18-Day Ultimate East African Wildlife Safari

Touch down at Entebbe International Airport on the shores of Lake Victoria. Your Ngaro Wild Adventures safari director will greet you at arrivals and transfer you to your hotel for relaxation and a comprehensive briefing on your grand 3-country expedition.

• Arrival: Airport meet-and-greet with private vehicle transfer
• 03:00 PM: Check-in and leisure time by the lake gardens
• 07:00 PM: Welcome dinner and orientation meeting

Depart Entebbe westward through scenic countryside, tea estates, and the historical town of Fort Portal situated at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains, arriving at your rainforest lodge in the Kibale sector.

• 07:30 AM: Morning departure westward via Mubende and Fort Portal (approx. 5–6 hrs)
• 01:00 PM: Arrival in Fort Portal and hot lunch
• 03:30 PM: Check-in at your rainforest lodge and guided nature walk around the lodge grounds
• 07:30 PM: Dinner overlooking the forest canopy

Trek into Kibale Forest National Park, home to 13 primate species, to track habituated wild chimpanzees. In the afternoon, take a guided eco-walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for monkeys, babblers, and Great Blue Turacos.

• 07:30 AM: Ranger briefing at Kanyanchu Visitor Center
• Option A – Classic Chimpanzee Tracking: 08:00 AM: Guided trek to spend 1 full hour observing a chimpanzee troop.
• Option B – Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX): Spend 4 full hours alongside researchers and trackers.
• 02:30–05:30 PM: Bigodi Wetland boardwalk tour and community coffee project visit

Journey south past the Rwenzori mountain range and cross the Equator into Queen Elizabeth National Park. Embark on a late afternoon game drive across the Kasenyi plains in search of lions, elephants, and leopards.

• 08:30 AM: Scenic drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park (approx. 3 hrs)
• 12:30 PM: Lodge check-in and panoramic lunch
• 04:00–06:30 PM: Sunset game drive across the Kasenyi tracks tracking active predators and herds of Uganda kobs

Track big cats at first light before boarding a 2-hour boat safari along the Kazinga Channel to view Africa’s highest concentration of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and elephant herds coming to drink.

• 06:00 AM: Dawn wildlife tracking drive for lions, hyenas, and leopards
• 12:00 PM: Lunch at the lodge
• 02:00–04:00 PM: Kazinga Channel boat safari with exceptional close-up wildlife photography
• 05:00 PM: Scenic drive through the Katwe explosion crater lakes

Drive south through the Ishasha sector searching for rare tree-climbing lions resting in large fig branches, then ascend the steep terraced highlands of Kigezi to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

• 07:30 AM: Departure south toward the Ishasha sector
• 09:30 AM–12:30 PM: Dedicated game drive searching for tree-climbing lions and topis
• 01:00 PM: Bush lunch in Ishasha
• 04:30 PM: Arrival in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and lodge check-in

Enter the UNESCO-protected rainforest of Bwindi for your first life-changing encounter with endangered mountain gorillas, followed by an evening cultural experience with the indigenous Batwa community.

• 07:00 AM: Transfer to UWA park headquarters for briefing and ranger allocation
• 08:00 AM: Start of the guided rainforest trek
• Option A – Classic Gorilla Tracking: Spend 1 full hour observing a habituated gorilla family.
• Option B – Gorilla Habituation Experience: Spend 4 full hours alongside researchers and trackers.
• 04:00–06:00 PM: Batwa cultural walk discovering ancient hunter-gatherer forest traditions

Cross the border from southwestern Uganda into Rwanda, the “Land of a Thousand Hills”. Travel to Kigali for an afternoon city orientation, art market visit, and a reflective stop at the Kigali Genocide Memorial.

• 08:00 AM: Depart Bwindi toward Katuna or Cyanika border post
• 10:30 AM: Border customs clearance and scenic drive into Rwanda
• 01:00 PM: Arrival in Kigali and lunch at a local restaurant
• 02:30–05:00 PM: Guided visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial and Inema Arts Center

Drive northwest through terraced hills to Musanze at the base of the Virunga Volcanoes. In the afternoon, visit the Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village (Gorilla Guardians) to experience traditional Rwandan royal heritage and dance.

• 09:00 AM: Scenic drive from Kigali to Musanze (approx. 2.5 hrs)
• 12:00 PM: Lodge check-in and lunch
• 02:30–05:00 PM: Iby’Iwacu Cultural Village experience featuring traditional drumming and royal ceremonies
• 07:00 PM: Evening preparation for your second gorilla expedition

Report to Kinigi headquarters to trek through the bamboo slopes of Volcanoes National Park for your second gorilla encounter in Rwanda, or choose an active golden monkey trek in the upper canopy.

