15 Days Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania Safari : The 15-day Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania safari is a combined East African expedition offering you the holiday of a lifetime. This trip will open with thrilling primate adventures in Uganda, specifically Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park and Mountain Gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Safari Overview:
From Uganda, you will fly to Magical Kenya, a renowned destination for witnessing both the Big Five game and the great wildebeest migration. You will end your African holiday in Tanzania, exploring the key tourist sites in the Northern safari circuit, especially Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, also home to the world’s natural wonder – Ngorongoro Crater.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival & transfer to the hotel in Entebbe City
Get a warm welcome into Uganda from our company representative and you will exit Entebbe Airport once you have gone through the immigration formalities. It will be on this day that you will have some insight into Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. Enjoy your dinner and prepare for your journey the following day.
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Begin your morning with a tasty breakfast and after, be ready for your grand East African safari. Your first visit today will be Kibale National Park, the primate capital of the world located in Kabarole district, Western Uganda. Driving time from Entebbe city to Kibale will be about 5-6 hours, navigating via Mityana, Mubende, and Fort Portal city. Access to the park will be along the tarmacked Fort Portal-Kamwenge route. En-route to Kibale, a brief stopover will be made at Fort Portal tourism city for you to enjoy some lunch. Proceed to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Kibale Forest Park – Chimpanzee trekking & Bigodi wetland nature walk
Set off on a memorable chimpanzee trekking expedition in Kibale after you have had breakfast at your lodge. First, you will clear at the reception desk at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, and later join the rest of the guests for a briefing about chimpanzee trekking guidelines. The park official will assign you an experienced guide and at 8:00am, depart from Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for an actual search of the chimpanzee community.
The exciting trek to meet chimpanzees runs for 2-4 hours inclusive of an hour of up close and personal encounter with these apes in the wild. Make the best of the one hour to take as many pictures as you can, and interestingly, as you trek through the forest, keep your eyes on several of the other park’s primates and birds.
Return to your lodge for a leisurely lunch and in the afternoon; join other nature enthusiasts for a rewarding guided nature walk. This includes exploring the wonders of Bigodi wetland, an area endowed with mammals such as colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, and birds –Great blue turacos.
Day 4: Morning drive from Kibale to Queen Elizabeth Park, afternoon boat cruise
Depart from Kibale lodge for Queen Elizabeth National Park expecting a scenic road trip featuring the beautiful Crater Lakes. Arrive early and get a warm welcome from Queen Elizabeth National Park’s breathtaking landscape and sweeping plains at a distance. At the lodge, get ample time to enjoy lunch and relax till you are picked up by your driver to join others on the afternoon boat or launch cruise. The Kazinga channel boat cruise will have you exposed to several aquatic species including hippos, crocodiles, and other water birds.
Day 5: Queen Elizabeth Park Game drive, travel to Bwindi
After an early breakfast, embark on a morning game drive before sunrise. Catch up with a variety of savanna dwellers in Queen Elizabeth National Park including warthogs, African buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, birds, and many others. Return to the safari lodge to pack up and proceed to Ishasha in the Southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
A brief stop will be made at Ishasha, an ideal spot to locate tree-climbing lions and other antelopes like topis. Settle for bush lunch under some tree shade and after, proceed up to Bwindi, checking in at the safari lodge in the Northern sector – Buhoma area.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Uganda’s Bwindi National Park
Get up early, prepare, and ensure everything is set for your day gorilla trekking adventure. You are advised to wear long-sleeved clothes on this day. Have a pack of snacks and bottled water ready with you before you set off for briefing regarding the gentle giants who are presumed to be our closest relatives. This is a lifetime experience and expect to take 2-6 hours in the jungle in search of a family of the endangered mountain gorillas. The length of your trek may depend on your speed of walking, location of gorillas and nature of the habitat. On finding a family of these apes, you will be guaranteed an hour to be with them as you take pictures.
Later, start trekking back to the briefing area where you will be awarded a gorilla trekking certificate before you proceed to your lodge. Late in the afternoon, spice up your primate adventure with Batwa pygmies’ cultural experience.
Day 7: Fly from Kihihi to Entebbe Airport
After breakfast, your driver guide will transfer you up to Kisoro airstrip where you will fly up to Entebbe Airport. Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will take a flight to Nairobi, Kenya (Jomo Kenyatta International Airport). Transfer to the hotel in Nairobi city and have a relaxed stay awaiting to connect to Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Day 8: Nairobi –Maasai Mara Reserve
Depart from Nairobi city for Maasai Mara National Reserve in Narok County, Southwestern Kenya. Driving time to the reserve takes about 5-6 hours and on arrival, you will check into the wilderness camp/lodge. Have an early lunch and later, embark on a late afternoon game drive where you will have a great time.
Day 9-10: Explore Maasai Mara wildlife – full-day game drive
Enjoy two days of full-day game drives through Masai Mara with an experienced guide. Both days start with a delicious breakfast inclusive of a picnic lunch. Lots of wildlife can be encountered both in the morning and afternoon game drives ranging from may lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, zebras, elands, wildebeest and birds. However, it is not a guarantee to see all of them as this is nature and some tend to hide.
Day 11: Take a flight to Arusha in Tanzania
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Arusha. Your Tanzania driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for relaxation, meals, and overnight.
Day 12: Arusha to Lake Manyara National Park
With an experienced guide, set off for Lake Manyara National Park for about 2-3 hours’ drive. You will pay a visit to Mto wa Mbu village en route and enjoy a game drive at the park. The different wildlife species that thrive within this protected area include giraffes, leopards, tree-climbing lions, bushbucks, elephants, and many flamingo birds.
Day 13: Depart for Serengeti – witness the Great Migration & Big Five game
A delicious breakfast will be followed by check out and journey to the amazing Serengeti National Park. This is 14763sq.km protected area that was founded in 1951, offering exceptionally great migration and big five game experiences. Embark on a memorable afternoon game drive in the vast Serengeti National Park, look out for diverse mammals especially the big game and nocturnal species late in the evening as they become active.
Day 14: Game drive & drive to Ngorongoro Crater
After breakfast, catch up with early risers in the savanna plains of Serengeti National Park. This park contains a diversity of animals including white rhinos, leopards, lions, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, wildebeest, antelopes and many birds. After the game drive and early lunch, continue to Ngorongoro, home to big 5 and wildebeests.
Day 15: Game drive and departure
A game drive through Ngorongoro Crater/Conservation Area includes exploring the wonders in this protected area. The likely animals to be spotted in Ngorongoro Crater Area include lions, black rhinos, zebras, elephants, buffaloes, hartebeest, Kudus, wildebeest, hyenas, jackals and many others. Retreat from the morning game drive and drive back to Arusha with drop of at the hotel or Airport for your outbound flight – marking the end of 15 days Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania safari.
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