13 Days Gorilla Trekking Uganda & Great Migration Safari in Tanzania

Arrive in Uganda – the Pearl of Africa at Entebbe International Airport where you will meet our representative and transfer to the respective hotel for overnight

Accommodation

Midrange: Boma Hotel Entebbe

Luxury: Protea Hotel Entebbe

You depart at 07:00hrs from Entebbe International Airport to arrive in Kihihi Airstrip Bwindi at 08:55hrs. Your Driver guide will be waiting for you at the Airstrip to transfer you to the lodge for relaxation. You will then take a community walk exploring the life of the local people including the Batwa who used to live hunter gatherer culture before they were evicted to pave way for Gorilla conservation. Their stories and dance will make your day colourful.

Accommodation:

Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp

Luxury: Haven Lodge Buhoma

Gorillas in the mist moment awaits you this morning as you approach the mist covered Impenetrable forest of Bwindi for briefing at 8am.  Depending on the region and the respective gorilla family allocated, you follow the respective trail (some trails involve some bit of driving while others start from the briefing point) with company of the armed park ranger and other guests if they are there. The trek through the forest is a magical one as you hike steep slopes, descend down narrow valleys and traverse the dense vegetation of Bwindi amidst lush flora and enchanting bird songs. You eventually come across these gentle giants in their natural habitat as they feed on their preferred plant material, socialize and the young ones playing in the tree branches and with fellow members. The Silverback can choose to offer you a courteous welcome or ignore you and proceed with its feeding. You spend great time with these critically endangered Apes and take million-dollar photoshoots. The duration of the trek is 2 – 8 hours depending their movement though the actual gorilla viewing time is limited to one (1) for purposes of conservation. After your one hour with the gorillas, return to the starting point and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, enjoying the incredible views of Kigezi Highlands dubbed the Switzerland of Africa and spend the evening relaxing at the lake with a boat ride. Settle for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Midrange: Lake Bunyonyi Eco-resort

Luxury: Birdnest @ Bunyonyi Resort

Undertake a recreational boat cruise after a relaxed breakfast to explore the lake of a thousand Islands. You cruise amidst the scenic Kigezi Highlands and the views of a range of Islands that are within the lake. Lake Bunyonyi has 29 Islands. You retreat from 2-hour activity and retreat to the lodge for lunch after which you embark on the transfer to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda 120km about 3 – 4 hours driving along magical views of the Virunga Volcanoes before arriving at the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Midrange: Da Vinci Gorilla Lodge

Luxury: Mountain Gorilla Lodge

The Gorilla trekking in Rwanda starts at Kinigi park station in Volcanoes National Park. You enjoy the traditional Intore performance before the briefing and a hot cup of coffee. Briefing starts at 8am after which you connect to the trail heads to embark on the gorilla trekking encounter.  Depending on the gorilla group allocated and how far it has moved that day, the trek lasts 2 – 8 hours and involves one full hour of Gorilla viewing and impressive photoshoots. Retreat from the activity and transfer to Kigali 116km about 2 – 3 hours’ drive enjoying the views of the Rwandan hillsides en route. If you return from Mountain Gorilla trekking in time, you can opt to do tour to Gisozi genocide to gain an insight of what transpired in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Retire for relaxation, dinner & overnight.

Accommodation

Midrange:  Hotel Chezlando – Bungalows

Luxury: Hotel Mille Collines – Garden rooms

After breakfast, connect to Kigali International Park at 8am to check in for your flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport. You are welcomed by our representative to transfer to Arusha for relaxation and overnight

Accommodation

Midrange: African Tulip Hotel

After breakfast, we will depart to Manyara for biking adventure to Lake Manyara. On our way to the soda lake, we can encounter common wildlife like zebras, gazelles and wildebeests. Lake Manyara is also famous for flamingos and different species of water birds.

Later we enjoy our bike ride through Mto Wa Mbu village located 5minutes away from Lake Manyara NP entry gate. Our bike ride will take us to the unique venue where we will enjoy variety of hot local lunch dishes.

