20 days Tanzania wildlife and Uganda primates

Safari overview

This 20 days Tanzania wildlife and Uganda primates will take to the 2 top African safari destinations for primates and wildlife. Uganda ‘the pearl of Africa’ as Winston Churchill referred to is the prime destination for all primate lovers with over 20 primate species calling the country their home. Among the many primates that you are likely to encounter while in Uganda is the endangered mountain gorillas which are found at Bwindi national park with over a half of world’s gorilla population. You can also trek gorillas during your visit in Uganda from Mgahinga gorillas national park which is the home to one gorilla habituated family known as Nyakagezi gorilla family. Beside gorillas, Uganda is also a home to another great ape in chimpanzee. Chimps can be trekked from different places including Kibale national park, Kyambura gorge in queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi national park, Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park among other places where you can encounter these human relatives. Beside primates, Uganda is also a home to the big five of Africa and several other antelopes that you will encounter during this great adventure.

More about the safari

After exploring ‘the pearl of Africa’, you will proceed to the home for the greatest animal migration in the world which is Tanzania. Known for its abundancy of wildlife, more in the protected area of the northern circuit. You will be able to visit different parks and conservation area starting from Arusha. You will head to Tarangire national park a less known protected area but with a lot to offer before heading to the famous Serengeti national park with a chance to walk into the footstep of the great migration of wildebeest and zebras. Depending on your timing of the safari, you might even be lucky enough to witness the river crossing of the wildebeest which is to many the highlight of Tanzania safari adventure. The experience will not stop there as you will continue and descend to the biggest unbroken caldera in the word in the Ngorongoro crater which is formerly part of the greater Serengeti national park. The crater is the home to the resident wildebeest, all the big five of Africa and several bird species including the flamingos.

Now that you are through with this great wildlife safari, then you will return to Arusha where you will catch your next flight to Zanzibar to enjoy some beach life and a well-earned relation while in the water as you continue discovering more about Tanzania.

Summary itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Entebbe Airport and Transfer to Your Hotel in Entebbe

Day2: Transfer from Entebbe to Lake Mburo NP-Game drive

Day3: Morning Walking Safaris in Lake Mburo NP and Transfer to southern Uganda in Bwindi Np

Day4: Gorilla trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP

Day5: Morning Game drive in Northern Queen Elizabeth National Park and Afternoon Boat cruise on Kazinga channel

Day6: Early morning lion Experiential Tour in Queen Elizabeth NP and Transfer to Kibale forest National Park

Day7: Chimpanzee Trekking Bigodi swamp walk-Kibale forest Np

Day8: Crater Lakes experience and Transfer to Entebbe

Day9: Transfer to Entebbe international airport for your regional flight to Tanzania

Day10: Arusha city-Tarangire National Park Game drives in the Afternoon

Day11: Tarangire National park-Lake Manyara National Park game drives

Day12: Hadzabe Cultural Tour to Serengeti National Park

Day13 &14: Serengeti National Park and Great migration Safari

Day15: Serengeti National Park-Ngorongoro crater

Day16: Full day in Ngorongoro crater

Day17: Drive to Arusha-Fly to Zanzibar in the Afternoon

Day18-19: Explore the serene beaches of Zanzibar

Day20: Departure, end of safari

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Entebbe Airport and Transfer to Your Hotel in Entebbe, shoebill experience

On arrival at Entebbe international airport, you will be welcomed by your driver guide who will take you through your safari itinerary before transferring you to your lodge in Entebbe for some relaxation. After shaking off the jet lag, you will transfer to Mabamba swamp on shores of Lake Victoria for the shoebill experience. Even though shoebill is the highlight of this experience, it is not the only bird you will see. The swamp is the home to other several birds that you will encounter including the king fisher and yellow beaked duck all calling this swamp home. The drive to Nakiwogo landing site where you will be taking your wooden boat from is a 45-minute drive and you will have 1 hour on the boat before reaching the swamp for an encounter with the rare shoebill stock. After viewing the bird, together with your birding guide you will return to Nakiwogo where you will meet your guide again to take you back to your lodge for the dinner and an overnight stay.

