These are perfect weeks to give you lifetime wildlife encounters in Africa.
The trip takes you to five East African countries: Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
You will explore both lowland and mountain gorillas, track chimps and golden monkeys, and view the big five game, as well as the great migration of the wildebeests.
Detailed 21-Day Grand Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Uganda and Hotel Transfer
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be received by our travel guide, who will brief you about the trip as he transfers you to the hotel where you will spend the night.
At the lodge, just check in, wait for dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 2: Travel to Kibale Forest National Park
Early in the morning, have breakfast and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.
This is the world’s primate capital with over 1000 primates calling it home.
Nowhere else will you ever spot so many primates like in Kibale.
The journey itself is an experience giving you views of the huge tea plantations that were commonly known as the Canadian prairies.
Drive at your pace, making stopovers at places of interest.
Arrival will be in the evening; just check in, have dinner, and overnight.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Community
After breakfast, set out to the park headquarters for the chimp tracking briefing by the local ranger guide.
You will be told the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking.
Now enter the forest to search for these impressive creatures.
Chimps are 97% human, and you will be surprised by how they play, feed, laugh, love, and care for each other like humans.
You will spend one hour in their presence, watching them carry on with their daily lives and taking many pictures of the moments as long as the camera has no flash.
In the evening, after lunch and relaxation, visit the Bigodi community for personal interactions with the local people, visit the community school, and the local water project.
Enjoy traditional performances and the local cuisines prepared by the Bigodi women’s group.
You can also buy handmade crafts here as souvenirs.
Day 4: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Waking up will be at your convenience.
Have breakfast and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This is Uganda’s most popular national park, because of the vast wildlife species that dwell here and the amazing landscape traversed with numerous craters and crater lakes.
The journey is about 4 hours, providing clearer views of the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon.
Day 5: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Ride on Kazinga Channel
Upon waking up, have an early breakfast and head out for a morning game drive in the park.
The drive gives you stunning views of the landscape covered with brown savanna grasslands with craters and crater lakes traversing through it.
You will spot warthogs, elephants, buffaloes, oribis, Uganda kobs, antelopes, topis, waterbucks, and many others.
In the afternoon, cool off with a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.
This is arguably the world’s longest channel, joining Lake George and Lake Edward.
You will see the highest concentration of hippos in the world.
On the shallow ends of the channel, you will spot crocodiles and several wildlife species that come along for drinking water.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha Sector
On this day, have a delicious early breakfast and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Pass by the Ishasha sector, the famous home of tree-climbing lions.
You will track the lions, have en-route lunch, and then drive to Bwindi.
Arrival will be in the evening; just have dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Community
At 7 am, you will be at the park headquarters for a simple briefing about gorilla trekking by the local guide.
The guide will take you through the guidelines of trekking the gorillas in Bwindi.
Gorilla trekking takes you into the thick forest, walking through slippery trails on unclearly paved paths.
Upon meeting these mighty apes, spend one magical hour watching them feed, play, and carry on with their daily lives.
You can take as many pictures as you want, as long as the camera has no flash.
In the afternoon, having had a delicious lunch, you will visit the Batwa community to have a cultural retreat with the Batwa pygmies of the forest.
See how they used to hunt and gather fruits in ancient days.
You will also enjoy the traditional performances and local cuisines, except for the tourists who don’t want.
Day 8: Drive to Volcanoes National Park
On this day, it will be a transition day.
You will cross to Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills.
You will have the cross-border experience in Africa.
The journey gives you stunning views of the Virunga ranges, a chain of eight volcanoes shared by three African countries: Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo.
Day 9: Golden Monkey Trekking and Gorilla Guardians Village
After an early breakfast, go to the park headquarters for an orientation about golden monkey tracking in Volcanoes National Park.
Unlike gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking is not so hectic because these beautiful primates stay in one location for some time.
So the guide just walks you to their location to spend an hour in their presence.
Watch the impressive monkeys jump from one tree branch to another, feeding and carrying on with their daily lives.
In the evening, you will visit the Gorilla Guardians Village.
This is a one-stop center for all three ethnic groups in Rwanda: the Twa, Hutu, and Tutsi. Nothing you can fail to see and meet.
