Book this 15-Day Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda Safari to see mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and the Big Five across three East African countries.
This safari takes you through Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, Rwanda, the Land of a Thousand Hills, and Tanzania, giving you the chance to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, 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 arrival in Arusha, our representative will meet, welcome, and brief you on the tour, then transfer you to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Serengeti National Park and Evening Game Drive
After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Serengeti National Park, a 4 to 5 hour drive from Arusha, with lunch en route.
On arrival, relax before an evening game drive to see the Big Five (lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos, and elephants), along with giraffes, zebras, antelopes, warthogs, gazelles, and wildebeests.
Day 3: Game Drive and Maasai People
After an early breakfast, join a game drive to the migration trail to see thousands of wildebeests and zebras moving in search of pasture and water, along with other wildlife.
In the afternoon, visit the Maasai community for local food, daily life, and traditional dance and music performances.
Day 4: Travel to Arusha and Fly to Kigali
After breakfast, transfer from Serengeti to Arusha through scenic plains. Have lunch, then head to Arusha Airport for your flight to Kigali. On arrival, your guide will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel for the night.
Day 5: Transfer to Akagera National Park
After breakfast, join a tour of Kigali, including the markets and the Genocide Memorial site, to learn about Rwanda’s history.
After lunch, depart for Akagera National Park, driving through Rwanda’s hills. On arrival, check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride on Lake Ihema
Early in the morning, after breakfast, join a game drive to catch the early risers. The park is now home to the Big Five, with lions and rhinos recently introduced alongside leopards, elephants, and buffaloes. See zebras, antelopes, warthogs, topis, and buffaloes on this half day drive.
Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, take a boat ride on Lake Ihema, spotting hippos, crocodiles, and various bird species, along with wildlife coming to the shores to drink. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 7: Travel to Volcanoes National Park
After breakfast, travel to Volcanoes National Park (216km) from Akagera National Park. This park is a well known home for mountain gorillas and includes five of the Virunga volcanoes, with good views along the way.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking and Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village
After breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for registration and a briefing on golden monkey tracking. Local ranger guides will lead you into the forest to track one of the habituated groups, with an hour for photos and observation.
After lunch, take a cultural walk to Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village to see Kinyarwanda traditions, including performances and a guided community walk. Return to your lodge for overnight stay and stories around the fire.
Day 9: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
After breakfast, drive 3 to 4 hours from Volcanoes to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, home to over three quarters of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. On arrival, check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Community
After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing from local guides before beginning your trek into the forest to find the mountain gorillas.
The trek passes through montane forest without clear paths, with guides leading the way. You may also see other primates such as colobus monkeys and baboons, along with birds, butterflies, and reptiles.
Once you find the gorilla family, spend an hour observing them and taking photos without flash. In the evening, visit the Batwa community for a cultural experience and community walk before returning to the lodge for dinner.
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha Sector
After an early breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector, known for its tree-climbing lions. Join a game drive to see the lions resting in fig trees during the afternoon.
Have lunch en route as you continue toward the northern part of the park, spotting warthogs, elephants, Uganda kobs, cape buffalo, and tropical birds.
Day 12: Morning Game Drive and Boat Ride on Kazinga Channel
After an early breakfast, join a morning game drive, looking for the Big Five, along with warthogs, bushbucks, kobs, hyenas, and waterbucks in the Kasenyi plains.
In the afternoon, take a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel, spotting elephants, hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, and birds, including great pelicans, along the 40km channel connecting Lake Edward and Lake George.
Day 13: Drive to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, transfer from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Fort Portal, about a 3 hour drive. Take a short tour of the Tooro Kingdom Palace and Karambi Tombs for cultural and historical insight into the Batooro people.
Have lunch, then 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 visitor center at Kanyanchu for a pre-trek briefing. At 8 am, enter the forest to track chimpanzees, along with 12 other primate species found in the park.
Once you find the chimps, spend an hour observing them and taking photos without flash. In the evening, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a nature walk to see more primates, along with a visit to a craft center run by local women’s groups. Return to the lodge late in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 15: Drive to Entebbe International Airport
Enjoy breakfast, then transfer from Kibale to Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight, with lunch en route.
Book this 15-Day Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda Safari today and see mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and the Big Five across three countries.
