These are 20 days of true adventure, and fun, right from the Jungle, savanna grassland, accommodation to transportation. You will explore all the treasures hidden in every corner of East Africa, starting with chimpanzees in Nyungwe national park, endangered mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda, Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, mammals, birds and flora in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison falls national park, Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru N/parks in Kenya, and Serengeti national park and Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania.
You will also enjoy a forest canopy walk, fun with the Batwa pygmies and Masai nomadic culture, boat cruise, Kigali city tour, and sightseeing among others. This safari starts from Kigali international airport Rwanda and ends at Mount Kilimanjaro international airport Tanzania.
Detailed Safari
Day 1: Pick up and accommodation
Following our arrangement with you, the company representative will warmly welcome you for the 20 days east African safari that commences at Kigali international airport, Rwanda. When the two of you meet, he will brief you on everything included in the itinerary, such as the means of transport, destinations, and activities you will engage in.
After the briefing, he will drive you to your accommodation where you will enjoy a delicious meal and spend the entire night.
Day2: City tour and Nyungwe national park
Early in the morning, you will check out of the lodge after breakfast for a 4-5 hour drive to Nyungwe national park, home to over 13 unique primate species coexisting in one place. But First, you will tour Kigali city, visiting the local markets to buy souvenirs and missing items, and then head to the genocide memorial where thousands of people who were killed during the 1994 incidence where buried.
Thereafter, you will head for lunch, after which you proceed to the Nyungwe national park, by-passing great views of rolling hills and locals moving on with their daily activities. Arrival is late in the evening for dinner and overnight stay
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and canopy walk
On this day, you will be required to wake up very early in the morning for breakfast before being driven to the park’s headquarters for a pre trekking briefing by expert park rangers who will inform you of the park rules and regulations, and then verify your tracking documents.
When the briefing is done, the park rangers will guide you through the jungle on a 1 to 5-hour hiking experience, in the quest for the chimpanzees, human’s closest relatives, co-existing with over 13 other primate species such as the baboons, Columbus monkeys, grey checked monkeys, and the vervet monkeys among others. Besides the sweet echoes of birds and primates you will listen to while traversing the jungle, their appearances will surprise you the more.
One hour will be all yours to watch and takes photos of the chimpanzees as they feed, play, and interact with each other. However, make it a point to observe the seven-meter distance, making no noise, keeping the place clean, and not using flash cameras.
You will return to parks headquarters for Lunch and simple rest before having a wonder forest canopy walk, on the magically suspended ropes and path, which gives a chance of having very fascinating photos, watching the primates jumping on top of the tress, the rolling hills and the scattered homesteads across the park’s boundaries. You will end this day in the lodge with dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Nature walks and Transfer to Volcanoes national park
Early in the morning, you will have a two hour guided forest walk, which opens your eyes to the beauty of nature, adorned with beautiful flora and fauna, diverse ecosystem, and fascinating landscape.
You are free to take as many photos as possible before returning to the lodge for a cup of coffee, and then a 4-5 hours’ scenic drive to Volcanoes national park, following a route with eye-catching sceneries, and gently sloping hills. Upon arriving at your lodge, check-in, refresh, and then enjoy a mouth-watering meal followed by a peaceful nap.
Day 5: Gorilla trekking and Ibyiwachu community tour
At the crack of dawn, breakfast will be served to you, before driving to the park’s headquarters for a pre trekking briefing that commences at 8:00 am. You together with other tourists who have come to pay a visit to the gentle apes, your closest relatives will be told the dos and don’ts while in the Jungle and then allocated to a gorilla family with the behaviors you love.
The 1-5 hours of tracking exercise starts as soon as the briefing is over, led by an expert park ranger who best understands the jungle and knows where he last spotted these creatures. However, you will also spot various primates such as the monkeys, and baboons among others, rare bird species and tree species.
When you meet these gentle Apes, the park ranger who doubles as your instructor will give you a one-hour allowance to closely watch and study the mountain Gorillas, take Photos and make inquiries of what you don’t understand.
From then on, return to the lodge for lunch and a bit of rest before visiting the Iby’Iwacu cultural village, a one-stop center for Rwanda culture, you will watch and have fun with the locals who will tell you stories, and dance to the African drum beat. Drive back for dinner and overnight after the entire experience.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park via Lake Bunyonyi
On this day, you will enjoy breakfast very early in the morning before checking out of the lodge for a 3-5 hours’ fun packed scenic drive to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park, a journey that feeds your eyes with the backdrop of Virunga ranges, the snowcapped mountain Rwenzori, the scattered homesteads in the countryside and the green plantations.