You will enjoy the traditional performances and the local cuisines.
Returning to the lodge will be in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Travel to Akagera National Park
In the morning, have breakfast and travel to Akagera National Park.
This is Rwanda’s only savanna park.
You will have a chance to view the big five in Akagera: the lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffaloes.
The journey is about 4 to 5 hours, offering spectacular views of the thousand hills of Rwanda.
Day 11: Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride on Lake Ihema
In the morning after breakfast, embark on the safari vehicle for a game drive in Akagera National Park.
Game drives here immediately expose you to a variety of wildlife species in just a few minutes of the drive.
You will spot the big five animals, including lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, and other animals like warthogs, zebras, topis, elands, waterbucks, and many others.
In the afternoon, cool off with lunch and enjoy a cruise on Lake Ihema.
This is one of Rwanda’s largest lakes, and a cruise close to the lake shores rewards you with sights of hippos, crocodiles, sea birds, and other wildlife species that come to the lake for drinking water in the afternoons.
Day 12: Drive to Kigali and Fly to Arusha
Early in the morning, drive back to Kigali to catch a flight to Arusha in Tanzania.
Tanzania is East Africa’s largest country with numerous natural wonders that thousands of tourists yearn to see.
You will visit Lake Manyara National Park for the tree-climbing lions, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park for game viewing and the great migration experience.
Upon arrival in Arusha, be transferred to your hotel.
Day 13: Travel to Lake Manyara National Park
In the morning, travel to Lake Manyara National Park.
The park is popular for its tree-climbing lions that are only known here and in Uganda’s Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Drive at your pace, making different stopovers at places of interest.
Arrival at the park will be in the evening; just have dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Full Day Game Drive
You will have a full day game drive searching for the tree-climbing lions resting in the huge fig trees.
You will also spot large herds of elephants and other wildlife species like buffaloes, gazelles, antelopes, wildebeests, and many others.
You will have lunch during the drive, as returning to the lodge will be very late in the evening.
Day 15: Transfer to Ngorongoro Crater Area
Today, you will drive to the Ngorongoro Crater Area.
This is one of the ten natural wonders of the world and is often called the Eden of Africa because nothing is missing here.
From the huge land mammals like rhinos and elephants, to the smallest and brightest bird species.
The journey offers views of the beautiful lush landscape along the highway.
Day 16: Game Viewing and Transfer to Serengeti National Park
In the morning after breakfast, have a game drive descending through the beautiful highlands to Ngorongoro Crater.
You will have views of countless prey animals as well as predators.
For bird lovers, hundreds of flamingos call Ngorongoro Crater home.
You will spot lions, cheetahs, elephants, gazelles, wildebeests, antelopes, rhinos, zebras, and many others.
In the afternoon, after lunch, travel to Serengeti National Park for the big five and the great migration of the wildebeests.
Day 17: Full Day Game Drive
On this day, you will have an early breakfast and set out for a full day game drive in Serengeti National Park.
This is one park where you are guaranteed to spot the big five while on a game drive.
You will definitely see rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, and many others.
You will have lunch amidst the wild and drive to the migration trail for the great migration watching, to see thousands of wildebeests and zebras migrating in search of greener pasture and water.
Day 18: Morning Game Drive and Maasai People
Have a morning game drive after breakfast to view more wildlife species in the park.
In the afternoon, visit the Maasai people.
These are the most kind and hospitable people you will ever find in Africa.
Tasting the local cuisines is a guarantee except for those who don’t wish.
You will also enjoy the traditional performances.
Day 19: Cross to Kenya to Masai Mara
Today, you will cross to Kenya via Isebania border.
Driving will be at your pace, with stopovers at places of interest.
You will experience the cross-border in Africa.
Arrival at the lodge in Masai Mara will be in the evening.
Day 20: Full Day Game Drive
On this day, you will have a full day game drive in Masai Mara.
Game drives here immediately expose you to several wildlife species including the big five.
You won’t fail to spot the lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, and many others. Lunch will be in the wild among the wildlife.
On a lucky day, you will have the great wildebeest migration experience to view millions of animals moving in search of pasture and water.
Day 21: Departure
In the morning, have breakfast and drive to Nairobi International Airport for your departure flight.
