20 Days Rwanda Uganda Kenya and Tanzania
The 20 Days Rwanda Uganda Kenya and Tanzania is a well-curated safari package that is that combines four of the top tourist destinations in East Africa. This 20 Days East Africa Safari is a Primates, wildlife and Big Five Combo, designed to allow you to experience the mountain gorilla trekking, a wildlife viewing in the best national park, and cultural experience of the most famous cultures in East Africa. This 20 Days Rwanda Uganda Kenya and Tanzania Safari starts in Rwanda – also known as a country of a thousand hills where you will experience and learn more about the genocide that caused a lot of damage to Rwanda as a country, visit the Nyungwe national park which is a home of the chimpanzees in Rwanda.
Thereafter, cross to Uganda, which is very close to the borders, while in Uganda, meet the most interesting apes – the Mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park as the best destination for gorilla trekking. The Batwa are one of the most interesting indigenous tribes in Africa, they lived in the impenetrable forest along with the gorillas. Their stories are intriguing and visiting them, will be one of you best moments of the safari.
Thereafter, you will connect to Africa’s best – Masai mara national reserve in Kenya which borders Serengeti national park in Tanzania, these 2 park have been ranked as the best destinations in Africa because of their annual wildebeest migration experience that happens from June, July, August, September and October. They are also home to the Big 5 game, the wild cats such as the cheetah, leopards and lions. Masai Mara is best visited in June, July and August for the wildebeest migration, however, other animals like the big 5 are available throughout the year. While Serengeti national park in Tanzania is best visited in July, August, September and October for the wildebeest migration experience. Additionally, your wildlife experience in the Ngorongoro conservation area where we find the larges crater filled with resident animals of all kinds and finally also visit Tarangire national park best known for having large populations of elephants.
Safari highlights
Day 1: Arrival – hotel in Kigali
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest national park
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking – Canopy walkway and transfer back to Kigali
Day 4: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – Canoe ride
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park – Batwa community – Buhoma sector
Day 6: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park via Ishasha sector
Day 8: Morning game drive – afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel
Day 9: Transfer to Entebbe
Day 10: Fly to Tanzania (Own booked flight)
Day 11: Full day game drive in Arusha National park
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Manyara national Park – Game Drive and Walking Safari
Day 13: Full day Ngorongoro crater tour
Day 14: Transfer to Serengeti national park – afternoon game drive
Day 15: Full day in Serengeti national park
Day 16: Another day game drive in Serengeti national park
Day 17: Transfer to Masai Mara national Reserve via Isabenia border
Day 18: Full day game drive Masai Mara plains
Day 19: Another day in Masai Mara – Masai Cultural tour
Day 20: Transfer to Nairobi – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – hotel in Kigali
Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, our guide will welcome you and transfer to Kigali at your booked lodge for check-in. dinner and overnight stay at Omono Hotel (mid-range)/ Step Town Motel (budget)/Kigali Marriot Hotel for luxury
Day 2: Transfer to Nyungwe Forest national park
After breakfast at your hotel, check-out and cross back to Rwanda. It’s about 6-7 hours’ drive from Kigali to Nyungwe forest national park with en-route lunch and stopover for sightseeing, Nyanza King’s palace visit and Butare national Museum visit. Upon arrival late afternoon, connect to your booked lodge for check-in, dinner and overnight stay at Gisakura Visitor Centre for budget/Nyungwe Top Hill View Hotel for mid-range/Nyungwe One and Only Hotel for luxury
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking – Canopy walkway and transfer back to Kigali
Enjoy breakfast and go for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees before entering the forest in search of the active and playful fellows in Nyungwe forest with your backpack. The Chimpanzees are much easier to spot as they jump from one tree to another, chattering and laughing. Chimpanzee tracking usually takes about 3-5 hours depending on their location. On finding them, spend an hour while taking pictures and videos.
