Booking this 21 Days and 20 Nights East African safari allows travelers to discover exciting and unique attractions in East African countries, namely D.R. Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Take part in amazing activities including game drives, primate watching – mountain gorillas, eastern Lowland gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys, boat cruise and cultural experiences.
Sightseeing and picnic lunch opportunities, stopover at the equator point, rift valley viewing point and more. Expect to see the big five animals, annual wildebeest migration, bird life, vast flora and big cats.
East African Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and transfer to Kahuzi-Biega national park.
- Day 2: Trek the eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega national park
- Day 3: Kahuzi-Biega national park to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.
- Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Rwanda and visit the Iby’iwacu cultural village
- Day 5: Cross to Mgahinga national park in Uganda
- Day 6: Golden monkey trekking
- Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. Have game drive in Ishasha sector
- Day 8: Game drive and boat cruise
- Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National park and visit Crater lakes.
- Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Kampala
- Day 11: Short city tour and fly to Nairobi – Kenya
- Day 12: Transfer to Lake Nakuru from Nairobi
- Day 13: Transfer to Lake Naivasha
- Day 14: Travel to Masai Mara national reserve
- Day 15: Full day in Masai Mara National Reserve
- Day 16: Cross to Serengeti national park
- Day 17: Full day in Serengeti national park
- Day 19: To Arusha and fly to Zanzibar
- Day 20: Stone town and Spice plantation tour
- Day 21: Drive to Zanzibar airport and depart.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival in Kigali and transfer to Kahuzi-Biega national park.
Upon pick up either from the airport or hotel, you will immediately take a drive to Kahuzi-Biega national park, a journey that will last for about 7 to 8 hours as you cross via Bukavu border. Kahuzi-Biega national park is famously known to be a hub of rare eastern Lowland gorillas that live in the low land areas between two mountains – Mt Kahuzi and Mt Biega which form a big part if the park. Arrive and head to the lodge for your night stay.
Day 2: Trek the eastern lowland gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega national park
Like in the Volcanoes national park, begin the day with breakfast after waking up and embark on a short drive to the park for briefing which will not be different from the previous one. Penetrate into the forest with energy giving snacks and enough drinking water to start the search.
Meet the family or group trekked and spend an hour in their presence creating memories as you record and take photos. Silverback – head of the group will be practicing leadership skills such as protecting the group and grooming. Head back to the lodge after 5 to 7 hours’ adventure for leisure.
Day 3: Kahuzi-Biega national park to Volcanoes national park in Rwanda.
Be picked from Bukavu city by your driver guide, back to Rwanda in Volcanoes national park. Enjoy the beautiful scenery while on the journey to Ruhengeri in north western Rwanda. Volcanoes national park is Rwanda’s only home of mountain gorillas.
The park is one of the oldest national parks in Africa that has great history dating back from the times of Dian Fossey – female researcher who helped conserve mountain gorillas from being poached. Arrive and head to the lodge for your dinner and night stay.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking and visit the Iby’iwacu cultural village
Wake up early with breakfast and then take part in a short drive to the park offices where you go through briefing session about this amazing tour. Go through the dos and don’ts to follow such as don’t make noise, always avoid using flash light camera, use garden gloves and long clothing to avoid injuries, keep a distance from the gorillas and many more. Begin the search with a help of the park guide ranger and on locating the family visited, spend an hour with them recording memorable photos and then then head back to the lodge for lunch.
Visit Ibyi’wacu cultural village also known as the gorilla guardian village where the true Rwandese culture is displayed though art facts, music dance and drama, storytelling by elders, community walk as you discover the home set up of Rwandese and more. Late on, head back to the lodge for your accommodation and this marks the end of the tour.
Day 5: Cross to Mgahinga national park in Uganda
Wake up early and enjoy a dark breakfast and later on head back to Kigali crossing Goma border and then cross to Mgahinga national park the smallest park in Uganda covering an area of 33.7 square kilometers. This park is a home to both the rare primates – mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Arrive late in the evening and head to your booked lodge.
Day 6: Golden monkey trekking
Wake up and head for briefing after breakfast, granting you a chance to use flash light camera since these primates will tend to draw closer. Proper jungle dress code, items you need to have, trekking rules and regulations won’t be missed during this briefing. Begin the search under the guidance of park ranger and upon meeting these unique primates in the bamboo trees, take photos as you create memories. Late on, head back to the lodge and have a leisure evening.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. Have game drive in Ishasha sector
Wake up as early as 5:00am in the morning, have your breakfast which will be followed by a transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – a home to the rare tree climbing lions found in ishasha sector. Apart from these lions, the park is home to chimpanzees, elephants, buffalos, different antelopes, spotted hyenas, warthogs and others.
Arrive in the evening and straight head to search for the tree climbing lions in ishasha sector that will be seen resting on tree branches after having a meal. You will head to the lodge with evening game drive and this will mark the end of the day.
Day 8: Game drive and boat cruise
Begin the day with an early game drive to catch up with an early raiser such as lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and other prey. There will be other animals that will be spotted such as African elephant, African buffalo, Uganda kob, hippopotamus, topi, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog and many more others.
The game drive will last for about 3 hours but very rewarding since there is plenty to explore. Have an afternoon boat cruise that will take about 2 hours cruising on Kazinga channel which will offer you a spot of crocodiles and hippos, migratory birds like the pelicans, egrets and many more others. The elephants, buffalos, antelopes will be at the banks of Kazinga channel. Head to the lode for another second night in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National park and visit Crater lakes.
