18-Day East Africa Safari: Gorillas & the Big Five

Detailed 18-Day East Africa Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Nairobi and Hotel Transfer

On arrival at Nairobi International Airport, our guide will meet you and transfer you to a hotel in Nairobi for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2: Travel to Masai Mara and Maasai Community

In the morning, travel to Masai Mara National Reserve, known for its wide savanna grasslands, the Big Five, and the wildebeest migration.

Arrive in the afternoon for lunch. In the evening, visit a Maasai community for traditional performances and local food.

Day 3: Full Day Game Drive

Early in the morning, set out for a full day game drive in Masai Mara, home to the Big Five and over 100 wildlife species. Return in the afternoon for lunch.

In the evening, visit the Maasai people again for more traditional performances and food. Return to the lodge late for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4: Travel to Serengeti National Park

Cross into Tanzania via the Isebania border, with views of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake, along the way.

Serengeti National Park, ranked among the ten natural wonders of the world, offers wide savanna grasslands home to the Big Five and the wildebeest migration. Arrive at the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Full Day Game Drive

Spend the day on a full game drive through the Serengeti’s savanna grasslands, looking for lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffaloes, along with giraffes, zebras, and gazelles.

Have lunch in the wild, then head toward the migration trail in the afternoon to see the wildebeest migration, one of the largest wildlife movements in the world.

Day 6: Travel to Arusha and Fly to Kigali

Have an early breakfast and travel to Arusha for your flight to Kigali, Rwanda. On arrival, your guide will transfer you to a hotel in Kigali for the night.

Day 7: Travel to Akagera National Park

Travel from Kigali to Akagera National Park, Rwanda’s only savanna park, a drive of about 6 hours with lunch on the way. Arrive at the lodge in the evening for check in, dinner, and overnight stay.

Day 8: Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride on Lake Ihema

Enjoy breakfast, then join a morning game drive in Akagera National Park, looking for the Big Five, along with giraffes, waterbucks, warthogs, and topis.

In the afternoon, after lunch, take a boat ride on Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second largest lake, spotting hippos, crocodiles, and water birds along the shallow shores.

Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9: Travel to Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, travel to Volcanoes National Park, the main home of mountain gorillas in Rwanda and the only park in the country where you can trek both gorillas and golden monkeys.

The drive offers views of the Virunga volcanic chain. Arrive in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 10: Golden Monkey Tracking and Gorilla Guardians Village Visit

After breakfast, head to the park headquarters at 8 am for a briefing on golden monkey tracking. Head into the forest to track the monkeys as they move through the high forest canopy.

After lunch, visit the Gorilla Guardians Village, where all three ethnic groups of Rwanda come together. Enjoy traditional dances and local food if you choose to join in.

Day 11: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to over 700 mountain gorillas, crossing the border into Uganda along the way.

The drive continues at your pace, with stops for photos. Arrive at the lodge in the late afternoon to relax before dinner and overnight stay.

Day 12: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Community Walk

After an early breakfast, your guide will drive you to the park headquarters for a briefing at 8 am before starting your gorilla trek. Hike through the forest with a walking stick for support on the trail.

Once you find the gorillas, spend an hour observing them and taking photos without flash. After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch, then visit the Batwa community in the afternoon to learn about their history and way of life.

Day 13: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha Sector

After breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing through the Ishasha sector, known for its tree-climbing lions, found only here and in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania. Track the lions and watch them rest in the fig trees.

Have lunch along the way and arrive at the lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the evening.

Day 14: Morning Game Drive and Kazinga Channel

Enjoy an early breakfast, then join a game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park, with views of craters and crater lakes. Look for elephants, warthogs, lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, oribis, and topis.

After lunch, take a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel, one of the longest channels in the world, connecting Lake Edward and Lake George and home to the highest concentration of hippos anywhere. Also spot crocodiles and water birds along the shores.

Day 15: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Have breakfast at your own pace, then travel to Kibale Forest National Park, known as the primate capital of the world, with over 1,000 primates. The drive offers views of the Rwenzori Mountains, taking about 3 to 4 hours.

Arrive in the evening to check in at the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 16: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Wetland Visit

In the morning, head to the park headquarters for a briefing on chimpanzee tracking rules, then enter the forest to search for chimps, our closest primate relatives. Walk the forest trails, watching them play and go about their day, and take photos without flash.

In the afternoon, after lunch and a short rest at the lodge, join a swamp walk in Bigodi Wetland to spot more primates and bird species.

Day 17: Travel Back to Kampala

Have breakfast at your convenience, then travel to Kampala, Uganda’s capital, passing tea plantations along the way. Depending on your arrival time, join an optional city tour, with stops for photos along the road.

Day 18: Departure

Enjoy breakfast, then transfer to Entebbe Airport for your flight home.

Book this 18-Day East Africa Safari today and see the Big Five, the wildebeest migration, and mountain gorillas across four countries.