• 07:00 AM: Ranger briefing at Kinigi park headquarters
• Option A – Rwanda Gorilla Trekking: Guided hike to spend 1 full hour with a Rwandan mountain gorilla family.
• Option B – Endangered Golden Monkey Tracking: Trek into the high bamboo forest to observe active troops of golden monkeys.
• 02:00 PM: Return to the lodge for a hot lunch and afternoon relaxation overlooking the volcanoes

Transfer from Musanze to Kigali International Airport for your scheduled flight to Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Arrive in Arusha, the gateway to Tanzania’s legendary Northern Safari Circuit, for an evening of relaxation.

• 08:00 AM: Transfer from Musanze to Kigali Airport (approx. 2.5 hrs)
• Midday: Scheduled flight from Kigali (KGL) to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO)
• Afternoon: Meet-and-greet with your Tanzanian Ngaro Wild safari team and transfer to Arusha
• 07:30 PM: Dinner and briefing on the Tanzanian wilderness circuit

Drive to Tarangire National Park, celebrated for its ancient baobab trees and massive elephant herds that gather along the Tarangire River alongside lions, leopards, and over 500 bird species.

• 08:00 AM: Depart Arusha in private 4×4 safari pop-up roof vehicle (approx. 2.5 hrs)
• 10:30 AM–05:00 PM: Extensive game drive along the Tarangire River circuit with picnic lunch in the bush
• 05:30 PM: Check-in at your safari lodge overlooking the wilderness

Descend 600 meters onto the floor of the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera. Spend the day tracking the Big Five in this dense natural sanctuary, including endangered black rhinos, pride lions, and flamingo flocks on Lake Magadi.

• 06:30 AM: Early morning descent into the Ngorongoro Crater floor
• 07:00 AM–02:30 PM: Full crater floor game drive searching for black rhino, lions, leopards, buffaloes, and hyenas
• 12:30 PM: Picnic lunch beside the hippo pool
• 03:30 PM: Ascend to the crater rim and transfer to Karatu or Ngorongoro rim lodge

Journey into the legendary Serengeti National Park, entering through the southern short-grass plains and moving into the central Seronera Valley, home to resident big cats, leopards in sausage trees, and vast prey herds.

• 07:30 AM: Depart highlands toward the Serengeti via Naabi Hill gate (approx. 4 hrs)
• 11:00 AM: Entry into Serengeti and en-route wildlife game drive across the plains
• 01:30 PM: Check-in and lunch at your classic Serengeti tented camp
• 03:30–06:30 PM: Afternoon game drive around the Seronera river circuits

Spend a full day exploring the endless savannahs of the Serengeti. Track cheetahs hunting on open grasslands, lions surveying territories from granite kopjes, and immense herds of zebras and gazelles.

• 06:00 AM: Dawn game drive to catch big cats returning from night hunts
• 08:30 AM: Bush breakfast in the wild or return to camp
• 10:00 AM–04:30 PM: Full-day circuit exploring Moru Kopjes and central river valleys with picnic lunch
• 07:00 PM: Dinner and stargazing around the campfire

Dedicate today to following the seasonal movements of over 1.5 million wildebeest and zebras through the migration corridors (Western Corridor, Northern Mara, or Southern Ndutu depending on the time of year).

• 06:30 AM: Early morning departure toward active migration herds
• Full Day: Dynamic wildlife tracking, witnessing predator-prey interactions, giraffe towers, and elephant families
• 05:30 PM: Sunset sundowner drinks in the bush overlooking the Serengeti horizon

Enjoy a final sunrise safari in the Serengeti before boarding a scheduled bush plane flight from the Seronera airstrip back to Arusha, offering aerial views of the Great Rift Valley and volcanic craters.

• 06:30–09:00 AM: Sunrise game drive en route to the airstrip
• 10:30 AM: Scheduled bush flight from Serengeti (SEU) to Arusha Airport (ARK)
• 12:00 PM: Meet-and-greet in Arusha, hotel check-in, and lunch
• Afternoon: Visit the Cultural Heritage Centre and Tanzanite museum
• 07:30 PM: Celebratory 18-day expedition farewell dinner

Spend your final morning at leisure in Arusha exploring a local coffee plantation before your private transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport for your return flight home.

• 09:00 AM: Relaxed breakfast and check-out
• 10:30 AM: Guided Arusha coffee plantation walk and roasting experience
• 01:00 PM: Farewell lunch in Arusha
• Afternoon/Evening: Transfer to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) for onward international departure