This 15-Day Luxury Safari in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda is an amazing journey that takes you to some of East Africa’s most beautiful countries.
You will visit Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills, and Tanzania.
The trip will give you the opportunity to see endangered gorillas in their natural habitats, golden monkeys, and the big five in Serengeti National Park.
Detailed 15-Day East African Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Arusha and Hotel Transfer
On this day, you will arrive in Arusha, and our representative will meet, welcome, and brief you about the tour.
They will then transfer you to the hotel where you will have dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Serengeti National Park and Evening Game Drive
You will wake up early in the morning for breakfast.
Your guide will be ready to transfer you to Serengeti National Park.
The journey is about a 4-5-hour drive from Arusha town to the park, with lunch en route.
Upon reaching the park, you will have some time to refresh and relax before your evening game drive.
This game drive promises to be one of the best experiences in Africa, where you can watch the big five animals: lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, and elephants.
You will also have the chance to spot other wildlife species such as giraffes, zebras, antelopes, warthogs, gazelles, wildebeests, and many more.
Day 3: Game Drive and Maasai People
Start your day with an early morning breakfast and embark on a game drive through the park.
Drive to the migration trail to witness thousands of wildebeests and zebras moving in search of greener pastures and water.
This drive also offers sightings of other wildlife species.
In the afternoon, visit the Maasai community for a cultural encounter with these kind and hospitable people.
Taste their local cuisines, observe their daily lives, and enjoy traditional performances through dance and music.
It’s an experience worth having in the evening.
Day 4: Travel to Arusha and Fly to Kigali
You will wake up early in the morning, have breakfast, and transfer from Serengeti to Arusha, driving through the scenic plains.
You will have lunch and then your driver will drop you at Arusha airport for your flight to Kigali.
On arrival in Kigali, our experienced guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel where you will spend the night.
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After breakfast, you will have a tour in Kigali that will take you through the markets and to the genocide memorial site to immerse yourself in the dark history of Rwanda.
After lunch, depart to Akagera National Park.
Your drive will take you through the country’s phenomenal landscape (folding hills), providing views of the country’s beauty and the lifestyle of its people.
Upon arrival, check in at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride on Lake Ihema
Early in the morning after breakfast, you will go for a game drive to catch up with the early risers.
The park is now home to the big five, with the recent introduction of Lions and Rhinos adding to the leopard, elephants, and buffaloes.
You will do a half-day game drive that will allow you to see numerous wildlife species such as zebras, antelopes, warthogs, topis, buffaloes, and many others.
Return to the lodge for a short relaxation and lunch.
After lunch, you will go for a boat ride on Lake Ihema, offering views of the surrounding areas, hills, and swamps.
Expect to see hippos, crocodiles, and various bird species. You will also spot more wildlife species that come to the lake shores in the afternoon for drinking water.
Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 7: Travel to Volcanoes National Park
After an early breakfast, connect to Volcanoes National Park (216km) from Akagera National Park.
Volcanoes National Park is a renowned haven for mountain Gorillas and is home to five of the Volcanoes that make up the Virunga ranges.
The journey offers stunning views of the Virunga ranges.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking and Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
Enjoy breakfast and transfer to the Park Headquarters for registration and briefing about the Golden Monkey tracking.
After the briefing, local ranger guides will lead you into the forest to track one of the habituated groups of golden monkeys.
You are allowed an hour of photography and watching these primates in their natural habitat.
After lunch, take a cultural walk to Iby’iwacu Cultural Village.
You will be guided around the place as you enjoy the Kinyarwanda traditions, including performances, traditional ceremonies, and a guided community walk.
Return to your lodge for an overnight stay and folk tales around the fire.
Day 9: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Wake up early, have breakfast, and embark on a 3-4 hour drive from Volcanoes to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Bwindi is a prime gorilla tracking destination in the world with over three-quarters of the remaining population of these apes.
Upon arrival, check in at your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.
Day 10: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Community
Start your day with an early breakfast and head to the park headquarters for briefing from the local guides.
After the briefing, begin your journey into the impenetrable forest to track mountain gorillas.
Gorilla trekking involves a hike through the montane forest, with no clear paths, but with the help of local guides, you will pave your way to the gorillas.
During the search, you may encounter several other primate species, such as white and black colobus monkeys, baboons, and others, as well as different bird species, butterflies, and reptiles.
When you find the gorilla family, spend an hour with them, observing their playfulness, interactions, and daily routines.
Take as many pictures as you want, provided your camera doesn’t have a flash.
In the evening, you can visit the Batwa community for a cultural experience and a community walk.
Learn about how the people in the area live their lives, interact with them, and then return to the lodge for dinner.
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP via Ishasha Sector
After an early morning breakfast at the lodge, drive to the famous Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector, known for its tree-climbing lions.
You will embark on a game drive that will give you the chance to see these impressive lions resting on the branches of fig trees during the afternoon hours.
You will have lunch en route as you continue your journey to the northern part of the park.
Other animals to see include warthogs, African elephants, Uganda kobs, Cape buffalo, and many tropical birds.
Day 12: Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride on Kazinga Channel
Begin your day with an early morning breakfast and then go for a morning game drive within the park.
Anticipate seeing some of the famous big five, including buffalos, elephants, lions, and other mammals such as warthogs, bushbucks, kobs, hyenas, and waterbucks in the Kasenyi plains.
In the afternoon, embark on a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel.
You will have the opportunity to see numerous elephants, hippos, buffalos, and crocodiles.
You will also spot various bird species, including the Great Pelicans that are resident on the banks of the 40km long and 8-meter deep channel, which connects Lakes Edward and George.
Day 13: Drive to Kibale National Park
Have breakfast and transfer from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Fort Portal, about a 3-hour drive.
Here, you will do a short tour of the Tooro Kingdom palace and Karambi tombs.
This will provide you with cultural and historical insights about the Batooro people.
Later, have lunch and continue to Kibale Forest National Park to check in at your lodge.
Day 14: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Community
Wake up early, have breakfast, and drive to Kibale Forest National Park’s visitors’ center at Kanyachu for a pre-chimpanzee trekking briefing.
At 8:00 am, you will enter the forest to track the chimpanzees and other primates.
The park is famous for chimpanzee tracking, with 13 primate species.
Tracking the chimps will take you through the tropical forest, walking on unclear paths and avoiding thorny trees.
When you encounter these beautiful primates, spend an hour observing them in their natural habitat and take many photos without flash photography.
In the evening, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a nature walk that will expose you to more primate species, such as baboons and monkeys.
You will also have a community visit to a craft center managed by local women’s groups.
Return to the lodge late in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 15: Drive to Entebbe International Airport
Enjoy breakfast and transfer from Kibale to Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight, with lunch en route.
This marks the end of the 15-day safari in East Africa.