After lunch we will proceed to Lake Manyara NP for game viewing. The park is green throughout the year because of its underground water sources. Its verdant color attracts hundreds of spectacular varieties of migratory and wetland birds flying overhead. It also attracts huge populations of flamingos because its shallow alkaline-saline (salt) soda lake creates an ideal environment for microorganisms to grow that flamingos’ feed upon. Manyara’s natural habitat also includes large troops of baboons, velvet monkeys, blue monkeys, and tree climbing lions, hippos, giraffes, zebras, buffalos, elephants, warthogs, impalas, Thomson-gazelles, and Grant gazelles. Leopards, cheetahs, rock/tree hyrax, kudus, elands, bushbucks, waterbucks, and dik-diks also live in this park.

Accommodation

Midrange: Tloma Lodge

After breakfast, we proceed to the Serengeti endless plains by way of the lush Ngorongoro Crater Highlands.

The name “Serengeti” comes from the Maasai word siringitu, which means “endless plains”. You will see why once you see its ocean of grassland savannas stretching to the horizon as far as your eye can see. However certain parts also are covered in the Acacia savanna, densely wooded hills or rocky outcrops are known as kopjes, as well as pans and lakes. The abundance of African wildlife is of course what makes it such a sought-after safari destination, and includes healthy populations of lion, buffalo, impala, hippo, waterbuck, elephant, cheetah, leopard and a host of other game species – not mention the more than 400 species of birds.

We will arrive in Serengeti for an afternoon game drive searching for wildlife. Later in the evening, we will drive further to the camp for evening leisure and hot dinner.

Accommodation

Midrange: Kati Kati Tented Camp

After breakfast, depart with picnic lunch for a morning game drive on central Plains. Later proceed to Northern Serengeti following the Great Migration along the Mara River.

During the dry season, the herds mass on both banks of the Mara River, frequently crossing – and braving the crocs – in response to local weather patterns that only they seem to understand. The Mara River crossings are not a single event, rather crossings happen throughout the dry season. Groups varying in size from a few hundred to tens of thousands cross the river in both directions between July and October in response to localized weather patterns (following the rain showers and therefore the fresh grazing).

Accommodation

Midrange: Kati Kati Tented Camp

Full day of game drive in the Northern Serengeti focusing on Mara River crossing and Great Migration

Accommodation

Midrange: Kati Kati Tented Camp

After breakfast, depart with picnic lunch for final game drive in Serengeti. After lunch, we will drive in the direction of the Ngorongoro Crater. As soon as you have reached the edge of the crater rim, the crater appears half a mile below you inviting you to gaze at this jaw dropping natural wonder. When you reach its edge and view its 100 square mile expanse, it is a sight to behold. We will arrive at the lodge for evening leisure and hot dinner.

Accommodation

Midrange: Ngorongoro Farm House

After breakfast, we drive to the Ngorongoro Crater and descend into it for a half-day of game viewing.

Ngorongoro Crater is the world’s largest volcano caldera formed three million years ago and is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world and one of Africa’s most remarkable geological sites.

The Big Five (rhino, elephant, Cape buffalo, lion, leopard) and most of the animal species found in the Serengeti, including zebra, hippos, wildebeest, and cheetahs, can be viewed close up. The Ngorongoro Crater ecosystem maintains the historic balance between people and nature in a way that is not possible in other parks.

Later in the evening ascend and proceed to Maramboi for evening leisure, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Midrange: Maramboi Tented Camp

After breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel and you will enjoy the 2hrs leisure drive southwestwards to Tarangire NP.

The Tarangire National Park has the highest concentration of elephants in North – Tanzania and you can view these animals all year round where elephant herd populations can reach as many as 3,000. The Tarangire River has water all year around. During the dry season (July-October), many animals from the surrounding areas come to the river to drink. If you visit the park during the dry season, you will witness an unforgettable natural wonder as you observe exotic big mammals such as lions, giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests, zebras and various types of antelopes such as gazelles. During the dry season, Tarangire is a haven for bird watchers with over 550 different species including the Maasai Ostrich-the world’s largest bird. Proceed to Kilimanjaro International Airport for late evening flight departure