Day2: Transfer from Entebbe to Lake Mburo NP-Game drive

After your prestigious breakfast early in the morning, your driver will peak you up and start your journey to Lake Mburo national park. The drive to the park is a 4-to-5-hour drive towards the western part of Uganda. Note that lake Mburo is the nearest park (be it savannah or forest park) to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The park is famously known for its high concentration of zebras that you will encounter while there. You need to note in Uganda you can only see zebras from lake mburo national park and Kidepo valley national park. beside zebras, lake mburo is home to several other herbivore and antelopes including the Uganda kobs and impalas plus several bird species that call the park there home. After the evening game drive, you will head to your lodge for the dinner and night stay.

Day3: Morning Walking Safaris in Lake Mburo NP and Transfer to southern Uganda in Bwindi Np

You shall wakeup very early in the morning and head to the park for a walking safari to have an encounter with some nocturnal animal before they depart the park for the early grazers. You will also see the early grazers in close proximity during this walking safari with the assistance of your guide and armed ranger. The walking safari will take where the normal game drive cant and will a closer look of every thing you will but remember to always follow the guidelines of you guide as animals can charge any time. After full exploration of the park, you will return to your lodge for lunch before checking to continue with to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park where you will check-in late in the evening for your dinner and an overnight stay

Day4: Gorilla trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP

Today is the day for the highlight of Uganda safari experience where you will be able to encounter the mighty mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. The journey will start very early in the morning at 6 AM with your packed lunch. Your driver guide will lead you to the park headquarter to any sector of Bwindi where your permit is reading. On arrival at the park headquarter, you will be welcomed by the park rangers who will divide you into groups depending on how far you want to travel through the bush. After you will be briefed about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking before heading to the jungle led by the park guide who will be following the leads of trackers while searching for gorillas, the search will last between 1 to 6 hours depending on the gorilla family that you will be allocated. Once you encounter the gorillas, you will be allocated 1 hour to view the gorilla behaviour and taking photos. After the viewing, you will return to the park headquarter where your guide will be waiting from to transfer you to queen Elizabeth national park where you will be spending your night.

Day5: Morning Game drive in kasenyi plain of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Afternoon Boat cruise on Kazinga channel

After the morning breakfast, you will head to kasenyi plain, the northern part of the park where you will have a chance to encounter 4 of the five big five of Africa which include lions, leopard, elephant and cape buffalos. You will also see several other antelopes including Uganda kobs. The park is also famous for its variety of bird species. After the morning game drive, you will transfer back to your lodge for lunch before heading away for and evening boat cruise at Kazinga channel where you will see different aquatic life and a school of hippos that embrace this park while relaxing on the waters. Return to your lodge in the evening for your dinner and an overnight stay.

Day6: Early morning lion Experiential Tour in Queen Elizabeth NP and Transfer to Kibale forest National Park

We shall start the day with the morning with the lion experiential tour where you will have an opportunity to meet the lion with a 100 percent guarantee of encounter in the company of experts who will teach you more about the lions. You will get to know the life of lions with a chance to find them interacting with their preys. After this exclusive lion tracking, you will head to Kibaale national park where you will arrive in the evening for a dinner and an overnight stay.

Day7: Chimpanzee Trekking Bigodi swamp walk-Kibale forest Np

Another day to encounter the great apes of Uganda in their natural habitats. This day you will wake up and head to the park headquarter where you will meet the park ranger who will register you and take you through the chimpanzee trekking procedure and guidelines before leading together with other member to the forest to start the search for the chimps. The search will last between 1 to 4 hours and once you encounter the chimps, you will be allocated one hour to observe the chimpanzee behaviours. After the trekking, you will return to the park head quarte where you will enjoy your picnic lunch and later head for the birding experience at Bigodi swamps where among the many birds you will see, you will encounter the rare shoebill stork. After the birding safari, you will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day8: Crater Lakes experience and Transfer to Entebbe

Kick-start your day with a cup of coffee and a mouthwatering breakfast meal at the lodge. Afterwards, take a tour around the different crater lakes around town. You will get to love on nature, learn how crater lakes are formed, and take some of the most memorable photos ever imagined. The driver guide will take you through some of the plantations and natural sceneries leading to the craters. The natives will make the visit more species with unique offers and stories. Afterwords have a lunch break, and then hit the road to Entebbe. 6-7 hours on road, with the view of the stunning landscape, plantations, and more. You will end this day with dinner and a peaceful nap.