Have a leisure breakfast and transfer to Kibale National park a home of 13 primates including Chimpanzees. Pass through the craters and tea plantations in Kasenda region. The journey takes about 3 hours and this park is dominated by tropical forests with small punches of savannahs areas and swamps. On arrival, take lunch and engage in crater lakes explorations in Isunga area where you will encounter different lakes.
Have an option of hiking top of the world and have an aerial view of 3 crater lakes, Kibale forest and the tea plantations. Head and check in the booked accommodation for a great night.
Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Kampala
Visit the chimps in Kibale forest which will begin briefing by the park ranger at Kanyanchu tourist information Centre. This briefing is so important since it involves outlining the dos and don’ts to follow, the dressing code, time taken and forest at large. Tracking normally takes about 5 to 6 hours including an hour spent in their presence. Note that time taken can also be less than what is talked about.
After lunch, head back to Kampala passing though Fort Portal tea estates and arrive late evening as you check in at your hotel.
Day 11: Short city tour and fly to Nairobi – Kenya
Have a short city tour in Kampala where you will visit the Uganda museum, local markets, art and gallery centers, religious sites like Baha’i temple and Gadhafi mosque. Later on, head to Entebbe international Airport to board your scheduled flight to Nairobi.
In Nairobi, meet and greet our Kenyan driver guide that will take you through briefing about this amazing safari in Kenya. Drive to the hotel booked for night stay and relaxation.
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Nakuru from Nairobi
Leave the hotel after breakfast and then head to Lake Nakuru national park that is famous for the homing large numbers of over thousands of flamingoes. The journey takes about 3 to four hours’ drive and arriving, begin the game drive to watch over different wild animals such as zebras, hippos, lions, cheetahs, leopards, buffalos and many more others. This national park will offer you a big warm welcome to Kenya’s wildlife.
Day 13: Transfer to Lake Naivasha
Have a morning game drive in Lake Nakuru national park and then embark on the journey to Lake Naivasha. This park gets its name from Lake Naivasha which is one of the fresh water lake located in the rift valley.
Arrive and take a boat cruise which offers you the best scenery, crocodile and hippos plus other birds won’t be missed during this amazing safari in Lake Naivasha national park. Head to the lodge booked for your accommodation for leisure time.
Day 14: Travel to Masai Mara national reserve
Have a morning game viewing experience in you open roof tourist vehicle where you will be in position to spot the impalas, giraffes, wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, buffalos, dik-dik and more and this will be followed by a transfer to Masai Mara national reserve. This is where wildebeest migration can only be spotted as the wildebeest will be coming from and heading back to Serengeti national park.
This is known to be a land of the Masai people. Being seen grazing their cattle on the periphery of the park. Apart from wildebeests. This reserve is home to different wild animals. Such as lions, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, buffalos, hyenas, jackals, giraffes, zebras and more. Arrive and head to the lodge booked for your accommodation.
Day 15: Full day in Masai Mara national reserve
A full day in Masai Mara means that you will take park in a game drive. Together with your lunch box that will be enjoyed as a picnic lunch. There is a lot to discover while on this full day adventure in Mara plains. Such as the giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, wildebeest, warthogs, zebras, antelopes and more of birds and tree species.
Witness the annual wildebeest Migration if the safari is carried out during the month of migration. Time spent in Masai Mara won’t be regretted and you will create memories of lifetime.
Day 16: Cross to Serengeti national park
Begin the journey in the morning to Serengeti national park that is in Tanzania. The journey will take the whole day including the time for enroute lunch and border clearance. Arrive with a game drive and head to the lodge.
Day 17: Full day in Serengeti national park
Like in Masai Mara national reserve, spend a full day exploring the best of Serengeti. Through a game drive that will involve you into a picnic lunch. You encounter different animals such as giraffes, buffalos, elephants, wildebeest, warthogs, zebras, gazelles, crocodiles, hippos, rhinos and many more others. Enjoy child birth if you are lucky enough, meting, hunting for meat, Migration of wildebeests.
Day 18. Drive to Ngorongoro
Take about 4 hours’ drive to Ngorongoro conservation area. A place to be that is full of wild animals and has the world’s largest inactive volcanic caldera. There is a lot to explore as you will take an evening game drive. Where you will spot the giraffes, elephants, zebras, rhinos and more.
Day 19: To Arusha and fly to Zanzibar
Have a morning game drive and then drive to Arusha in time to catch a scheduled flight to Zanzibar. Meet and greet a tour representative. They will introduce you to the great archipelago of Zanzibar and the different activities you will partake. Head to the resort for relaxation and night stay.
Day 20: Stone town and Spice plantation tour
Take part in these two amazing experiences as you wind up with this great safari across East Africa. Begin the day with taking a tour in Stone town. Here different attractions will be visited such as the former slave market, religious sites, local markets and museums.
Later on, visit the spice garden which will allow you to know about the different spices. These among others are the ginger, garlic, chili, coriander, turmeric, rosemary and many more others. The day will end with visiting Forodhani food market where you will taste various Zanzibar foods.
Day 21: Drive to Zanzibar airport and depart. End of safari
Have leisure at the beach and then transfer to Abeid Amani Karume airport to board your flight back home. This marks the end of your East African safari.
