arusha – Fly to Rwanda (Own booked flight)
After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Arusha. It’s about 3-4 hours’ drive with sighting seeing. Upon arrival in Arusha, the driver will drop you at Kilimanjaro Airport for your onward flight.
Upon arrival in Kigali airport, meet your safari guide and connect to your booked hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight stay at Des Mille Collins Hotel for mid-range/2000 Hotel Downtown for budget
Day 8: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest national park (6-7 hours’ drive)
Depending on your location in Kigali, you will be met by our safari guide and embark on your journey to Nyungwe forest national park which is a 6-7 hours’ drive from Kigali with en-route visit of the Rwanda national museum, Nyanzi King’s palace and lunch. Proceed to Nyungwe forest national park and connect to your booked lodge for check-in, relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel for mid-range/Gisakura Visitor Center for budget
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
After breakfast, enjoy breakfast and go for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in the Nyungwe forest. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3-8 hours. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos. Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.
Later afternoon, connect for the canopy walk experience. You will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees; you will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving below you. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 10: Transfer to Volcanoes national park (6-7 hours’ drive) – Ibyu wacu village tour
Embark on your journey to Volcanoes national park with en-route lunch and stop for great views of Lake Kivu. Upon arrival in Musanze, connect for a cultural tour before you connect to your booked lodge for check-in, relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge for Mid-Range/Amikus Hotel for budget
Day 11: Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes national park
After breakfast, transfer to the park offices for briefing about the mountain gorillas in the mist, and thereafter enter into the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas, it takes about 2-8 hours depending on the location of the gorillas. On finding the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour, take amazing photos and videos. After gorilla trekking, return to lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 12: Golden monkey tracking – Dian Fossey Museum
After early morning breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for briefing from the park warden about the endangered golden monkeys. After connect to the tracking starting point and enter the forest to search for the rare golden monkey. This activity can take about 1-5 hours and is done at closer view of the other primates in the park like the red-tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys among other. After viewing the rare golden monkeys for an hour while taking pictures and studying their behaviors. After golden monkey tracking, visit the Dian Fossey museum or the Ellen Dengerous campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and learn more about the primates in Rwanda.
Day 13: Transfer to Uganda – Bwindi Impenetrable national park
After breakfast, check-out and connect to Uganda crossing via Cyanika border. After clearing with immigration, continue to Bwindi Impenetrable national park to check-in at your booked lodge for relaxation as you prepare for your next day gorilla trekking, dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Haven Lodge for mid-range/Buhoma Community Rest Camp for budget
Day 14: Gorilla trekking experience and Batwa community tour
After breakfast, connect to the park headquarters for yet another gorilla trekking experience in Buhoma sector. You will follow the same details as of the previous gorilla experience, meet for briefing at 7 am and start the trek at 8 am. Trekking with take between 1-8 hours depending on the location of the gorilla family visited. After tracking, visit the Batwa community for a cultural tour. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 15: Transfer to Kibale national park – Bigodi swamp nature walk
After breakfast, check-out and transfer to Kibale forest national park which is about 6-7 hours’ drive with en-route lunch, transfer to your booked lodge in Kibale national park. Depending on time, you may do Bigodi swamp tour. Dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge for mid-range/Kibale Forest Lodge for budget
Day 16: Chimpanzee Habituation experience
Have breakfast very early and later transfer to the park head office for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees and later enter the forest with the guidance of a park ranger along with your tracking gears, packed water and snacks. This trekking is a whole day experience. On finding the primates, you will spend 4 hour viewing them while studying their behaviour and taking pictures. After tracking, return to the lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight at as above
Day 17: Transfer to Entebbe and Departure
after breakfast, check-out of the lodge and drive back to Kampala/Entebbe, which is about 6-7 hours’ drive. You will be dropped off at a location you advise or at Entebbe international airport to find your evening flight back home.
End of 17 Days Kenya Tanzania Rwanda and Uganda Safari