You will have a 2 hour en route stop at Lake Bunyonyi, surrounded by over 27islands, before proceeding to your lodge at the sector where the tracking will be done. You will end this day with a ceremonial dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking and Batwa encounter
This day, breakfast comes first before driving to the sector headquarters for an assembly where the park rangers will tell you the rules to follow while with the Apes in the jungle. There are over 18 recorded Gorilla families in this park, though you will on track one family of your choice after watching the documentaries the park rangers will show you.
The tracking is a bit tiresome and requires patience and endurance to tackle the hilly terrain for approximately 1-6 hours, depending on how far the creatures have moved. Besides the Mountain Gorillas, you will encounter other primates, rare tree species and unique bird species offered asylum here.
You will spend one hour with these creatures and then drive back to the lodge for lunch followed by an unforgettable visit to the Batwa pygmies, one of the oldest cultures on earth, who have retained their cultural practices despite modernity. At Dusk, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park via the Ishasha sector
At daybreak, you will enjoy a delicious cup of coffee before embarking on a 4-5 hours’ drive to Queen Elizabeth national park, a medley of Wander for a rewarding game drive and boat cruise experience. You will have a two to three-hour stopover at the Ishasha sector to track the tree-climbing lions.
Luckily, you might spot them on the tree species before having lunch in the same area, and then proceeding with the drive to your accommodation, in or outside of the park. You will arrive in the evening and relax in the beautiful gardens as you wait for dinner and nap.
Day 9: Morning Game Drive and Boat cruise
Wake up early in the morning for breakfast, followed by a 4-5 hours of wildlife viewing experience at the vast savannah grassland, accommodating both the prey and predators, such as the antelopes, lions, leopards, buffaloes, zebras, warthogs and elephants among others. Though there is no guarantee, the chance of you spotting the cats (lions, and leopards) hunting, or relaxing is very high because of their large numbers here.
Subsequently, you will return to the lodge for lunch before the afternoon boat cruise at the Kazinga channel that raises your eyebrows to a good concentration of hippos, Crocodiles sailing on the water surface, and several mammals such as the waterbuck, Buffalos and the elephants quenching their thirsts. You will then drive back to the lodge where a delicious meal will be served to you before you enter your cozy bed for a deep slumber
Day 10: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
On this day, you will depart Queen Elizabeth national park as soon as the last sip of coffee is done. You will spend 7-8 hours on the road while looking at the undulating hills, scattered homesteads in the countryside, and crossing towns with magnificent infrastructures.
You will also have a lunch stop in one of the towns and then late arrival at the park for dinner and overnight
Day 11: Morning game drive and boat trip
At sunrise, you will pick up your camera, binoculars, umbrella, and breakfast and then head out for a 3 to 4-hour game drive experience on an open rove 4wheel drive with hopes of spotting not only the different mammals such as the lions, leopards, buffalos, zebras, Uganda Kobs, Oribis, the Jackson hartebeest, the giraffes, and the warthog among others, but also several bird species such as the lover birds, crested cranes, Guinea fowls, Egyptian geese, shoebill and then unique tree species such as the whistling acacia.
Afterword, you will have bush breakfast, before driving back to the lodge for lunch, followed by an afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the most powerful waterfalls on earth, the Murchison fall. You will enjoy the thundering sound as well as take photos for memory.
The 2-3 hours’ boat cruise experience will also expose you to the sight of the Nile crocodiles and school of hippos, not forgetting the birds such as the shoebill and the mammals such as the elephant’s, oribis, and the waterbuck drinking water. After the boat ride, you’ll have a one to two-hour hike to the top of the falls which draws you closer to the devil’s cauldron, the rapid thundering waterfalls, as well as giving you the clear view of the rainbow in case sunshine is out. return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 12: Transfer to Kampala and fly to Nairobi – Kenya
After breakfast, you will later proceed with your journey to Entebbe international airport for your flight to Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, East Africa’s top travel destination.
From Murchison falls national park, you spend about 5-6 hours on the road, with an option of rhino tracking in Ziwa Rhino sanctuary and lunch enroute. You will board for your flight in the evening and fly for approximately two hours, meeting our company representative at Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi who will lead you to your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National park
On this day, you will have breakfast, and then start a 4-5 hours’ smooth drive to Lake Nakuru national park, home to a good selection of flamingoes, one of the sought-after bird species in the world. You will stop for lunch then proceed to your lodge where you will check-in and have the entire evening to yourself, either by the poolside or the gardens.
