This 21 Days and 20 Nights East African safari will take you to four countries: Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania. You will meet mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and chimpanzees.
Enjoy game drives in the Savannah national parks where you will see the Big Five, big cats, and the annual wildebeest migration which happens between July and October.
You will also visit local communities like Isunga near Kibale National Park and the Batwa community in Bwindi National Park.
This safari also gives you a chance to enjoy boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel, Lake Kivu, and the Albert Nile, and visit the top of Murchison Falls.
The tour starts in Uganda, continues through Rwanda and Kenya, and ends in Arusha, Tanzania.
East African Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe, Uganda, and transfer to a hotel
- Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
- Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
- Day 4: Drive to Kibale National Park and visit Isunga Cultural Community
- Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a boat cruise
- Day 6: Game drive and lion tracking in Ishasha
- Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi National Park and visit Batwa community
- Day 8: Gorilla trekking day
- Day 9: Cross to Rwanda, to Volcanoes National Park
- Day 10: Golden monkey trekking and visit Lake Kivu
- Day 11: Transfer to Akagera National Park and game drive
- Day 12: Boat cruise and fly to Nairobi, Kenya
- Day 13: Transfer to Lake Naivasha and game drive
- Day 14: Transfer to Masai Mara and game drive
- Day 15: Full day game drive in Masai Mara
- Day 16: Cross to Tanzania, into Serengeti National Park
- Day 17 & 18: Full day game drives in Serengeti
- Day 19: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
- Day 20: Game drives in Ngorongoro
- Day 21: Drive to Arusha and fly home
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe, Uganda, and transfer to a hotel
Karibu! You are welcome to this great East African safari. Our driver guide will meet you at Entebbe Airport and brief you about the safari.
You may choose to visit the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, where you can see animals like crocodiles, snakes, peacocks, chimpanzees, hippos, giraffes, lions, and others.
After the visit, head to the hotel for your overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, start the drive to Murchison Falls National Park. You will stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track rhinos, have lunch, and then continue to the park.
Arrive in the evening, check in at the lodge, have dinner, and overnight.
Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
After breakfast, go for a game drive to see lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, leopards, zebras, hippos, and many birds.
After lunch, enjoy a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will see crocodiles, hippos, kingfishers, eagles, and other birds.
Later, hike to the top of the falls to enjoy the view. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Drive to Kibale National Park and Isunga Cultural Community Tour
After breakfast, drive to Kibale National Park, a journey of 5 to 6 hours. This park is home to 13 primate species, but chimpanzees are the main attraction.
Along the way, enjoy views of coffee, tea, and banana plantations. Arrive in the evening, check in, and take a Crater Lake walk and visit Isunga Community.
See Crater Lakes like Wabikere, Nyamirima, and Nyinabulitwa. You may also hike to the Top of the World hill for views of Kibale forest, tea estates, Crater Lakes, and the Rwenzori Mountains.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a boat cruise
After breakfast, go for a briefing at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre. Join other trekkers and walk through the forest, seeing vervet monkeys, colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and birds like the great blue turaco.
Spend one hour with the chimpanzees once you find them. After lunch at the lodge, check out and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Travel through the Ndali Kasenda Crater area with nice views and see the Rwenzori Mountains.
Later enjoy a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, famous for hippos, crocodiles, and many birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Game drive and lion tracking in Ishasha
Start with an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi plains to see lions, leopards, jackals, hyenas, elephants, baboons, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, warthogs, and birds like hornbills and ibis.
Return for breakfast, relax, have lunch, and then drive to Ishasha to track tree-climbing lions. See more wildlife like elephants, kobs, bushbucks, waterbucks, and oribis.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi National Park and Batwa community tour
After breakfast, drive to Bwindi National Park, home to nearly half of the world’s mountain gorillas. Along the way enjoy views of misty forests and birds.
Arrive, check in at the lodge, and visit the Batwa community. Learn about their culture, music, dance, and how they make fire using local materials. Return for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking day
After an early breakfast, head to the briefing point where the rangers will explain the trekking rules. Carry drinking water and snacks.
You will be guided through the forest, seeing birds, monkeys, and plants along the way.
Spend one hour with the gorillas once you find them. Trekking time depends on where the gorillas slept the previous night and may take 1 to 6 hours.
After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch, relax, and visit Bayenda Falls in Rushaga before returning for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Cross to Rwanda, to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, drive to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, crossing the Katuna border. This park is one of Africa’s oldest and is famous for Dian Fossey, who studied mountain gorillas.
It is home to gorillas and golden monkeys. Arrive, check in at the lodge, have lunch, and relax before dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Golden monkey trekking and visit Lake Kivu
After breakfast, get a briefing and then go into the forest with a ranger to search for golden monkeys. See them in the bamboo forest as they jump between trees.
Take photos and videos, then drive to Lake Kivu for a beach experience in the evening. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Transfer to Akagera National Park and game drive
Drive to Akagera National Park, the only savannah park in Rwanda and home to the Big Five. Arrive, check in, have lunch, and go for an afternoon game drive to see lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, hippos, warthogs, antelopes, and birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Boat cruise and fly to Nairobi, Kenya
After breakfast, enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Ihema to see hippos, crocodiles, birds, and animals along the water banks like elephants and antelopes.
After the cruise, drive to Kigali for lunch and then fly to Nairobi, Kenya. On arrival, meet your guide who will brief you and transfer you to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Transfer to Lake Naivasha and game drive
After breakfast, drive to Lake Naivasha National Park. The name comes from the Maasai word “Naiposha,” meaning rough waters. The drive takes 3 to 4 hours.
Check in at the lodge, have lunch, and go for an afternoon game drive to see lions, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, wildebeests, zebras, and more.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Transfer to Masai Mara and game drive
After breakfast, drive to Masai Mara National Reserve, famous for its many animals and the annual wildebeest migration from June to September.
Arrive, check in, have lunch, and enjoy an afternoon game drive to look for lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, rhinos, zebras, wildebeests, elands, and more.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Full day game drive in Masai Mara
Spend the full day exploring Masai Mara. Enjoy watching the wildebeest migration, sunrise, and sunset. You can have a bush breakfast, picnic lunch, and then continue the game drive.
Look for lions, zebras, elephants, rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, warthogs, topis, oryx, elands, and many others.
Day 16: Cross to Tanzania, into Serengeti National Park
After breakfast, leave Masai Mara and cross to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. This is a long drive, so you will have time to relax when you arrive.
Serengeti shares a lot with Masai Mara, including the annual wildebeest migration.
Check in at the lodge, have dinner, and overnight.
Day 17 & 18: Full day game drives in Serengeti National Park
Spend both days exploring Serengeti on game drives. See the wildebeest migration, the Big Five, big cats, and enjoy bush breakfasts and picnic lunches.
Look for lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, and other predators. You may also witness wildebeests giving birth or mating.
Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 19: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater
Leave Serengeti and drive to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Stop at Olduvai Gorge Museum, where the skull of early man was found.
Ngorongoro is the world’s largest unbroken caldera and home to rhinos, elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, cheetahs, antelopes, elands, and many birds.
Arrive, have a picnic lunch, enjoy a game drive, then check in at the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 20: Game drives in Ngorongoro
Enjoy a full-day game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater. See the Big Five, crater lakes, birds, and other animals. Visit different viewpoints guided by your driver.
Have a picnic lunch and return to the lodge in the evening for your final dinner on this safari.
Day 21: Drive to Arusha and fly home
After breakfast, drive to Arusha where you will be dropped at the airport for your flight home or to your next destination.
This marks the end of your safari.