After your packed lunch, connect for the canopy walk experience. You will go on a walking trail that will take you to the Canopy Walk-a swing bridge 50 meters in length that is suspended from large trees; you will be able to see the amazing rainforest with a bird’s eye view, spotting wildlife moving below you. Later evening embark on your drive back to Kigali. Upon arrival late, check-in at your previous hotel booking at hotel as above – Omono Hotel (mid-range)/ Step Town Motel (budget)/Kigali Marriot Hotel for luxury
Day 4: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – Canoe ride
After breakfast, meet your guide and embark on your drive to Uganda via Katuna border to connect to Lake Bunyonyi. This will take about 3 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, connect for a boat trip on Lake Bunyonyi. Thereafter have lunch and spend your afternoon relaxing at the lodge. Dinner and overnight Bunyonyi Arcadia Cottages
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park – Batwa community – Buhoma sector
After breakfast, check-out of the lodge and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park taking about 3-4 hours’. Check-in at your booked lodge for lunch then late afternoon, connect for a Batwa community tour. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Community Rest Camp for budget/Buhoma Haven Lodge for mid-range/Mahogany Springs Lodge for luxury
Day 6: Gorilla trekking experience
Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for briefing by the ranger guides and later head into the forest for your trek. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. These primates roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day. On finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to view and take photos of these gentle primates, enjoy your lunch packs and meet your driver / guide and transfer back to your lodge. Dinner and overnight at Lodge as above
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park via Ishasha sector
After early breakfast early morning, transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park, which is about 4-5 hours’ drive with en-route stop at Ishasha sector for a game drive for chances of spotting the tree-climbing lions. Proceed to your booked lodge for check-in relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Elephant Hub Lodge for mid-range/Bush Lodge for budget/Elephant Plains for luxury
Day 8: Morning game drive – afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel
You will wake up early, have breakfast, and embark on an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi region for other animals like lion, leopard, antelopes, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, and waterbucks just to mention a few.
Connect for lunch before you connect for a boat cruise along Kazinga channel where you will get an opportunity to see a number of bird species, elephants and buffaloes, hippos and crocodiles. The Kazinga channel is known to have the highest concentration of hippos. Retreat from the boat trip in the evening and check in your lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 9: Transfer to Entebbe
After breakfast, transfer to Kampala city, which is about 6 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, drive through Kampala city, proceed to Entebbe for dinner and overnight stay at booked hotel – Best Western Garden Hotel for mid-range/Horizon Hotel for budget/Protea Entebbe Hotel for luxury
Day 10: Fly to Tanzania (Own booked flight)
After breakfast, check-out and connect to Entebbe airport for your onward flight to Tanzania. Upon arrival at Kilimanjaro international airport, meet your driver who will pick you up and transfer to your booked hotel in Arusha. Dinner and overnight stay at Tulia Bontique Hotel for budget/Zawadi House for mid-range/Arusha Serena Hotel for luxury
Day 11: Full day game drive in Arusha National park
After early morning game drive, get up early and go for game viewing in the open plains of Arusha National Park and you could be snapping life-list animal photos. While some game reserves limit travelers to safari vehicles, Arusha National Park offers plenty of ways to get out of the car and into the landscape. You will later return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.