Day9: Transfer to Entebbe international airport for your regional flight to Tanzania

After your breakfast, you will be transferred to Entebbe international airport to catchup with your flight to Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro international airport where your local guide will be waiting from to transfer to your lodge in Arusha for your relaxation as you prepare for the next day to start the Tanzania adventure.

Day10: Arusha city-Tarangire National Park Game drives in the Afternoon

After your sweet morning glory, you will start your journey north of Tanzania to Tarangire national park. The drive will last for about 2 and half hour before arriving to the park but trust it will not be a boring road trip as you will enjoy the view of magnificent landscape and the greenery. Once you arrive at the and you are trough with the protocol, you will embark on an evening game drive that will bring you in proximity with several big cats. The park is famously known for its high concentration of elephants that lives in their tribes. You will also be able to see several baobab trees that are scattered within this largely plain ground. After the game drive you will head to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay

Day11: Tarangire National park-Lake Manyara National Park game drives

Another day, another adventure, today you will continue with your drive to Lake Manyara national park. The drive will take about 1 hour to arrive to the park. Lake manyara is famously known for its tree climbing lions that you are likely to encounter within the acacia branches. Beside lions, the park is the home to several bird species including the flamingos that you will encounter during your adventure. Don’t forget to search for other herbivores that call the park home. After a full day experience drive towards Lake Eyasi where you will be spending your night and an overnight stay.

Day12: Hadzabe Cultural Tour to Serengeti National Park

Today is the day for the cultural tour where you will be visiting the indigenous hadzambe hunter. You will join them to go hunting, get an opportunity to learn about the history and tradition, enjoy their story telling experience and be offered a chance to join them while carrying out their performances. After fully exploring Hadzabe people, you continue with your drive to Serengeti national park where you will be having an overnight stay and your dinner

Day13 &14: Serengeti National Park and Great migration Safari

Day 13 and 14 will be for exploring the mighty Serengeti national park, the home to migratory wildebeest and zebras. Depending on the time of the year when you will be visiting, we shall decide which part of Serengeti you will be visiting as animals tend to migrate from one area to another but not fooled, Serengeti is a must visit place. During the calving season between December and March, we shall take you to Ndutu and seronera areas of Serengeti national park where the animals will be concentrating. Whereas during the mara river crossing of wildebeest between June and September, we shall take you to northern part and central part of the park.

Day15: Serengeti National Park-Ngorongoro crater

After a morning game drive to catchup with the morning grazers, you will transfer to Karatu town near the Ngorongoro conservation area where you will have an overnight stay and your dinner as you prepare to descend to the crater the following day.

Day16: Full day in Ngorongoro crater

A day to descend to the largest unbroken caldera in the world. Ngorongoro crater is the home to all the big five of Africa and it is the only place in the world where you can encounter all the big five animals within a day. The drive from karatu to the crater is a short one and you can have a chance also to visit the Olduvai gorge where the remain of the first human are believed to have been found. You will also be able to encounter the resident wildebeest and several bird species including the flamingos that call the park home. After exploring the crater, return to your lodge in Karatu for your overnight stay and dinner.

Day17: Drive to Arusha-Fly to Zanzibar in the Afternoon

After your morning breakfast, you will drive back to arusha where you will head to arusha airport to catch your next flight to Zanzibar for your well-earned rest in the beaches of this historical island. You will check in to your lodge for the dinner, relaxation and overnight stay.

Day18-19: Explore the serene beaches of Zanzibar

After your morning breakfast, you will be driven to stone town to learn the history of the place and have a look on these historical buildings that were constructed by the whites during the colonial period. You will also have a chance to go swimming, understanding the culture of the coastal people, interact with them, test the sea food, canoeing and doing all other water activities as you feel fit within these 2 days.

Day20: Departure, end of safari

This will be the last day of this great adventure; you will depart your hotel and be driven to the airport to check out and catch your next flight to your next destination. This will define your great experience in Tanzania.

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