However, an optional boat ride or guided nature walk can be organized for you before dusk, and then the remaining activities will be eating and sleep.
Day 14: Drive to Maasai Mara national park and evening game drive
Having finished your breakfast early in the morning, hit the road to Masai Mara national park, a journey that takes approximately 5-6 hours, with an en-route stopover at the great rift valley for photography. Afterward, connect to a maram road that takes you to Narok center, home to Masai Mara national park where you will have lunch before proceeding to the park.
In the evening, you will have a 3- 4 hours’ game drive experience in the vast savanna grassland in search for some of the night hunters looking for what to feed on, these include; lions, cheetahs, hyenas, leopards and hippos among others. Sum up the day with dinner and all night nap.
Day 15: Full day game drive
You will welcome this day with an energy-giving cup of coffee, and then head out for a full day game viewing experience in the vast savanna grassland. You will spend the first half of this day, visiting the different hideouts and grazing spots of the different mammals such as the lions, cheetahs, wildebeests, leopards, oribis, Jackson hartebeests, giraffes and Buffalos among others.
On a good day, you can find the Hunters, such as lions and leopards doing what they can do best. Additionally, you will have the chance of spotting unique tree species and birds such as ostriches, flamingos among others.
You will have lunch and then drive to the Mara River famously known for the wildebeest migration from Serengeti national park in June to early September, in search of food and water. Here, you will watch a school of Hippos and crocodiles, plus some bird and mammals, all dependants of this water
Day 16: Morning Game Drive and Transfer to Arusha city, Tanzania.
Wake up to a very sumptuous cup of coffee, followed by a rewarding four to five-hour morning game drive where you will lookout for some of the mammals offered asylum here, but above all, the giant flamingoes by the lake shores.
You will take photos as much as you can. Afterwards, return for an early lunch at the lodge before driving off to Arusha, where you will find our tour guide to connect you to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 17: Transfer to Serengeti National park – evening game drive
You will kick start this day with a briefing from our company representative, accompanied by a cup of coffee as he awakens your spirit to the fascinating activities and experiences in Serengeti national park, and Ngorongoro crater rim, at the same time responding to all your inquiries.
After that, you will hit the road for a 4-5 hours’ smooth drive to Serengeti national park, Tanzania’s number one travel destination, arriving in the evening after crossing several fascinating sceneries.
After resting, you will head have head out for a 3-4-night game drive in search of the lions, leopards, and hyenas that prefer carrying their operations at night. After that, return to the lodge for diner and overnight
Day 18: Have a morning game drive and visit the Masai community
You will begin this day with an early morning breakfast before joining your tour guide for a rewarding four to five-hour game drive in the gigantic Serengeti field that hosts Africa’s big five namely the Rhinos, elephants Buffaloes, Lions and lions among others; not ignoring the wildebeests, Zebras, Antelopes, cheetahs and warthogs among others.
You will also be surprised by the rare tree and bird species harbored in this place. Note, when it comes to spotting cats, (lions, Cheetahs. leopards among others), or a hunt, you will need luck.
After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for refreshment and lunch, before an afternoon encounter with the Masai Nomadic pastoralists who will show you nothing but their tools, leave your ribs aching with laughter’s, and face covered with a smile after witnessing their dances and listening to sweet stories.
Day 19: Transfer to Ngorongoro crater rim
On this day, breakfast comes right after you are done packing your luggage, followed by checking out of the Lodge for a transfer to Ngorongoro crater, with the largest a caldera in the entire world, a host to all African big five as well as featuring among the seven world wonders. You will arrive at the park in the evening with smiles due to the jaw-dropping sceneries and green plantations spotted while on the drive.
You will have an optional evening game drive where you have the opportunity of spotting several mammals roaming around this park such as the leopards, cheetahs, lions, Rhinos, Buffaloes, and Antelopes among others. Thereafter, you will drive to the lodge where you will call off the day with dinner and sweet slumber.
Day 20: Hiking to the top of the Crater rim and Departure
On this twentieth and last day of your safari, enjoy a very heavy cup of coffee, followed by a three-hour hike to the top of Ngorongoro crater where on a good day, you will not only see the crater, primates, Birds or plants but also all the big five namely the lions, elephants, buffalos, rhinos and leopards among others.
After the Hike, return to the lodge for early lunch and then check out of the lodge for a drive to Kilimanjaro international airport for your flight back home.
End of safari