Optional activity is a canoe trip in Momella Lakes in the afternoon, and it an important habitat for hippos, buffaloes, bushbuck, and a wide range of bird species. Return to your hotel in Arusha, dinner and overnight stay at hotel as above
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Manyara national Park – Game Drive and Walking Safari
After early breakfast, meet your safari driver to start your journey to Lake Manyara national park. You will enjoy an amazing introduction to the Tanzania wildlife with a game drive in Lake Manyara National Park. After your picnic lunch, embark on a guided nature walk and get closer to the natural surroundings in the park including animals like elephants, giraffes, zebras, among others; and also enjoy the beautiful views around. After the nature walk you will be driven to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Nysa Tented Camp for budget/Lake Manyara Heritage Lodge for mid-range/Lake Manyara Serena Lodge for luxury
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Full day Ngorongoro crater tour
After breakfast, enter the Ngorongoro conservation area and descent into about 600 meters in the Ngorongoro crater, which is the world’s largest inactive caldera, which is home to numerous wildlife species as well as bird species such as flamingos which can be seen during a safari in the crater along the shores of Lake Magadi. Enjoy seeing wildlife species such as cheetahs, lions, leopards, elephants, antelopes, giraffes, buffalos, wildebeests and many others. You will also visit Lake Magadi, which is a large but shallow alkaline lake in the south-western corner and is among the main features of the crater. You will see a large number of flamingos, hippos as well as other bird species along the lake-shores. Dinner and overnight stay at Tloma Lodge for mid-range/Hhando Coffee Lodge for budget/Acacia Ngorongoro Lodge for luxury
Day 14: Transfer to Serengeti national park – afternoon game drive
After breakfast, transfer to Serengeti national park, which is about 4 hours’ drive. Upon arrival with en-route game drive in central Serengeti. Connect to your booked lodge for check-in, dinner and overnight stay Serengeti Bush Camp for mid-range/Tukaone Serengeti Camp for budget/Mbali Mbali Soroi Serengeti Lodge for luxury
Day 15: Full day in Serengeti national park
After your delicious breakfast, meet your driver and embark on a drive to Serengeti National Park with your panic lunch. The central sector is known for its masculine lions and you will also encounter a great number of other wildlife. Later afternoon, you will drive to Central Serengeti for the game drive. In this area of the park, you will have the opportunity to see big pride of lions, Cheetahs, Leopards, Hyenas, Giraffes, Elephants, different Antelopes, and other wildlife. Later in the evening return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at either lodge as above
Day 16: Another day game drive in Serengeti national park
Have early breakfast, get parked lunch and go for a full day game drive we start from far North around the Mara river in case you came on the opposite month when the migration will start from Serengeti after missing it from Mara Kenya side now this will be you turn to enjoy the best. Spend the whole day looking for these animals like Hippos, Elephants, Buffalos, Giraffes, Lions, Hyenas, Cheetahs, Antelopes, Hartebeest, zebras mention but a few. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at Mara Heritage Camp for budget/Mara River Camp for mid-range/Malaika Mara River Camp for luxury
Day 17: Transfer to Masai Mara national Reserve via Isabenia border
You will have a very early breakfast and checkout from the lodge to embark on your journey to Masai Mara national park in Kenya. You will have an en-route game drive on your way to Isebania border where you will be crossing the border. This day will take you to other side of Masai Mara as you enter the park via Olololo gate in Mara west.
Upon arrival at the border the customs office will do clearance after which, meet your Kenyan driver guide to proceed to Masai mara where you will enter the park with en-route game drive lasting up to 2 hours as you enjoy the Mara plains. Proceed to your booked lodge for check-in, dinner and overnight at Heritage Mara Camp for budget/Mara River Camp for Mid-range/Ol Serai Luxury Camp for luxury
Day 18: Full day game drive Masai Mara plains
After breakfast, full day in the park with packed lunch in search of its popular residents, The Masai Mara plains are full of wildebeest during migration season early July to end September, zebra, impala, topi, giraffe, Thomson’s gazelle are regularly seen, leopards, lions, hyenas, cheetah, jackal and bat-eared foxes. Black rhinos are a little shy and hard to spot but are often seen at a distance if you are lucky. Hippos are abundant in the Mara River as are very large Nile crocodiles, which lay in wait for a meal as the wildebeest cross on their annual quest to find new pastures. Later Meals and overnight at lodge as above.
Day 19: Another day in Masai Mara – Masai Cultural tour
After breakfast, meet your guide and transfer to the north eastern end of the park to widen your chances of seeing more animals and the Wildebeest migration on the Mara River depending on the month you have travelled in. The wildebeest migration is however not guaranteed to spot the crossing.
You will drive to Mara river to witness the great migration which happens mostly around June to July and October to November viewing the survivors of the fittest as they go past the big Nile crocodiles in the water, a large pride of hunting lions in the land as they exit or enter to the river. You will enjoy the whole day in the park and later late evening return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at lodge as above
Day 20: Transfer to Nairobi – Departure
After breakfast, check-out and connect to Nairobi city with en-route to catch your next flight. The driver will drop you off at Jomo Kenyatta international airport for onward flight.
End of 20 Days Rwanda Uganda Kenya and Tanzania
